Southwest Hills

Southwest Portland, about 1.48 miles from downtown, in Multnomah County.

Researched and written by Ryan Rose · Updated October 29, 2026

Against the other Portland neighborhoods I compared, Southwest Hills stands out for tree canopy of 62.5% (more than 90% of them), average home size of 3,027 sq ft (larger than 95%), and 200 transit stops within a quarter mile (more than 95%). Average lots run 12,287 sq ft, and Council Crest Park and Governors Park sit inside the neighborhood. Sidewalk coverage, which I estimate at 28.4%, is the trade-off I would weigh.

Illustration of a residential street of detached single-family houses in the Twentieth Century Colonial, Arts and Crafts and English Cottage styles.
Illustration
Downtown Southwest Hills 2 mi N ↑
I marked Southwest Hills on a map of Portland drawn from the neighborhood boundaries the city publishes. Downtown is marked for reference.

At a glance

Area
1,381 acres
Homes
2,666
Median year built
1939 Older than 60% of Portland neighborhoods
Average home size
3,027 sq ft Larger than 95% of Portland neighborhoods
Average lot size
12,287 sq ft Larger than 85% of Portland neighborhoods
Tree canopy
62.5% More canopy than 90% of Portland neighborhoods

95.2% single-family, 4.8% 2–4 unit

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

Architecture

Twentieth Century Colonial
20% of surveyed homes
Arts and Crafts
18% of surveyed homes
English Cottage
15% of surveyed homes

I took these styles from the 332 homes recorded in the City of Portland Historic Resource Inventory (1984). It surveyed significant buildings, not every home.

Getting around on foot

Intersections per sq mile
106 Fewer than 70% of Portland neighborhoods
Average block length
338 ft
Sidewalk coverage
28.4% (my estimate) Lower than 75% of Portland neighborhoods
Transit stops within ¼ mile
200 More than 95% of Portland neighborhoods
Everyday categories within ½ mile
8

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

Parks and recreation

Council Crest Park, Firehouse Theater, Governors Park, Healy Heights Park, Jefferson Street Property, Marquam Trail, Munger Property, Portland Heights Park, SW Hall and 14th, SW Talbot Property

Schools in and near this neighborhood

  • Ainsworth Elementary School K–5 Portland SD 1J
  • ST THOMAS MORE SCHOOL
  • Bridlemile Elementary School K–5 Portland SD 1J
  • PORTLAND CHINESE SCHOOL
  • Lincoln High School 9–12 Portland SD 1J
  • BRIDGES MIDDLE SCHOOL
  • CEDARWOOD WALDORF SCHOOL
  • ST MARYS ACADEMY
  • Emerson School K–5 Portland SD 1J
  • INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PORTLAND

Food, drink and daily errands

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

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

  • Vista Spring Cafe Pizza · Inside the neighborhood Patio
  • Starbucks Coffee · 0.1 mi away Patio
  • Verde Cocina Mexican · 0.1 mi away Patio
  • Wolf's Head Burger · 0.1 mi away
  • Pizzicato Pizza · 0.1 mi away
  • Aviary Cafe American · 0.1 mi away Patio
  • Fehrenbacher Hof Coffee · 0.1 mi away Patio
  • Library Café Coffee · 0.1 mi away
  • Bobacat Tea House Cafe · 0.1 mi away
  • Somtum Thai Kitchen Thai · 0.1 mi away

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
$936,600
Median gross rent
$1,608
Owner-occupied
48.2%
Renter-occupied
51.8%

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