Its deepwater port serves oceangoing vessels from all over the world. Few cities have so beautiful a setting as Portland. The business area lies close to the river. Residential districts rise in terraces on both sides of the river and spread into the green foothills of the Coast Range.
Fruit orchards abound in the fertile Willamette Valley.
The mountains of the Cascade Range rise in the east, and the Pacific coast is only two hours away by car. Mount Hood National Forest is headquartered in the city. The downtown district, which is the site of Portland's original settlement, is connected to the newer parts of the city by many bridges. The postmodern Portland Building, designed by architect Michael Graves, is the city's municipal office building. It opened in 1982.