Portland is a city located near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. With a population of 568,380 07_web_cities.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.pdx.edu/media/p/r/prcCertifiedRelease_07_web_cities.pdf it is Oregon's most populous city, and the third most populous city in the _Pacific Northwest, after Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia. Approximately two million people live in Portland metropolitan area (MSA), the 23rd most populous in the United States as of July 2006.
Portland was incorporated in 1851 and is the seat of Multnomah County. The city extends slightly into Washington County to the west and Clackamas County to the south. It is governed by a commission based government headed by a mayor and four other commissioners. Portland's first mayor was Hugh O'Bryant who served for one year.
The city and region are noted for strong land-use planning and investment in public transit, supported by Metro, a distinctive regional-government scheme. Portland lies in the Marine West Coast climate region, which is marked by warm summers and rainy but temperate winters. This climate is ideal for growing roses, and for more than a century Portland has been known as "The City of Roses," with many rose gardens – most prominently the International Rose Test Garden. Portland is also known for its large number of microbreweries, and as the home of the Trail Blazers NBA basketball team.
