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North Portland boasts striking landmarks, unique attractions and charming neighborhoods, including St. Johns, Mississippi, Williams and Kenton.
Credit: Subin Yang
From the beautiful blooms of Peninsula Park to the bustle of North Mississippi Avenue, there’s always more to explore in North Portland.
Portland’s so-called “Fifth Quadrant” is a lively patchwork of commercial districts, natural spaces and residential areas. It’s home to some of the city’s most charming neighborhoods, including St. Johns, Mississippi, Williams and Kenton. “NoPo” also boasts striking landmarks and unique attractions, like Cathedral Park, the historic St. Johns Bridge, and the Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area (which, at nearly 2,000 acres [809.4 ha], is among America’s largest urban wetlands). Near the northern edge of North Portland you’ll find the Portland Expo Center — Oregon’s largest multi-purpose facility — and the Portland International Raceway.
North Portland sits atop the City of Roses, bordered by the Columbia River to the north, the Willamette River to the southwest, and North Williams Avenue to the east. Its position on the northern edge of the city provides easy access to nearby areas to explore, like Sauvie Island to the northwest and Vancouver, Washington, to the northeast.
About North Portland
History
Before South Portland was designated in 2020, North Portland was the city’s first more-than-four “quadrant.” Though today it’s an integral part of the city, some sections of the “Fifth Quadrant” weren’t actually part of Portland until relatively recently. In the 1940s, the stretch of land between Interstate 5 and Smith Lake was its own city, Vanport, whose story is part of Portland’s difficult racial history. A wartime housing development and home to laborers and their families, Vanport was destroyed by a flood in 1948 and never rebuilt. Its residents — as many as 40% of whom were Black — were displaced into Portland, where despite racism and discrimination they established communities and businesses. (Most Black Portlanders live on the city’s east side to this day, including in inner North and Northeast Portland’s “Soul District.”)
Unfortunately, the displacement of Black communities didn’t end with Vanport. By the mid-1900s, the historic Albina neighborhood — located near the southern edge of North Portland — had become home to most of Portland’s Black population. Beginning in the 1950s and continuing for decades, Portland used the excuse of “urban renewal” to displace hundreds of Black families, forcing them from their homes to allow for the construction of Interstate 5, the Legacy Emanuel Hospital and the Rose Quarter. Other communities have been subjected to devastation in North Portland as well. In 1942, the federal government unjustly detained nearly 4,000 Japanese Americans at the Pacific International Livestock Exposition Center — a site we know today as the Portland Expo Center.
Neighborhoods
Today, North Portland is home to some of Portland’s liveliest areas. North Mississippi Avenue is a long stretch of great shopping, popular restaurants, bars, breweries and more. For a fun evening, grab happy hour bites at Mee-Sen Thai and a pre-Prohibition-style cocktail at Interurban, then catch some live music at Mississippi Studios. You’ll find even more culture, food and drink a mere half-mile to the east, on North Williams Avenue. If you’re in the mood to get in some steps, you can even stroll between the two (in fact, the pair is sometimes considered a single super-sized, super-cool neighborhood).
Originally one of the few company towns in Oregon, Kenton is another neighborhood you’ll want to explore. Right off the MAX Light Rail Yellow Line, the famed Paul Bunyan statue is an unmissable landmark, but Kenton’s unique flair doesn’t stop there: try the Kenton Club for a classic dive bar experience, An An for tempting Vietnamese fare, or Mayfly for delicious draft beers and ciders (plus bottles and cans to take back home). Music lovers shouldn’t skip Speck’s — a hub for Portland’s vibrant music community, this shop offers an eclectic selection of records and tapes. Give & Take Resale is a charming consignment shop that’s packed to the rafters with cool clothes, jewelry, furniture, housewares and more.
Things to Do in North Portland
Food Cart Pods
Portland is the finest food cart destination on the planet, and once you start exploring them, it can be hard to stop. Happily, there are plenty of top-notch carts to mark off your foodie bucket list in North Portland. St. Johns Beer Porch offers food-cart-pod fun in St. Johns, complete with a covered seating area and regular events. Take your pick from more than a dozen carts and enjoy local beer, cider and wine.
On North Mississippi Avenue, Prost! is a popular brick-and-mortar pub serving up German food and beer. With the purchase of a drink at Prost!, you’re welcome to bring in food from the many adjoining carts in the Prost Marketplace food cart pod. Or, if you’re enjoying the outdoor vibe, hang out and savor your meal in the covered-and-heated seating area. From Mexican to Korean fusion to barbecue, the dining options are as extensive as they are delicious. In fact, some have called Prost Marketplace the best food cart pod in Portland.
Outdoor Adventure
Once your appetite is satisfied, you’ll be ready for your next adventure. A short jaunt from North Portland is Sauvie Island, one of the country’s largest river islands. Spread across its whopping 24,000 acres (9,712.5 ha) you’ll find activities of every type: explore the island’s natural beauty on foot, bicycle or boat; harvest you-pick berries, flowers, peaches and pumpkins; or just kick back and relax on one of several public beaches. North Portland also provides an ideal jumping off point to Forest Park to the west. A bike ride through St. Johns, across the St. Johns Bridge and into Forest Park is a great way to experience a variety of striking environments in a single afternoon.
Back in North Portland proper, a trip to Kelley Point Park provides a two-for-one deal on rivers — located at the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette rivers, it’s a top-notch spot for birdwatching, picnicking or playing in the sand. For more wildlife encounters, don’t miss the nearby Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area, where you can encounter more birds, beavers, otters, turtles and deer. When water levels are high, you can even explore the area’s two lakes via kayak or canoe. As the day winds down, consider a stop at Mocks Crest, near the south edge of North Portland. It’s a small park, but it offers great views of the hills, the city skyline and the Willamette River, making it a stellar spot to catch the sunset.
Sports and Speed
Sports fans will also find fun in this quadrant. Portland International Raceway (PIR) is a multi-use motorsport facility located just west of Interstate 5 (and just steps from the Delta Park/Vanport MAX Light Rail Station). On 268 acres (108 ha) of land you’ll find a 2-mile (3.2-km) track, a drag racing strip and a dirt course for motocross bikes. PIR hosts a wide range of events, including races of all stripes (from bicycles to motorcycles to sports cars to Indy cars), car shows, a holiday light show, runs, walks, obstacle events and more — there are even opportunities to get your own car on the track. Just a mile to the west you’ll find Heron Lakes Golf Club, home to two championship courses. Play a round, take a lesson or hit a bucket of balls, all at reasonable public-course prices. Nearby Delta Park, conveniently located just off Interstate 5, hosts soccer and softball tournaments.
More to Explore
Breweries
It wouldn’t be Portland without beer and breweries (fortunately, it is Portland). Migration Brewing pours some of the tastiest pints in the city, like the Straight Outta Portland IPA and the Patio Pale Ale. Speaking of patios, Migration has a good one, so you can enjoy your suds while soaking up some rays. Just two blocks south, up-and-comer AleFire offers a winning combination: “cold beer and hot sauce.” They don’t brew their own beer, but they do have an extensive list of local brews on tap. Enjoy a pint while perusing a truly impressive assortment of hot sauces. They also have beer by the can and bottle, so you can take some to go.
Near the west end of North Portland is Occidental Brewing Company, a St. Johns staple. They do things a little differently, sidestepping the IPA craze to focus instead on refreshing, drinkable lagers and ales. The taproom’s super-close proximity to Cathedral Park is just the icing on the cake.
Events
North Portland is also home to a variety of lively events, giving you ample opportunities to socialize and snack. The Mississippi Street Fair is the largest of Portland’s many street fairs — much of North Mississippi Avenue is blocked off for the action, creating a pedestrian’s paradise. Every July, this family-friendly event offers visitors the chance to peruse homemade goods, indulge in delicious food and dance to multiple stages’ worth of music. Another excellent event for music lovers, the free Cathedral Park Jazz Festival is the longest-running jazz festival west of the Mississippi River. Relax on the grass while you enjoy the tunes and take in views of the picturesque St. Johns Bridge. Local food carts ensure the fans are well-fed, and drinks are available in the beer and wine garden.
The St. Johns Bizarre fills its namesake neighborhood with music, games and activities (and even more great food). The festival is coupled with the St. Johns Parade, a beloved tradition that has been flooding local streets with floats, bands, horses, kids and classic cars since 1962. St. Johns also hosts a charming farmers’ market — find fresh food, local goods and live music every Saturday, May through October. What if you’re busy on the weekends, or you’re just not a morning person? No problem: visit the Kenton Farmers Market on Wednesday afternoons, June through September.
North Portland is also home to the Portland Expo Center, a massive multi-use convention center near the city’s northern edge. With its five spacious exhibit halls and more than 333,000 square feet (101,498 sq m) of total space, it’s home to some of the biggest events in the Pacific Northwest. Their long-running annual shows include the Portland Boat Show, the Portland Tattoo Expo and the Portland Golf Show. They also host awesome one-off events like music festivals and Cirque du Soleil shows.
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