Sometimes it’s nice to get away, breathe some different air, and go a little slower — even if just for the day to these lovely small towns near Portland, Oregon. While this interesting city still has a small-town feel compared to others, a change of pace is always nice when life gets overwhelming. These 11 small cities and towns near have an entirely different feel than being in the city, making them the perfect escapes when you need a break. From farms to wine country and towns steeped in history, consider visiting some or all of these small towns near Portland.

  1. Dundee

Christopher Porter / Flickr With just about 3,200 residents, this wine country town is every bit as quaint as you would expect. Visit wineries while you are here, and you will surely know several people by name at the end of a day in one of the best small towns near Portland, Oregon.

  1. Yamhill

Keith Ewing / Facebook Another small Willamette Valley town, Yamhill is home to just over 1,300 residents. A player in the local wine industry, Yamhill is also the childhood home of Beverly Cleary, the famed children’s author.

  1. Carlton

Keith Ewing / Flickr With 40 wineries packed in, you would think that Carlton is larger. However, this sweet small town is home to about 2,100 residents and has plenty of small-town charm.

  1. Silverton

F.D. Richards / Flickr Home to the Oregon Garden, Silverton is a beautiful small town with plenty of curb appeal. With just about 10,400 residents, the city is on the larger end of small towns, but still has plenty of charm.

  1. Sheridan

Stephen Ritchie / Flickr A farming and timber community, Sheridan is a small town with a history dating back to 1880. With just over 6,000 residents, Sheridan locals and guests have a lot of room to spread out.

  1. Boring

Jeff Hitchcock / Flickr With just over 7,700 residents, Boring is not the smallest town, but it is definitely the dullest, in name at least. An unincorporated community along Oregon State Route 212, Boring is constructed over the Boring Lava Fields, an extinct volcanic field that stretches from the city to Portland.

  1. Vernonia

DL Wise / Flickr Located on the scenic Nehalem River, Vernonia is another small logging town nestled in the country. Home to a little over 2,000 residents, Vernonia is a quiet getaway that you will love.

  1. Estacada

Pam Falcioni / Flickr Once a camp for building a hydroelectric dam, Estacada became a hub for the logging industry. Today it is home to about 3,600 residents and has lots of nature to explore.

  1. St. Helens

Jasperdo / Flickr St. Helens is about as picturesque as small towns come. With about 13,700 residents, this historic downtown and scenic Columbia River views make this close-to-Portland city a must-visit.

  1. Aurora

Tiffany Craig / Flickr One of the most historic community towns near Portland, Oregon, Aurora was founded as a religious commune in the 1850s. Today it is home to some of the best antique shops in the area and has a sparse population of just over 900 residents.

  1. Amity

Andy Nystrom / Flickr Another scenic wine country destination, Amity has been around since 1848. With just over 1,500 residents, it won’t take long for everyone to know your name here.

Have you decided which towns to visit? Are there some small towns near Portland, Oregon, that didn’t make the list? Which is your favorite small town to visit? Let us know in the comments below. For a fun and delicious adventure near Portland, take the ultimate pie shop road trip.

Christopher Porter / Flickr

With just about 3,200 residents, this wine country town is every bit as quaint as you would expect. Visit wineries while you are here, and you will surely know several people by name at the end of a day in one of the best small towns near Portland, Oregon.

Keith Ewing / Facebook

Another small Willamette Valley town, Yamhill is home to just over 1,300 residents. A player in the local wine industry, Yamhill is also the childhood home of Beverly Cleary, the famed children’s author.

Keith Ewing / Flickr

With 40 wineries packed in, you would think that Carlton is larger. However, this sweet small town is home to about 2,100 residents and has plenty of small-town charm.

F.D. Richards / Flickr

Home to the Oregon Garden, Silverton is a beautiful small town with plenty of curb appeal. With just about 10,400 residents, the city is on the larger end of small towns, but still has plenty of charm.

Stephen Ritchie / Flickr

A farming and timber community, Sheridan is a small town with a history dating back to 1880. With just over 6,000 residents, Sheridan locals and guests have a lot of room to spread out.

Jeff Hitchcock / Flickr

With just over 7,700 residents, Boring is not the smallest town, but it is definitely the dullest, in name at least. An unincorporated community along Oregon State Route 212, Boring is constructed over the Boring Lava Fields, an extinct volcanic field that stretches from the city to Portland.

DL Wise / Flickr

Located on the scenic Nehalem River, Vernonia is another small logging town nestled in the country. Home to a little over 2,000 residents, Vernonia is a quiet getaway that you will love.

Pam Falcioni / Flickr

Once a camp for building a hydroelectric dam, Estacada became a hub for the logging industry. Today it is home to about 3,600 residents and has lots of nature to explore.

Jasperdo / Flickr

St. Helens is about as picturesque as small towns come. With about 13,700 residents, this historic downtown and scenic Columbia River views make this close-to-Portland city a must-visit.

Tiffany Craig / Flickr

One of the most historic community towns near Portland, Oregon, Aurora was founded as a religious commune in the 1850s. Today it is home to some of the best antique shops in the area and has a sparse population of just over 900 residents.

Andy Nystrom / Flickr

Another scenic wine country destination, Amity has been around since 1848. With just over 1,500 residents, it won’t take long for everyone to know your name here.

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The OIYS Visitor Center

11 Small Towns Around Portland Where Everyone Knows Your Name September 20, 2022 Carolyn Harmon Where is another one of the best small towns near Portland, Oregon? With 16,400 inhabitants, Troutdale, Oregon, sits near where the Sandy and Columbia rivers meet and is the Western gateway to the Columbia River Gorge, the Historic Columbia River Highway, and the Mount Hood Scenic Byway, making it a popular thoroughfare. With the Columbia River Gorge in its backyard, the gorgeous views, spectacular waterfalls, biking, and hiking opportunities are a constant. Add the many downtown galleries the town boasts, and you’ll see why the first Friday of each month is a First Friday Artwalk, with live music, restaurants, and retailers rolling business out to the street, with roads closed to local traffic.   

Where is a restaurant near me in Portland, Oregon? Nong had a dream, came to the U.S. from Thailand, with a vision and the passion to open her own restaurant Nong’s Khao Man Gai. The main ingredient in her chicken and rice dish is her special signature sauce, which is available for sale. Khao Man Gai is a traditional Thai chicken and rice dish served with the secret sauce, cucumbers, cilantro, and a side of soup. This comforting, nutritious dish is delicious. Nong also serves vegetarian dishes, pork and rice, and a kid’s version of chicken and rice. Where is one of the best Portland hotels? In this interesting Society Hotel in Portland, Oregon, guests enjoy their private bathrooms in their suites, or they can opt for a shared bathroom and a room without one. This offering is a combination of the full hotel experience and old-world lodging houses. In this cool place, the lobby is the star with a lounge, the Society Cafe, and a bar. The cuisine is made fresh by the staff, such as a Sunrise bowl lovingly made with Greek yogurt, granola, walnuts, chia seeds, banana, and honey; or how about a simple Old Town Grilled Cheese made special with nearby Lovejoy Bakery bread, cheddar, and brie.

The OIYS Visitor Center

11 Small Towns Around Portland Where Everyone Knows Your Name

September 20, 2022

Carolyn Harmon

Where is another one of the best small towns near Portland, Oregon? With 16,400 inhabitants, Troutdale, Oregon, sits near where the Sandy and Columbia rivers meet and is the Western gateway to the Columbia River Gorge, the Historic Columbia River Highway, and the Mount Hood Scenic Byway, making it a popular thoroughfare. With the Columbia River Gorge in its backyard, the gorgeous views, spectacular waterfalls, biking, and hiking opportunities are a constant. Add the many downtown galleries the town boasts, and you’ll see why the first Friday of each month is a First Friday Artwalk, with live music, restaurants, and retailers rolling business out to the street, with roads closed to local traffic.   

Where is a restaurant near me in Portland, Oregon? Nong had a dream, came to the U.S. from Thailand, with a vision and the passion to open her own restaurant Nong’s Khao Man Gai. The main ingredient in her chicken and rice dish is her special signature sauce, which is available for sale. Khao Man Gai is a traditional Thai chicken and rice dish served with the secret sauce, cucumbers, cilantro, and a side of soup. This comforting, nutritious dish is delicious. Nong also serves vegetarian dishes, pork and rice, and a kid’s version of chicken and rice. Where is one of the best Portland hotels? In this interesting Society Hotel in Portland, Oregon, guests enjoy their private bathrooms in their suites, or they can opt for a shared bathroom and a room without one. This offering is a combination of the full hotel experience and old-world lodging houses. In this cool place, the lobby is the star with a lounge, the Society Cafe, and a bar. The cuisine is made fresh by the staff, such as a Sunrise bowl lovingly made with Greek yogurt, granola, walnuts, chia seeds, banana, and honey; or how about a simple Old Town Grilled Cheese made special with nearby Lovejoy Bakery bread, cheddar, and brie.

The OIYS Visitor Center

The OIYS Visitor Center

With 16,400 inhabitants, Troutdale, Oregon, sits near where the Sandy and Columbia rivers meet and is the Western gateway to the Columbia River Gorge, the Historic Columbia River Highway, and the Mount Hood Scenic Byway, making it a popular thoroughfare. With the Columbia River Gorge in its backyard, the gorgeous views, spectacular waterfalls, biking, and hiking opportunities are a constant. Add the many downtown galleries the town boasts, and you’ll see why the first Friday of each month is a First Friday Artwalk, with live music, restaurants, and retailers rolling business out to the street, with roads closed to local traffic.   

Where is a restaurant near me in Portland, Oregon? Nong had a dream, came to the U.S. from Thailand, with a vision and the passion to open her own restaurant Nong’s Khao Man Gai. The main ingredient in her chicken and rice dish is her special signature sauce, which is available for sale. Khao Man Gai is a traditional Thai chicken and rice dish served with the secret sauce, cucumbers, cilantro, and a side of soup. This comforting, nutritious dish is delicious. Nong also serves vegetarian dishes, pork and rice, and a kid’s version of chicken and rice.

Where is one of the best Portland hotels?

In this interesting Society Hotel in Portland, Oregon, guests enjoy their private bathrooms in their suites, or they can opt for a shared bathroom and a room without one. This offering is a combination of the full hotel experience and old-world lodging houses. In this cool place, the lobby is the star with a lounge, the Society Cafe, and a bar. The cuisine is made fresh by the staff, such as a Sunrise bowl lovingly made with Greek yogurt, granola, walnuts, chia seeds, banana, and honey; or how about a simple Old Town Grilled Cheese made special with nearby Lovejoy Bakery bread, cheddar, and brie.