Portland Area Guide · No. 5

East Portland

Residential options · Larger suburban-style areas

East Portland is the city's most affordable and most diverse housing market: mid-century ranches, townhomes, and newer subdivisions on larger lots, with the traditional main street of Montavilla, the transit hub of Lents, and the airport and Gateway employment corridors at its edges. It is where Portland buyers find the most house for the money while staying inside the city limits.

Portland · Multnomah County · Oregon

A vintage movie theater marquee glowing among neighborhood storefronts on SE Stark Street in Montavilla at golden hour

SE Stark Street · Montavilla

A quiet Lents street of mid-century ranch homes with big fenced yards and mature trees at golden hour

Mid-century homes on a quiet Lents street

01 · Area Highlights

The most house for the money

East Portland is the part of the city that grew fastest in the late 20th century, and it shows: wider streets, bigger lots, ranch and split-level homes, and newer subdivisions mixed with older neighborhoods. Montavilla is the main-street heart, with SE Stark Street's shops, restaurants, and the 1926 Academy Theater. Lents is the transit and community hub, with the MAX Orange Line and the new Lents Town Center.

Parkrose sits at the airport's edge, Hazelwood anchors the Gateway and Mall 205 corridors, and Powellhurst-Gilbert and Centennial stretch east toward Gresham with detached homes, townhomes, and larger lots. It is the most diverse part of Portland, with a food scene and community life to match.

Best value in the city
Larger lots
MAX Orange Line
Montavilla main street
PDX at the doorstep

01b · Navigable Map

Explore East Portland on the map

Pan, zoom, and drag around this live map to get your bearings before you even call us: pin Montavilla, Lents, the MAX Orange Line, Powell Butte, and the neighborhoods this guide covers.

East Portland · Multnomah County

02 · Community Detail

Six neighborhoods, one city within the city

East Portland is where Portland's housing diversity is easiest to see: classic mid-century ranches, newer townhomes, and subdivisions on larger lots, at prices that are hard to find anywhere else inside the city limits. Lents, Montavilla, Parkrose, Hazelwood, Powellhurst-Gilbert, and Centennial each keep their own identity.

The community is one of the most diverse in Oregon, and that shows up in the food, the festivals, and the neighborhood life. Transit access is strong along the MAX Orange Line and the I-205 and Powell corridors, and PDX is minutes from Parkrose.

Lents

A diverse neighborhood with older homes, newer development, and transit access.

Montavilla

Neighborhood restaurants, local shops, and a traditional main-street feel.

Parkrose

Residential properties, commercial services, and access to the airport area.

Hazelwood

A large residential area with a variety of housing types and major transportation routes.

Powellhurst-Gilbert

Residential development with a mix of detached homes, townhomes, and larger lots.

Centennial

Farther east, with established residential areas and a variety of home styles.

A MAX Orange Line light rail train at the Lents Town Center plaza with community gardens and new mixed-use buildings

Lents Town Center, on the MAX Orange Line

The glass facade of the Portland International Airport terminal with a jet on the tarmac in the distance

PDX anchors East Portland's economy

03 · Major Employers

Airport, healthcare, and the Gateway corridor

East Portland's economy is anchored by the airport and the Gateway corridor, with healthcare and main street businesses woven through. Here are the anchors:

Portland International Airport (PDX)

The dominant employer of East Portland, with nearly 10,000 on-site jobs across more than 130 businesses and an award-winning terminal at the neighborhood's north edge.

Adventist Health Portland

A 302-bed hospital at 10123 SE Market St in Hazelwood, the area's largest healthcare employer and a partner of OHSU.

Portland International Center / Cascade Station

A 458-acre business park along I-205 and Airport Way with offices, lodging, warehousing, and large-format retail.

Gateway & Mall 205

The Gateway Transit Center and Mall 205 anchor Hazelwood's retail and office employment along the region's busiest transit corridors.

Montavilla commercial corridors

SE Stark, Glisan, and 82nd Avenue are lined with restaurants, shops, and services that anchor neighborhood employment.

04 · Restaurant Guide

Where East Portland eats

Montavilla's main street and the 82nd Avenue corridor make East Portland one of the city's most exciting dining areas, with a heavy dose of family-run Asian kitchens. Some of our favorites:

Montavilla

The Observatory

Visit

A neighborhood gastropub on SE Stark with a big patio, a wood-fired grill, and one of the best burgers in the city.

8115 SE Stark St

Yaowarat

Visit

A Thai and Chinese kitchen on SE Stark serving the classic dishes of Bangkok's Yaowarat district.

7937 SE Stark St

Elmer's Restaurant

Visit

A family-friendly breakfast and lunch spot on SE Stark, a Montavilla staple for pancakes and omelets.

9660 SE Stark St

Along 82nd Avenue

Pho Van

A long-running Vietnamese restaurant on SE 82nd known for pho and banh mi, a cornerstone of the avenue's dining scene.

1919 SE 82nd Ave

Tik Tok Restaurant and Bar

Visit

A lively Chinese restaurant and bar on SE 82nd with dim sum and a big menu.

3330 SE 82nd Ave

Worth exploring: SE 82nd Avenue, one of the most diverse dining streets in the Pacific Northwest, with Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Mexican, and Middle Eastern kitchens block after block.

Steaming bowls of pho with fresh herbs and paper-wrapped banh mi on a wooden counter in a family-run East Portland restaurant

Family-run kitchens along 82nd Avenue

Meadow trails winding through Powell Butte Nature Park with wide views of snow-capped Mount Hood

Powell Butte Nature Park and Mount Hood

05 · Activities

Things to do in East Portland

East Portland's parks are the quiet stars of the district, and Montavilla's main street keeps the calendar full. Here is how locals spend their weekends:

Powell Butte Nature Park

Learn more

A 611-acre extinct cinder cone with miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails and sweeping views of Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, and the Cascades.

Montavilla Park

Learn more

A 10-acre neighborhood park with a community center, an outdoor pool dating to the 1920s, and sports fields.

Montavilla Farmers Market

Learn more

A year-round Sunday market on SE Stark with local farms, hot food, and live music, the neighborhood's weekly gathering.

The Academy Theater

Learn more

A restored 1926 movie palace on SE Stark showing second-run films for a few dollars, a Montavilla landmark.

PDX terminal

Learn more

The airport's newly renovated terminal is a destination in itself, with local restaurants, shops, and a forest of live trees under the roof.

Ready to make East Portland home?

From a Montavilla bungalow to a Lents ranch on a big lot, we know this side of the city block by block. Tell us what you are looking for and we will show you the home that fits.

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