Our Region

How do we define the Portland Metroscape? Despite city boundaries, urban systems function dramatically, contain a variety of land use and landscape types, and trail off in intensity rather than end abruptly at the outer limits. The Portland-Salem Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) consists of two PMSA's. The Salem PMSA consists of Marion and Polk counties. Partly because there is significant commuting between Portland and Salem, we might have considered the larger CMSA to be the bounds of the Portland Metroscape. But with more than 100,000 people within its city limits, Salem is an urban system in its own right. That leaves the six counties of the Portland-Vancouver PMSA as the extent of our Metroscape. These are: Clackamas, Clark, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill counties. We are a region characterized by the intersection of great rivers and the work of flowing water. We are a part of Oregon, part of Washington, and part of the Pacific Rim. Our roots can be found in the forests, in the fields, and on the decks of ships and boats, though today we host an ever-expanding array of cutting-edge technology industries, authors, artists, and restaurants. Follow these area web links to find out more about our region.