Getting to Portland
By Car
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By Plane
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By Train
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By Bus
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No need to spend big bucks on a town car when you arrive! MAX, Portland's light rail system, runs right from the airport to Downtown Portland and from the train and bus stations through Downtown.
A note for air travelers: Most airlines will make you check your paddles. A protective golf bag or other sports equipment bag may work for your paddle, with some extra bubble wrap. If you prefer not to travel with your paddle, there will be paddles at the race venue to borrow.
A note for air travelers: Most airlines will make you check your paddles. A protective golf bag or other sports equipment bag may work for your paddle, with some extra bubble wrap. If you prefer not to travel with your paddle, there will be paddles at the race venue to borrow.
Getting Around Portland
Portland Quadrants
Getting around Portland is lot easier when you know the city is divided into 4 quadrants, with a 5th thrown in to confuse you.
The Willamette River divides Portland into east and west sides. North/south running streets are generally numbered, starting at the Willamette River and going up in number as you head east or west. Burnside Street divides Portland into north and south halves. East/west running streets in the NW quadrant are in alphabetic order with Burnside representing "B" on the southern end and Vaughn representing "V" on the northern end. The fifth quadrant is North Portland, which has less distinct boundaries, but is generally the peninsula between the Willamette and Columbia, west of I-5. Street names are preceded with an N, NW, NE, SE or SW corresponding with the "quadrant."
Bridges crossing the Willamette are also a reference point. From north to south, the bridges are: St. John's, Fremont (I-405), Broadway, Steel, Burnside, Morrison, Hawthorne (our finish line), Marquam (I-5, our start line), Tilikum Crossing, Ross Island and Sellwood.
The festival venue, host hotels and Downtown are all in SW; the airport is in NE. Nothing is really that far away from you, wherever you are in Portland.
The Willamette River divides Portland into east and west sides. North/south running streets are generally numbered, starting at the Willamette River and going up in number as you head east or west. Burnside Street divides Portland into north and south halves. East/west running streets in the NW quadrant are in alphabetic order with Burnside representing "B" on the southern end and Vaughn representing "V" on the northern end. The fifth quadrant is North Portland, which has less distinct boundaries, but is generally the peninsula between the Willamette and Columbia, west of I-5. Street names are preceded with an N, NW, NE, SE or SW corresponding with the "quadrant."
Bridges crossing the Willamette are also a reference point. From north to south, the bridges are: St. John's, Fremont (I-405), Broadway, Steel, Burnside, Morrison, Hawthorne (our finish line), Marquam (I-5, our start line), Tilikum Crossing, Ross Island and Sellwood.
The festival venue, host hotels and Downtown are all in SW; the airport is in NE. Nothing is really that far away from you, wherever you are in Portland.
Transportation Options
If you aren't already driving to Portland, you probably won't need a car while you are here.
Portland has an extensive bus system (TriMet) and MAX, Portland's light rail system, runs right from the airport to Downtown Portland and from the train and bus stations through Downtown. The Portland Streetcar also runs from RiverPlace to Northwest and close-in eastside neighborhoods.
If you need a cab, ask at a hotel or call. They arrive fairly quickly. Radio Cab is (503) 227-1212 and Broadway Cab is (503) 333-333. Portland also has both Uber and Lyft.
If you do need a rental car, you can pick one up at the airport or Downtown. Portland is also a Car2Go, Reach Now, and Zipcar city, and you can usually pick up cars throughout Downtown if you are already a member of those services.
Getting around Portland by bicycle is also a popular way to go... consider renting a bike instead! Or borrow a Biketown bike!
Portland has an extensive bus system (TriMet) and MAX, Portland's light rail system, runs right from the airport to Downtown Portland and from the train and bus stations through Downtown. The Portland Streetcar also runs from RiverPlace to Northwest and close-in eastside neighborhoods.
If you need a cab, ask at a hotel or call. They arrive fairly quickly. Radio Cab is (503) 227-1212 and Broadway Cab is (503) 333-333. Portland also has both Uber and Lyft.
If you do need a rental car, you can pick one up at the airport or Downtown. Portland is also a Car2Go, Reach Now, and Zipcar city, and you can usually pick up cars throughout Downtown if you are already a member of those services.
Getting around Portland by bicycle is also a popular way to go... consider renting a bike instead! Or borrow a Biketown bike!