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.
PLEASANT VALLEY · PORTLAND
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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“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 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
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
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
The neighborhood sits near Powell Butte Nature Park and the natural areas along Johnson Creek, giving it abundant green space and trails.
Much of Pleasant Valley filled in with newer suburban-style subdivisions, reflecting its later development on formerly rural land.
Landmarks
6704 SE 122nd Ave, Portland OR 97236
Nearly 17-acre public botanical garden with creek trails, aerial tree walk, and four-season pollinator garden.
6469 SE 134th Ave, Portland OR 97236
Family-owned nursery specializing in unusual and rare fruit, nut, and ornamental plants; ships nationwide.
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 area, Centennial SD
Elementary school serving the neighborhood within Centennial School District.
Outdoors
A large extinct volcanic butte with extensive trails, meadows, and sweeping views, one of Portland's biggest natural-area parks.
Real Estate
Housing is largely newer suburban subdivisions and single-family homes built on formerly rural land, alongside some older properties on larger lots.
Representing businesses along 82nd Avenue, one of Portland's most diverse and internationally-flavored commercial corrid
Serving businesses and residents in East Portland neighborhoods.
2,200 members
The Portland Metro Chamber of Commerce represents over 2,200 member businesses across the greater Portland metro area.
Showing 1–7 of 7 businesses in Pleasant Valley
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