HILLSDALE · PORTLAND

Hillsdale

Southwest Neighborhoods Inc.

14 spots to discover in this neighborhood

“Capitol Hwy + Hillsdale Town Center. Quiet SW pocket.”

~8,355 residents · SWNI Coalition (Southwest Neighborhoods Inc) · TriMet bus 44 Capitol Hwy. Bus 1 Vermont. Highway 26 + I-5 access.

  • Triangle hood
  • Bike-friendly
  • Up-and-coming
  • Walkable corridor
  • Eclectic eats

LIVE ACTIVITY

Avg Rating
4.7
Average across 14 businesses
Reviews
3,474
Across 14 businesses
Open Now
4 Live
Right now
Top Categories
  • Shops 3
  • Auto Repair 3
  • Food 2

NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY

What Hillsdale Is Known For

“Capitol Hwy + Hillsdale Town Center. Quiet SW pocket.”

Foster corridor
Triangle loop
Local evening

“Capitol Hwy + Hillsdale Town Center. Quiet SW pocket.”

— Hillsdale, Portland

The Vibe

What Hillsdale Feels Like

Walkable small-town southwest hub

Hillsdale feels like a small town tucked into the city, with a tight commercial cluster of shops, cafes, and a popular farmers market surrounded by quiet, tree-shaded streets. It is friendly and unpretentious, drawing families and longtime residents who like having a walkable center close to home.

The pace is relaxed, and the bowl-like setting gives the district a self-contained, gathered feel.

History

How Hillsdale Came To Be

Hillsdale sits in a natural bowl in Portland's southwest hills, where Bertha Boulevard, Capitol Highway, and Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway converge. The area takes its name from its hilly setting, and it developed over the twentieth century as a hub for the surrounding residential slopes, a place where streetcar-era routes and later automobile highways crossed.

For decades Hillsdale has functioned as a small-scale town center for southwest Portland, anchored by a neighborhood shopping district at the crossroads. Wilson High School and a branch library have long given the area civic weight beyond its modest commercial footprint.

Today Hillsdale remains a compact business district ringed by leafy residential streets, valued for its farmers market, walkable core, and quick access to both downtown and the southwest suburbs.

Character

What Defines Hillsdale

Hillsdale town center

A compact commercial crossroads of shops, restaurants, and services that serves the surrounding southwest hills.

Hillsdale Farmers Market

A long-running seasonal farmers market that draws residents from across southwest Portland to the neighborhood's center.

14
Businesses
93%
Verified
4.4
Avg Rating
Auto
Top Category

Landmarks

Notable Places in Hillsdale

Hillsdale Town Center icon

Hillsdale Town Center

The neighborhood's commercial hub with shops, restaurants, a library, and a weekly farmers market.

Hillsdale Farmers Market icon

Hillsdale Farmers Market

A popular year-round Sunday farmers market in the Hillsdale town center.

Getting Around

Hillsdale

Schools

  • Rieke Elementary School

    K-5 Portland Public Schools serving the Hillsdale area.

  • Robert Gray Middle School

    Portland Public Schools middle school serving southwest Portland.

  • Wilson High School (Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School)

    Portland Public Schools comprehensive high school serving southwest Portland.

Real Estate

Homes & Architecture in Hillsdale

A mix of older homes and mid-century houses set on the slopes around the business district, with some apartments and condos near the commercial core.

Mid-century ranch Traditional bungalow Two-story Colonial Northwest contemporary

Explore

Discovery Paths

Three ways to experience Hillsdale.

Foster corridor

  1. 1 Small cafes on SE Foster Rd
  2. 2 Eclectic eateries (Stella Taco, Pieper Cafe)
  3. 3 Bike-friendly side streets

Triangle loop

  1. 1 Foster Powell Park
  2. 2 Local restaurants
  3. 3 Mt. Scott / Holgate bike greenway

Local evening

  1. 1 Bar Carlo
  2. 2 Pieper Cafe
  3. 3 Stella Taco

Civic Infrastructure

The associations, meetings and shared resources that hold Hillsdale together.

Active associations

  • Hillsdale Neighborhood Association (HNA) neighborhood assn

    Hillsdale triangle: SE Powell Blvd (north) to SE Foster Rd (south) to SE 82nd Ave (east) — bounded by SE Holgate to the north on the SW corner

    Visit

Businesses in Hillsdale

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SIGNATURE FEATURE

Hidden Gems in Hillsdale

Highly rated. Under the radar. The spots locals know about but tourists don't.

Only 5 sponsorship spots in Hillsdale

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Sources

Portland.gov · Population (8,355) from Wikipedia (Census 2020).

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