Hillsboro

 

city (1990 pop. 37,520), seat of Washington co., NW Oreg., in the Tualatin valley; inc. 1876. Integrated circuits, other high-tech products, furniture, plastics, and medical equipment are manufactured in this growing city in Oregon's “Sunset Corridor.” Meats and fruits and vegetables are processed and packed, there are wineries, and timber is also important. Settled c.1845, Hillsboro has a pioneer museum and cemetery and a notable old Scottish church.

Hillsboro, Oregon
Downtown with Mount Hood and Tuality Hospital in the background.
Seal
Nickname: The Hub City
Location of Hillsboro in the state of Oregon
Coordinates: 45°31′23″N 122°59′18″W / 45.52306, -122.98833
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Washington County
Incorporated	1876
Government
- Mayor	Tom Hughes
Area
- City	sq mi (km²)
- Land	sq mi ( km²)
- Water	sq mi ( km²)
Elevation	ft ( m)
Population (2006)
- City
- Density	/sq mi (/km²)
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes	97006, 97123, 97124
Area code(s)	503
FIPS code	41-341002
GNIS feature ID	11630493
Website: www.ci.hillsboro.or.us

Hillsboro is a city in and county seat of Washington County, Oregon, United States.⁶ The community began in 1842 and was named Hillsborough in 1850, before incorporation in 1876 as Hillsboro. Located in the Tualatin Valley, the city is home to technology companies such as microprocessor chip manufacturers and related suppliers giving rise to the term Silicon Forest that includes other high-tech employers in the region. Hillsboro is governed by a council-manager government consisting of a city manager and a city council headed by a mayor. Main transportation options in the city are T.V. Highway, the Sunset Highway, the Hillsboro Airport, with public transportation available through TriMet, including MAX Light Rail. The city has four high schools and four middle schools, while also serving as home to Pacific University’s Health Professions Campus.

Hillsboro's population was 70,186 as of the 2000 census. As of 2006, the estimated population is 84,445,^[1] making it the most populated city in the county and fifth most populated in the state. Additionally, there is a daytime population due to commuting of 110,000.^[2] The population is approximately 78% White, with those of Hispanic heritage as the largest minority group comprising approximately 19% of the total population as of the 2000 census. Median household income was $51,737 at that time.

Government

Hillsboro operates under a council-manager form of city government. Voters elect six councilors and a mayor. Each of these people serves a four-year term, subject to a charter imposed limitation of two consecutive terms, with council members are elected on a city-wide basis.^[3] The mayor and council appoint a city manager to conduct the ordinary business of the city. Policy decisions are the responsibility of the council and mayor. Administrative functions are carried out by the manager and manager-appointed staff.^[4] Government functions are centered at the Hillsboro Civic Center, including the office of the city manager and the location of twice-monthly city council meetings.^[3]

Hillsboro operates its own library system, fire department, parks department, water system, and police department. The Hillsboro Fire Department has four stations while the Hillsboro Police Department operates two standard precincts along with a mobile precinct.^[5][6]

• Federal: Hillsboro is inside Oregon's 1st congressional district and is represented by David Wu.
• State: In the State Senate Hillsboro lies in the 15th District (Bruce Starr), with the 13th District (Larry George) abutting to the south. In the House, Districts 29 (Chuck Riley) and 30 (David Edwards) cover the city.^[7]
• County: Parts of county commissioner districts 1 (Dick Schouten), 2 (Desari Strader), and 4 (Andy Duyck) cover the city.^[8]
• Regional: Hillsboro is within District 4 (Kathryn Harrington) of the Metro regional government entity.^[9]

History

The community was founded by David Hill, Isaiah Kelsey, and Richard Williams who arrived in the Tualatin Valley in 1841 followed by six more pioneers in 1842.^[10] It went by two other names — East Tualatin Plains and Columbia, before it became Hillsborough in honor of Hill in February 1850 when he sold part of his land claim to the county.^[11] It is at this time, February 5, 1850, that the community was chosen as the seat of the county government, as designated by commissioners chosen by the territorial legislature.^[11] Hill was to be paid $200 for the land after plots had been sold for the town site,^[11] but he died before this occurred and his widow Lucinda received the funds.^[12] The spelling of the town was later simplified to Hillsboro. A log cabin was built in 1853 to serve as the community’s first school with classes first held in October 1854.^[13] Riverboats provided transportation to Hillsboro as early as 1867 when the side-wheel steamer Yamhill worked on the Tualatin River.^[10]

In 1871, the Oregon and California Railroad line was added, but ran just south of town in a dispute over the city not giving the railroad land in exchange for the rail connection.^[10] Hillsboro was incorporated in 1876.^[6] The first mayor was A. Luelling who took office on December 8 1876 and served a one year term.^[14] Notable later mayors included Congressman Thomas H. Tongue (1882 & 1886) and state senator William D. Hare (1885).^[14] On September 30 1908 the Oregon Electric Railway connected the city to Portland with an interurban electric rail line.^[10] In 1923 the city altered its charter and adopted a Council-manager form of city government in which there is a six person city council member with a part-time mayor that determine major policies while day-to-day city operations are run by the city manager.^[15]

In 1852, a brick building was constructed to house the county government, followed by a brick courthouse in 1873.^[16] Then in 1891 the courthouse was remodeled and a clock tower was added.^[17] It was then expanded in 1912 when an annex was added. In 1928 a new courthouse was built to replace the brick structure, with the last major remodeling coming in 1972 when the Justice Services Building was built and incorporated into the existing building.^[16]

The city’s first fire department was a hook and ladder company organized in 1880 by the board of trustees (now city council).^[18] Hillsboro built its first sewer system in 1911, while sewage treatment was not added until 1936.^[19] In 1913 the city built its own water system to serve residents.^[20] The first library was opened in December 1914 when the Carnegie City Library was dedicated.^[21] From 1921 to 1952 the world’s second tallest radio tower was located on the south side of the city.^[22] In 1952 this wireless telegraph tower was demolished.

In 1972, the Hillsboro City Council passed an ordinance that banned door-to-door solicitation, but was ruled unconstitutional by the Oregon Supreme Court in a 1988 decision.^[23] The court determined the city ordinance was overly broad in a case that was seen as a test case for many similar laws in the state.^[23] In 1980, Intel begins construction of its first facility in Hillsboro.^[24] The Jones Farm campus adjacent to the airport is followed by Hawthorne Farm and finally Ronler Acres where construction began in 1994.^[24] TriMet extended MAX Light Rail into the city during the 1990s with the line opening in 1998. A new city hall was completed in 2005.

Registered Historic Places

Properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places in and around Hillsboro include the Old Scotch Church completed in 1876 and located north of the city.^[25] Near the Orenco neighborhood is Imbrie Farm that was built in 1866 and includes the Frank Imbrie Barn, with both converted to use by McMenamins for a brewpub at the location.^[25][26] Built in 1935, the Harold Wass Ray House is near Intel’s Hawthorne Farm campus.^[25] Historic properties located in downtown include the Zula Linklater House (completed 1923), Rice-Gates House (1890), Edward Schulmerich House (circa 1915), and Charles Shorey House (circa 1908).^[25] The Richard and Helen Rice House sits adjacent to the Sunset Highway on the north side of the city.^[25] The Old Washington County Jail previously was located at the Washington County Fairgrounds,^[25] but was restored and moved to the Washington County Museum in 2004.^[27]

Geography

Hillsboro is located at 45°31′23″N, 122°59′18″W.^[28] The United States Census Bureau reports the city has a total area of 21.6 square miles (55.9 km²), all of which is land. As of 2006, Hillsboro itself reports an area of 22.8 square miles (14,619 acres or 59.052 km²).

Hillsboro is located in the Tualatin Valley, and the Tualatin River forms part of the southern city limits. Its geography is fairly level, consistent with an agricultural past and the farms still in operation. Hillsboro is about 18 miles to the west of Portland, immediately west of Beaverton. In addition to the Tualatin River, other water features include Dairy Creek, McKay Creek, Rock Creek, Dawson Creek, and Turner Creek.

Neighborhoods: The city is divided into eight planning areas, each of which contains several neighborhoods.^[29] In the northeast corner of Hillsboro is the East planning area which contains the Tanasbourne neighborhood and the section with Oregon Health & Science University’s West Campus.^[29] West of this in the north-central area is the Northeast planning area that includes the Orenco, Orenco Station, Airport, and West Union neighborhoods.^[29] Further west is the Northwest area that has the Jackson School, Sunrise, and Glencoe neighborhoods.^[29] Then on the western edge of Hillsboro is the West area, consisting of the Dennis, Garibaldi, and Connell neighborhoods.^[29]

In the central core of the community is the Central planning area that has the Downtown, Jackson Bottom, Henry, and Eastwood neighborhoods.^[29] South of that is the South planning area with neighborhoods such as Minter Bridge, Rood Bridge, and River Road.^[29] East of this is the Southeast area with Reedville and Witch Hazel as the neighborhoods.^[29] Lastly, in the center of the city is the Brookwood planning area which contains the Cedar, Bentley, and Brogden neighborhoods.^[29]

Landmarks:

• Chief Kno-Tah Native American Sculpture in Shute Park^[30]
• Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery
• Washington County Courthouse
• Washington County Fair Complex^[31]

Neighboring Communities:

• Aloha
• Beaverton
• Cornelius
• North Plains
• Reedville
• Scholls
• West Union

Climate

Summers in Hillsboro are generally warm, but temperatures year-round are moderated by a marine influence from the Pacific Ocean.^[32] The Willamette Valley that Hillsboro lies within receives the majority of its precipitation during the winter months, with the wettest period from November through March,^[32] with the city receiving 161 days of precipitation per year.^[33] The average yearly precipitation between 1930 and 1998 was 38 inches.^[34] August is the hottest month with the average high temperature registering  °F ( °C), while January is the coolest month at  °F ( °C).^[32] The average high temperature for the year is a high of  °F ( °C). The coolest average low temperature is in January with a reading of  °F ( °C). July has the warmest average low temperature at  °F ( °C), with the average low temperature overall at  °F ( °C).^[32]

Economy

Many technology companies operate in Hillsboro, making it the center of Oregon's Silicon Forest. In particular, Intel's largest site is in Hillsboro which includes three large campuses, Ronler Acres, Jones Farm, and Hawthorn Farm along with several smaller campuses.^[35] Sun Microsystems High-End Operations is headquartered in the city. Other high-tech companies with facilities in Hillsboro include Yahoo!,^[36] FEI Company,^[37] Credence Systems,^[38] Synopsys, Epson,^[39] and TriQuint Semiconductor. Hillsboro is the corporate headquarters for Corillian Corporation,^[40] Lattice Semiconductor, RadiSys and Planar Systems.

In March 2006, Genentech announced plans to locate a packaging and distribution facility on 100 acres in Hillsboro.^[41] The city is also a landing point on three fiber optic cable systems linking the United States across the Pacific Ocean: C2C, Southern Cross Cable, and VSNL Transpacific. Fujitsu and NEC formerly had factories in Hillsboro.^[42] Additionally, Hillsboro is the corporate headquarters for Rodgers Instruments, Soloflex, Pizza Schmizza, and Parr Lumber.

The Hatfield Government Center in Hillsboro is the western terminus of the MAX Blue Line, part of the Portland metropolitan area's light-rail system. The presence of MAX prompted the development of the pedestrian-oriented community of Orenco Station within Hillsboro. (See also: Orenco, Oregon.) Orenco Station was called the Best Planned Community of 1999 by the National Association of Home Builders.^[43] It was also named "Best new burb" by Sunset magazine in 2006.^[44]

Hillsboro’s primary commercial cores are concentrated along Tualatin Valley Highway and Cornell Road. Additionally, the Tanasbourne neighborhood is a regional shopping area on the eastern edge of the city.^[45] That neighborhood is home to the lifestyle shopping center The Streets of Tanasbourne.^[46] This $55 million outdoor complex with 368,000 square feet of retail space opened in 2004 with Meier & Frank (now Macy’s) as the anchor tenant.^[46][45]

The area around the city has approximately six wineries.^[33] Oak Knoll Winery, established in 1970, is the oldest and largest winery in Washington County.^[47][48] Other vineyards include Helvetia Winery & Vineyards to the north of Hillsboro started in the 1980s,^[33] while Gypsy Dancer Estates Winery and Raptor Ridge lie to the south of town.^[49] Wines produced include pinot noir, pinot gris, and chardonnay.^[50]

Demographics

The population of Hillsboro was 402 people in 1880, 980 in 1900 and 2,016 in 1910. According to that census, Hillsboro was the most populated city in the county. In the 1920 census the town had grown to 2,468, then 3,039 in 1930, followed by 3,747 people at the 1940 census, then 5,142 in 1950, and 8,232 in the 1960 census. In 1970, Hillsboro’s population nearly doubled to 15,365, but slipped to second largest in the county behind Beaverton.^[22] The city grew to 27,664 people at the 1980 census and to 37,598 in the 1990 census.^[5]

As of the census² of 2000, there were 70,187 people, 25,079 households, and 17,078 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,253.8 per square mile (1,256.3/km²). There were 27,211 housing units at an average density of 1,261.5/sq mi (487.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.50% White, 6.53% Asian, 1.22% African American, 0.82% Native American, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 10.38% from other races, and 3.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.90% of the population. This compares to the state's overall racial makeup of 93.45% White, 2.17% African American, 3.75% Asian, and 7.63% Hispanic.^[51]

There were 25,079 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 37.0% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 105.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $51,737, and the median income for a family was $57,379. Males had a median income of $41,046 versus $30,172 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,680. About 6.0% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools in Hillsboro are operated by the Hillsboro School District (1J). The district is a unified school district with 23 elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools.^[52] There is also a special alternative school and the Hare Field athletic complex. The school district covers Hillsboro, Scholls, Reedville, North Plains, West Union, and other area communities. Total enrollment as of 2006: 19,938 students, 4th largest in the state.^[52] The four traditional public high schools in order of creation:

Name	Current Campus	Enrollment (2006-7)[53]	Nickname
Hillsboro High School	1969	1,465	Spartans
Glencoe High School	1980	1,412	Crimson Tide
Century High School	1997	1,443	Jaguars
Liberty High School	2003	1,250	Falcons

Post-secondary educational opportunities include the west campus of Oregon Health and Science University in the Tanasbourne neighborhood. This is the former Oregon Graduate Institute (now OGI School of Science and Engineering) and Oregon National Primate Research Center portions of OHSU. Pacific University operates a satellite Health Professions Campus in downtown adjacent to Tuality Community Hospital.^[54] Other educational opportunities are available at the Work Force Training Center (Capital Center) and a branch of the University of Phoenix, both located in Tanasbourne.

Hillsboro is home to a variety of private primary and secondary schools.^[55] These include Faith Bible High School, Saint Matthew’s Parish School, Tualatin Valley Junior Academy, Swallowtail School, and Heritage Christian School among others.

Transportation

A variety of transportation options serve Hillsboro.

Highways: The primary east-west corridor is served by Oregon Route 8, known locally as TV Highway. The northeast corner of the city is bisected by U.S. Route 26, also know as the Sunset Highway. Other major east-west roads are Cornell Road and Main Street/Baseline Road. Major north-south routes are Oregon Route 219/1st Street, 10th Street/Cornell Road, Cornelius Pass Road, and Brookwood. 185th Avenue is the eastern most north-south route that borders Beaverton, but bisects the Tanasbourne Town Center from the rest of Hillsboro. TV Highway connects to Cornelius and Forest Grove to the west and Beaverton to the east.

Public transit: Public transportation is provided by TriMet. Hillsboro is served by both TriMet’s MAX Light Rail and buses, whose planing began in the mid 1980s.^[56] The western terminus of the MAX Blue Line is located in downtown. The Willow Creek and Hillsboro Transit Centers are the main hubs of the public transit system, though there are seven other MAX stations with varying degrees of bus interconnection. MAX Stations (west to east):

• Hatfield Government Center
• Hillsboro Central TC
• Tuality Hospital
• Washington Street
• Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport
• Hawthorn Farm
• Orenco
• Quatama
• Willow Creek TC

Air:

• Hillsboro Airport, part of the Port of Portland, is a general aviation airport that is the second busiest airport in the state after Portland International Airport.
• Stark's Twin Oaks Airpark, a general aviation field south of Hillsboro.

Rail: Rail freight service is available from Portland and Western Railroad.

Healthcare

Hospital service within the city is provided by the Tuality Community Hospital in downtown. Opened in 1918, the 167 hospital bed facility is operated by Tuality Healthcare. Other significant medical facilities include Kaiser Permanente’s Sunset Medical Office and Providence Health & Services's immediate care center, both in the Tanasbourne neighborhood. Kaiser Permanente received approval in 2007 to build a 138 bed hospital at the site of their existing medical office in Tanasbourne.^[57]

Culture

Within the city are two commercial movie theaters with a total of 29 screens. Additionally, the Hillsboro Actors Repertory Theatre,^[58] the Oregon Chorale (50 person symphonic choir),^[59] the Hillsboro Symphony Orchestra,^[60] and a men's barbershop chorus are also located in Hillsboro.^[61] The city operates the Walters Cultural Arts Center and the Hillsboro Arts & Culture Council.

Hillsboro operates two library branches. Opened in 2007 after a smaller location was closed, the 38,000 square foot main branch is located in the north-central section of the city. The older, smaller second branch is in Shute Park in the southwest area of the city. The Hillsboro libraries are part of the Washington County Cooperative Library Services that allows residents to use other libraries in the county and includes inter-library loans.^[62]

Based in Hillsboro are AM radio station KUIK and the twice-weekly Hillsboro Argus newspaper. The Argus is published on Tuesday and Thursday, and has been in publication since 1873.^[63] KUIK is a 5,000 watt station broadcasting at the 1360 frequency. The city is also served by Portland area media outlets including The Oregonian, Willamette Week, and all broadcast stations.

Recreation

Hillsboro’s Department of Parks and Recreation operates over 20 facilities including Hillsboro Stadium. There are 21 parks, 2 sports complexes, the Walters Cultural Arts Center, the Shute Park Aquatic and Recreation Center, and 3 other mixed-use facilities.^[64] The city also owns the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve along the Tualatin River on the south side of the community. South of town is Bald Peak State Scenic Viewpoint, day use only, which is the closest state park to Hillsboro, with L.L. "Stub" Stewart Memorial State Park the closest full-service state park

Local golf courses include The Reserve Vineyards & Golf Club (36 holes) that was completed in 1997, Meriwether National Golf Course (27 holes) established in 1961, and the nine hole McKay Creek Golf Course that was built in 1995. Other courses in the area include Killarney West Golf Club (9 holes), Rock Creek Country Club (18 holes), Forest Hills Country Club (18 holes), and Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club (36 holes).

Hillsboro's annual 4th of July Parade is the second largest Independence Day parade in Oregon.^[65][66] The Oregon International Airshow, Oregon's largest air show, is held each year during the summer at the Hillsboro Airport. Each summer the city offers a free concert series at Shute Park (Showtime at Shute),^[67] while the Washington County Fair is held annually at the county fairgrounds adjacent to the airport.^[68]

Notable residents

• Erik Ainge, football player
• Wally Backman, baseball player
• Scott Brosius, baseball player
• Phil Knight, founder of Nike, Inc.^[69]
• Tiffeny Milbrett, soccer player
• Tommy Overstreet, country music singer^[70]
• Roddy Piper, professional wrestler^[71]
• Wes Schulmerich, baseball player
• William Swanberg, "Lego Bandit"
• Samuel Thurston, first Congressional delegate from Oregon
• Thomas Tongue, former Oregon Supreme Court justice
• Thomas H. Tongue, former Congressman
• James Withycombe, former Oregon governor

Sister city

Hillsboro's sister city is Fukuroi, Japan.

References