Trees are a living part of Portland’s urban infrastructure. Healthy, mature trees provide numerous services that improve our health, environment, economy, and social fabric in a  variety of ways. The urban forest contributes to climate resilience by cooling the air, managing water, storing carbon, and supporting healthy ecosystems. Access to trees also improves mental health, strengthens immune systems, reduces crime, and improves student academic performance, among many other benefits.

Canopy coverage refers to the percentage of land covered by trees including branches, leaves and trunks. The 2025 Portland Urban Forest Plan established a citywide canopy coverage goal of 45% by 2050.

An update to the canopy metric will be completed in 2026. 

The benefits of Portland’s tree canopy are not distributed equitably: detailed analysis shows that neighborhoods with lower levels of tree canopy are more likely to also be neighborhoods with lower income levels. For example, there is a lower level of tree canopy East of the Willamette River, where average incomes are also lower. This disparity affects the health and quality of life of Portlanders in those neighborhoods. Summer temperatures East of the Willamette can be 15 degrees hotter than West of the river. Portland Parks and Recreation is targeting these areas with its most recent tree planting efforts. 

The bureau completes a comprehensive analysis every 5 years. This analysis includes a sampling methodology that is grouped into the city's zoning districts. The data reported here is from the last measurement update which occurred in 2020.  

For more detail, see the this report: City of Portland Tree Canopy Monitoring 2000-2020 and this interactive dashboard: Tree Canopy Explorer PDX.