Contact
Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland. (Oregon State Archives Scenic Images collection)
County Seat: 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland 97214
Phone: 503-823-4000 (General); 971-274-0500 (Court Administrator)
About
Established: Dec. 22, 1854
Elev. at Portland: 77'
Area: 465 sq. mi.
Average Temp.: January 38.9° July 67.7°
Assessed Value: $100,145,137,050
Real Market Value: $210,405,126,184
(includes the value of non-taxed properties)
Annual Precipitation: 37.39"
Economy: Manufacturing, transportation, wholesale and retail trade, and tourism
Related Resources
Incorporated Cities
Points of Interest
Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Oregon Zoo, Portland Art Museum, Washington Park, International Rose Test Gardens, Portland Japanese Garden, Columbia River Gorge, Multnomah Falls, Blue Lake Park, Oxbow Park, Pittock Mansion, Port of Portland, Memorial Coliseum and Rose Quarter, Oregon Convention Center, Moda Center, Vista House
History and General Information
On Dec. 22, 1854, Multnomah County became the 13th county created in the Oregon Territory. The name “Multnomah” is from the Chinookian, “máɬnumax̣,” meaning “those toward water” or “toward the Columbia River.” An Indigenous village once located on the upriver end of Sauvie Island facing the Columbia River also bore this name.
The county is both the smallest in size and largest in population in Oregon. Over half its people live in Portland, a busy metropolis dominated by rivers and greenery. The remaining area includes picturesque rural land, from pastoral farms on Sauvie Island to the rugged Columbia River Gorge and the western slopes of Mount Hood.
County Officials
Commissioners: Chair Jessica Vega Pederson (2027); Julia Brim-Edwards (2029), Vince Jones-Dixon (2029), Meghan Moyer (2029), Shannon Singleton (2029); Dist. Atty. Nathan Vasquez (2029); Sheriff Nicole Morrisey-O’Donnell (2027); Auditor Jennifer McGuirk (2027); Assess. Michael Vaughn; Elections Director Tim Scott; Surv. James Clayton; Attorney Jenny Madkour