The community was once known as Sandy, after the nearby Sandy River; the post office in Sandy was established in 1854 and closed in 1868.[7] In 1873, the current city of Sandy in Clackamas County, which was formerly named "Revenue", established a different Sandy post office that is still in operation.[7] Troutdale was named by pioneer John Harlow for the trout pond in a dale near his house.[7] Troutdale post office was founded in 1880.[7] In 1925, a company, the Bissinger Wool Pullery, was moved from Sellwood, Oregon, and opened for business on Macadam Road along the west bank of the Sandy River.[8][9] An iconic water tower stands nearby. The company was featured in a Ripley's Believe it or Not! column because a cat was reportedly found in a stack of animal hides that the company was going to use for its products. The cat was taken care of and became the company's mascot, and was said to have lived a long and healthy life.[10] The water tower is now known as the "Old Historic Water Tower".[citation needed]
Reynolds Aluminum was once the area's biggest employer.[11] The Reynolds plant in Troutdale was established in 1941 to provide aluminum for the war effort.[11] The plant closed in 2000.[11] The nearby city of Wood Village was a company town founded to house workers from the Reynolds plant.[11]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.02 square miles (15.59 km2), of which 5.94 square miles (15.38 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) is water.[12]
Troutdale is located at the confluence of the Sandy and Columbia rivers.
The city is about 12 miles (19 km) east of Portland.[13]
Climate
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22 °C). According to the Köppen climate classification system, Troutdale has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[14]
Troutdale is renowned for having some of the windiest conditions in the Pacific Northwest. Periodically, strong east winds emerge from the Columbia River Gorge that affect the city's temperature and general climate. As a result, several businesses and locations utilize the East Wind identifier in their names or services.
As of the 2020 census, there were 16,300 people, 5,871 households, and 5,396 families residing in the city.[6] The population density was 2,741.3 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 80.7% White (11,890 people), 2.0% African American (369), 1.0% Native American (170), 4.4% Asian (894), 0.2% Pacific Islander (102), and 6.7% from two or more races (1,667).[6] Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 15.2% (2,392) of the population.
The ancestry of the city was 17.7% English, 16.8% German, 16.8% Irish, 2.4% Italian, 2.2% Scottish, 1.7% Norwegian, 1.0% French, 0.7% Sub Saharan African, and 0.6% Polish.[6]
The median age of Troutdale was 34.3 years old. 28.6% of the population were under 18, with 9.2% under 5, 15.8% between 5 and 14, and 3.6% between 15 and 17.[6] The average family size was 3.59 people, compared to 2.99 people in Oregon. The types of households were married couples at 55.3%, only a male householder at 18.8%, and only a female householder at 16.5%. 33.5% were never married in Troutdale.[6]
The median household income was $85,131 in Troutdale. Families had a median household of $94,270, Married couples had a median household income of $113,354, and non families had a median household income of $60,417. 7.9% of the population were under the poverty line.[6]
As of the census[6] of 2010, there were 15,962 people, 5,671 households, and 4,208 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,687.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,037.5/km2). There were 5,907 housing units at an average density of 994.4 per square mile (383.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.6% White, 2.1% African American, 1.0% Native American, 4.6% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 4.2% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.6% of the population.
There were 5,671 households, of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.8% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.20.
The median age in the city was 34 years. 27.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 7.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.
2000 census
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 13,777 people, 4,671 households, and 3,690 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,761.1 people per square mile (1,066.1 people/km2). There were 4,865 housing units at an average density of 975.0 per square mile (376.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.54% White, 4.14% Asian, 1.90% African American, 0.92% Native American, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 1.71% from other races, and 3.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.62% of the population.
There were 4,671 households, out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.0% were non-families. 13.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 30.1% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 4.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 99.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $56,593, and the median income for a family was $62,203. Males had a median income of $41,808 versus $30,989 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,778. About 3.3% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those aged 65 or over.
Economy
Amazon fulfillment center, TroutdaleA 2019 photo of Bissinger Wool Pullery, Troutdale
The local economy has shifted since the start of the century as the Portland region continues to grow. While the majority of residents work in Portland or Gresham, recent industrial development related to at the Port of Portland's Troutdale Reynolds Industrial Park has helped turned the community into a jobs center for the region.
The old historic water tower, as seen from downtown
Troutdale is the home of one of the most notable locations of the local McMenamins brewpub and hotel chain, the 38-acre (150,000 m2) Edgefield, which was formerly the Multnomah County Poor Farm. The site has a hotel and a variety of restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues. Edgefield is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
^Howard, Dorothy. "Oregon Jewish Businesses, 1840-2012". PSU Library special Collections and University Archives. Portland State University. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
