Kenton's northern border is formed by the channel of the Columbia River that separates this region of Portland from Hayden Island. Kenton's eastern boundary is the Interstate 5 freeway and the neighborhood's southern edge is defined by N Lombard Street. The western border (traveling from north to south, respectively) follows N Portland Road, N Columbia Boulevard and, then, N Chautauqua Boulevard.

Neighborhoods bordering Kenton are: Hayden Island to the north; Bridgeton, Sunderland, and Piedmont to the east; Arbor Lodge to the south; University Park to the southwest; and Portsmouth and St. Johns to the west.

The Columbia Slough runs through the Kenton neighborhood.

Kenton is home to the Portland International Raceway and also the Portland Metropolitan Exposition (Expo) Center. The historical site of Vanport City, a public housing project built to provide homes for World War II shipbuilders (and later destroyed by a 1948 flood), is also located within the present boundaries of the Kenton neighborhood.

Kenton is a racially diverse working class neighborhood. Kenton was also one of Portland's first black neighborhoods following the Vanport flood.

History

Kenton was a company town built by the Swift Meat Packing Company, with major development beginning circa 1911. The area was later annexed by the City of Portland, becoming home to Portland's main stockyards and the center of the west coast cattle trade for a time. The 1959 Oregon Centennial Celebrations were held in Kenton. A large statue of Paul Bunyan was built at the intersection of N Interstate Avenue and N Argyle Street (just north of Kenton's historic business district on N Denver Avenue) as a reminder of those centennial festivities. The statue now stands at the corner or N Interstate Avenue and N Denver Avenue across from the Kenton/N Denver Ave light rail station, and is considered a symbol of the neighborhood.

Statistics

Real Estate

            Median Home Sales Price 2006              250,000

            Average Home Sales Price 2006 266,792

            % 5-Year Price Growth                           90

            % 1-Year Price Growth                           16

            Market Time                                          32

            % of Homes That Are Condos                 8

            Median Condo Price 2006                       242,500

 

            Schools

            Elementary                                            B/C

            Middle                                                   B

            High                                                      NR

 

            People

            Population                                             6,934   

            Population Density (per Acre)                  3

            Diversity (% non Caucasian)                   38        

            % Home Owners                                    66        

 

            Crime

            Violent Crimes                                       46        

            Residential Burglaries                             45        

            Motor Vehicle Thefts                              52        

            Total Crimes per 1,000 people                 89        

 

            Parks

            Parks & Open Spaces (Acres)                766

            Kenton Park

 

            Commute

            Minutes to Downtown by car                   10

            Streetcar or MAX                                   N/Y      

            No. of Bus Routes                                  5         

 

            Services

            Public Library                                        N         

            No. of Supermarkets                              0         

            No. of Health Clubs                                1

 Links

Kenton Neighborhood Association Contacts and Meeting Info
Kenton Neighborhood Association Bylaws
Kenton Neighborhood Association Website

Kenton Boundaries

Wondering if you are lucky enough to live in Kenton?

Kenton's borders are roughly N. Lombard Street to the south, I-5 to the east, and N. Chautauqua Boulevard to the west. The neighborhood essentially ends at the Columbia Slough, but north of N. Columbia Boulevard, Kenton's official boundaries expand to include West Delta Park and the Expo Center. Arbor Lodge is to the south, Portsmouth and St. Johns to the west, and Piedmont to the east.

 Utilities

Metro (trash collection)
Northwest Natural (natural gas)
The Oregonian (daily newspaper)
Pacific Power (electricity)
Qwest (telephone)
Water Bureau (water and sewer)

Parks & Recreation

Kenton Park
Trenton Park
Columbia Slough Watershed Council A great source of information for recreating on the Columbia Slough. Great for biking, walking, paddling and canoeing!

Schools

Chief Joseph Elementary School
Peninsula Elementary School
Portsmouth Middle School
Ockley Green Middle School
Roosevelt High School
Jefferson High School
Portland Community College - Cascade Campus

Transportation

Kenton is conveniently located on the TriMet MAX Light Rail Yellow Line. Trains arrive at least every 15 minutes going to downtown or to the Expo Center. To plan your trip, use TriMet's Trip Planner.

Kenton is a great place to ride a bike.  The city has a great bike map showing bike lanes and trails (including a nice trail along the Columbia Slough).  Check out the Bicycle Transportation Alliance for bike routes around Portland and for locker reservations at TriMet stops.

Oregon DMV (driver and vehicle licensing)
Closest DMV office (in the Kenton Neighborhood)
Amtrak
Greyhound Bus Lines
Portland Greyhound Terminal Information
Portland International Airport