Day Trippin' › Oregon › From Portland › Best small towns
Our picks for the best small towns within 3 hours of Portland: 26 places, 4 under an hour away, 10 between 1 and 2 hours and 12 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 97205.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Mount Angel, 45 min south of Portland.
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0
#1 · Town · 1 hr 28 min northwest
A walkable beach town with the 235-foot Haystack Rock and tide pools at low tide.
Heads-up: Tide pools around the rock are protected: look, don't climb or take anything. Parking fills on summer weekends.
Photo: Jennifer Snoek-Brown, CC BY-SA 4.0
#2 · Waterfront · 2 hr 22 min north
Tacoma's waterfront promenade: a flat, paved path along Commencement Bay past little beaches, old pier pilings and Mount Rainier views, ending at Point Ruston's plaza of restaurants, ice cream and shops next to Point Defiance.
Heads-up: Free parking along Ruston Way fills fast on sunny weekends; at Point Ruston, check the posted parking rules (shops validate). Dogs on leash. In summer, give seal pups on the beaches plenty of room.
Photo: Hrystiv, Public domain
#3 · Town · 45 min south
A Bavarian-style town with a hilltop abbey and the September Oktoberfest.
Heads-up: Very busy during Oktoberfest.
Photo: Tedder, CC BY 3.0
#4 · Town · 47 min east
A small river town at the Bridge of the Gods, with sternwheeler cruises.
Photo: SounderBruce, CC BY-SA 4.0
#5 · Town · 1 hr 20 min northwest
A quiet river town and a flat island loop, linked to Oregon by a tiny ferry.
Photo: Glenn Scofield Williams, CC BY 2.0
#6 · Town · 1 hr 23 min east
Murals, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and dry-side sunshine.
Photo: Gregkeene, CC BY 3.0 us
#7 · Town · 1 hr 27 min southwest
A riverfront college town with covered bridges nearby.
Photo: Dieter F, CC BY-SA 3.0
#8 · Town · 1 hr 28 min northwest
A classic boardwalk town with the Prom, an aquarium and a wide sandy beach.
Heads-up: Busy on summer weekends and spring break.
Photo: Kingofthedead, CC0
#9 · Town · 1 hr 38 min west
A quiet beach town with a long, uncrowded beach under Neahkahnie Mountain.
Photo: BeachcombersNW, CC BY 2.0
#10 · Town · 1 hr 48 min northwest
An old river port with Victorian houses, the Astoria Column and the Columbia River Maritime Museum.
Heads-up: The Column's 164 steps are steep and narrow. Climbing the Column is free; the parking fee buys a one-year pass.
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
#11 · Town · 1 hr 49 min south
A college town with the Saturday Market, riverside trails and Skinner Butte.
Photo: Lonelystudentwithtoomuchtime, CC BY-SA 4.0
#12 · Town · 1 hr 50 min southwest
A long beach town known for glass floats hidden on the sand and the D River wayside.
Photo: Bob Heims, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain
#13 · Town · 2 hr 8 min southwest
The "world's smallest harbor" and a town known for whale watching from shore and boat.
Photo: FelixRo, CC BY 3.0
#14 · Town · 2 hr 11 min northwest
A long beach boardwalk, kite flying, oysters and historic Oysterville.
Heads-up: Driving on parts of the beach is allowed; watch for cars.
Photo: OCAQMarketing, CC BY-SA 4.0
#15 · Town · 2 hr 26 min southwest
A working bayfront with sea lions, and one of the best aquariums on the West Coast.
Stevenson and the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center (51 min), Salem (52 min), Trout Lake (1 hr 35 min), Ashford (2 hr 14 min), Packwood (2 hr 23 min), Toppenish murals (2 hr 42 min), Pike Place Market (2 hr 46 min), Sisters (2 hr 48 min), Westport (2 hr 54 min), Florence (2 hr 54 min), Poulsbo (3 hr)
Our top picks are Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock (1 hr 28 min), Point Ruston and the Ruston Way waterfront (2 hr 22 min), Mount Angel (45 min), Cascade Locks (47 min) and Cathlamet and Puget Island (1 hr 20 min). The page lists 26 places in all.
26: 4 under an hour away, 10 between 1 and 2 hours and 12 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 97205.
Mount Angel, about 45 min south of Portland.
21 need no pass or fee, including Toppenish murals, Long Beach Peninsula and Westport. Fees change, so check each place.
25 of the 26 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.