About Portland, Oregon:
Portland, Oregon, is the largest city in the state and a major hub in the Pacific Northwest. Known as the City of Roses (official nickname since 2003).
Located at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, with Mount Hood often visible in the backdrop, Portland is famous for its bridges, parks, food scene, and outdoor access.
As of recent estimates (around 2024–2025), the city proper has a population of approximately 630,000–650,000, while the metro area exceeds 2.5 million, representing nearly half of Oregon’s residents.
Catholic places of interest in Portland, Oregon:
National Sanctuary of Our Powerful Mother: A 62-acre Catholic shrine and botanical garden established by Servite priest Ambrose Mayer to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Saint Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception: built in northwest Portland in Romanesque style with Byzantine elements. It opened in 1926 and became the official cathedral when the archdiocese was renamed the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon in 1928.
Other Catholic Churches in Portland include St. Patrick Catholic Church (1889), the oldest Catholic church building in greater Portland, founded for Irish immigrants; St. Michael the Archangel (established 1897, serving Italian immigrants); St. Philip Neri (established 1913, also for Italian immigrants).
Traveling to Portland, Oregon:
By air: Portland International Airport (IATA code PDX) is a joint civil–military airport and the largest airport in the state of Oregon.
By train: There is AMTRAK train service to Portland, primarily via the scenic Amtrak Cascades (connecting Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Eugene) and the long-distance Coast Starlight (from LA/SF to Seattle) and Empire Builder (from Chicago) routes.