Portland, Oregon serves as the county seat of Multnomah County. The existing population of Portland is around 584,000 and the metropolitan area of Portland has roughly 2,260,000 inhabitants. Situated near the convergence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the most densely inhabited in the state of Oregon. It is the third largest city in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Just the cities of Washington and Seattle have higher populations.
During the year 1851, Portland was officially incorporated as a city. Now Portland is known as an environmentally friendly and "green" city. Portland boasts an advanced public transportation network, including light rail transit. The commission-based government of the city is considered progressive for its effective land use planning. The city of Portland extends south towards Lake Oswego within the county of Clackamas and west towards Washington County.
Portland is a well-known rose growing center, enjoying a west coast marine weather conditions. The city has been referred to as "The City of Roses" and is home to the International Rose Test Garden and various rose gardens. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summertime and wet, mild winters. The city is famous for its beer scene, with many microbreweries and microdistilleries producing a variety of local beers with unique names. The city of Portland is also known for its coffee and vibrant cafe scene.
The city of Portland is a perfect location for industry. Portland enjoys transportation advantages: East-West and North-South Interstates, International air terminal, marine shipping facilities, and two west coast intercontinental railroads. Also, energy is somewhat inexpensive here and resources are available. The US consulting company Mercer ranked Portland 42nd within the world when it comes to quality of life. Mercer ranked Portland high in public safety, housing, the environment, recreation, sanitation and education, among other indicators.
Portland has had some success retaining businesses within the city, like for example Wieden+Kennedy, an advertising business, and StanCorp Financial Group and Umpqua Holdings Corporation, two financial services firms. Other Portland businesses include PacifiCorp, Rentrak, Portland General Electric, Integra Telecom, NW Natural and restaurant chains McCormick & Schmick's and McMenamins. However, some businesses have moved head offices out of Portland, like Willamette Industries, Louisiana-Pacific, CH2M HILL, U.S. Bank, and Evraz North American.
Portland is home to the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA and the Portland Timbers of the MLS.