Hillsboro

Understand

This city has a traditional farming community background with visible roots of agriculture. Remnants of this rural past can still be seen in the rural areas outside the city. The Orenco district used to be completely filled with nurseries, although the remaining ones have moved outside the city.

There is also a rich Hispanic history here. Almost half of the population is Hispanic and many people speak Spanish. Schools in this area offer a Dual Language program where students in grades K-12 can take half of their courses in Spanish!

This city is home to technology giant Intel, and has production facilities for many other tech and software companies. This city also serves as a home base for trips out into the countryside, or day trips to Portland.

Get in

By public transportation

The Hillsboro Transit Center serves as the "central bus station" for Tri-Met trains & buses. It is centrally located along SE Washington between 3rd & 4th Ave (marker URL linked to Tri-Met's website for schedules & maps) with the following buses & trains:

*Blue Line MAX the train across town to Gresham via Orenco, Beaverton, downtown Portland, Gateway Transit and east Portland. Transfer to the Red Line Max anywhere between Beaverton Transit Center (TC) & Gateway TC to get to the airport. * Rt 46 weekday service between Hillsboro Transit Center, Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport MAX Station, and Hillsboro Library in North Hillsboro. * Rt 47 runs weekdays between Hillsboro, Orenco, Tanasbourne, and Portland Community College-Rock Creek along Main & Evergreen * Rt 48 weekdays and Saturdays between Hillsboro Transit Center, Hillsboro Airport/Fair Complex, Tanasbourne, Cedar Mill, and Sunset Transit Center, along Cornell. * Rt 57 Frequent bus connecting Forest Grove, Hillsboro, Cornelius, Aloha and Beaverton via Pacific, Baseline, TV Highway and Canyon Road (SR-8), operates 24/7. * Yamhill Co Transit Rt#33 Goes to McMinnville through Forest Grove, Gaston, town of Yamhill and Carlton along SR-8 & 47. Bus makes limited or no stops between Hillsboro and Forest Grove along Hwy 8. Passengers must use Tri-Met #57 bus to be let off or picked up along the road between Hillsboro and Forest Grove. *

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* Connections from Portland to Tillamook via Sunset Transit Center & Tanasbourne (NW 185th/Town Center Dr). From downtown Hillsboro take the #47 bus to Tanasbourne (Town Center Dr) and transfer to Tillamook Transit #5. Same bus stop as the Oregon Point.

Connections to Greyhound, Amtrak, Oregon Point and other intercity buses are in Portland.

By car

The only other main way to get in to Hillsboro is by road via Highway 26 west from Portland. If coming from the coast, 26 East will take you in to Hillsboro, and continues on from Hillsboro. Drive time from Portland is roughly 20-30 minutes. If visiting from the Southern part of the state and looking for a more scenic drive, you can visit the charming towns of McMinneville and Newberg while driving along 219. This route offers breathtaking countryside views and ample opportunities for visiting Vineyards.

By plane

Go Portland-Hillsboro Airport (HIO)

The second busiest airport in Oregon, located within the Hillsboro city limits and is capable of handling larger jet aircraft for VIP flights. The airport is managed and operated by the Port of Portland and is located 2.5 mi northeast of downtown Hillsboro along NE Cornell Rd. This airport only handles general aviation and private VIP flights. The offices (location of marker) and maintenance hangars are located along NE Cornell Rd, at the south side of the airport grounds, across the street from the Washington County fairgrounds. Different flight schools, aircraft repair companies and aircraft storage hangers may be located in different sides of the airport grounds, check with them.

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The nearest airport for commercial flights (domestic & international) is at Portland International Airport (PDX) which is 20 miles northeast of Hillsboro in NE Portland. The Portland International Airport can be accessed by the MAX light rail. Take the Blue Line train across town to the Gateway Transit Center or anywhere between Beaverton Transit Center and Gateway Transit Center and transfer to the Red Line train to the airport.

Get around

By car

The immediate areas around the MAX light station in downtown Hillsboro are closer together and are more walkable. Anywhere beyond you will find it quicker and preferable to drive as you would in any American suburban city. The addresses in Hillsboro do not conform to Portland's addressing system but rather have its own addressing and street numbering system based on a quadrant from 1st Ave & Main St in downtown as NE, SE, SW & NW with the house numbers increasing as you go further from 1st & Main till you reach the city limits when the house numbers become different. First Ave goes north & south and divides east from west while Main St goes east & west and divides north from south. The streets going east & west are named while the streets going north & south are numbered with others named. So a road, such as Cornell Rd or Evergreen Pkwy, in adjacent Aloha has a 'NW' designation will suddenly become 'NE' as you cross into Hillsboro with a different range of house numbers along the way. Many roads in newer areas of Hillsboro, such the areas surrounding Tanasbourne and between NW/SW 185th Ave to 219th, had a mixture of Hillsboro designations (NE & SE) and Portland designations (NW & SW) and are now dual-signed with the new and old street names or numbers.