Willamette River, Oregon, USA

The Willamette River is a tributary of the Columbia River. The river is 187 miles (301 km) long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward between the Oregon Coast Range and Cascade Range, the river and its tributaries form a basin called the Willamette Valley containing two-thirds of Oregon's population, including its largest city Portland, which sits along both sides of the river near its mouth on the Columbia. Portland is divided by the Willamette into east and west sides.

The major tourism districts in Portland include Chinatown, Old Town and the trendy Lloyd District, containing America's first major shopping mall. Major tourist attractions include Oregon Zoo, the Tom McCall Waterfront on the banks of Willamette River; the World Forestry Discovery Center, and Washington Park – a large park, containing the famous Japanese Garden, Hoyt Arboretum and rose gardens.

Portland is also home to numerous museums. Some of the most popular include the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), the Portland Children's Museum, the Oregon Jewish Museum, the Oregon Maritime Center and Museum and the Portland Art Museum.

Things to See and Do

* Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
* Portland Art Museum
* Washington Park & Oregon Zoo
* Portland International Rose Test Gardens
* Old Town area

General information

Cruise Season – May – October
Currency - United States Dollar (USD)
Language – English
Land Area – 347.9 km² (Portland)
Population – 583,000 approx (Portland)
Electricity – 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style or with a round pin below
Time - GMT minus eight hours
International Country Telephone Code – 1

Port Location – The Port of Portland terminal facilities are located on the Willamette and Columbia rivers.

Travel Links - Portland's main airport is Portland International Airport, located about 20 minutes by car (40 minutes by MAX) northeast of downtown. In addition Portland is home to Oregon's only public use heliport, the Portland Downtown Heliport.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Portland at Union Station on three routes. Long-haul train routes include the Coast Starlight (with service from Los Angeles to Seattle) and the Empire Builder (with service from Portland to Chicago.) The Amtrak Cascades commuter trains operate between Vancouver, British Columbia and Eugene, Oregon, and serve Portland several times daily.

Greyhound provides bus service along the West coast as well as from points inland. Amtrak provides different routes to various cities like Seattle and San Francisco via their buses.