East Columbia

East Columbia sits on the Columbia River floodplain in the northernmost corner of Portland, annexed by the city in the early 1970s. The neighborhood is uniquely defined by the convergence of wetlands, open drainage ways, residential pockets, and heavy industrial uses — making it unlike virtually any other Portland neighborhood. NE Columbia Boulevard is the main commercial artery, lined with trucking companies, freight yards, and distribution facilities. It is common to see tractor-trailers moving through residential streets as the industries and neighborhoods coexist in close quarters.

The East Columbia Neighborhood Association was formed in 1977. Residential sections of the neighborhood include Craftsman and ranch-style homes, many built in the early 2000s, with the majority owner-occupied. Three golf courses — Riverside Golf and Country Club, Heron Lakes Golf Course, and Columbia Edgewater Country Club — actually surround the neighborhood on multiple sides, creating an unusual semi-rural buffer between the residential blocks and the Columbia River waterfront.

The neighborhood borders Sunderland to the southwest, Piedmont and the Columbia Slough to the south, Bridgeton to the west, and the Columbia River to the north. NE Marine Drive connects East Columbia to the regional trail network and provides access to the Columbia River waterfront wetlands.