PLEASANT VALLEY · PORTLAND

Pleasant Valley

East Portland Coalition of Neighborhoods

7 spots to discover in this neighborhood 25,323 residents · 4.8 sq mi

“Portland's pastoral southeast corner — botanical gardens, rare nurseries, and a rural feel inside city limits.”

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NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY

What Pleasant Valley Is Known For

“Portland's pastoral southeast corner — botanical gardens, rare nurseries, and a rural feel inside city limits.”

“Portland's pastoral southeast corner — botanical gardens, rare nurseries, and a rural feel inside city limits.”

— Pleasant Valley, Portland

About

Pleasant Valley

Pleasant Valley occupies the southeastern corner of Portland city limits, pressed up against Gresham to the east and Clackamas County to the south, with Powell Butte Nature Park forming a dramatic natural boundary to the north. Despite being well inside Portland, Pleasant Valley retains a decidedly rural texture: rolling terrain, large lots, a patchwork of nurseries and small farms, and relatively little urban infill compared to inner neighborhoods. With a population around 25,000, it is one of outer Portland's larger communities but remains underserved by transit and commercial services.

The neighborhood's crown jewel is the Leach Botanical Garden at 6704 SE 122nd Ave — nearly 17 acres of curated Pacific Northwest flora, wooded creek trails, an aerial tree walk, and a four-season pollinator garden open to the public. One Green World nursery (6469 SE 134th Ave) is a nationally known source for unusual and rare fruit and nut trees, drawing gardeners from across the region. Along SE Powell Blvd, Chu's Eatery and Ixtapa Mexican Restaurant serve the everyday dining needs of the community. The Pleasant Valley Neighborhood Association board meets monthly and works closely with the City on planning issues for this rapidly growing outer edge.

Boundaries: Roughly SE 122nd Ave (west), Gresham city limits (east), Powell Butte / SE Foster Rd (north), Clackamas County line (south). Adjacent: Centennial (north), Powellhurst-Gilbert (northwest).

The Vibe

What Pleasant Valley Feels Like

Semi-rural, green city edge

Pleasant Valley has a semi-rural, green character that sets it apart from much of east Portland, with rolling terrain, newer subdivisions, and substantial natural areas. It feels more open and suburban, with pockets of open land and creekside green space.

The neighborhood blends a quiet residential atmosphere with access to large natural areas, giving it an outdoorsy, edge-of-the-city feel.

History

How Pleasant Valley Came To Be

Pleasant Valley is a neighborhood on the far southeastern edge of Portland, set in the rolling terrain near the city's boundary with Happy Valley and Gresham. The area takes its name from the broad valley along Johnson Creek, and for much of its history it was rural farmland and orchards in unincorporated Multnomah and Clackamas County country, well beyond the developed city.

Like much of east Portland, Pleasant Valley was annexed and developed relatively late, with growth accelerating in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries as suburban-style subdivisions filled in formerly agricultural land. Its hillier, greener landscape and proximity to Powell Butte gave it a more open, semi-rural feel than the flatter neighborhoods to the west.

Pleasant Valley is a diverse and growing community, blending newer residential development with remnants of its rural past and significant natural areas along Johnson Creek and around Powell Butte.

Character

What Defines Pleasant Valley

Natural areas and Powell Butte

The neighborhood sits near Powell Butte Nature Park and the natural areas along Johnson Creek, giving it abundant green space and trails.

Newer development

Much of Pleasant Valley filled in with newer suburban-style subdivisions, reflecting its later development on formerly rural land.

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Landmarks

Notable Places in Pleasant Valley

Leach Botanical Garden icon

Leach Botanical Garden

6704 SE 122nd Ave, Portland OR 97236

Nearly 17-acre public botanical garden with creek trails, aerial tree walk, and four-season pollinator garden.

One Green World Nursery icon

One Green World Nursery

6469 SE 134th Ave, Portland OR 97236

Family-owned nursery specializing in unusual and rare fruit, nut, and ornamental plants; ships nationwide.

Powell Butte Nature Park icon

Powell Butte Nature Park

16160 SE Powell Blvd, Portland OR 97236

611-acre meadow-and-forest park on the neighborhood's northern edge with panoramic Cascade Range views.

Pleasant Valley Elementary icon

Pleasant Valley Elementary

Pleasant Valley area, Centennial SD

Elementary school serving the neighborhood within Centennial School District.

Outdoors

Parks & Greenspaces in Pleasant Valley

Powell Butte Nature Park

A large extinct volcanic butte with extensive trails, meadows, and sweeping views, one of Portland's biggest natural-area parks.

Real Estate

Homes & Architecture in Pleasant Valley

Housing is largely newer suburban subdivisions and single-family homes built on formerly rural land, alongside some older properties on larger lots.

Modern subdivision Mid-century ranch Larger-lot rural homes

Businesses in Pleasant Valley

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Sources

Portland.gov

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