With a population of more than 1.3 million in the greater metropolitan area. Portland is a major cultural center. Portlanders enjoy the Oregon Symphony, an opera company, a wide selection of art museums, galleries, theater and ballet. In fact, Portland has more jazz clubs, live theaters, and restaurants per capita than any other large city on the West Coast.

The new Portland Center for the Performing Arts adds a 2,750-seat concert hall to the city's cultural facilities. In addition, Portland features its own professional basketball, baseball and hockey teams.

Portland contains 7,500 acres of park land in 160 locations including Forest Park, the largest urban wilderness within any American city.

The ski slopes of Mt. Hood are just an hour east of downtown Portland. The Oregon coast, with more than 300 miles of public beaches, is less than two hours west. Internationally renowned wind surfing can be found an hour's drive from Portland in the rugged Columbia River Gorge.