Home > Local > Counties > Multnomah County
Multnomah County
The gateway to Portland's Chinatown from West Burnside. (Oregon State Archives Photo No. mulD0004)
Contact
County Seat: 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland 97214
Phone: 503-823-4000 (General); 503-988-3957 (Court Administrator)
Web: http://web.multco.us/
About
Population (2011): 741,925
Established: Dec. 22, 1854
Elev. at Portland: 77'
Area: 465 sq. mi.
Average Temp.: January 38.9° July 67.7°
Assessed Value: $64,001,093,024
Real Market Value: $117,198,491,832
Annual Precipitation: 37.39"
Economy: Manufacturing, transportation, wholesale and retail trade, and tourism
Related resources
History
Historical
Records Inventory
Scenic
Image
Economic
Information (from OBDD)
"County
Quick Facts" (from U.S.
Census Bureau)
County
Seat Map (from Yahoo!
Maps)
County
Map (from ODOT)
Incorporated cities
Fairview | Gresham | Maywood
Park | Portland | Troutdale | Wood Village
Points of interest
Oregon History Center, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Oregon Zoo, Portland Art Museum, Washington Park, Rose Test Gardens, Japanese Gardens, Columbia River Gorge, Multnomah Falls, Blue Lake Park, Oxbow Park, Pittock Mansion, Port of Portland, Memorial Coliseum, Oregon Convention Center, Rose Garden Arena
History and general information
Lewis and Clark made note of “Multnomah” the tribal village on Sauvie Island in 1805 and applied that name to all tribal people of the area. The name is derived from “nematlnomaq,” probably meaning “downriver.” Multnomah County was created from parts of Washington and Clackamas Counties by the Territorial Legislature in 1854, five years before Oregon became a state, because citizens found it inconvenient to travel to Hillsboro to conduct county business.
The county is both the smallest in size and largest in population in Oregon. Over 50 percent of 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 Mt. Hood.
County officials
Commissioners—Jeff Cogen, Chair 2015; Deborah Kafoury 2017, Diane McKeel 2017, Judy Shiprack 2017, Loretta Smith 2015; Dist. Atty. Rodney Underhill 2017; Assess. Randy Walruff; Recorder Cindy Swick; Sheriff Dan Staton 2015; Surv. James Clayton; Treas/CFO Mark Campbell; Auditor Steve March 2015; CIO Joanne Fuller