Portland and Its Government

Introduction

This dashboard covers general information about Portland and its government, including the City Administrator's Office and the City's work on issues around livability and safety. The City organization webpage provides more information on the organizational structure.

About Portland

As of July 2023, the city of Portland has an estimated population of 648,097 per the Population Research Center at Portland State University and comprises an area of approximately 145 square miles in northwestern Oregon. Located astride the Willamette River at its confluence with the Columbia River, Portland is the center of commerce, industry, transportation, finance, and services for a metropolitan area of more than 2.5 million people (the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro Metropolitan Statistical Area includes the Oregon counties of Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill, as well as Clark and Skamania counties in Washington). Portland is the largest city in Oregon, the seat of Multnomah County, and the second largest city in the Pacific Northwest.

About the City of Portland government

The City of Portland, incorporated in 1851, is a home rule charter city. The City Charter is the basic law under which the City operates and can be amended only by a vote of the people. The City operates under the provisions of the City Charter and City Code, which are consistent with the Oregon Constitution and state law (the Oregon Revised Statutes).

In November 2022, Portland voters approved three significant changes to the City Charter to change the form of government. These changes:

• Allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference, using ranked-choice voting.
• Establish four geographic districts, with three city council members elected to represent each district – expanding city council to a total of 12 members.
• Establish a city council that focuses on setting policy and engaging with community, transitioning day-to-day oversight of bureaus to a mayor elected citywide and a professional city administrator.

The City’s new charter is officially in effect as of January 1st, 2025.

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