Our Working Rivers 

Since its founding, Portland has been a harbor town. Its very location was based on how far sailing ships could make it up the Willamette River to take on cargoes of lumber, grain, and other commodities flowing from the Oregon Territory. In 1868, the first overseas shipment of wheat from Portland sailed to Liverpool, England, and established the City as an international gateway.

Portland has seen Native American canoes, sailing ships, paddle-wheelers, barges, log-rafts, freighters, and military ships—including the liberty ships which were launched by the hundreds from shipyards in World War II.

Our port and harbor industries remain a critical part of the City’s—and region’s—economy today. Consider:

• Portland Harbor is the nation’s largest wheat export hub and 3rd largest in the world.
• The Port of Portland is the third largest auto import gateway in the country.
• Nearly 20,000 jobs in the region are supported by activity in Portland Harbor.
• In 2007, the harbor created $1.4 billion of personal wage & salary income and local consumption expenditures.
• Oregon is the ninth most trade-dependent state in the nation. 

Port industries face numerous challenges, including maintaining their competitive positions relative to world trade, updating an aging transportation infrastructure, cleaning up contamination, and making the best use of the limited industrial area available.

To find out more about this vital resource which directly provides 20,000 jobs in the region, read on…