Welcome to Portland, Oregon Come visit Portland, Oregon – green, clean, and friendly. Plus a vibrant arts scene that satisfies every taste. From the Hawthorne neighborhood to Southwest Stark Street, Portland, Oregon offers an open, welcoming environment for all visitors.
For the fifth year in a row, Portland has been named one of America's "Top 25 Arts Destinations" by the culturally savvy readers of AmericanStyle magazine, who voted the "Rose City" one of the "most stimulating and artistically inviting art destinations" in the country.
From March 3-April 20, 2004, Portland's Multnomah County Courthouse became the third government entity in the nation (after Massachusetts and San Francisco) to issue same-sex marriage licencses. During the first month 3,212 couples were issued licenses.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Portland has the 13th highest number of same-sex couples in the nation.

Chances are when you think of Portland, or the state of Oregon as a whole, images of thick forests, lumberjacks and lots of rain come to mind. Sure, the lingering wet winters are responsible for Portland's lush greenery and colorful springtime, and those with fantasies of meeting bearded, flannel shirt clad logger-types will find plenty to choose from. But this "City of Roses" is also a beautiful and culturally diverse city that has managed to retain a small town feel.
backdrop of majestic Mount Hood, Portland combines a sophisticated, cosmopolitan atmosphere with refreshingly friendly, small-town warmth that makes it a natural for tours of all types. Whether in groups or individually, visitors can cruise our scenic rivers, stroll through gardens and parks, shop tax-free in our tempting array of stores and boutiques, then wrap up the day with world-class dining and entertainment.

Portland is a laid-back and friendly city in the Pacific Northwest with a reputation for great scenery, a good standard of living and fine micro-breweries. The city is bike and pedestrian-friendly, and visitors won't want to miss the famous Japanese Garden, one of the largest and most beautiful displays of its kind outside of Japan. Gardening enthusiasts will also want to see the International Rose Test Garden and Washington Park, while other attractions include a wealth of museums and of course, the great outdoors.

Crisscrossed by rivers, mountains and vineyards, Metropolitan Portland offers more than urban adventure. Within a few minutes’ drive of downtown Portland are Pinot-producing wineries (most with year-round tasting rooms), kayak-friendly waterways that nudge wildlife preserves and, of course, the glorious foothills of Mount Hood. And if it’s urban adventure you crave, be warned that Portland, the Rose City, isn’t your run-of-the-mill urban megapolis. An effervescent arts community, dozens of urban parks and green spaces, a lively downtown, complete with an open air plaza that serves as the community’s living room and a world-class public transportation system, are just few of the reasons that make this one of the country’s most livable cities.