Getting Around

This fun, livable city is easy to navigate, and the public transportation is very efficient. Portland is divided into quadrants: northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast; split east-west by the Willamette River and north-south by Burnside St. There are at least four modes of public transportation that locals and visitors use to get around.

The MAX light rail runs from downtown to the Portland International Airport, out to Gresham, Hillsboro, to the Expo Center, and the all-new Portland Mall line. This 8.3-mile light rail line will extend to Southeast Portland's Clackamas County, ending at the Clackamas Town Center, where you can find indoor and outdoor shopping, dining and a 20-screen movie theater.

The TriMet bus system is easy and inclusive of all surrounding neighborhoods, and the Portland Streetcars, which run in a loop from RiverPlace Marina to Nob Hill and the Pearl District, are back after a near 50-year absence from Portland's blocks.

Unique to the city is the Free Rail Zone, which includes most of downtown Portland (within the boundaries of the Willamette River, N.W. Irving and I-405), as well as MAX stations from the Rose Quarter to Lloyd Center. Look for Free Rail Zone emblems at rail stations within these boundaries.

The feather in our cap is the brand new Portland Aerial Tram, which travels 3,300 linear feet (at 500 feet in the air) between the South Waterfront and Oregon Health & Science University. The ride takes about three minutes and is open to the public.