Hillsboro, Oregon

You can hear the roar at a distance. The air is filled with anticipation. Everyone wonders which direction it will come from. Then a few moments later you see the steely dagger flash across the sky with afterburners blazing. This moment of visceral and patriotic rush is brought to you courtesy of an Air Force F-18 hornet fighter jet doing aerobatics a hundred and fifty feet off the ground.

One weekend a year the skies over Hillsboro Airport fill with roar exotic of aircraft in celebration of their now 19th annual air show. Fifty-two weeks a year Hillsboro roars with a different kind of pride and confidence. Anybody who might think that this city of well over 80,000 would be just another sleepy bedroom community standing in the shadow of mighty Portland, Oregon is quickly shed of that silly notion. Here is a vibrant city that stands tall with its own unique culture and identity. It is a mixture of high-tech industry and gorgeous farmlands. Think techie-hip meets rural-homey. Here are just a few of the many things that the citizens of Hillsboro are proud of:

• The Hillsboro Intel Campuses – the largest Intel manufacturing plant in the USA. The Silicone Forest – the name given to the many dozens of high-tech firms that dwell in and around Hillsboro. Orenco Station – a unique experiment in urban/suburban community living that has received national attention and accolades.
• The Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve – a 725-acre wildlife preserve located within the city limits of Hillsboro.
• The Hillsboro Municipal Airport – a snazzy executive airport that services the needs of the high-tech community.
• The 100 plus acre Washington County Fairgrounds and Rodeo Arena – now in it’s fifty-fourth year.
• An abundance of fine vineyards that are garnering national attention.
• The lovely Glen and Viola Waters Cultural Arts Center – which hosts a treasury of diverse cultural events including art shows, poetry readings, art classes, lectures, theater and a series of concerts with nationally recognized performers.
• The new MAX light-rail commuter train runs from old town Hillsboro to Portland city center and then on further east to the Portland International Airport (PDX).
• Neighboring huge Tillamook State Forest with room for hiking, biking, camping, fishing, hunting and ATVing.
• Year-round mild weather. It rarely freezes in the winter and rarely breaks 90 degrees in the summer.
• Way too much scenic beauty for any one community. Rolling hills, farmlands, vineyards, forests, wetlands, gorgeous city parks, golf courses and picturesque high-tech campuses.
• Two large Farmer’s Markets operating late Spring and Summer.
• A friendly home-town atmosphere that makes you feel immediately welcome.
• For Shopaholics: Besides Hillsboro Old Town and ubiquitous shopping centers you are about twenty minutes from the 173 store climate controlled Washington Square super-mall and the dozens of stand-alone stores surrounding it.

Hillsboro Bag of Useful Facts:

Hillsboro Schools: click this link

Demographics:

• Population: 81,854 (July 2004)
• Median family income: $57,379
• Educational background for adults over 25 yrs old:
  • High School Grad: 84.2%
  • Bachelor’s Degree: 29.5%
  • Professional or Graduate Degree: 9.6%
• Mean commute time: 24 minutes
• Median age 29.7 years

Municipal Facts:

• Founded in 1842 by David Hill
• Average home price: $254,700
• Average annual rainfall: 37 inches (compare to Miami at 60 inches and NYC at 45 inches)
• Average temperature in January: 38.9°F
• Average temperature in July 67.7°F
• Size: 22.8 sq miles
• Distance to Portland, Oregon (pop. 530,000): 20.8 miles
• Hillsboro is the seat of the Washington County Government which includes Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood and Wilsonville.

Recreation:

• There are 9 city parks
• There are over 50 Golf Courses in the greater Portland metro area – many in and around Hillsboro
• There is Water Skiing, Fishing and Biking at Lake Hagg Reservoir 12 miles SW of Hillsboro
• There is Hiking, Biking, Camping, Fishing and Hunting at neighboring Tillamook State Forest, it is about a 20 minutes drive to mammoth Washington Park with the Oregon Zoo, Forestry Center, Vietnam Memorial, Zoo Train, Rose Gardens and Japanese Gardens
• It is a little over an hours drive to Mount Hood snow skiing and snowboarding and the famous Timberline lodge
• It is a bit over an hour to the beach and the magnificent Oregon coast.

Recreation:

• There are Concerts and Lectures at the Glen and Viola Waters Cultural Arts Center in Hillsboro. It also serves as one of the venues for H.A.R.T., the fine Hillsboro Actors Repertory Theatre.
• The largest movie theaters in Hillsboro are the 16-screen "Movies on TV" and the 13-screen "Evergreen Parkway".
• It is a short hop (20 miles) to Portland, which is a major metropolitan entertainment hub. Where you will find the Portland Center for the Performing Arts which hosts major cultural events such as the renowned Oregon Symphony, Portland Opera Company, Oregon Ballet Company and famous performers from across the US and the world.
• The Rose Garden arena is host to the Portland Trailblazers (they will be better this year—we promise!) and a normal stop for almost all national touring acts. The Beatles, the Stones, The Who, U2, etcetera have all played in Portland at one time or another—the only difference is that here you can usually get tickets.
• Portland is a regular stop for the various performing companies of the Cirque du Soleil.
• The Portland live theater scene absolutely rocks with various repertory, musical, experimental and children’s companies.
• Portland has one of the most happening Jazz and Blues scenes anywhere west of Chicago (see below).

Hillsboro Historical Points of interest:

• Washington County Courthouse – 1873
• Donelson House – 1908
• Old Scotch Church – 1873
• Orenco Presbyterian Church – 1911
• Shute House – 1990
• Rice-Gates House – 1890
• Linklater House – 1899
• Old Town Hillsboro

A short History of Hillsboro, Oregon: The greater Washington County area was originally settled by the Tualatin or Atfalati Indians and later by fur trappers and adventurers. City fathers seemed to have trouble settling on a proper name for the town. First it was called the catchy East Tualatin Plains which was later changed to Columbia and then to Hillsborough and finally shortened to Hillsboro in 1850. Famous Northwest woodsman, trapper and father of the Oregon territory—Joe Meek—eventually settled just north of Hillsboro. He is buried in the cemetery at Old Scotch Church. Hillsboro is named for David Hill: pioneer, city founder and the first Governor of Oregon. Prior to the late 1970s Hillsboro was almost exclusively a farming community. The fortunes of the city were transformed when in 1978 Intel chose to build a manufacturing plant here. More Intel plants and facilities for dozens of other high-tech companies soon followed and Washington County came to be known as the “Silicone Forest”.

Attractions in the Metro area:

• Rose Garden Arena and The Portland Trailblazers (NBA)
• OMSI – the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry with IMAX
• Oregon Wine Country
• The Japanese Gardens
• The Vietnam Memorial
• The Chinese Classical Gardens
• The Pittock Mansion
• The Arlene Snitzer Auditorium with The Oregon Symphony
• Pumpkin Ridge Championship Golf Course
• Portland Raceway
• PGE Park and the Portland Beavers Baseball
• Sauvie Island with farmers markets and a wild game preserve
• The Portland Art Museum
• The World Forestry Center
• The Portland Children’s Museum
• Tom McCall Waterfront Park
• Saturday Market
• Powell’s City of Books – one of the largest bookstores in the world
• The Pearl District – just amazing
• The Portland Spirit and Paddle Wheeler Dinner Cruises
• Oaks Amusement Park – over 100 years old
• Union Station

Annual events in the Metro area:

• The Rose Festival & Parade
• The Washington County Fair
• The Portland Air Show
• The Portland Auto Show
• The Portland Rod & Custom Show
• The Portland Home Show
• Oregon Zoo Concerts – all summer long
• The Oktoberfest at Mount Angel
• The Portland Jazz Festival
• The Waterfront Blues Festival
• A Bite of Portland
• The Portland Greek Festival
• The Oregon Seafood and Wine Festival
• The Portland International Film Festival
• The Portland Marathon
• Oregon Brewers Festival
• Cinco de Mayo
• Peacock Lane Christmas Lights
• Festa Italiana - at Ponzi Vineyards
• Tigard Festival of Balloons—sponsored by RE/MAX!
• Summerfest – neighboring Beaverton’s annual music & food bash

Other Attractions within driving range:

• Mount Hood and Timberline Lodge—one of the premier US ski lodges.
• Mount Saint Helens Park in southern Washington State.
• The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport
• The Oregon Gardens in Silverton
• The Hood River Dinner Train
• Evergreen Air Museum and the Spruce Goose in McMinnville
• The Tillamook cheese factory near the coast
• The Astoria Maritime Museum and Astoria Column