Portland, Maine

Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000. With a metro population of over 500,000, the Greater Portland area is home to more than one-third of Maine's total population.

Tourists visit Portland's historic Old Port district along Portland Harbor, at the mouth of the Fore River and part of Casco Bay, and the Arts District, which runs along Congress Street in the center of the city. Portland Head Light is located in nearby Cape Elizabeth and marks the entrance to Portland Harbor.

The city seal depicts a phoenix rising from ashes, which aligns with the city's motto, Resurgam, Latin for "I will rise again." The motto refers to Portland's recoveries from four devastating fires. The city of Portland, Oregon, was named for Portland, Maine.

Portland Public Schools is the largest school system in Maine, serving approximately 7,000 students.

History
Native Americans originally called the Portland peninsula Machigonne. The first European settler was Capt. Christopher Levett, an English naval captain granted 6000 acre by King Charles I of England in 1623 to found a settlement in Casco Bay. A member of the Council for New England and agent for Ferdinando Gorges, Levett built a stone house where he left a company of ten men, then returned to England and wrote a book about his voyage to drum up support for the settlement. The settlement failed, and the fate of Levett's colonists is unknown. The explorer sailed from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony to meet John Winthrop in 1630, but never returned to Maine. Fort Levett in the harbor is named for him.

The peninsula was first permanently settled in 1633 as a fishing and trading village named Casco. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony took over Casco Bay in 1658, the town's name changed again to Falmouth. In 1676, the village was destroyed by the Wampanoag during King Philip's War. It was rebuilt. During King William's War, a raiding party of French and Native allies attacked and largely destroyed it again in Battle of Fort Loyal (1690). On October 18, 1775, Falmouth was burned in the Revolution by the Royal Navy under command of Captain Henry Mowat.

Following the war, a section of Falmouth called The Neck developed as a commercial port and began to grow rapidly as a shipping center. In 1786, the citizens of Falmouth formed a separate town in Falmouth Neck and named it Portland, after the isle off the coast of Dorset, England. Portland's economy was greatly stressed by the Embargo Act of 1807 (prohibition of trade with the British), which ended in 1809, and the War of 1812, which ended in 1815.

In 1820, Maine became a state with Portland as its capital. In 1832, the capital was moved to Augusta. In 1851, Maine led the nation by passing the first state law prohibiting the sale of alcohol except for "medicinal, mechanical or manufacturing purposes." The law subsequently became known as the Maine law, as 18 states quickly followed. On June 2, 1855, the Portland Rum Riot occurred.

On June 26, 1863, a Confederate raiding party led by Captain Charles Read, entered the harbor at Portland and the Battle of Portland Harbor ensued, one of the northernmost battles of the Civil War. The 1866 Great Fire of Portland, Maine of July 4, 1866, ignited during the Independence Day celebration, destroyed most of the commercial buildings in the city, half the churches and hundreds of homes. More than 10,000 people were left homeless.

In 1853, upon completion of the Grand Trunk Railway to Montreal, Portland became the primary ice-free winter seaport for Canadian exports. The Portland Company manufactured more than 600 19th-century steam locomotives. Portland became a 20th-century rail hub as five additional rail lines merged into Portland Terminal Company in 1911. Following nationalization of the Grand Trunk system in 1923, Canadian export traffic was diverted from Portland to Halifax, Nova Scotia, causing marked local economic decline. In the 20th century, icebreakers later enabled ships to reach Montreal in winter, drastically reducing Portland's role as a winter port for Canada.

The erection of the Maine Mall, an indoor shopping center established in the suburb of South Portland during the 1970s, economically depressed downtown Portland. The trend reversed when tourists and new businesses started revitalizing the old seaport, locally known as the Old Port. Since the 1990s the historically industrial Bayside neighborhood saw rapid development. The emerging harborside Ocean Gateway neighborhood at the base of Munjoy Hill. The Maine College of Art has been a revitalizing force downtown, attracting students from around the country. The historic Porteous building on Congress Street was restored by the College.

Geography and climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 69.44 sqmi, of which, 21.31 sqmi is land and 48.13 sqmi is water. Portland is on a peninsula in Casco Bay on the Gulf of Maine and the Atlantic Ocean.

Portland borders South Portland, Westbrook and Falmouth. The city is located at 43.66713 N, 70.20717 W.

Portland has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), with somewhat long, cold snowy winters, and warm summers. Monthly averages range from 22.3 F in January to 69.1 F in July. The high exceeds 90 F several days per year; lows of 0 F or below are reached approximately 10 times per year. The area can be affected by severe nor'easters during winter, with high winds and snowfall totals. Precipitation averages 45.8 in and is plentiful year-round, but with a slightly drier summer. Direct strikes by hurricanes or tropical storms are rare, due to the curvature of the southern Maine coast and the typical path of tropical systems north of 40 degrees latitude. Extremes range from −39 F to 103 F.

Neighborhoods
Portland is organized into neighborhoods generally recognized by residents, but they have no legal or political authority. In many cases, city signs identify neighborhoods or intersections (which are often called corners). Most city neighborhoods have a local association, which usually maintains on-going relations of varying degrees with the city government on issues affecting the neighborhood.

On March 8, 1899, Portland annexed the neighboring city of Deering. Deering neighborhoods now comprise the northern and eastern sections of the city before the merger. Portland's Deering High School was formerly the public high school for Deering.

Portland's neighborhoods include the Arts District, Bayside, Bradley's Corner, Cushing's Island, Deering Center, Deering Highlands, Downtown, East Deering, East Bayside, East End, Eastern Cemetery, Great Diamond Island, Highlands, Kennedy Park, Libbytown, Little Diamond Island, Lunt's Corner, Morrill's Corner, Munjoy Hill, Nason's Corner, North Deering, Oakdale, the Old Port, Parkside, Peaks Island, Riverton Park, Rosemont, Stroudwater, the West End, and Woodford's Corner.

Demographics
According to the 2010 American Census Bureau Estimates, the city's population was 85.0% White (83.6% non-Hispanic White alone), down from 96.6% in 1990, 7.1% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.5% Asian, 1.6% from some other race and 2.7% from two or more races. 3.0% of the total population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. 40.7% of the population had a Bachelor's degree or higher. Men's Health ranked Portland the ninth most educated city in America.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 66,194 people, 30,725 households, and 13,324 families residing in the city. The population density was 3106.2 PD/sqmi. There were 33,836 housing units at an average density of 1587.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 85.0% White, 7.1% African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.5% Asian, 1.2% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.0% of the population.

There were 30,725 households out of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.7% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 56.6% were non-families. 40.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.88.

The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 17.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 33.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 12.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,250 people, 29,714 households, and 13,549 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,029.2 people per square mile (1,169.6/km²). There were 31,862 housing units at an average density of 1,502.2 per square mile (580.0/km²).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Portland's immediate metropolitan area ranked 147th in the nation in 2000 with a population of 243,537, while the Portland/South Portland/Biddeford metropolitan area included 487,568 total inhabitants. This has increased to an estimated 513,102 inhabitants as of 2007. Much of this increase in population has been due to growth in the city's southern and western suburbs.

The largest ancestries include: Irish (21.2%), English (19.2%), Italian (10.8%), French (10.5%), and German (6.9%).

There were 29,714 households out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.4% were non-families. 40.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city the population was spread out with 18.8% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 36.1% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,650, and the median income for a family was $48,763. Males had a median income of $31,828 versus $27,173 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,698. About 9.7% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Portland has become Maine's economic capital because the city has Maine's largest port, largest population, and is close to Boston (115 miles to the south). Over the years, the local economy has shifted from fishing, manufacturing and agriculture towards a more service-based economy. Most national financial services organizations such as Bank of America, and Key Bank base their Maine operations in Portland. Unum, TD Bank, Magellan Petroleum, Maine Bank & Trust, ImmuCell Corp, and Pioneer Telephone have headquarters here, and Portland's neighboring cities of South Portland, Westbrook and Scarborough, provide homes for other corporations. Since 1867, Burnham & Morrill Co., maker of B&M Baked Beans, has had its main plant in Portland. The plant is considered a local and state landmark. Portland has a low unemployment level when compared to national and state averages, 6.8% in January 2011. Portland and surrounding communities also have higher median incomes than most other Maine communities.

The Portland-Montreal Pipe Line, a crude oil pipeline that stretches from South Portland to Montreal, was a major contributing factor in these rankings.

Portland is home to increased urban farming, particularly in the East Bayside neighborhood.

Government
The city has adopted a council-manager style government that is detailed in the city charter. The citizens of Portland are represented by a nine member city council which makes policy, passes ordinances, approves appropriations, appoints the city manager and oversees the municipal government. The city council of nine members is elected by the citizens of Portland. The city has five voting districts, with each district electing a city councilor to represent their neighborhood interests for a three-year term. There are also four members of the city council who are elected at-large.

From 1923 until 2011, city councilors chose one of themselves each year to serve as mayor, a primarily ceremonial position. On November 2, 2010, Portland voters narrowly approved a measure that allowed them to elect the mayor. On November 8, 2011, former State Senator and candidate for U.S. Congress Michael F. Brennan was elected as mayor. On December 5, 2011, he was sworn in as the first citizen-elected mayor in 88 years (see Portland, Maine mayoral election, 2011). The office of mayor is a four-year paid position.

A city manager is appointed by the city council. The city manager oversees the daily operations of the city government, appoints the heads of city departments, and prepares annual budgets. The city manager directs all city agencies and departments, and is responsible for the executing laws and policies passed by the city council. The current city manager is Mark Rees.

Aside from the main city council there is also an elected school board for the Portland Public School system. The school board is made up in the same manner of the city council with five district members, four at-large members and one chairman. There are also three students from the local high schools elected to serve on the board. There are many other boards and committees such as the Planning Committee, Board of Appeals, and Harbor Commission, etc. These committees and boards have limited power in their respective areas of expertise. Members of boards and committees are appointed by city council members.

Voter registration

Education
See also
 * Portland Public Schools
 * List of Portland, Maine schools

High schools

 * Casco Bay High School (public-expeditionary)
 * Catherine McAuley High School (private)
 * Cheverus High School (private)
 * Deering High School (public)
 * Portland Arts & Technology High School (public-vocational)
 * Portland High School (public)
 * Waynflete School (private)

Colleges and universities

 * Maine College of Art
 * University of Maine School of Law
 * University of New England (formerly Westbrook College)
 * University of Southern Maine

Sites of interest
The Arts District, centered on Congress Street, is home to the Portland Museum of Art, Portland Stage Company, Maine Historical Society & Museum, Maine College of Art, Children's Museum of Maine, SPACE Gallery, Merrill Auditorium, the Kotzschmar Memorial Organ, and Portland Symphony Orchestra, as well as many smaller art galleries and studios.

Baxter Boulevard around Back Cove, Deering Oaks Park, the Eastern Promenade, Western Promenade, Lincoln Park and Riverton Park are all historical parks within the city. Other parks and natural spaces include Payson Park, Post Office Park, Baxter Woods, Evergreen Cemetery, Western Cemetery and the Fore River Sanctuary. The non-profit organization Portland Trails maintains an extensive network of walking and hiking trails throughout the city and neighboring communities.

Other sites of interest include:
 * Casco Bay Islands, including the Casco Bay Lines
 * Cumberland County Civic Center, home of the Portland Pirates.
 * East End Beach
 * Exchange Street (the "Old Port" area)
 * Hadlock Field, home to the Portland Sea Dogs.
 * Longfellow Arboretum
 * Neal S. Dow House
 * Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum
 * Martin's Point
 * McLellan-Sweat Mansion
 * The Portland Club
 * Portland Conservatory of Music
 * Portland Financial District
 * Portland Head Light Lighthouse
 * Portland Observatory
 * Portland Stage Company
 * University of Southern Maine (USM)
 * Victoria Mansion
 * Wadsworth-Longfellow House

Media


Portland is home to a concentration of publishing and broadcast companies, advertising agencies, web designers, commercial photography studios and film makers.

The city is home to two daily newspapers, The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram founded in 1862 and The Portland Daily Sun. The Press Herald is published Monday through Saturday, and The Maine Sunday Telegram, is published on Sundays. Both are published by MaineToday Media, Inc., which also operates an entertainment website, MaineToday.com and owns papers in Augusta, Waterville and Bath. The Daily Sun began operation in 2009; it is owned and published by the The Conway Daily Sun in North Conway, New Hampshire.

Portland is also covered by an alternative weekly newspaper, The Portland Phoenix, published by the Phoenix Media/Communications Group, which also produces a New England-wide news, arts, and entertainment website, thephoenix.com, and a twice-annual GLBT issues magazine, "Out In Maine".

Other publications include The Portland Forecaster, a weekly newspaper; The Bollard, a monthly alternative magazine; The West End News, The Munjoy Hill Observer, The Baysider, The Waterfront, Portland Magazine, and The Companion, an LGBT publication. Portland is also the home office of The Exception Magazine, an online newspaper that covers Maine.

The Portland broadcast media market is the largest one in Maine in both radio and television. A whole host of radio options are available in Portland, including WFNK (Classic Hits), WJJB (Sports), WTHT (Country), WBQW (Classical), WHXR (Rock), WHOM (Adult Contemporary), WJBQ (Top 40), WCLZ (Adult Album Alternative), WBLM (Classic Rock), WYNZ ('60s-'70s Hits), and WCYY (Modern rock). WMPG is a local non-commercial radio station, run by community members and the University of Southern Maine. The Maine Public Broadcasting Network's radio news operations are based in Portland.

The area is served by local television stations representing most of the television networks. These stations include WCSH 6 (NBC), WMTW 8 (ABC), WGME 13 (CBS), WPFO 23 (Fox), WPME 35 (MyNetworkTV), and WPXT 51 (The CW). There is no PBS affiliate licensed to the city of Portland but the market is served by WCBB Channel 10 in Augusta and WMEA-TV Channel 26 Biddeford.

Movies filmed in Portland

 * The Preacher's Wife
 * The Man Without a Face
 * Message in a Bottle
 * Thinner

Sports
The city is home to three minor-league teams. The AA Portland Sea Dogs, a farm team of the Boston Red Sox, play at Hadlock Field. Additionally, there are the American Hockey League Portland Pirates. Skating at the Cumberland County Civic Center, they are an affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2009, the Maine Red Claws began playing at the Portland Exposition Building. The Red Claws are part of the NBA Development League, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics of the NBA.

The Portland Sports Complex, located off of Park and Brighton Avenues near I-295 and Deering Oaks park, houses several of the city's stadiums and arenas, including:
 * Hadlock Field – baseball (Capacity 7,368)
 * Fitzpatrick Stadium – football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, and outdoor track (Capacity 6,000+ seated)
 * Portland Exposition Building – basketball, indoor track, concerts and trade shows (Capacity 2,000)
 * Portland Ice Arena – hockey and figure skating (Capacity 400)

The Portland area has eleven professional golf courses, 124 tennis courts, and 95 playgrounds. There are also over 100 mi of nature trails.

Portland hosts the Maine Marathon each October.

Memorial Stadium is the home of the Deering High School sports teams and is located behind the school.

Food and beverage


Portland hosts many internationally renowned bars, taverns and restaurants. The downtown area, including the Arts District and the Old Port have a high concentration of eating and drinking establishments, with many more to be found throughout the rest of the peninsula, outlying neighborhoods, and neighboring communities.

Local lore holds that Portland ranks among the top U.S. cities in restaurants and bars per capita. According to the Maine Restaurant Association, Portland is currently home to about 230 restaurants. Many of these institutions cater to niche markets in the culinary world, perhaps most notably the harvest of local sea cucumbers that are primarily exported to Asian markets.

Portland has developed a national reputation for the quality of its restaurants and eateries. In 2009, Portland was named the "Foodiest Small Town in America" by Bon Appétit magazine, and was featured in the New York Times as a food destination. 

In the spring of 2007, Portland was nominated as one of three finalists for "Delicious Destination of the Year" at the 2007 Food Network Awards.

Many local chefs have gained national attention over the past few years.

The city and outlying region played host to Rachael Ray in an episode of her Food Network Series $40 a Day, and was also featured in the Travel Channel series Man v. Food and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations in 2010.

Portland is home to a number of microbreweries and brewpubs, including the D. L. Geary Brewing Company, Gritty McDuff's Brewing Company, Shipyard Brewing Company, Casco Bay Brewing Co., Sebago Brewing Company, and Allagash Brewing Company. Several new microbreweries have opened since 2008, and they include the Maine Beer Company, Rising Tide Brewing Company, and Bull Jagger Brewing Company. The breweries are popular tourism locations due to the presence of on-site bars for tasting the final product.

Portland is the birthplace of the "Italian sandwich". Southern Maine's signature sandwich, it is called simply "an Italian" by locals. Italian sandwiches are available at many stores, but most famously at Amato's Italian delicatessens, which claims to have originated the sandwich (hence the name). 

The Portland Farmers' Market, which has been in continuous operation since 1768, takes place every Monday and Wednesday in Monument Square and every Saturday in Deering Oaks Park during the warm months and every Saturday indoors during the winter. Fresh fish and seafood can be purchased at a number of markets on the wharves along Commercial Street, and numerous artisan bread makers bake fresh loaves every day.

Appreciation for sustainable food and farming gained a significant boost throughout the state in the 1970s when back-to-the-landers moved to Maine in droves. With them came the resurgence of farmers' markets (including the expansion of the Portland market), a significant organic farming movement and an increased interested in plant-based cuisine. The echoes of this movement continue in Portland, where restaurants emphasize local and organic food and where the state's greatest concentration of vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly restaurants can be found.

Portland hosts a number of food and beverage festivals, including:
 * Festival of Nations
 * Greek Festival
 * Harvest on the Harbor
 * Italian Heritage Festival
 * Maine Brewers Festival
 * Maine Vegetarian & Vegan Food Festival
 * Taste of the Nation

Hospitals
Maine Medical Center a Level One Trauma Center is the largest hospital in Maine and is continuing to expand its campus and services. Mercy Hospital, a faith-based hospital, is the fourth-largest hospital in the state and began construction on its new campus along the Fore River in late 2006. The project is expected to be constructed in several phases, with completion of the first phase scheduled for 2008. 

The formerly independent Brighton Medical Center (once known as the Osteopathic Hospital) is now owned by Maine Medical Center and is operated as a minor care center under the name Brighton First Care and New England Rehab. In 2010, Maine Medical Center's Hannaford Center for Safety, Innovation and Simulation opened at the Brighton campus. The former Portland General Hospital is now home to the Barron Center nursing facility.

Roads
Portland is accessible from I-95 (the Maine Turnpike), I-295, and US 1. Also, U.S. Route 302, a major travel route and scenic highway between Maine and Vermont, has its eastern terminus in Portland. State Routes include SR 9, SR 22, SR 25, SR 26, SR 77, and SR 100. SR 25 Business goes through southwestern Portland.

Cable lines and trains
Concord Coach Lines bus service connects Portland to 14 other communities in Maine as well as to Boston's South Station and Logan Airport. Amtrak's Downeaster train service connects the city with Boston's North Station. Both Concord Coach Lines and the Downeaster can be found at the Portland Transportation Center on Thompsons Point Road, in Portland's Libbytown neighborhood. Greyhound Lines on Saint John Street connects to 17 Maine communities and to more than 3,600 U.S. destinations.

A carsharing service provided by U Car Share is available.

Airports
The city operates several transportation hubs. In addition to the transportation center, commercial air service is available at the Portland International Jetport, located in Stroudwater west of the city's downtown district. Several car rental agencies are located at the jetport.

Water transportation
The Port of Portland is the second-largest cruise and passenger destination in the state (next to Bar Harbor), and is served by the Ocean Gateway International Marine Passenger Terminal. Ferry service is available year-round to many destinations in Casco Bay. From 2006 to 2009, Bay Ferries operated a high speed ferry called The Cat featuring a five-hour trip to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia for summer passengers and cars. Before that, the Scotia Prince Cruises trip took 11 hours. A proposal to replace the defunct Nova Scotia ferry services was rejected in 2013 by Nova Scotia's government

Bus and taxi
There are two public bus systems in Portland. The Portland Explorer is a service that connects various transportation centers within the city and the METRO provides public bus transit throughout Portland and the surrounding area. South Portland's municipal bus service connects with Portland's METRO service.

Numerous private taxi cab companies operate in and around Portland.

Notable buildings
The spire of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception has been a notable feature of the Portland skyline since its completion in 1854. In 1859, Ammi B. Young designed the Marine Hospital, the first of three local works by Supervising Architects of the U.S. Treasury Department. Although the city lost to redevelopment its 1867 Greek Revival post office, which was designed by Alfred B. Mullett of white Vermont marble and featured a Corinthian portico, Portland retains his equally monumental 1872 granite Second Empire–Renaissance Revival custom house.

A more recent building of note is Franklin Towers, a 17-story residential tower completed in 1969. At 204 feet (62.2 meters), it is Portland's (as well as Maine's) tallest building. It is next to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on the city skyline. During the building boom of the 1980s, several new buildings rose on the peninsula, including the 1983 Charles Shipman Payson Building by Henry N. Cobb of Pei, Cobb, Freed & Partners at the Portland Museum of Art complex (a component of which is the 1801 McLellan-Sweat Mansion), and the Back Bay Tower, a 15-story residential building completed in 1990.

477 Congress Street (known locally as the Time and Temperature Building) is situated near Monument Square in the Arts District and is a major landmark: the 14-story building features a large electronic sign on its roof that flashes time and temperature data, as well as parking ban information in the winter. The sign can be seen from nearly all of downtown Portland. The building is home to the studio of ABC affiliate WMTW-TV 8, as well as several radio stations.

The Eastland Park Hotel, completed in 1927, is a prominent hotel located on High St. in downtown Portland. Photographer Todd Webb lived in Portland during his later years and took many pictures of the city. Some of Webb's pictures of Portland can be found at the Evans Gallery in South Portland.

Honors



 * Ranked as Forbes magazine's "Top City for Empty Nesters” (2012). “Top City for Empty Nesters” (Kiplingers)


 * Ranked as Bon Appétit magazine's "America's Foodiest Small Town" (2009).
 * Ranked No. 1 on Forbes.com "America's Most Livable Cities" (2009).
 * Ranked No. 12 on Frommer's 2007 "Top Travel Destinations".
 * Ranked No. 20 in Inc. Magazine 2006 "Boom Town List of Hottest Cities for Entrepreneurs".
 * Named No. 15 in medium-sized "Top U.S. Cities for Doing Business" by Inc. Magazine, May 2005
 * Named No. 14 in "Best Performing Cities" index by the Milken Institute, November 2004.
 * Ranked No. 13 on Men's Health Magazine's list of America's 100 most "car crazed" cities.
 * Ranked No. 20 on the list of Top 20 Best Small Cities for College Students by the American Institute for Economic Research.
 * Named one of the "Coolest Small Cities in America" by GQ Magazine.
 * Ranked as the third gayest city in the nation by UCLA's Williams Institute.
 * Named Best Adventure Town in the East by Outside Magazine.
 * Ranked fourth on Sperlings Best Places list for America's Foodie Cities!

Sister cities
Portland has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International (SCI):


 * Flag of Russia.svg Arkhangelsk, Russia
 * Flag of Haiti.svg Cap-Haïtien, Haiti
 * Flag of Greece.svg Mytilene, Greece
 * Flag of Japan.svg Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan