East Columbia

Northeast Portland, about 5.51 miles from downtown, in Multnomah County.

Against the 86 other Portland neighborhoods I compared, East Columbia has a median year built of 1997, newer than 95% of them, and lots averaging 13,872 sq ft, larger than 95%. In my notes the parks stand out too: Columbia Childrens Arboretum and Flyway Wetlands Natural Area lie inside its 1,368 acres. The trade-offs are plain: tree canopy is 15.8%, estimated sidewalk coverage is 30.7%, and blocks average 473 ft.

Illustration of a residential street of detached single-family houses, built mostly in the 1990s.
Illustration
Downtown East Columbia 2 mi N ↑
I marked East Columbia on a map of Portland drawn from the neighborhood boundaries the city publishes. Downtown is marked for reference.

At a glance

Area
1,368 acres
Homes
978 Counted in the 2020 Census, apartments and condos included
Median year built
1997 Newer than 95% of Portland neighborhoods
Average home size
1,791 sq ft Larger than 60% of Portland neighborhoods Houses and buildings of up to 4 homes
Average lot size
13,872 sq ft Larger than 95% of Portland neighborhoods
Tree canopy
15.8% Less canopy than 95% of Portland neighborhoods
Streets steeper than 8%
0.8% of street length Flatter than 65% of Portland neighborhoods Elevation 9–56 ft
In FEMA's 100-year flood zone
3.7% of residential lots Another 96.1% sit behind a levee, where FEMA rates the risk reduced
Within 500 ft of a freeway
None A freeway crosses the neighborhood away from its homes
In an airport noise zone
30.7% of residential lots Inside the 65-decibel noise contour around Portland International Airport
New homes permitted
1 Fewer than 85% of Portland neighborhoods Since January 2023

Share of homes: 49.3% single-family houses, 5.6% in 2–4 unit buildings, 45.1% in apartment, condo and other multi-home properties

I compared each figure with the 86 other Portland neighborhoods I have researched that have at least 100 residential parcels.

Getting around on foot

Intersections per sq mile
28 Fewer than 95% of Portland neighborhoods
Average block length
473 ft Longer than 95% of Portland neighborhoods
Sidewalk coverage
30.7% (my estimate) Lower than 70% of Portland neighborhoods
Transit stops within ¼ mile
59 Fewer than 80% of Portland neighborhoods
Everyday categories within ½ mile
5 Fewer than 95% of Portland neighborhoods

I compared each figure with the 86 other Portland neighborhoods I have researched that have at least 100 residential parcels.

Parks and recreation

Columbia Childrens Arboretum, East Delta Park, Flyway Wetlands Natural Area

Food, drink and daily errands

Restaurants
1
Cafes
1
Bars and pubs
0
Grocery
0
Pharmacies
0

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

I pulled these from OpenStreetMap: the nearest named restaurants and cafes, starting inside the neighborhood and measured from its edge. Places marked Patio have outdoor seating, from my research for Outdoor Seating Near Me, my other site; the photos come from that research too.

Housing context

Median home value
$468,500
Median gross rent
$1,929
Owner-occupied
53.3%
Renter-occupied
46.7%

I pulled these from the census tract that covers this neighborhood, so they describe the tract, not the neighborhood itself. I report housing and housing cost only.

Bordering neighborhoods