Tigard, Oregon

When Wilson Tigard moved his family to Oregon to resettle in the tiny burg of East Butte in 1852 he probably had no idea that the town would be eventually renamed in his honor. He was probably a visionary pioneer but no amount of insight would have prepared him for the monumental changes that have occurred in his town or in the surrounding Portland metropolitan area in the past 154 years. What would he think of the astonishing 173 store indoor super-mall called Washington Square located in Tigard? What about the burgeoning population of nearly 48,000 people (2005 estimate—part of the 1.5 million in greater Portland)? What about the Tri-Met transit system and the state-of-the-art MAX light rail commuter train that runs through neighboring Beaverton, connecting the Westside with downtown Portland and Portland International Airport (PDX). And what about all of the high technology industry that has earned this area west of Portland the sobriquet “the Silicone Forest”? Would he jump in his buckboard wagon and head for the hills?

Here is a bag of useful facts and information about Tigard, Oregon:
Tigard Demographics:

• Total area: 11.68 miles
• Current estimated population: over 47,000
• Annual rainfall: 47 inches
• Number of businesses: 3240
• Location: 10 miles southwest of Portland
• Elevation low/high: 104/713 ft
• Average household income: $49,580
• Average home sale price Tigard, Tualatin & Wilsonville: $355,600 (May 2006)

Tigard High School 9 – 12

9000 SW Durham Rd, Tigard, OR 97224
(503) 431-5400

Tuality Middle School 6-8

14650 SW 97th, Tigard, Oregon 97224
(503)431-5200

Charles F Tigard Elementary K-5

12850 SW Grant St, Tigard, OR 97223
(503) 431-4400

Durham Elementary K-5

8048 SW Shaffer Ln, Tigard, OR 97224
(503) 431-4500

James Templeton Elementary K-5

9500 SW Murdock St, Tigard, OR 97224
(503) 431-4850

Metzger Elementary School K-5

10255 SW 90th Ave, Tigard, OR 97223
(503) 431-4600

St. Anthony School K-8

12645 Southwest Pacific Highway, Tigard, OR 97223
(503) 639-4179

Northwest Montessori School

11511 SW Bull Mountain Rd, Tigard, OR 97224
(503) 620-8135

Westgate Christian School PK-12

12930 SW Scholls Ferry Rd, Tigard, OR 97223
(503) 524-3500

Gaarde Christian School PK-6

11265 S W Gaarde, Tigard, OR 97224
(503) 639-5346

Quest Schools Inc. 8-12

P.O. Box 23006, Tigard, OR 97281
(503) 620-8770

Parks and Recreation: One dozen city, community and neighborhood parks service the eleven square miles that is Tigard including the large 79 acre Cook Park. Recreation includes swimming, tennis, bike and pedestrian paths, public and private golf courses. It is a twelve minute drive to mammoth Washington Park, the Oregon ZOO and the Japanese Gardens. Also, Tigard was named a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation. On a side note: If you’ve from another part of the country or world and have never been to our area the sheer number of parks, gardens, wildlife refuges, golf courses and bike and hiking trails you’ll find here will leave you in awe.

More Recreation: It’s a morning or afternoon drive to snow skiing (Mount Hood), water skiing (Hagg Lake), wind surfing (Columbia River) or the beach. It is said that this is one of the few places on earth you can snowboard in the morning, water ski in the afternoon and have a romantic walk on the beach by sunset.

Transportation: Tigard is located at the juncture of three major arteries: I-5, Highway 217 and Highway 99W. An army of Tri-Met buses service Tigard and connect to the MAX light rail commuter train. Tigard is 10 miles from downtown Portland, the commercial and cultural hub of Oregon.

Arts and Entertainment: The Broadway Rose professional theater company, 600-seat high-tech Deb Fennel Auditorium and the Historic Art-Deco Joy Theater are all in Tigard. It is a short hop to Portland, which is a major metropolitan entertainment hub. Here you will find the Arlene Schnitzer concert hall and the extraordinary Oregon Symphony; The Oregon Ballet; The Rose Garden arena, 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, Clapton, etcetera have all played in Portland at one time or another. The only difference is that here you can usually get tickets. Our live theater scene absolutely rocks here as does our indie film industry and Portland has one of the most happening Jazz and Blues scenes anywhere west of Chicago.

Shopping: Two words: Washington Square. This fully enclosed 173 store mega-mall with four major department stores is the largest completely climate controlled mall in the Northwest. Ongoing renovations and upgrades have also made it the coolest shopping experience around…period. Many dozens of other major stand-alone stores such as Circuit City, Target, Barnes & Nobles, Office Depot, Cost plus, Comp USA, etc., etc., completely surround the mall area creating a non-stop shop zone to sate the needs of even the most frenzied shopaholic. Bring plastic!

A Short History of Tigard: The greater Washington County area was originally settled by the Tualatin or Atfalati Indians. Wilson Tigard came to the area in 1852 with his family. The settlement was known then as East Butte. His son Charles built a general store and a meeting hall and eventually served on the state legislature. The town was renamed Tigardville (later shortened to Tigard) in honor of elder Wilson Tigard. It remained a small farming community until 1910 and the arrival of the Oregon Electric Railroad. Tigard became an incorporated city in 1961.

Historical Homes and Buildings: The John Tigard House (1880), 10310 SW Canterbury Lane; The Shaver-Bilyeu House (1906), 16445 SW 92nd Ave; The Charles F. Tigard House (1909), 11180 SW Fonner St; Ye-Olde Windmill (1909), 121st & Katherine St.; The Seven Gables Upshaw House (1909), 9890 Peppertree Lane; The Durham Elementary School (1920), 8040 SW Durham Rd.; The Gaarde House (1922), 11333 Gaarde St.; The Joy Theater (1939), 11959 Pacific Hwy.

Farmer's Market: Mid May through October each Saturday approximately 50 vendors descend on the corner of Hall and Greenburg with fresh fruits, vegetables, food, flowers, plants, baked goods and various wares—and live music!

Commercial and Industrial: There is 4.5 million square feet of commercial and light industrial space in Tigard in business parks such as Lincoln Center, Oregon Business Park, Tigard Industrial Center, Commerce Plaza, Sequoia Parkway and many others. Hundreds of high tech firms flourish in Tigard and neighboring Beaverton and Hillsboro. This area is called the Silicone Forest.

Here is a summary of local attractions and happenings:

• 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 Schnitzer 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
• Washington Park and the Oregon Zoo
• 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 & Garden Show
• Oregon Zoo Concerts – all summer long
• The Octoberfest 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 Volcanic 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