Troutdale is a city in

Multnomah County, Oregon Multnomah County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 815,428. Multnomah County is part of the Portland–Vancouver– Hillsboro, OR–WA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thou ...

, United States, immediately north of Gresham and east of Wood Village. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,962. The city serves as the western gateway to the

Historic Columbia River Highway The Historic Columbia River Highway is an approximately scenic highway in the U.S. state of Oregon between Troutdale and The Dalles, built through the Columbia River Gorge between 1913 and 1922. As the first planned scenic roadway in the United ...

, the Mount Hood Scenic Byway, and the

Columbia River Gorge The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the sta ...

. It is approximately east of

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

History

The community was once known as Sandy, after the nearby Sandy River; the post office in Sandy was established in 1854 and closed in 1868. In 1873, the current city of Sandy in

Clackamas County Clackamas County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 421,401, making it Oregon's third-most populous county. Its county seat is Oregon City. The county was named after the Native ...

, which was formerly named "Revenue", established a different Sandy post office that is still in operation. Troutdale was named by pioneer John Harlow for the

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...

pond in a dale near his house. Troutdale post office was founded in 1880. In 1925, a company, the

Bissinger Wool Pullery Bissinger Wool Pullery was a wool pullery business in Troutdale, Oregon. Adolph Bissinger, Samuel Bissinger, Louis Bissinger, and Louis Gerstle founded the business in the 1880s. The operation removed wool from sheep hides and processed the wool ...

, was moved from Sellwood, Oregon, and opened for business on Macadam Road along the west bank of the Sandy River. An iconic water tower stands nearby. The company was featured in a

Ripley's Believe it or Not! ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' feat ...

column because a cat was reportedly found in a stack of animal hides that the company was going to use for its products. The cat was taken care of and became the company's mascot, and was said to have lived a long and healthy life. The water tower is now known as the "Old Historic Water Tower". Reynolds Aluminum was once the area's biggest employer. The Reynolds plant in Troutdale was established in 1941 to provide aluminum for the

war effort In politics and military planning, a war effort is a coordinated mobilization of society's resources—both industrial and human—towards the support of a military force. Depending on the militarization of the culture, the relative si ...

. The plant closed in 2000. The nearby city of Wood Village was a

company town A company town is a place where practically all stores and housing are owned by the one company that is also the main employer. Company towns are often planned with a suite of amenities such as stores, houses of worship, schools, markets and re ...

founded to house workers from the Reynolds plant.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Troutdale is located at the confluence of the Sandy and Columbia rivers. The city is about east of

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Troutdale has a

warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps. Troutdale is renowned for having some of the windiest conditions in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

. Periodically, strong

east wind An east wind is a wind that originates in the east and blows in a westward direction. This wind is referenced as symbolism in mythology, poetry and literature. In mythology In Greek mythology, Eurus, the east wind, was the only wind not associate ...

s emerge from the Columbia River Gorge that affect the city's temperature and general climate. As a result, several businesses and locations utilize the East Wind identifier in their names or services.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 15,962 people, 5,671 households, and 4,208 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,907 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 2.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.0% Native American, 4.6%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.4%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 4.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 4.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 10.6% of the population. There were 5,671 households, of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.8% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.20. The median age in the city was 34 years. 27.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 7.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 13,777 people, 4,671 households, and 3,690 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,761.1 people per square mile (1,066.0/km²). There were 4,865 housing units at an average density of 975.0 per square mile (376.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.54%

, 4.14%

, 1.90%

, 0.92% Native American, 0.25%

, 1.71% from

, and 3.53% from two or more races.

of any race were 4.62% of the population. There were 4,671 households, out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.0% were non-families. 13.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.19. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 30.1% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 4.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 99.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $56,593, and the median income for a family was $62,203. Males had a median income of $41,808 versus $30,989 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $21,778. About 3.3% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those aged 65 or over.

Economy

Amazon fulfillment center - Troutdale Oregon

Bissinger Wool Pullery, Troutdale, Oregon

The local economy has shifted since the start of the century as the Portland region continues to grow. While the majority of residents work in Portland or Gresham, recent industrial development related to at the Port of Portland's Troutdale Reynolds Industrial Park has helped turned the community into a jobs center for the region.

FedEx FedEx Corporation, formerly Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Fe ...

is currently the largest employer in the city, with a sizable distribution facility for its

FedEx Ground FedEx Ground, a subsidiary of the FedEx Corporation, is an American ground package delivery company headquartered in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The company began as Roadway Package System (RPS), founded in 1985 by t ...

operations. Other major employers include

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...

, Reynolds School District, Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Albertsons/Safeway,

The Home Depot The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the largest home improvement re ...

, and

McMenamins McMenamins is a family-owned chain of brewpubs, breweries, music venues, historic hotels, and theater pubs in Oregon and Washington. Many of their locations are in rehabilitated historical properties; at least nine are on the National Register ...

Tourism

Troutdale is the home of one of the most notable locations of the local McMenamins brewpub and hotel chain, the 38-acre (154,000 m²) Edgefield, which was formerly the Multnomah County Poor Farm. The site has a hotel and a variety of restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues. Edgefield is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

(NRHP). Other buildings on the NRHP in Troutdale include the Fred Harlow House and the Troutdale Methodist Episcopal Church. Troutdale is also served by aerial tour company Envi Adventures that provides air tours of the

and

Downtown Portland Downtown Portland is the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is on the west bank of the Willamette River in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found ...

Education

Troutdale is served by the Reynolds School District. Reynolds High School, Walt Morey Middle School, and Sweetbriar and Troutdale elementary schools are located in the city. Open Door Christian Academy is a private school.

Transportation

Electric

interurban The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 a ...

service connecting Troutdale with Gresham began in 1907, operated by the

Portland Railway, Light and Power Company The Portland Railway, Light and Power Company (PRL&P) was a railway company and electric power utility in Portland, Oregon, United States, from 1906 until 1924.Thompson, Richard M. (2006). ''Portland's Streetcars'', pp. 57 and 99. Arcadia Publis ...

and connecting in Gresham with interurban service through to Portland.Labbe, John T. (1980). ''Fares, Please! Those Portland Trolley Years''. Caldwell, Idaho (US):

Caxton Caxton may refer to: Places * Caxton Street, Brisbane, Australia * Caxton, Cambridgeshire, a village in Cambridgeshire, UK ** Caxton Gibbet, a knoll near the village * Caxton Hall, a historic building in London, UK * Caxton Building, a historic ...

. . The line was abandoned in 1927.Thompson, Richard (2008). ''Willamette Valley Railways'', p. 9.

Arcadia Publishing Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publi ...

. . From at least the 1940s through the 1960s, bus transit service connecting Troutdale with Gresham and Portland was provided by a private company named Portland Stages, Inc. This service was taken over by

TriMet TriMet, formally known as the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Created in 1969 ...

, a then-new public agency, in 1970, and TriMet continues to provide transit service in Troutdale today. Columbia Area Transit operates the

Columbia Gorge Express Columbia Area Transit (CAT), officially the Hood River County Transportation District, is a public transit agency serving Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It operates local bus routes in Hood River, as well as commuter bus routes to P ...

to Portland and Hood River. The Troutdale Airport serves as a base for scenic aerial tours of the

provided by Envi Adventures.

Parks and recreation

Troutdale's park system includes nearly 20 parks ranging from the heavily used

Glenn Otto Park Glenn Otto Community Park is a park in Troutdale in the U.S. state of Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary ...

on the banks of the Sandy River to neighborhood parks throughout the city. The city's largest park is

Columbia Park Columbia Park or Columbia Avenue Grounds was a baseball park in Philadelphia. It was built in 1901 as the first home of the Philadelphia Athletics, who played there for eight seasons, including two games of the 1905 World Series. Columbia Park ...

which is home to the Imagination Station playground and athletic fields.

Sunrise Park Sunrise Park is a popular urban park in East Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is located south of 1st Ave E and north of East Broadway, between Windermere Street and Rupert Street. Sunrise Park has a community centre, a baseball field a ...

consists of a half-mile-long looping trail with views of

Mount Hood Mount Hood is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the Pacific coast and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located about east-southeast of Portlan ...

and rentable community garden beds. Others include College Nature Park, Helen Althaus Park, Kiku Park, Lewellyn Park, Mayors Square, Visionary Park, Weedin Park, and Woodale Park.

Notable people

* Drew Eubanks, American basketball player *

Gino Vannelli Gino Vannelli (born June 16, 1952) is a Canadian rock singer and songwriter who had several hit songs in the 1970s and 1980s. His best-known singles include "People Gotta Move" (1974), "I Just Wanna Stop" (1978), "Living Inside Myself" (1981) an ...

, musician

References

External links

Entry for Troutdale
in the ''

Oregon Blue Book The ''Oregon Blue Book'' is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon prepared by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division. The ''Blue Book'' comes in both print and on ...

''
West Columbia Gorge Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center
{{Authority control 1872 establishments in Oregon Cities in Multnomah County, Oregon Cities in Oregon Oregon populated places on the Columbia River Populated places established in 1872 Portland metropolitan area