Everything you need to know about getting around Portland, Oregon

Portland is a Northwestern gem – packed with diverse and culturally rich neighborhoods, an incredible food scene and a thriving nightlife full of independent bars and venues. It’s no wonder people flock from all over the US and the wider world to enter this beloved hipster bubble.

The downside to so many delights? All those visitors and things to do scattered around the city add up to a traffic problem that can be quite the buzzkill. Most locals get around the gridlock by cycling everywhere and exploring on foot when possible. Embrace two wheels and public transport options to avoid wasting your time in traffic – save the car for when you want to explore further afield on a day trip from the city.

We’ve got everything you need to know about getting around Portland without losing your cool.

Cruise around town on a bicycle

Thanks to its plentiful bike lanes, a good bike-share system and respectful motorists, Portland is often named the most bike-friendly city in the USA. Many streets are geared specifically toward cyclists, indicated by figures on bicycles painted in white on the pavement and by green-painted zebra crossings at intersections. At some intersections, you’ll find green “bike boxes” that are designed to prevent collisions with vehicles making right-hand turns. The city has an interactive bike lane map available online. You can pick up a print version at libraries and bike shops.

Portland’s bike-sharing scheme is called Biketown and it has more than 3000 e-bikes and scooters available at over 240 stations across town. It’s a collaboration with Lyft, so you can use their app or the Biketown app to scan the code on a parked bike wherever you find one, ride it around, and then park and lock it to a rack when you’re done. 

If you’re in town for a while, several companies offer longer bicycle rentals. Everybody’s Bike Rentals and Cycle Portland offer both rentals and guided tours. 

More of a novelty than a practical way to get around, the BrewCycle pub-cycle is always an option: a 15-seat bicycle-powered mobile hut that lets riders pedal their way from one brewpub to the next along a themed route.

Hop on the bus

TriMet operates 75 bus lines in the Portland metro area, most of which connect to light-rail lines for even greater reach. Interactive schedules and maps are available on the website, and TriMet’s tracker app lets you see details for every bus stop in the city in real time.

If you plan on partying into the wee hours, be aware that there are fewer services at night, and most stop running at 1am (although there are some late-night buses). Pay for your ticket as you board the bus with a credit card or mobile phone wallet. Check the website for details on a specific line, and see the “Transport Passes” section below for fee details.

Let the MAX light rail whisk you away

Light-rail trains, also run by TriMet, stretch to most of the major metro areas (and suburbs), and the system is easy to navigate. Trains run at least every 15 minutes throughout the day and the bus network connects with many stops. It’s the same ticket or pass on both trains and buses, but you pay at machines on the platform before you board the train.

Step onto the Portland Streetcar

Running about every 15 minutes from 5.30am to 11.30pm in the city center, Portland Streetcar has three lines – the original NS line runs between Portland State University and the Nob Hill area via downtown and the Pearl District. The other two lines go clockwise and counterclockwise across the Tilikum Crossing Bridge, linking the inner east side to downtown and the Pearl. TriMet fares are valid on the streetcar, and there are also ticket machines at each platform where you can buy streetcar-only tickets. 

Go further afield in a car

Car traffic in Portland can be terrible. The city’s population has grown more quickly than its infrastructure, leading to the type of gridlock and bottlenecks that usually only happen in much larger urban areas, particularly on highways and major thoroughfares. Cars are best saved for locations further afield, such as day trips to the Columbia River Gorge or winery tours in the Willamette Valley. 

Street parking in busy areas, such as the neighborhoods that have great shopping or restaurants, is often metered and can be hard to find. The city runs SmartPark garages downtown, some with electric-vehicle charging stations. If you do plan to drive, consider downloading the city-owned Parking Kitty app to pay at meters; otherwise, follow meter instructions to pay with cash or card after inputting your license plate.

Hail a taxi or a rideshare from anywhere

Uber and Lyft are fast and easy to use anywhere in Portland. Reliable taxi companies include Radio Cab and Broadway Cab, both of which can be booked by phone, online, via their app, or sometimes by asking your bartender to call one for you. 

Accessible transportation in Portland

In general, Portland is widely accessible for travelers with disabilities, including its public transportation. To increase access to cycling, Biketown has a program called Adaptive Biketown that rents hand- and foot-powered recumbent bikes through a local agency. While anybody is welcome to rent the bikes, people with disabilities, people aged 65 and over, and others who self-identify that they are unable to ride a traditional two-wheeled bicycle get discounted rates.

Transport passes

Ticketing for all public transportation systems in Portland – buses, streetcars and the MAX light rail – is handled by TriMet, which has an information center at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Tickets for the transportation systems are transferable within 2½ hours from the time of purchase. You can also get an all-day pass or a streetcar-only pass (slightly cheaper). 

You can pay for any of these rides by tapping your cell phone or contactless credit card on the ticket machine where you board. For local buses, tap the ticket device inside the bus as you board. For streetcars and light rail, tickets must be bought from ticket machines on the platform before you board. 

For longer stays, more than a day or two, it’s worth getting a Hop Fastpass card, available at the TriMet office in Pioneer Courthouse Square or at most supermarkets and convenience stores around town. It costs an initial US$3 for a reloadable card, but you don’t have to worry about whether to buy a single trip or a day pass – that’s calculated automatically if you board after your single ticket runs out, so you’re never charged more than a day pass on any given day.