Beaverton, Oregon

Beaverton is an exciting blend of city life with a generous touch of Oregon’s renown outdoor beauty. The city is bordered on the east by Portland, the state’s largest city, and on the west by the plentiful farm lands of the Tualatin River Valley in western Washington County. That exciting mix of urban and rural landscapes provides rolling hills, lush forests, rivers and wetlands to be enjoyed by all.

Currently in Beaverton 47° P/SUNNY Humidity: 76 Visibility: 10 Wind: SSE 10-day forecast

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Area Attractions OMSI-With an IMAX theater, a laser light planetarium, a motion simulator, a real US submarine, and rooms filled with science activities, the whole family will enjoy OMSI. Portland Art Museum - From exhibits featuring Egypt to a sculpture from Pablo Picasso, from modern to Pacific Rim, there is something that will catch your eye and imagination. Pioneer Courthouse Square - Portland offers many places to be entertained, educated and involved. Pioneer Courthouse Square has been doing it all for 150 years. Willamette Falls - The Willamette Falls near Portland provides views of geology, history and industry.

Beaverton Lodging Embassy Suites Hotel Portland-Washington Square is a full-service upscale all-suite hotel. Guests stay in spacious two-room suites and receive a complimentary breakfast, high-speed internet access and more. Phoenix Inn Suites in Beaverton Our 100% non-smoking hotel is conveniently situated in the Beaverton/Hillsboro high-tech corridor with convenient access to the MAX light rail park and ride to Portland. Comfort Inn & Suites West in Beaverton Discover Oregon's own sunset corridor, located in the business district of Beaverton. Just minutes away from the vibrant downtown Portland, filled with just as much excitement.

Beaverton, offers a variety of family activities and amenities including the region’s largest farmers market, a new library, The Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District encompassing Beaverton serves approximately 200,000 residents. It provides 200 parks spread over 1,600 acres with 30 miles of hiking trails and a 25-mile bike path network.

Beaverton has more designated “green space” than most cities of its size and there is a park located within a half mile of every home. It is also conveniently located within one to two hours drive of popular natural resources, including the Oregon coast, Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge.

Beaverton’s Farmer’s Market, held from June to October, brings nature's bounty from local farms to Beaverton's sidewalks.

Abundant hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, swimming pools, tennis courts, softball fields and golf courses enhance the recreation opportunities that Beaverton has to offer.

Golfers have many courses to try throughout the Valley Region. The area is rich with verdant, dramatic courses. One exquisite course in the area is Pumpkin Ridge in North Plains, where Tiger Woods won his record third consecutive US Amateur Championship in 1996. It opens in the last stretch of the plains and rises into the foothills of the Tualatin Mountains, then darts in and out of stands of fir, maple and ash. Its thoughtful layout demands strategy and accuracy, and offers little leeway to wayward shots.

Business Climate
Beaverton offers a strong business environment and the attractions of a large metropolitan area, but still has a home-town feel. Headquarters of global companies like Nike and Tektronix support the local economy along with many small and medium sized businesses. In June of 2010 it was announced that IBM anticipates hiring 600 new employees in Oregon as it introduced the new mortgage software tied to its recent acquisition of Beaverton-based Wilshire Credit Corp. IBM's presence in Oregon dates back to the 1990s. The Beaverton campus includes IBM's Linux Technology Center and other software development work, among other functions. IBM's Beaverton campus is currently home to about 650 employees

The economy of Beaverton and its surrounding communities has a huge technology base, however, the area has a strong diversity of industries and employers, and that diversity gives Beaverton a strength and richness that goes far beyond just technology. Of the various employment sectors in Beaverton, the largest include technology and manufacturing, apparel, and export trade.

History
The city of Beaverton takes its name from the beavers that were drawn to its low-lying marshes and lush forests. The Atfalati Native Americans called the area “Chakeipi,” meaning place of the beaver. That name was changed by first settlers to Beaver Dam, which was later modified to Beaverton.

Pioneers were attracted to the region’s rich soil and government-issued free land. Lawrence Hall – for whom Hall Boulevard is named – made the first land claim in 1847. The City of Beaverton was incorporated in 1893.

Forestry, agriculture and two rail lines first fed the city’s economy. By the 1920’s and 30’s the city supported a successful horseradish farm and factory, a motion picture studio and one of the nation’s busiest noncommercial airports.

For more information on Beaverton and Washington County history, contact the Washington County Historical Society and Museum: (503-645-5353), www.washingtoncountymuseum.org.

Weather and climate
Although the Pacific Northwest is known for wet winters in the dry months, usually June through September, Beaverton receives less than 5 inches of rain total. The average temperature in the summer is in the 80’s and, because of the northern latitude, the total number of hours of daylight in the summer can reach almost 16.

In the wintertime, it is not uncommon to experience minor snowfalls of a couple of inches, but major snowfall occurrences are rare; the "Arctic Blast" that hit the northwest during the final month of 2008 brought a five-day stretch of sub-freezing temperatures, as well as a December-record 18.9 inches of snowfall.

Transportation
Residents of Beaverton enjoy easy access to a well planned transportation network and the entire Portland metropolitan area, as well as to the westside's largest shopping district.. Two major highways and several large arterials serve the area, with an international airport only minutes away. All this and more contribute to Beaverton's growing popularity as a great place to visit, live and do business.

As the "hub" of Washington County, Beaverton is centrally located and easily accessible from every direction. The city is served by Highway 26 and Highway 217, and is only minutes from Interstate 5.

Average commute time for residents of Beaverton is approximately 20 minutes. Additionally, ongoing projects to improve roads and arterials within Beaverton continue to ensure that commuters have a variety of options at their fingertips.

Public transportation commuters can find easy access to buses and light rail from any area of Beaverton. The Portland-Metro area’s award-winning public transportation system, TriMet, carried  324,080 riders daily in 2009 (weekly avg). With the opening of the new airport Light Rail line, commuters can travel from Beaverton to Portland International Airport in just an hour for a fraction of the cost of airport parking or taxi service. In addition, a commuter rail line from Wilsonville to Beaverton is available now.

The Tualatin Valley is also served by two airports, Portland International Airport (PDX) and the Hillsboro Airport. PDX has direct connections to major airport hubs throughout the United States, plus non-stop international flights, for information call 1.877.739.4636, online www.pdx.org.

In recognition of the fact that Oregon is home to some of the biggest walking and biking enthusiasts in the Country, Beaverton continues to ensure that ample bike and pedestrian pathways exist throughout the city.