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Area Guide No. 3

Sherwood, Oregon

Washington County · 97140 · About 15 miles southwest of downtown Portland

Sherwood is a family-focused city of roughly 20,500 people in the Tualatin Valley, about 15 miles southwest of downtown Portland. It pairs one of Washington County's top-rated school districts with a genuinely walkable Old Town, a national wildlife refuge on its southern edge, and a housing market that runs below West Beaverton for comparable homes. Buyers choose it for the schools, the small-town community, and the honest trade-off of a few extra minutes on Highway 99W.

Sherwood · Washington County · 97140 · Oregon

Old Town Sherwood's historic storefronts and hanging flower baskets at golden hour with the Tualatin Valley hills behind them

Sherwood, Oregon · Washington County · 97140

A quiet Sherwood residential street with well-kept craftsman and ranch homes, mature maples, and tidy lawns in warm afternoon light

A quiet street in Sherwood, minutes from Old Town

01 · Area Highlights

Why buyers choose Sherwood

Sherwood began as Smockville, a farm town settled in the 1850s along the Oregon City-Lafayette wagon road, and was renamed in 1891 after the Michigan hometown of a local businessman. That history is still visible in Old Town, where brick storefronts, the Cannery Square plaza, and the Robin Hood Festival, a community tradition since 1954, keep the town's identity alive.

The big draw today is the balance. The Sherwood School District is rated an A by Niche and ranks first among Washington County districts. The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, 1,856 acres of protected floodplain on the town's southern edge, is one of the region's best free outdoor destinations. And homes here run below West Beaverton and much of Tigard for comparable houses, which makes the 15-mile commute on 99W a trade many families happily make.

  • Top-rated schools
  • Walkable Old Town
  • Tualatin River refuge
  • Family-friendly
  • Below West Beaverton prices

01b · Navigable Map

Explore Sherwood on the map

Pan, zoom, and drag around this live map to get your bearings before you even call us: pin Old Town, Cannery Square, the school campuses, the refuge on the southern edge, and the neighborhoods this guide covers.

Sherwood, Oregon · Washington County · 97140

02 · Community Detail

A small city with a big community feel

Sherwood's population is around 20,500, with a family-heavy mix of long-time residents and young households drawn by the schools. ZIP 97140 covers the city and its rural fringe, and the town's identity is distinctly residential: most residents commute to jobs elsewhere in the metro, which keeps Sherwood quiet, safe, and community-oriented.

The neighborhoods split into a few distinct markets. Old Town is the walkable historic core around City Hall, with bungalows on modest lots, shops, cafés, and the Saturday Market. The newer west and south edges hold most of the town's subdivisions, with larger single-family homes and newer floor plans. Woodhaven Crossing and the Forest Creek corridor offer condos and townhomes that keep an entry point below the single-family median. And the Tualatin River edge, closest to the refuge, trades a little commute distance for genuine open space.

Sherwood School District 88J serves the city with four K-5 elementaries (Archer Glen, Hawks View, Middleton, and Ridges), Sherwood Middle School, Sherwood High School, and Sherwood Charter School, a public K-8 charter. Every elementary feeds into the same middle and high school, and the high school campus opened in 2021. Boundaries are assigned by home address, so we always verify the feeder school for a specific property before you commit.

Old Town Sherwood's Cannery Square plaza with its water feature, brick walkways, and boutique storefronts on a sunny morning

Cannery Square, the heart of Old Town

Modern light-industrial and office buildings with glass entrances on a landscaped business park near Sherwood

Business parks across the Tualatin Valley anchor the local economy

03 · Major Employers

A commuter town with a strong local base

Sherwood is largely a commuter suburb, so the region's biggest employers sit minutes away in Tualatin, Tigard, and Beaverton. Locally, the anchors are public and community institutions. Here are the ones shaping the economy:

Sherwood School District 88J

The city's largest employer, with four K-5 elementaries, Sherwood Middle School, and Sherwood High School employing hundreds of teachers, staff, and administrators. The district is also the reason most families move here in the first place.

City of Sherwood

Municipal government runs the city utilities, parks, library, and public works, making it one of the town’s most stable local employers and a major presence in Old Town.

Sherwood Family YMCA

A major community employer and gathering place, running childcare, aquatics, fitness, and youth programs that serve families across the southwest Portland suburbs.

Allied Systems Company

An engineering and manufacturing firm in Sherwood specializing in cranes and material-handling equipment for commercial and U.S. Navy applications, one of the town's largest private employers.

Lam Research, Tualatin

The semiconductor-equipment maker's large manufacturing campus in neighboring Tualatin employs roughly 4,000 people, making it one of the largest employers in the southwest Portland suburbs and a big part of the region's Silicon Forest economy.

The west-side job market

Nike's Beaverton world headquarters and Intel's Hillsboro campuses are a practical commute from Sherwood, and Legacy Meridian Park Hospital in Tualatin anchors the area's health care. The Tonquin Employment Area is being developed for advanced manufacturing and clean-tech companies, with the Willamette Water Treatment Plant on the way.

04 · Restaurant Guide

Where Sherwood eats

Sherwood's dining scene is small but friendly, split between the historic Old Town blocks and the Langer Farms Parkway corridor at the edge of town. Some of our favorites, by area:

Old Town

Fat Milo's

Visit

A local favorite for breakfast and lunch in a friendly old-town setting, and the first stop we send relocating families to get a feel for Sherwood.

16147 SW Railroad St

Clancy's

Visit

A classic neighborhood tavern on First Street with pub food, a friendly bar, and a loyal local crowd.

16066 SW 1st St

503 Uncorked

Visit

A wine bar and restaurant on Washington Street with small plates and a rotating list of Oregon wines.

22578 SW Washington St

Symposium Coffee

Visit

The neighborhood coffeehouse on Pine Street with a loyal local following, the right stop before a walk through Old Town.

22461 SW Pine St

Araceli's Cocina

Visit

A family-run Mexican kitchen on First Street serving homestyle tacos, burritos, and plates.

16198 SW 1st St

Langer Farms Parkway & the corridor

The Old Spaghetti Factory

Visit

The classic Italian restaurant in its familiar train-car setting, a dependable pick for family dinners.

21192 SW Langer Farms Pkwy

KOMO Sushi

Visit

A neighborhood sushi spot on Langer Farms Parkway with rolls, nigiri, and lunch specials.

21558 SW Langer Farms Pkwy #108

Killer Burger

Visit

The Pacific Northwest burger chain known for bacon-heavy, sauce-forward burgers.

21332 SW Langer Farms Pkwy #130

Koba Grill

Visit

A quick-service Korean grill with bowls, bulgogi, and generous portions.

21370 SW Langer Farms Pkwy #136

Mazatlan Restaurant

Visit

A long-running Mexican restaurant on Tualatin-Sherwood Road known for generous plates and margaritas.

16055 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Rd

Sawatdee Thai Cuisine

Visit

A small, well-regarded Thai kitchen on Roy Rogers Road with curries, noodles, and friendly service.

20649 SW Roy Rogers Rd #304

Worth the short drive: the wineries on Sherwood's rural fringe, including Hawks View Winery and Alloro Vineyard, are minutes from Old Town, and Tigard's Bridgeport Village adds a full dining and shopping scene just up 99W.

A cozy bistro table with a craft beer and a plate of seasonal food in warm interior light

From Old Town taverns to the Langer Farms corridor

A boardwalk trail winding through the wetlands and cottonwoods of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge on a clear morning

The Tualatin River refuge, Sherwood's best-known natural asset

05 · Activities

Things to do in and around Sherwood

Sherwood's parks, the refuge, and Old Town's event calendar give the town more weekend life than its size suggests. Here is how locals spend their time:

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge

Learn more

The 1,856-acre refuge on Sherwood’s southern edge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is home to nearly 200 bird species and more than 150,000 visitors a year. Walk the River Trail or the Nature Trail to the wetland overlook; it is free and open dawn to dusk.

Robin Hood Festival

Learn more

Sherwood's signature event, held in Old Town every third weekend of July since 1954. The 73rd annual festival runs July 17-18, 2026, with a parade, knightly ceremonies, a Renaissance Village, archery, and live music, drawing nearly 20,000 people.

Snyder Park

Learn more

The town’s big community park at 15365 SW Sunset Blvd: 22.7 acres with a splash pad, turf athletic fields, tennis and pickleball courts, and covered picnic shelters.

Stella Olsen Memorial Park

Learn more

A longtime community park at 22256 SW Washington St with playgrounds, sports fields, a wetlands path, and the Big Fir Trail, right next to Old Town.

Cedar Creek Trail

A 1.8-mile paved path connecting Old Town to Stella Olsen Memorial Park, perfect for a family bike ride or a dog walk.

Old Town Sherwood

Learn more

Antique shops, boutiques, a community theater, and a summer calendar of events including the Saturday Market, a Wine Festival and Artisans Fair, and a Classic Car Show. Cannery Square’s splash pad runs Memorial Day through September.

Sherwood Family YMCA & Center for the Arts

The Y runs childcare, aquatics, and youth sports for the community, and the Sherwood Center for the Arts hosts performances, classes, and events year-round.

Ready to make Sherwood home?

We know this town block by block. Tell us what you are looking for and we will show you the Sherwood that fits, from the school boundary to the Saturday market.

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