Gladstone is located 12 miles south of Portland, at the confluence of the Clackamas and
Willamette rivers, making it a great place
to live for fishing, kayaking, and boating.
Gladstone residents enjoy easy access to the
south end of the metro area with Interstate
205 access and Highway 99E (McLoughlin
Boulevard) connecting the town to neighboring communities like Oregon City and
Milwaukie, and providing quick access for
commuters who drive into Portland. About
12,000 residents live in Gladstone’s 4-square
mile area, whose population has grown only
slightly in the last 15 years. Residents enjoy
community events every year such as Easter
egg hunts, ice cream socials, hot dog feeds,
and movies in the park. In early August,
the annual Gladstone Cultural Festival and
parade commemorates Gladstone’s former
status as a popular Chautauqua destination.
A recent survey conducted by the city indicates that its citizens are satisfied with the
services they receive, and consider Gladstone a “good/excellent” place to live.
The City of Happy Valley celebrated its
50th anniversary in 2015, and is a thriving
community of approximately 17,000 residents today – much larger than the 300
people who voted on its incorporation in
1965. Happy Valley has historically been
one of the fastest growing cities in Oregon,
seeing a population increase of over 20%
from 2010 to 2014. The city is proud of its
small town feel, schools, small businesses,
and parks which provide families with a
strong, safe community. Within Happy
Valley, there are three public elementary
schools, two public middle schools, and
one high school – Clackamas High School.
With sustainable living in mind, the city of
Happy Valley is encouraging its residents to
participate in its Happy Valley Solar Home
Program. Every October, the community
celebrates the fall season with its Happy
Valley Harvest Fest. Happy Valley is about
six miles east of Portland on the eastern side
of the Portland Metro area, with easy access
to Interstate 205.
Located in the northwestern corner of Clackamas County on the banks of the scenic
Willamette River, Lake Oswego is nestled
among many of Oregon’s greatest attractions:
Mt. Hood, the Oregon Coast, the Columbia
Gorge and nearby vineyards, farmlands, and
forests. Lake Oswego is also ideally situated
close to Oregon’s major metropolitan areas –
just 8 miles south of downtown Portland and
about 45 minutes north of Salem, the Oregon
state capitol.
Although the city is primarily residential, there
is some commercial development and light
manufacturing. Most of the businesses are
located downtown near the Willamette River
on the City’s eastern boundary, or on the west
end in the Lake Grove business district and
neighborhood. Commercial properties on
Kruse Way, near the interstate highway, offer
some of the most sought after Class A office
space in the region.
Lake Oswego is considered one of the finest
residential areas in Oregon. Lake Oswego
offers full-service police and fire protection,
a celebrated library, and parks system. It also
provides planning and zoning regulation,
building inspection and regulation, street
maintenance and improvement, water, waste-water and surface water services. The schools
in the city rate among the best in the state.
There is a city-owned sports center on the
Willamette River, two public swimming facilities on the privately-managed Oswego Lake,
an 18-hole golf course, indoor tennis center,
and an outdoor amphitheater right along
the river. These amenities, managed by the
Milwaukie Riverfront. Photo by Mark Gamba
