Portland: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

The Portland Public School System (PPS) enjoys a reputation for excellence and has been ranked among the top 10 education systems in the nation. Maine's largest and most diverse school district, PPS offers a challenging academic curriculum with a wide array of educational choices, including expeditionary learning and vocational training. The district's learning facilities range from a one-room schoolhouse on Cliff Island, to the second-oldest public high school in the nation, to a state-of-the-art elementary school under construction as of 2005.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Portland Public School District as of the 2004–2005 school year.

Total enrollment: 7,500

Number of facilities elementary schools: 10

junior high/middle schools: 4

senior high schools: 3

Student/teacher ratio: 11.2:1 (2002-2003)

Teacher salaries median: $47,682 (elementary school); $49,719 (high school)

Funding per pupil: $10,302

Approximately 3,000 Portland area students attend the city's 19 parochial and private schools.

Public Schools Information: Portland Public Schools, 331 Veranda St., Portland, ME 04103; telephone (207)874-8111

Colleges and Universities

The University of Southern Maine (USM) is the largest campus of the University of Maine system's seven campuses. USM has three campuses, in Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston, with a total enrollment of 11,007. USM offers more than 40 academic programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education and Human Development, and Nursing and Health Professions; and its schools of Business, Public Service, Law, and Applied Sciences, Engineering, and Technology. The Maine College of Art is an independent school of art and design offering Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees. The University of New England, a highly-ranked regional university, offers degree programs in health sciences, natural sciences, human services, management, education, and the liberal arts, and has the only medical school—the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine—in the state of Maine. The university is comprised of two campuses; the primary one is located in nearby Biddeford, while the secondary one, known as Westbrook College, is in Portland. Renowned Bowdoin College, founded in 1794, is located in Brunswick, about 25 miles northeast of Portland. Bowdoin graduated some of New England's most famous nineteenth-century writers, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, and was a home base for Arctic exploration, having graduated Robert E. Peary. Two-year institutions in the Portland area include Andover, with campuses in Portland and Lewiston; and South Portland's Southern Maine Community College. The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies offers semester-long programs in documentary studies.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Portland Public Library serves as the major resource library for the Southern Maine Library District, part of the Maine Regional Library System. It has five branches and one bookmobile. The main building, located in the heart of downtown Portland, maintains a collection of 315,603 volumes, 1,880 periodical subscriptions, 2,450 compact discs, 2,870 video cassettes, 6,990 audio cassettes, and 400 phonograph records. Special services include an Art Department, a HealthShare Program, a children's art series, and a collection of resources on Maine history, genealogy, and fine printing. The Maine Historical Society Research Library holds more than one million books, manuscripts, and maps related to Maine and New England history. Area colleges and universities also maintain libraries; among these are the Donald L. Garbrecht Law Library at the University of Southern Maine, which has 371,000 volumes and 3,328 periodical subscriptions; undergraduate libraries at the university house more than 400,000 items plus a special collection of antique maps, globes, and atlases.

Research facilities located in Portland include the Maine Medical Center Research Institute, which specializes in biology, genetics, outcomes and health services research, and clinical research; the University of Maine Marine Law Institute, the only law school-affiliated marine policy research program in the Northeast; the University of Southern Maine Center for Business and Economic Research; and its Small Business Development Center.

Public Library Information: Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square, Portland, ME 04101; telephone (207)871-1700; fax (207)871-1715

Portland: History

The first settlement on the site of Portland was built by Christopher Levett in 1623. The next year Levett returned to England, apparently to attempt to arouse interest in forming a city on the site, to be called York. He never returned, and nothing is known of the fate of the 10 men he left behind. In the ensuing years, the city was known by a succession of names and was the object of a confused flurry of land claims and counter-claims, until Massachusetts assumed control in 1652. By 1675 Falmouth, as it was then called, had achieved some prosperity, with a population of more than 400 settlers. That same year Indian wars broke out, and in 1676 the entire town was destroyed.

No permanent settlement was attempted after this until Samuel Moody was granted permission by the Massachusetts government to build a fort at Falmouth. Over the next fifty years the area grew as an important export and shipbuilding center, and by 1770 Falmouth was one of the most prosperous of the Colonial cities. At this time tensions against the British were rising and Falmouth was the scene of anti-British protests. In 1775 a British naval captain was seized by a party of Colonials and accused of spying; the captain was released on parole on condition that he return when requested. He did return a few months later, uninvited and in command of four warships. When the citizens of Falmouth refused his orders to evacuate the city or surrender their arms, the British opened fire and destroyed more than four hundred buildings. The town was not abandoned, however; during the Revolutionary War it served as an assembly ground for the military. By July 4, 1786, when the city took the name of Portland, the economy was thriving; forts and bridges were being constructed, the state's first bank and newspaper were established, and trade with the English and French was restored. Prosperity was checked by a depression from 1807 to 1809; the War of 1812 brought recovery, and Portland's industries and shipyards flourished once again. From 1820 to 1831 Portland served as the capital of Maine. Expansion continued with the development of steamboats and railroads.

City Survives War and Destruction by Fire

Portland was actively involved in the Civil War of 1861 to 1865, contributing about a fifth of its total population to the effort. Following the war the city quickly resumed its usual activity but was jolted by what was perhaps the worst in its series of disasters when, on July 4, 1866, fire destroyed most of the city. Rebuilding began immediately and many improvements were made.

Portland continued to thrive through the twentieth century's two world wars as a center of commerce, shipping, and industry. During World War II, Portland was the base for the North Atlantic Fleet of the U.S. Navy. After World War II, the city emerged as a major oil port. Following a period of decline, with the introduction of Japanese technology, the city became known once again as a major shipbuilding center.

Portland has benefitted from the spread of the Massachusetts high-technology boom and has become a national leader in technical infrastructure. During the 1980s and 1990s, Portland enjoyed increasing tourism and developed a national reputation as a highly livable city. In 2003, Portland was ranked One of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The city has been named One of the 10 Great Adventure Towns, by National Geographic Adventure Magazine August 2004, and the #1 Top Market for Small Business Vitality by American City Business Journals, January 2005.

Historical Information: Center for Maine History, 485 Congress St., Portland, ME 04101; telephone (207)774-1822

Portland: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents (PMSA)

1980: 1,106,000

1990: 1,515,452

2000: 1,874,449

Percent change, 1990–2000: 23.7%

U.S. rank in 1980: 26th (CMSA)

U.S. rank in 1990: 27th (CMSA)

U.S. rank in 2000: 23rd (CMSA)

City Residents

1980: 366,383

1990: 485,975

2000: 529,121

2003 estimate: 538,544

Percent change, 1990–2000: 8.9%

U.S. rank in 1980: 35th

U.S. rank in 1990: 30th (State rank: 1st)

U.S. rank in 2000: 35th

Density: 3,932.2 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 412,241

Black or African American: 35,115

American Indian and Alaska Native: 5,587

Asian: 33,470

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander: 1,993

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 36,058

Other: 18,760

Percent of residents born in state: 44.0% (2000)

Age characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 32,300

Population 5 to 9 years old: 31,184

Population 10 to 14 years old: 30,031

Population 15 to 19 years old: 32,046

Population 20 to 24 years old: 40,454

Population 25 to 34 years old: 97,000

Population 35 to 44 years old: 86,604

Population 45 to 54 years old: 78,367

Population 55 to 59 years old: 23,195

Population 60 to 64 years old: 16,777

Population 65 to 74 years old: 28,215

Population 75 to 84 years old: 23,829

Population 85 years and over: 9,119

Median age: 35.2 years

Births (2003)

Total number: 9,340

Deaths (2003)

Total number: 6,859 (of which, 42 were infants under the age of 1 year)

Money income (1999)

Per capita income: $22,643

Median household income: $40,146

Total households: 223,987

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 22,245

$10,000 to $14,999: 14,023

$15,000 to $24,999: 29,823

$25,000 to $34,999: 31,186

$35,000 to $49,999: 38,638

$50,000 to $74,999: 44,516

$75,000 to $99,999: 20,667

$100,000 to $149,999: 14,735

$150,000 to $199,999: 3,761

$200,000 or more: 4,393

Percent of families below poverty level: 8.5% (43.6% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 43,327

Portland: Transportation

Approaching the City

Portland's airport, Portland International Airport (PDX), is one of the fastest-growing major airports on the West Coast, with more 17 commercial carriers offering daily nonstop flights from Portland to various destinations; the airport served more than 13 million passengers in 2004. The airport is 9 miles east of the central city, a 15-minute car ride. The Portland International Airport is owned and operated by the Port of Portland.

Two major interstate highways intersect in Portland, I-5, running north-south from southern California into Canada, and I-84, running east-west. U.S. highways 26 and 30 are other east-west routes. Portland is bypassed by I-405, on the western edge of the downtown area, and I-205, running through the eastern suburbs.

Amtrak serves the Portland area with daily train service; commercial bus service is also available.

Traveling in the City

Portland is divided into five areas—southwest, southeast, north, northeast and northwest—with the Willamette River bisecting the city. Street addresses match the location of these areas. A total of eleven bridges cross the river. The major streets are Grand Avenue, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Sandy Boulevard, and SE Eighty-second Street. Downtown, streets are mostly one way, with adjacent streets flowing in opposite directions.

TriMet, Portland's mass transit system, is ultra-modern and efficient, highlighted by MAX, a light-rail system that connects the downtown area with three counties. Westside MAX serves commuters in suburbs west of town as far west as Hillsboro. This line boasts the deepest subterranean transit station in North America, and public artwork decorates all 20 Westside MAX stations. A 300-block area in the heart of downtown has been designated as the Fareless Square, where trips beginning and ending within the area do not require the usual fare. TriMet also has 93 bus lines that serve Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties.

Portland: Communications

Newspapers and Magazines

Portland's major daily newspaper, The Oregonian, has been in publication since the 1850s. The paper's affiliated website provides news and local coverage online as well as archives to past stories. In 2001, The Oregonian, received two Pulitzer Prize medals, for public service and feature writing. Willamette Week and many smaller neighborhood weeklies, as well as The Skanner and Portland Observer, both serving the African American community, are among the other Portland area newspapers. Retirement Life News serves active senior citizens. The Portland Business Journal provides news pertaining to the Portland business community. Local magazines include Oregon Business Magazine and a quarterly publication of the Oregon Historical Society.

Television and Radio

Four television stations in the area represent the commercial networks and public television; other channels are available on cable and from neighboring communities. Twenty-three AM and FM radio stations serve the Portland area with a variety of musical and other programming.

Media Information: The Oregonian, 1320 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201; telephone (503)221-8327

Portland Online

Business in Portland. Available www.businessinportland.org

City of Portland home page. Available www.portlandonline.com

Multnomah County Library. Available www.multcolib.org

Oregon Economic Development Department. Available www.econ.state.or.us

The Oregonian. Available www.oregonlive.com

Portland Art Museum. Available www.portlandartmuseum.org

Portland Business Alliance. Available www.portland alliance.com

Portland Oregon Visitors Association. Available www.travel portland.com or www.pova.org

Portland Public Schools. Available www.pps.k12.or.us

Selected Bibliography

Hawkins, William John, and William F. Willingham, Classic Houses of Portland, Oregon: 1850–1950 (Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1999)

Will, Robin, Beauty of Portland (Portland, OR: LTA Publishing, 1989)

Portland: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents

1980: 193,831

1990: 221,095

2000: 243,537

Percent change, 1990–2000: 10.2%

U.S. rank in 1990: 145th

U.S. rank in 2000: 147th

City Residents

1980: 61,572

1990: 64,157

2000: 64,249

2003 estimate: 63,635

Percent change, 1990–2000: 1.8%

U.S. rank in 1980: 327th

U.S. rank in 1990: 361st (State rank: 1st)

U.S. rank in 2000: 487th (State rank: 1st)

Density: 3,029.2 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 58,638

Black or African American: 1,665

American Indian and Alaska Native: 302

Asian: 1,982

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 36

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 974

Other: 1,626

Percent of residents born in state: 67.5

Age Characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 3,305

Population 5 to 9 years old: 3,216

Population 10 to 14 years old: 3,463

Population 15 to 19 years old: 3,535

Population 20 to 24 years old: 5,413

Population 25 to 34 years old: 12,408

Population 35 to 44 years old: 10,778

Population 45 to 54 years old: 8,516

Population 55 to 59 years old: 2,641

Population 60 to 64 years old: 2,065

Population 65 to 74 years old: 4,018

Population 75 to 84 years old: 3,410

Population 85 years and older: 1,481

Median age: 35.7 years old

Births (1998)

Total number: 759

Deaths (1998)

Total number: 637 (of which, 1 was an infant under the age of 1 year)

Money income (1999)

Per capita income: $22,698

Median household income: $35,650

Total number of households: 29,722

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 3,582

$10,000 to $14,999: 2,178

$15,000 to $24,999: 4,359

$25,000 to $34,999: 4,473

$35,000 to $49,999: 5,118

$50,000 to $74,999: 5,382

$75,000 to $99,999: 2,553

$100,000 to $149,999: 1,258

$150,000 to $199,999: 324

$200,000 or more: 495

Percent of families below poverty level: 9.7% (56.6% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 3,525

Portland: Communications

Newspapers and Magazines

Portland Newspapers supplies newspaper readers in Portland with the Portland Press Herald every morning except Sunday, and the Maine Sunday Telegram on Sunday. Portland, a magazine devoted to lifestyles, business, and real estate news, and performing arts and fiction reviews, is also published in Portland, as is the quarterly PortCity Life. Maine History, a semiannual scholarly journal, covers local history. Locally published special interest magazines include the Ocean Navigator, Alaska Fisherman's Journal, Seafood Business, National Fisherman, Professional Mariner, Audiofile, which has news about the audiobook business, and The Cafe Review, which covers art, poetry, and literature. The Northeast, a tabloid published eight times yearly, was founded in 1873 and is the oldest continuous news journal of the Episcopal Church.

Television and Radio

Television viewers in Portland may choose from four network affiliates, one public broadcasting station, and cable television. Ten AM and FM radio stations broadcast a variety of musical formats.

Media Information: Portland Newspapers, 390 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04104; telephone (207)791-6650

Portland Online

City of Portland. Available www.ci.portland.me.us

Greater Portland Chamber of Commerce. Available www.portlandregion.com

Greater Portland Convention & Visitors Bureau. Available www.visitportland.com

Maine Historical Society. Available www.mainehistory.org

Maine Office of Tourism. Available www.visitmaine.com

Portland Public Library. Available www.portlandlibrary.com

Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram. Available www.pressherald.mainetoday.com

Selected Bibliography

Gold, Susan Dudley and Jill Cournoyer, The History of Union Wharf, 1793-1998 (Custom Communications, 1998)

Portland: A Publication of Greater Portland Landmarks Incorporated (Portland, Me: Greater Portland Landmarks, 1973)

Portland: Health Care

Portland's Maine Medical Center, a major clinical and teaching affiliate of the University of Vermont College of Medicine, is the largest hospital in the state and a major referral center for northern New England. A 606-bed facility, it is an active research center as well as a teaching hospital. Every year, the hospital cares for more than 27,000 inpatients and more than 500,000 outpatients, and performs more than 16,000 surgeries. The hospital offers a full range of medical services and is widely known for its cardiac diagnostic and open-heart surgery programs, renal dialysis and kidney transplants, oncology, nuclear medicine, and rehabilitation. As of 2005, the hospital is embarking on an expansion project that will include a new obstetrics and newborn building, a parking garage, a helipad, and a central utility plant.

Mercy Hospital, a 177-bed community hospital, offers a complete range of diagnostic services and operates The Birthplace, the Recovery Center for recovering addicts, an inpatient Eating Disorders Program, an ambulatory care center, oncology centers, and a home care and hospice service. Mercy is a leader in Maine in orthopedic surgery, joint replacement surgery, and interventional procedures. Other facilities in Portland include New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland, an 82-bed facility specializing in physical rehabilitation; and Westbrook Community Hospital, specializing in treatment for alcoholism, drug abuse, and eating disorders. Greater Portland also supports a variety of the latest types of elderly housing and care centers, and along with traditional health care has a thriving community of healers and alternative-therapy specialists.

Health Care Information: Public Information Office, Maine Medical Center, 22 Bramhall Street, Portland, ME 04102; telephone (207)662-0111

PORTLAND

PORTLAND, the largest city in Oregon, located at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, is named for Portland, Maine. Incorporated in 1851, the city has depended on trade throughout its history. The city tapped the wheat belt of the surrounding country to supply the California gold miners, then provided supplies to the miners of Idaho and Montana in the 1860s, as it did for Alaska miners at the end of the nineteenth century. After the Civil War, the city drew the Columbia River and railroad wheat traffic of eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington. It profited from shipbuilding during World War I and World War II.

During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s the city enjoyed substantial revitalization and earned a reputation for livability. Neighborhoods were preserved, a light rail transit system developed, reinvestment attracted to the downtown, and new suburban development contained within an urban growth boundary. The area's principal employers in the 1990s were wholesaling and transportation, services, and manufacturing, particularly a substantial electronics industry. Portland in the nineteenth century attracted many Chinese and Scandinavian immigrants; in the late twentieth century it experienced growth in Asian American and Hispanic residents. The city of Portland recorded a population of 529,121 in 2000, and the six-county metropolitan area recorded 1,913,009 residents.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abbott, Carl. Portland: Planning, Politics, and Growth in a Twentieth-Century City. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983.

———. Greater Portland: Urban Life and Landscape in the Pacific Northwest. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001.

MacColl, E. Kimbark. Merchants, Money, and Power: The Portland Establishment, 1843–1913. Portland, Ore.: Georgian Press, 1976.

CarlAbbott

Gordon B.Dodds

Portland: Convention Facilities

The Oregon Convention Center, located in the center of downtown along the Willamette River, contains a total of nearly one million square feet of enclosed space, with 255,000 square feet of exhibit space, 50 meeting rooms, two grand ballrooms, and an 800-space parking garage. In 2003, the Oregon Convention Center completed a major expansion that doubled the center's size. Offering greater flexibility and more options than ever before, the Oregon Convention Center is the largest meeting facility in the Pacific Northwest.

The Portland Memorial Coliseum Complex, adjacent to the Convention Center, features 108,000 square feet of exhibit space; 15 meeting rooms, the largest of which is a 25,200 square-foot area; and arena-style seating for 13,000 people.

Portland offers several convention complexes that are all within a few minutes of more than 11,000 hotel rooms. Montgomery Park is a unique trade center located five minutes northwest of downtown Portland. It contains 19,000 square feet of exhibition and meeting space complemented by a 135-foot high glass atrium.

The Portland Center for the Performing Arts's Brunish Hall offers space for 200 people for meetings, conferences, or other events. Other meeting and exhibition facilities include Expo Center and the Washington County FairPlex. Most major hotels in the city offer extensive meeting, banquet, and ballroom facilities.

Convention Information: Portland Oregon Visitors Association, 1000 SW Broadway, Suite 2300, Portland, OR 97205; telephone (503)275-9750 or (800)962-3700, fax (503)275-9284.

Portland

The City in Brief

Founded: 1845 (incorporated 1851)

Head Official: Mayor Tom Potter (D) (since 2005)

City Population

1980: 366,383

1990: 485,975

2000: 529,121

2003 estimate: 538,544

Percent change, 1990–2000: 8.9%

U.S. rank in 1980: 35th

U.S. rank in 1990: 30th

U.S. rank in 2000: 35th

Metropolitan Area Population (PMSA)

1980: 1,106,000

1990: 1,515,452

2000: 1,874,449

Percent change, 1990–2000: 12.1%

U.S. rank in 1980: 26th (CMSA)

U.S. rank in 1990: 27th (CMSA)

U.S. rank in 2000: 23rd (CMSA)

Area: 130 square miles (2000)

Elevation: Averages 173 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 53.4° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 40.5 inches

Major Economic Sectors: Services, trade, manufacturing, government

Unemployment Rate: 6.6% (January 2005)

Per Capita Income: $22,643 (2000)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 43,327

Major Colleges and Universities: Portland State University, Oregon Health Sciences University, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College, University of Portland, Maryl-hurst University

Daily Newspaper: The Oregonian

Portland

The City in Brief

Founded: 1623 (incorporated, 1786)

Head Official: City Manager Joseph Gray, Jr. (since 2001)

City Population

1980: 61,572

1990: 64,157

2000: 64,249

2003 estimate: 63,635

Percent change, 1990–2000: 1.8%

U.S. rank in 1980: 327th

U.S. rank in 1990: 361st (State rank: 1st)

U.S. rank in 2000: 487th (State rank: 1st)

Metropolitan Area Population

1980: 193,831

1990: 221,095

2000: 243,537

Percent change, 1990–2000: 10.2%

U.S. rank in 1990: 145th

U.S. rank in 2000: 147th

Area: 21.2 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 34 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 45.5° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 44.3 inches rain; 71.3 inches snow

Major Economic Sectors: Services, trade, government, manufacturing

Unemployment Rate: 4.0% (February 2005)

Per Capita Income: $22,698 (1999)

2004 ACCRA Average House Price: Not reported

2004 ACCRA Cost of Living Index: Not reported

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 3,525

Major Colleges and Universities: University of Southern Maine

Daily Newspaper: Portland Press Herald

Portland: Convention Facilities

Conventioneers make use of the Cumberland County Civic Center. With 34,500 square feet of exhibition space, the Civic Center is one of Maine's largest convention facilities. It is set in the heart of downtown Portland.

Merrill Auditorium, Portland's premier performing arts venue, is available for meetings; it provides seating for 1,909. Portland Exposition Building, built in 1914, is the second-oldest arena in continuous operation in the nation; the arena hosts trade shows, conferences, special events, and civic meetings, as well as concerts and sporting events.

Downtown and area hotels offer meeting space to accommodate large and small groups. There are more than 2,000 hotel and motel rooms in and around Portland.

Convention Information: Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Portland, 245 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone (207)772-5800

Portland: Introduction

Portland is the largest city in Maine and an important cultural, commercial, and shipping center. Called "the beautiful town that is seated by the sea" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who was born there, Portland, three times destroyed by fire and rebuilt, has revived again. During the 1960s and 1970s Portland lost more than 11 percent of its population as its economy stagnated. A thoughtful urban renewal program designed to balance the process of economic growth with the preservation and restoration of what made the city unique—including its historic port district and other landmarks—has produced a culturally and economically vital city that is attracting young professionals from across America. Portland entered the new century with a deep appreciation of what makes a city livable and a commitment to ensuring that it remains so for all its citizens.

Portland: Geography and Climate

Located 110 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Portland lies between two mountain ranges, the Cascade Range to the east and the lower Coast Range to the west, in the Willamette River valley, one of the world's most fertile river valleys. The city is divided by the Willamette River, which flows into the Columbia River just to the north. Winters are rainy in Portland, with 55 percent of the annual rainfall occurring between the months of November and February, but the marine air keeps temperatures moderate, and the summers are mild, with temperatures rarely over 90 degrees.

Area: 130 square miles (2000)

Elevation: Averages 173 feet above sea level

Average Temperatures: January, 39.4° F; August, 67.3° F; annual average, 53.4° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 40.5 inches

Portland: Municipal Government

Portland, the seat of Cumberland County, operates under a council-manager form of government. The city manager is the chief executive officer, appointed by the council for an unspecified term. A nine-member council constitutes the legislative body. Five council members are selected from the five voting districts and four are elected on an at-large basis to serve staggered three-year terms. The mayor, who presides over council meetings, is selected by the council to serve a one-year term. Portland is known for its highly trained police and fire personnel.

Head Official: City Manager Joseph Gray, Jr. (since 2001; length of term unspecified)

Total Number of City Employees: 1,371 (2002)

City Information: City Hall, 389 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone (207)879-0300

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