Milwaukie, Oregon | |
|---|---|
City | |
| City of Milwaukie, Oregon | |
 The headquarters ofDark Horse Comics  The originalPietro's Pizza location _-_26.jpg) The Milwaukie Masonic Lodge _-_03.jpg) TheDavis Graveyard annual Halloween display | |
 Seal | |
| Nicknames: TheDogwood City of the West, Home of theBing Cherry | |
 Location withinClackamas County and the State ofOregon | |
| Coordinates:45°26′46″N122°38′12″W / 45.44611°N 122.63667°W /45.44611; -122.63667 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Oregon |
| County | Clackamas |
| Founded | 1847 |
| Platted | 1849 |
| Named after | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Body | Milwaukie City Council |
| • Mayor | Lisa Batey[1][2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 5.14 sq mi (13.32 km2) |
| • Land | 4.98 sq mi (12.91 km2) |
| • Water | 0.16 sq mi (0.41 km2) |
| Elevation | 154 ft (47 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 21,119 |
| • Density | 4,237.6/sq mi (1,636.14/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code | 97222, 97267, 97269 |
| Area code | 503 and 971 |
| FIPS code | 41-48650 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411116[3] |
| Website | www |
Milwaukie/mɪlˈwɔːki/ is a city mostly inClackamas County,Oregon, United States; a very small portion of the city extends intoMultnomah County.[4] The population was 21,119 at the2020 census. Founded in 1847 on the banks of theWillamette River, the city, known as theDogwood City of the West, was incorporated in 1903 and is the birthplace of theBing cherry. The city is now a suburb ofPortland and also adjoins the unincorporated areas ofClackamas andOak Grove.
TheClackamas people were the original inhabitants of the land upon which the city of Milwaukie now exists.[5] Milwaukie was settled in 1847 and formally platted in 1849 as a rival to the upriverOregon City byLot Whitcomb, who named it forMilwaukee, Wisconsin. At the time, the Wisconsin city was also frequently spelled "Milwaukie" before the current spelling was adopted.[6] Some accounts also state that the Oregon city used an alternate spelling to prevent confusion at the post office.[7]
Whitcomb arrived in Oregon in 1848 and settled on adonation land claim, where he built asawmill and agristmill.[8] Milwaukie rivaled Portland and Oregon City for a time, but Portland eventually became the bigger city because it had a deeperport.[8] The first post office at Milwaukie was established in 1850, with Whitcomb as the first postmaster.[6] The community was incorporated by theOregon Legislative Assembly on February 4, 1903, originally as the Town of Milwaukie.[9]
TheOregon and California Railroad namedtheir station there Milwaukee in 1870 and corrected it to Milwaukie in 1892.[6] As the city center grew further from the railroad and a branch line was built across the Willamette toOswego, Milwaukie station was replaced and renamedLambert forJoseph H. Lambert, a pioneer orchardist who developed theLambert cherry.[6] The name of the station was changed to East Milwaukee in 1913 and corrected toEast Milwaukie in 1916.[6]
TheBing cherry, among other varieties, was developed in Milwaukie by Ah Bing, an orchard foreman employed bySeth Lewelling. A mural in the city commemorates Mr. Bing's accomplishment.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.85 square miles (12.56 km2), of which 4.82 square miles (12.48 km2) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2) is water.[10] Parks include Dogwood Park,Elk Rock Island,Kronberg Park,Milwaukie Riverfront Park, andSpring Park.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 125 | — | |
| 1890 | 489 | 291.2% | |
| 1910 | 860 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,172 | 36.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,767 | 50.8% | |
| 1940 | 1,871 | 5.9% | |
| 1950 | 5,253 | 180.8% | |
| 1960 | 9,099 | 73.2% | |
| 1970 | 16,444 | 80.7% | |
| 1980 | 17,931 | 9.0% | |
| 1990 | 18,692 | 4.2% | |
| 2000 | 20,490 | 9.6% | |
| 2010 | 20,291 | −1.0% | |
| 2020 | 21,119 | 4.1% | |
| Sources:[11][12][13][14][15][16][17] | |||
As of thecensus of 2020, there were 21,119 people, 9,286 households, and 5,232 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 4,381.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,691.7/km2). There were 9,596 housing units at an average density of 1,990.9 per square mile (768.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.1%White, 1.2%African American, 0.5%Native American, 2.5%Asian, 0.4%Pacific Islander, 2.2% fromother races, and 10.2% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 10.1% of the population.[17]
There were 9,286 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% weremarried couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no spouse present, 7.5% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 7.8% were cohabitating couples. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.86.[17]
The median age in the city was 40.2 years. 18.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 32.7% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 16.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.[17]
Median household income was $78,676. 6.8% of residents living at or below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under 18 years old. 38.3% of residents had an educational attainment of a Bachelor's degree or higher. The overall employment rate was 66.5%.[17]
As of the census of 2010, there were 20,291 people, 8,667 households, and 5,075 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,209.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,625.4/km2). There were 9,138 housing units at an average density of 1,895.9 per square mile (732.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.5% White, 1.3% African American, 1.3% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 2.5% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.0% of the population.[11]
There were 8,667 households, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no spouse present, 5.2% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 41.4% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91.[11]
The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.8% were from 25 to 44; 29.2% were from 45 to 64; and 13.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.[11]
In 2009 new apartments and retail space were under construction in the downtown area of Milwaukie, and ariverfront park was being developed.[18]
Milwaukie is the home ofDark Horse Comics. Dark Horse is known for publishing works includingSin City, the characterHellboy, and the originalgraphic novel series300, as well for producing dozens of films and television series, includingThe Mask andTimecop, based on characters created by Dark Horse founderMike Richardson. The total office space of Dark Horse Comics occupies three city blocks in downtown Milwaukie, sporting numerous display windows visible to transit riders.[19]
Bob's Red Mill is located in the town and employs a few hundred people.[20][21]
According to Milwaukie's 2022 People's Annual Financial Report,[22] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon Tool | 810 |
| 2 | Providence Milwaukie Hospital | 642 |
| 3 | North Clackamas School District | 486 |
| 4 | PCC Structurals Inc. | 431 |
| 5 | Oeco LLC | 227 |
| 6 | ODS Plaza | 200 |
| 7 | Consonus Pharmacy Services | 176 |
| 8 | Wendell & Wild | 164 |
| 9 | Dave's Killer Bread | 163 |
| 10 | Alpine Food Distributing | 156 |
In 2015–2016, Milwaukie saw a boom in real estate. It was named the ninth hottest real estate market in 2016 by realtor.com.[23] A big draw to the city was noticed right after the Orange Line from TriMet, a $1.4 billion project connecting the close-in suburb right to the heart of downtown Portland, finished in 2015. A year after the opening of the Orange Line, housing prices had risen 12.2% and city officials said there were no vacancies for retail storefronts in Milwaukie's downtown area.[24] In addition to the new Orange Line, Milwaukie finished a $2.2 million project to the city's waterfront park. The city had a grand opening on May 1, 2015.[25]
Milwaukie is served by theNorth Clackamas School District and most children attend one of nine public elementary schools, Alder Creek Middle School or Wilbur Rowe Middle School, depending on area of residence,Rex Putnam High School,Milwaukie High School for regular high school education, andNew Urban High School or Cascade Heights Charter School for alternative education. Since 1996, Milwaukie High School has annually hosted the nationally recognized[26] Living History Day. On this day thousands of veterans are welcomed into the school to help educate students about the past.
There is also a privateCatholic high school,La Salle High School, named afterSt. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, and thePortland Waldorf School, a privateWaldorf school, which serves grades K–12.
The city is home to theLedding Library, a public library that is part of theLibrary Information Network of Clackamas County.
The city has one college campus,Clackamas Community College Harmony.[27]
_-_37.jpg)
Milwaukie is within theTriMet transit district and is served by several TriMet bus lines.[28] TriMet established atransit center in downtown Milwaukie in 1981,[29] and by 2000 was served by as many as 12 routes,[30] using on-street stops around the intersection of Jackson Street and 21st Avenue, next to the old Milwaukie City Hall. Since 2010, the bus stops that previously comprised Milwaukie TC are no longer designated as a "transit center" by TriMet. In fall 2015, the focal point for rider transfers between routes shifted southward from the former transit-center location, with the opening of a newlight rail station at the south end of downtown.
TriMet'sMAX Light Rail service was extended to Milwaukie on September 12, 2015.[31] Construction of theMAX Orange Line, a light-rail connection between Portland and Milwaukie, began in 2011.[32][33] Although this project had been planned for many years, it faced strong opposition by opponents of "Portland Creep";[34] in September 2012, opponents succeeded in passing a ballot initiative requiring that allClackamas County spending on light rail be directly approved by the voters.[35] The 7.3-mile (11.7 km) line was sufficiently complete by May 15, 2015, for 500 passengers to make an initial special run along its whole length.[36] Regular passenger service began four months later.[31]
Streetcars began serving Milwaukie in August 1892, when theEast Side Railway extended its service beyond the then-town ofSellwood.[37] The company built a carbarn and workshop in downtown Milwaukie, on Jackson Street at River Road (nowMcLoughlin Blvd. at that location), which opened in December 1892.[38] The following year, the company extended its line toOregon City, andinterurban service between Portland and Oregon City via Milwaukie began operating.[37][38] During the several decades after 1900, a succession of other private companies, including thePortland Railway, Light and Power Company, operated the streetcar and interurban service to and through the town.[37] All interurban service was discontinued in January 1958.[37][39] At the time, the Portland–Milwaukie–Oregon City and Portland–Sellwood–Bellrose lines had been the last streetcar or interurban service operating in the Portland metropolitan area, and not until 1986 did interurban service return—in the form of MAX (light rail) between Portland andGresham.[39] Oregon Motor Stages, Inc., had provided some bus service through Milwaukie until 1954, when it abruptly ceased all operation.[40] Replacementtransit-bus service was introduced in 1955 by Intercity Buses, Inc.,[41] a member of a consortium of four bus companies collectively known as the"Blue Bus" lines, and Intercity expanded its service after the 1958 abandonment of the rail service.[42] TriMet, a new government-owned public transit authority, was established in 1969, and in September 1970 it took over all of the "Blue Bus" companies.[43][44] TriMet has been the primary provider of transit service in Milwaukie since that time.
Amtrak passenger trains pass through Milwaukie without stopping. However, for a brief period in the early 1980s, an experimental Amtrak service named theWillamette Valley Express made a regular stop in Milwaukie,[45] just east of the intersection of Harrison Street andHighway 224 (a location Amtrak referred to as East Milwaukie). The service, which ran twice a day in each direction and connected Portland withEugene, was introduced on a trial basis in August 1980 and discontinued at the end of 1981.[46]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, Milwaukie is inOregon's 5th congressional district, which is represented by DemocratJanelle Bynum.
In theOregon Legislative Assembly, Milwaukie is in the21st Senate district, represented by DemocratKathleen Taylor, and in the41st House district, represented by DemocratMark Gamba, a former mayor of the city.
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The Mayor and City Council are elected at-large for four-year terms. No person shall serve more than two consecutive terms as Mayor or Councilor.[47][48]
| Office | Name |
|---|---|
| Mayor | Lisa Batey |
| City Council, Position 1 | Adam Khosroabadi |
| City Council, Position 2 | Robert Massey |
| City Council, Position 3 | Will Anderson (Council President) |
| City Council, Position 4 | Rebecca Stavenjord |
Current mayor Lisa Batey took office on January 1, 2023, after winning the November 2022 election against Kathy Hyzy.[2]
Municipalities and communities ofClackamas County, Oregon,United States | ||
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| Other communities |
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| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Municipalities and communities ofMultnomah County, Oregon,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Regions | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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