Hillsboro, Oregon

Intel

Oregon's largest private employer and the anchor of Hillsboro's economy, with roughly 22,000 employees concentrated on its Ronler Acres, Jones Farm, and Hawthorn Farm campuses in the city. Much of Intel's research and development happens here, which is why Hillsboro is often described as the company's de facto headquarters. Intel has trimmed its Oregon workforce through layoffs in 2025 and 2026, but it remains by far the region's biggest tech employer.

The semiconductor supply chain

ASML and Tokyo Electron America each employ about 1,200 people in Hillsboro, part of the deep equipment-and-materials cluster that surrounds Intel. Qorvo, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and First Tech Credit Union round out the city’s largest private employers, and the broader Silicon Forest corridor stretches across Washington County.

Hillsboro Medical Center & Kaiser Westside

Hillsboro Medical Center, part of the OHSU Health system, employs about 1,100 people, and Kaiser Permanente’s Westside hospital about 1,060. Healthcare is one of the city’s biggest and steadiest employment sectors, with both hospitals sitting right in town.

A changing industrial base

The former SolarWorld solar-panel factory, once one of Hillsboro’s signature employers, closed for good in 2021 after SunPower shut the plant. Its story is a reminder that the city’s economy has evolved toward semiconductors, healthcare, and services, and that the local job market keeps reinventing itself.

A 635-acre preserve along the Tualatin River on Hillsboro’s southwest edge, an Audubon-designated Important Bird Area with more than four miles of gravel and bark trails. The nature center adds exhibits and a discovery area for kids. Pets and bikes are not permitted, and a small donation is suggested.

A roughly 58-acre community park in southeast Hillsboro where Rock Creek meets the Tualatin River. It features the Lloyd Baron Rhododendron Garden, ponds, a playground, tennis courts, a wading stream, and miles of trails.

The downtown Saturday market has run at Civic Center Plaza since 1982, joined by a Sunday market at Orenco Station and a newer market at Tanasbourne. Peak season runs spring through fall, with produce, flowers, and artisan food from local farms.

The High-A minor league affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks plays at Hops Ballpark in the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex, a family-friendly summer staple with affordable tickets and a lively concourse.

A Smithsonian Affiliate set on 23 acres of old-growth evergreens, housing one of the finest mineral, rock, fossil, and meteorite collections in the Pacific Northwest.

The city’s visual and performing arts hub at the corner of Main Street and SE 5th Avenue, with a 200-seat theatre, galleries, and classroom studios hosting concerts, exhibitions, and community arts classes year-round.

The walkable town center of Orenco Station is a destination in its own right, with restaurants, brewpubs, and coffee shops around a central plaza. The MAX Blue Line runs from downtown Hillsboro through Orenco Station into Beaverton, downtown Portland, and all the way to PDX, so you can reach the airport without a car.