Clackamas, Oregon: The Urban And Suburban Benefits

Portland, Oregon is fast becoming one of the countries primary relocation destinations. It has been a top ranked city in several publications’ lists including the Reader’s Digest 50 Cleanest Cities in America and Travel + Leisure’s 2007 list of America’s Favorite Cities. Families and retirees are looking to move to the Portland metro area to enjoy all the Northwest has to offer. While some neighborhoods provide a very distinct and singular style of living, the Clackamas area is the right combination of urban city advantages and suburban perks.

Though the town of Clackamas is roughly 15 miles from Portland’s city center, the community has been developed to provide many of the urban elements appreciated by those living in the downtown area. Access to retail boutiques and well-known chains have grown significantly over the last year due in part to the expansion of the Clackamas Town Center, a centralized shopping location in Clackamas that includes the Promenade located directly across Sunnyside Road. In November 2007, the center’s developers completed over 25,000 square feet of new retail and dining space created using a modern design suited to the tastes and lifestyles of the Portland metro area. Clackamas area residents have much more variety and options now at their fingertips.

Ease of transportation is one of the greatest benefits of living close to the center of any city. Portland residents have had an award winning TriMet system of busses at their disposal for quite some time. Now, new developments are connecting suburban residents to the entire metro area through the MAX light rail. The Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) which now serves the Hillsboro, Beaverton, downtown, Northeast, and Gresham areas is being expanded to include Clackamas. By September 2009, a new green line will run from the Gateway Transit Center along I-205 to the Clackamas Town Center area. Clackamas residents will have an inexpensive, easy to use train system available to take them to anywhere the other lines go. This development is one of the most anticipated city projects under way today.

While the modern, urban benefits of the Clackamas area are flourishing, the district still boasts the quieter suburban elements that make living away from downtown a perk. The population of the town of Clackamas is estimated at just over 5000 people and trees and fields still dot the area. This means small town neighborhoods are still available, perfect for raising a family or enjoying the retirement years. Many are choosing to move to the Happy Valley area on the north side of Clackamas. This popular location is still slightly rural with larger homes on pieces of land that can offer beautiful views of the valley and Mt. Hood.

Clackamas is also a suburban area perfectly situated close to several of Oregon’s most interesting rural towns. In just 15 to 30 minutes, residents can be in Damascus, Oregon City or Estacada where there are several fun activities for families to enjoy like pumpkin patches and hayrides in the autumn, Christmas tree farms in the winter and petting zoos and fishing ponds in the spring and summer.

The Clackamas public school system can also offer families the same melding of urban and suburban benefits. The area has three elementary schools, one middle school and 1 high school that average a 1:24 teacher to student ratio. These smaller class sizes are what parents hope to have for their children but they can rarely be found in many of the more populated metro areas. Last year, 72.5% of Clackamas High School 10th graders met or exceeded state learning standards, roughly 19% more than the state average. The school also boasts a strong dedication toward getting students to college or the vocation of their choice. This kind of high quality schooling in a smaller town is hard to find in many areas.

The Portland metro area is an incredible place to relocate to. Oregon residents as well as people from out-of-state looking for a melding of all the great urban and suburban advantages Portland has to offer would do well to consider a home in Clackamas.

~Ben Anton, 2008