Property Detail Report
6675 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6494
APN: R2034203
Washington County Data as of: 09/11/2025
Owner Name: Alford Allison / Alford Stephen Vesting: Tenant By Entirety
Mailing Address: 6675 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6494
Owner Information Location Information
Legal Description: 1993-033 Partition Plat, Lot 2, Acres 0 19
Occupancy: Owner Occupied
County: Washington, OR APN: R2034203 Alternate APN: 1N234AD06200
Munic / Twnshp: Hillsboro
Twnshp-Rng-Sec: 01N-02W-34
Census Tract / Block: 032408 / 1009
Legal Lot / Block: 2 / Subdivision: 1993-033 Partitio Tract #:
Legal Book / Page:
Neighborhood: Hillsboro / Orenco School District: Hillsboro School District 1J Elementary School: Orenco Elementary Middle School: J W Poynter Middle High School: Liberty High Schoo Latitude: 45 529 Longitude: -122 9125
Last Transfer / Conveyance - Current Owner
Transfer / Rec Date: 05/19/2022 / 05/24/2022 Price:
$595,000 Transfer Doc #: 2022 34521
Buyer Name: Alford Allison / Alford Stephen Seller Name: Sulloway Chad Deed Type: General Warranty Deed
Last Market Sale
Sale / Rec Date: 05/19/2022 / 05/24/2022 Sale Price / Type: $595,000 / Confirmed Deed Type: General Warranty Deed Multi / Split Sale: Price / Sq Ft : $355 New Construction: 1st Mtg Amt / Type: $110,000 / Conventional 1st Mtg Rate / Type: 4.72 / Estimated 1st Mtg Doc #: 2022.34522 2nd Mtg Amt / Type: 2nd Mtg
Seller Name: Sulloway Chad Lender: Bank of America NA Title Company: First American Tit
Prior Sale Information Property Characteristics
Sale / Rec Date: 12/09/2011 / 12/14/2011 Sale Price / Type: $168,900 / Confirmed Prior Deed Type: Deed 1st Mtg Amt / Type: $135,120 / Conventional 1st Mtg Rate / Type: 394 0 / Fix Prior Sale Doc #: 2011 88999 Prior Lender: Northwest Mortgage Group Inc
Gross Living Area: 2,026 Sq Ft
Total Adj Area:
(F / H):
/ Parking Type: Attached Above Grade: 1,676 Sq Ft Pool:
Garage #: 1
Basement Area: Fireplace:
Garage Area: 350 Sq Ft Style: Cooling: Central Porch Type: Open Porch Foundation: Continuous Footing Heating: Forced Air Patio Type: Porch/No Step Quality: Exterior Wall: Wood Sheathing
Site Information
Type: Gable Condition: Construction Type: Wood Roof Material: Composition Land Use: SFR
State Use: 1010 - 1010
Width / Depth:
of Buildings: 1 County Use: 1010 - Residentia
Lot: Res / Comm Units: 1 / Site Influence: Acres:
Water / Sewer Type: Flood Zone Code: X
Community Name: City Of Hillsboro
Tax Information
Tax: $4,983 39
6675 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124
ELECTRICITY
Portland General Electric 800-542-8818 https://portlandgeneral.com
NW Natural Gas 800-422-4012 https://www.nwnatural.com/
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Evergreen Disposal 503-357-3510 http://www.evergreendisposalrecycling.com/
WATER SERVICE
City of Hillsboro 503-681-6163 https://www.hillsboro-oregon.gov
SEWER SERVICE
Clean Water Services 503-681-3600 https://cleanwaterservices.org
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Sales Comparables
6675 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6494
APN: R2034203
Subject Property
6675 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6494
Sale Price / Type: $595,000 / Confirmed Sale / Rec Date: 05/19/2022 / 05/24/2022
Year Built / Eff: 1994 / 1994
Assessed Value: $593,390
Land Use: SFR
Owner Name: Alford Allison / Alford Stephen Mailing Address: 6675 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6494
County: Washington
APN: R2034203
Subdivision: 1993-033 Partition Plat
Census Tct / Blk: 032413 / 1009
Zoning: SCR-OTC Stories:
Acres: 0 19
Date: 12/09/2011 1st Mtg / Type: $110,000 / Conventional Parking Type: Finished Garage Prior Rec Date: 12/14/2011 Res / Comm Units: 1 / Flood Zone Code: X
Sale Doc #: 2011 88999 # Months Back: 12 Distance From Subject: 1 mi Living Area Difference: 15 0 + / - Land Use: Same As Subject
County Data as of: 09/11/2025 7 Comparable Properties Found Search Criteria
PROPERTY SUMMARY
Comp #1 - 0.18 Miles From Subject 6702 NE Dogwood St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6579
Sale Price / Type: $685,230 / Confirmed Sale / Rec Date: 03/05/2025 / 03/07/2025
Year Built / Eff: 2016 / 2016
SFR
Owner Name: Judith Marie Fennimore Trust / Fennimore Judith Marie
Mailing Address: 6702 NE Dogwood St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6579
County: Washington
APN: R726520
Subdivision: Orenco Townsite
Doc #: 2025 10024
Zoning: SCR-OTC
Acres: 0 29
$275,000 Census Tct / Blk: 032413 / 1038
/
Comp #2 - 0.38 Miles From Subject 306 NE 64th Ct, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6918
Sale Price / Type: $615,000 / Confirmed Sale / Rec Date: 11/21/2024 / 11/22/2024
Year Built / Eff: 1992 / 1992
SFR
Owner Name: Ritchie Earl / Ferguson Austin
Mailing Address: 306 NE 64th Ct, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6918
County: Washington Zoning: SFR-7
APN: R2017763
Subdivision: Burtchland Estates
Tct / Blk: 032414 / 2006
Mtg / Type: $385,000 / Conventional
/ Comm Units: 1 /
Comp #3 - 0 55 Miles From Subject 5937 NE Ray Cir, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6434
Sale Price / Type: $615,000 / Confirmed Sale / Rec Date: 11/21/2024 / 11/22/2024
Acres: 0 18
Central
Material: Wood Shake
Sale Price: $259,500
04/24/2005
05/06/2005
Doc #: 2024 50776 Year Built / Eff: 1989 / 1989
SFR
Owner Name: Mays Valorie
Mailing Address: 5937 NE Ray Cir, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6434
County: Washington
R1155467
Subdivision: Hawthorn Farm Village No 1
$320,000 Census Tct / Blk: 032608 / 1025
Date: 10/24/2014 1st Mtg / Type:
Date: 10/31/2014 Res / Comm Units: 1 /
Sale Doc #: 2014 69771
Comp #4 - 0.57 Miles From Subject 1663 NE Orenco Station Pkwy, Hillsboro, OR 97124-5055
Sale Price / Type: $617,500 / Confirmed Sale / Rec Date: 06/23/2025 / 06/24/2025
/ Eff: 1997 / 1997
Owner Name: Lindsey Jodi / Lindsey Steven
Mailing Address: 1663 NE Orenco Station Pkwy, Hillsboro, OR 97124-5055
County: Washington
APN: R2068660
Comp #5 - 0.58 Miles From Subject 1677 NE Orenco Station Pkwy, Hillsboro, OR 97124-5055 Sale Price / Type: $610,000 / Confirmed
/ Rec Date: 06/03/2025 / 06/05/2025
Year Built / Eff: 1997 / 1997
Owner Name: Bundy Living Trust / Bundy Deanna K
Mailing Address: 1677 NE Orenco Station Pkwy, Hillsboro, OR 97124-5055
County: Washington Zoning: SCR-V
APN: R2068661
Subdivision: Orenco Station
1 /
Comp #6 - 0 62 Miles From Subject 1772 NE Orenco Station Pkwy, Hillsboro, OR 97124-5072 Sale Price / Type: $580,000 / Confirmed Sale / Rec Date: 02/04/2025 / 02/10/2025
Use: SFR
Owner Name: Palmer Justin / Flores Nagel Mailing Address: 1772 NE Orenco Station Pkwy, Hillsboro, OR 97124-5072
County: Washington
APN: R2068720
Tct / Blk: 032612 / 1042
0 09
Date: 1st Mtg / Type: $562,600 / Conventional
/ Comm Units: 1 /
$198,740
Date: 03/16/1999
Comp #7 - 0.62 Miles From Subject 144 NE Autumnwood Ter, Hillsboro, OR 97124-7943
Sale Price / Type: $598,000 / Confirmed
Sale / Rec Date: 04/22/2025 / 04/25/2025
Year Built / Eff: 1999 / 1999
Sale Doc #: 2025 17985
Lot Area: 4,792 Sq Ft Bedrooms: 4
Assessed Value: $552,000 Living Area: 1,791 Sq Ft Baths (F / H): 3 / 0
Land Use: SFR Pool: Total Rooms:
Owner Name: Swapp Blake / Swapp Stacey
Mailing Address: 144 NE Autumnwood Ter, Hillsboro, OR 97124-7943
County: Washington
APN: R2074929
Subdivision: Danbury Park No 2
Zoning: SFR-6 Stories:
Acres: 0 11 Roof Material: Composition Shingle
Cooling: Central Prior Sale Price: $393,000
Census Tct / Blk: 032413 / 1012 Fireplace: 1 Prior Sale Date: 12/11/2017
1st Mtg / Type: Parking Type: Finished Garage Prior Rec Date: 12/12/2017 Res / Comm Units: 1 /
SCHOOL INFORMATION
Schools Report
R2034203
Public School Assignment
Hillsboro School District 1J
Hillsboro School District 1J
Hillsboro School District 1J
Orenco Elementary School
J W Poynter Middle School
School: Orenco Elementary School
School: J W Poynter Middle School
Liberty High School
Nearby Private Schools
BUSINESSES
Neighbor 2 - 0.01 Miles From Subject 6697 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6494
Occupancy: Owner Occupied
Owner Name: Berdan Robert C / Hoyven Ellen Nona
Mailing Address: 6697 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6494
R2034202
Neighbor 3 - 0 02 Miles From Subject 1275 NE 67th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6529
Occupancy: Owner Occupied
Owner Name: Humphreys Bill G / Humphreys Lisa A
Mailing Address: 1275 NE 67th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6529
R2034204
Neighbor 4 - 0 02 Miles From Subject 6637 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6494
Occupancy: Unknown
Owner Name: G & J 143 Birch Rental LLC
Mailing Address: Po Box 3153, Bend, OR 97707-153
Neighbor 5 - 0.03 Miles From Subject 1270 NE 66th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6566
Occupancy: Absentee Owner
/ Rec Date: 01/19/2006 / 01/20/2006
Owner Name: Alexander Novovich Living Trust / Novovich Alexander Sale / Rec Date: 07/20/2004 / 07/21/2004
Mailing Address: 6375 SW Blue Heron Dr, Forest Grove, OR 97116-8544
R726085
Neighbor 6 - 0 03 Miles From Subject 6652 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6494 Occupancy: Owner Occupied
Owner Name: Rusch Aaron / Rusch Orbal
Mailing Address: 6652 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6494
R2141826
Neighbor 7 - 0.04 Miles From Subject 6644 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6494
Owner Name: Rhyne Andrew / Rhyne Kathleen
Mailing Address: 6644 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6494
APN: R726129
Neighbor 8 - 0.04 Miles From Subject 6692 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6494
Occupancy: Absentee Owner
Owner Name: Funk Living Trust / Funk Merlin J
Mailing Address: 6710 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-7590
R726110
Neighbor 9 - 0 04 Miles From Subject Ns #Ns #Ns, Hillsboro, OR Occupancy: Unknown
Owner Name: Dontula-Mettala Gilla Living Trust / Dontula Ravi Kanth
Mailing Address: 4070 SE Link Ln #509, Hillsboro, OR 971236914
R2045381
Neighbor 10 - 0 04 Miles From Subject 1180 NE 66th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6523 Occupancy: Owner Occupied
Owner Name: Mannen Ida / Mannen Wilbert C
Mailing Address: 1180 NE 66th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6523
Neighbor 11 - 0.04 Miles From Subject 6614 NE Alder St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-7585 Occupancy: Absentee Owner
Owner Name: Vangrunsven John Trust
Mailing Address: 614 E Main St, Hillsboro, OR 97123-4139
R726076
Neighbor 12 - 0 05 Miles From Subject 1260 NE 67th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6528 Occupancy: Owner Occupied
Owner Name: Karlin Lisa / Karlin Stanley J
Mailing Address: 1260 NE 67th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6528
Neighbor 13 - 0.05 Miles From Subject 6595 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6486 Occupancy:
Owner Name: Kinnan Lloyd L / Kinnan Theresa M
Mailing Address: 6595 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6486
APN: R725772
/ Rec Date: 05/27/2022 / 05/31/2022
/ Rec Date:
/ Rec Date: 07/13/1998 / 07/14/1998
/
Neighbor 14 - 0.05 Miles From Subject 1160 NE 66th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6523
Occupancy: Owner Occupied
Owner Name: Christianson Richard D
Mailing Address: 1160 NE 66th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6523
Neighbor 15 - 0 05 Miles From Subject 6698 NE Alder St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-7585
Occupancy: Owner Occupied
Owner Name: Hesse August / Pheils Courtney
Mailing Address: 6698 NE Alder St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-7585
Neighbor 16 - 0 05 Miles From Subject 6710 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-7590
Occupancy:
Owner Name: Funk Living Trust / Funk Merlin J
Mailing Address: 6710 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-7590
Neighbor 17 - 0.06 Miles From Subject 6704 NE Alder St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-7586
Occupancy: Owner Occupied
Owner Name: Rehling Monte L
Mailing Address: 6704 NE Alder St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-7586
Neighbor 18 - 0 06 Miles From Subject 1125 NE 67th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6527
Occupancy: Owner Occupied
Owner Name: Bulmann-Peck Megan E / Peck Brandon S
Mailing Address: 1125 NE 67th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6527
Neighbor 19 - 0.06 Miles From Subject 6573 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6486
Owner Name: Lee John
Mailing Address: 6573 NE Birch St, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6486
/ Rec Date:
/ Rec Date: 03/10/2022 / 03/10/2022
/ Rec Date:
Neighbor 20 - 0.06 Miles From Subject Ns #Ns #Ns, Hillsboro, OR Occupancy: Absentee Owner Year Built / Eff: Living Area:
Owner Name: Armer Christine A LIV Trust
Mailing Address: 1255 NE 68th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6539
Sale / Rec Date: 06/09/2011 / 06/10/2011 Lot Area: 14,810 Sq Ft
Sale Price / Type: $120,000 / Confirmed Bedrooms: APN: R726049
Land Use: Vacant -Residential Land Baths (F / H):
H I L L S B O R O
O R E G O N
Hillsboro, Oregon has old fashioned charm, yet is only 20 minutes away from the big city amenities of Portland. It offers a variety of parks, fairs, historical places and rural beauty that can appeal to any visitor's taste. Hillsboro is the government seat of Washington County, a fast growing area of Oregon. But, people there still share a smile and extend a friendly welcome to visitors.
Hillsboro's downtown area is also a unique blend of old and new buildings. The historic Washington County Courthouse, with its stately sequoia trees, is across the street from the modern Civic Center, which was designed to be a people friendly gathering area. The Civic Center, which is part of Hillsboro's vision for its community's future, incorporates environmentally friendly construction and design with many beautiful artistic features, both inside and outside of the facility. The Hillsboro Saturday Farmers' Market is held May through October on the streets around the Courthouse and Civic Center.
Hillsboro is one of Oregon's centers of high technology. Most of Hillsboro's commercial industry is done in park like industrial campus settings designed to blend in with the countryside. Companies such as Intel, Planar Systems, FEI and others offer opportunities for career and community growth. The local airport provides services to large companies that operate their own commercial air fleets.
Hillsboro is located in the middle of the warm, temperate Tualatin Valley, equidistant between the Cascade Range and the Pacific Ocean. Residents here have access to wind sailing in the Columbia River Gorge, year-round skiing on Mt. Hood, and the spectacular Oregon beaches, all only about an hour away.
Being close to Portland means that Hillsboro residents can enjoy all of the urban fun, such as the Rose Festival, the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival, the Portland Trailblazers in the Rose Garden Arena, and many other attractions. Trimet's MAX light rail system makes traveling to and from Portland easy. Board the train in downtown Hillsboro, and the line goes through Beaverton to downtown Portland. At the downtown Portland bus mall, buses, streetcars, trolleys and the MAX light rail are available for destinations throughout the metropolitan area, including the Portland International Airport and Gresham.
There are several country wineries to visit in the Hillsboro area. Oak Knoll Winery, located on SW Burkhalter Road, specializes in Pinot noir, Pinot gris, and Niagara wines, as well as Frambosia, a raspberry dessert wine. Wine tasting and a picnic area are available for visitors. For more information, contact Oak Knoll Winery, (503) 648-8198.
The historic Old Scotch Church, organized in 1873 by twelve Scottish settlers from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is one of the oldest continuously used churches in Oregon. The eight sided steeple is architecturally unique, and the church is one of the most photographed in Oregon. Many of Oregon's pioneers, including mountain man Joe Meek, have been buried in the church cemetery. To arrange a tour, contact (503) 648-9573.
Hillsboro, where yesterday and tomorrow, pioneer churches and high-tech industry, small town charm and busy shopping centers all come together, is a great place to visit and live. Come and see for yourself!
Spotlight
Hillsboro's Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve is an 710 acre open space wetlands wildlife preserve. The Preserve is a leader in using wetlands to preserve water quality. The Preserve features a wetlands education center with a wildlife observation deck, an interactive learning center and several miles of hiking trails through different types of gardens. Some of the different kinds of birds seen at the Preserve are bald eagles, ospreys, pheasants, kingfishers, swallows and woodpeckers. A bird checklist is available at the education center.
History of Hillsboro
Hillsboro is the government seat of Washington County and a thriving center of agriculture and high-technology industry. Because of its recent growth, Hillsboro offers exceptional opportunities of employment and education. Yet Hillsboro has retained its small-town charm and tradition-qualities held precious by new and longtime residents, alike. Hillsboro has the distinct advantage of being geographically close to what is beautiful about Oregon. It is within 30 minutes by car of Portland, 60 minutes to the Oregon Coast and a short drive to golf courses, wineries, rural hiking and boating, fishing, hunting and sight-seeing.
Incorporated in 1876, Hillsboro has grown from a small farming community and government center into a modern city of over 80,000 residents. It is the largest city in fast-growing Washington County.
When early pioneers first reached the Tualatin Valley in the 1840s, they had only an inkling of the agricultural richness of the country. The valley was sparsely settled at the time by retiring mountain trappers and Atfalati Indians. The trackers soon began carving out a burgeoning community and government center. Most residents lived on farms or were engaged in milling and timber work. Soon they founded building, trade and retail businesses. With the arrival of the railroad in 1870s the Tualatin Valley became the breadbasket for the river port city of Portland, supplying dairy products, fruits and vegetables as well as timber products.
During World War II, Hillsboro was the residence of many new Oregonians who had come north to work in the shipyards of Portland. Hillsboro became a bedroom community. After the war, city fathers began luring businesses to Hillsboro to create a new economic base. Business leaders formed an industrial development corporation, and the city annexed land to the north and east and laid out industrial areas. By the 1970s, the Hillsboro area had won Intel's first plant site outside California and spinoff companies from Tektronix. In the 1980s came Japanese-owned manufacturing companies. They were followed by suppliers and customers of Intel and other manufacturers, software companies, communication device manufacturers, Internet providers and branch sales and corporate offices.
Originally called East Tualatin Plains, Hillsboro was named for David Hill, one of the adventurers who traveled the Oregon Trail by wagon train to find a new life in the Oregon Territory. Hill attended the famous Champoeg Meeting of 1843, which led to Oregon becoming part of the United States. He served as a provisional governor and was elected to the legislature of the state election of 1846. Like Hill, many Tualatin families arrived by wagon train in the 1850s and 1860s. Others traveled by ship around Cape Horn. Still others, after surviving the frenzied California Gold Rush of 1849 and 1850, moved north to Oregon.
Another important early Oregon settler was Joseph Meek, an early trapper or "mountain man" who voted at the Champoeg Meeting, was instrumental in forming a county government for the Tuality District and became a territorial marshal. Tuality District, formed in 1843, consisted of Tuality, Clackamas, Yamhill and Champiock counties. Tuality was changed to Washington in honor of George Washington. Meek, born in Washington County, Virginia, also is believed to have influenced the choice.
By 1850 there was a post office at Columbia, the name chosen by Hill on his donation land claim. This county seat in the early 1850s took the name Hillsborough when Hill donated a portion of his land claim for the courthouse. The name gradually was shortened to Hillsboro. Hillsboro was a market town for the farming community of the Tualatin Valley. Washington County farmers and transporters drove wagons over primitive roads to reach ports along the Willamette and Columbia rivers and to return home with manufactured goods. They also shipped by boat on the Tualatin River.
Railroads crisscrossed western Oregon in the 1870s, changing the economy and the lifestyle of small, remote towns like Hillsboro. Besides making possible the exchange of durable goods and materials, railroads brought a second wave of immigrants-Dutch, Swiss, Germans and Scandinavians-who settled on farms in the valley. By 1900 a few Russian and Japanese immigrants also had found homes in the valley. In 1908 and 1912, two electrical rail lines were built to Hillsboro. For the first time, residents could live in Hillsboro and work in Portland. By 1910 Hillsboro's population had reached 2,000. In the 1920s automobiles became the preferred means of travel, and electric railroads died out by 1930. Canyon Road linking Portland and the Tualatin Valley, country market roads and, eventually, highways to the Oregon Coast were paved. Oregon Highway 8 was completed in 1940. U.S. 26, the so-called "Sunset Highway," was finished in 1948.
Once a tiny settlement extending a mere three blocks in each direction of the courthouse at East Main Street and First Avenue, Hillsboro today encompasses 24 square miles from Tualatin Valley
Highway on the south to West Union Road on the north, from Dairy Creek on the west to 185th Avenue on the east. Its population of over 80,000 ranks it first among Washington County cities.
About Hillsboro
Hillsboro averages 37.57 inches of precipitation a year, mostly in the form of light rain, from October to March. The average growing season between frosts is six months. Over 30 years, the maximum temperature on the average has been 62.4 degrees and the minimum, 41.3 degrees. Such temperature climatic conditions enable the Tualatin Valley to be one of the most productive and diverse agricultural areas in the nation.
Government and Public Services
As the county seat of Washington County, Hillsboro is a center of government and business. Hillsboro is governed by a City Council, seven elected members including a mayor. City administrative offices are located in the Public Services Building. The council appoints a city manager, a professional administrator. Hillsboro's city government takes pride in its business-like efficiency, concern for livability and careful planning for residential and industrial growth. The city has more than 300 employees including professionals in its administrative, finance, planning, building, engineering, public works, parks and recreation, library, human resources, information system, police and fire departments. In 1998 the city built a new downtown fire station and in 1999 a new branch station at Ronler Acres.
Hillsboro's Police Department is a distinguished law-enforcement agency providing 24-hour patrol throughout the city. It is proud of its nationally recognized canine program, its DARE program to combat drug abuse, a Crime Stoppers program and a Neighborhood Speed Watch program. The department works closely with other municipal police agencies and the county sheriff's office to combat illegal drug trafficking. Many Hillsboro police officers are bilingual.
The Hillsboro Fire Department is a highly trained and modernly equipped fire and rescue unit. Besides new fire stations, the department operates Rescue 10, a special rescue and emergency vehicle, conducts fire safety inspections and educational classes throughout the community.
As Hillsboro has grown, so also has its utility systems. New sewerage and water lines have been built through the city and north into high-growth areas. The county-wide Clean Water Services operates two modern water treatment plants in Hillsboro. Water is obtained from sources in the Coast Range mountains. A separate treatment and transmission system, jointly owned and operated by Hillsboro, Forest Grove and Beaverton, can deliver 40 million gallons of water daily if needed. Portland General Electric provides electrical power. NW Natural delivers natural gas to the area.
Recreation
Few cities anywhere offer the diverse recreational opportunities that are available in Hillsboro. The city's Parks & Recreation Department operates 16 parks including the large, modern
Hillsboro Sports Park at Ronler Acres and the Hillsboro Aquatic Center with its indoor and outdoor pools, hydro-therapy pool, saunas, and exercise facilities.
Most of the parks complement neighborhoods, providing green space, picnic facilities, playground and basketball court facilities. Tyson Recreation Center at 1880 NE Griffin Oaks St., offers children's classes. Noble Woods is a park within a small forest. Rood Bridge Park provides mooring areas for canoes into the Tualatin River. The main branch of the Hillsboro Public Library is located at Shute Park in southeast Hillsboro and near the Aquatic Center.
Besides the Sports Park with its impressive stadium and artificial turf, Hillsboro maintains several lighted softball fields, tennis courts and a soccer-football field at the Washington County Fair Complex. Also, the Hillsboro School District maintains Hare Field, a complex for football, soccer and baseball games.
If you are a golfer, you'll love Hillsboro. Nine courses, all within a 10 minutes' drive, beckon scratch golfers and duffers alike. Hillsboro also is situated within minutes by car of fishing, hunting, hiking and boating area. Hagg Lake is a popular recreation area just 15 miles southwest of Hillsboro in the foothills of the Coast Range. The 1,100-acre lake is stocked with trout, bass and perch.
A unique destination for passage recreation is Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve located on the southern edge of Hillsboro. Bordering the Tualatin River, the 700-acre preserve attracts thousands of students, biologists, wildlife experts and birdwatchers each year. Many species of water fowl and migratory birds make their homes there.
Events
Hillsboro residents love a parade, a festival, a fair. And the community hosts a bundle of them. Hillsboro is host for the Washington County Fair in late summer. The Hillsboro Rotary July 4 Parade is one of Oregon's largest and best. A St. Patrick's Day Parade in held March, and the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce presents "Black Tie & Blue Jeans" in the fall. When the county fair isn't in town, the fair complex opens its doors almost daily for shows, exhibits and fairs of special interest groups.
No summer would be complete without the Hillsboro Farmers Market. This outdoor market takes place in downtown Hillsboro from May to November. Farmers and crafters sell their produce and wares from wagons and truck beds parked alongside the sidewalks near the Civic Center. The Hillsboro Tuesday Marketplace is also held in downtown. Farm products, hot foods and topdrawer live musical entertainment attract thousands of people well into the evenings. The Tuesday Marketplace extends through August. For a list of all events, visit our Hillsboro Magazine at http://www.hillchamber.org/hillsboromagazine/default.html.
Agriculture
Agriculture has always been a mainstay of the Tualatin Valley economy. Hillsboro in its early days was a marketing center for the many small farm settlements in the valley. Agriculture continues to provide a stable foundation for much of the community's economic life. Area farms grow a wide variety of products, from hazelnuts, apples, hay, grains, rye grass, berries, sweet corn, tulips, and a vast assortment of nursery products. Washington County is one of Oregon's leading nursery
producing counties. Flowers, shrubs and saplings are shipped throughout the world from the Hillsboro area. The dairy industry, once the chief agricultural industry in the valley, remains an important segment of the industry.
Timber production also employs a large number of area residents. The Stimson Lumber Co. near Gaston is the largest mill in the valley. Several wood products manufacturers operate locally, also.
Horses, beef cattle, sheep, buffalo and alpacas are raised in the Tualatin Valley.
Washington County lays claim to 12 wineries, several of which produce world-class pinot noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. Oak Knoll Winery south of Hillsboro sells its fine pinot noir and other fine wines throughout the United States, Great Britain and Scandinavia. Montinore Vineyards near Forest Grove is one of the state's largest wineries. Sake One Brewery, also in Forest Grove, makes fine Japanese rice wine or sake.
Business and Industry
Over the past 30 years, advanced electronics manufacturers and software producers have forged a new industry and, in the process, created a new economic base for Hillsboro. Tektronix began making oscilloscopes after World War II. New start-up specialty companies producing components and providing high-precision tooling and manufacturing spun off from Tektronix and opened offices in Washington County. One was Rodgers Organ Co. (today's Rodgers Instruments LLC), makers of world-famous electronically assisted pipe organs. In the mid-1970s at the beginning of the personal computer era, Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, Calif., opened a manufacturing plant in nearby Aloha. Suppliers and customers of Intel followed. They in turn attracted software engineers, molded plastic manufacturers, assemblers and parts manufacturers. In the 1980s major Japanese firms such as Fujitsu, Epson and NEC built factories in Hillsboro. Soon, Hillsboro had amassed a proliferation of all kinds of high-tech design and manufacturing firms, which sold their products to other firms or marketed them to U.S., Asian and European companies.
Today, Hillsboro, the heart of the so-called "Silicon Forest," is home to a diverse group of companies that make personal computers and computer components, microprocessors and silicon wafers, devices and chemicals used in making computer chips, processors and advanced electronic components of telecommunication and mobile communication equipment, computer printers, computer testing and design software and hardware, molded plastic components and control equipment. Internet providers and web-based e-business firms are finding Hillsboro a good place to do business. Companies are moving their corporate offices to the area in the many new, modern Class A office buildings emerging in Hillsboro's landscape. As a consequence of such industrial growth, Hillsboro has seen a remarkable development of business centers, industrial parks and residential neighborhoods in the last 10 years. Intel, alone, employs more than 13,000 people in Hillsboro and Aloha and plans to expand its Ronler Acres and Jones Farm campus even more as the company keeps pace with the world demand for microprocessors, communication components and Internet technology.
Hillsboro has 35 business parks, some as large as 300 acres. The largest are Dawson Creek, Westmark and Tanasbourne Commerce centers, but many encompass 20 to 50 acres. Much of the new industrial construction is appearing in north and west Hillsboro and north of U.S. 26 near West Union.
Hillsboro community leaders and organizations such as the Greater Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce and the Westside Economic Alliance spearheaded the industrial expansion of
Hillsboro. Realizing as early as the mid-1950s that the town needed new industry to form a solid tax base and to keep its young people from leaving for greener pastures, the city began annexing land and recruiting businesses. In 1957 city leaders formed a Hillsboro Economic Development Association. In the late 1970s investors and real estate developers, principally Standard Insurance Co., formed the Sunset Corridor Association. Standard bought 900 acres west of Hillsboro and began developing the infrastructure with the support of the association. Today, Tanasbourne is a beautiful and expansive mix of shopping centers, light industrial campuses, Class A office structures, apartments and upscale condominiums.
While major employers employ hundreds of people in Hillsboro, oddly enough 88 percent of Hillsboro's businesses employ fewer than 10 workers. Of 3,000 businesses registered with the City of Hillsboro, 31 percent are home businesses. At the same time, the unemployment rate in Hillsboro, and in Washington County, was as low 3.1 percent as reported in April 2000 by the Oregon Employment Department. As of April 2000, Hillsboro had an active labor force of 28,500 people, and Hillsboro businesses employed 40,600 people, both significant increases since 1998. In other words, Hillsboro employers continue to attract many residents who live outside of the community.
Housing
Despite its rapid growth, Hillsboro remains a small town at heart. No matter where residents live in or near Hillsboro, they enjoy the easy-going pace and outdoor beauty of western Washington County. Historic Hillsboro near the old downtown is a favorite neighborhood of many residents, especially those who enjoy a short walk to shopping and government offices and who value the historic tradition of the city. Other residents prefer the foothill communities of West Union, Bethany, Helvetia and North Plains north of Hillsboro.
Within Hillsboro itself, a variety of houses, condominiums and apartments can be selected. Within the past 10 years, developers have built more than 3,000 apartments and condominiums, many of them in central and east Hillsboro. Most are within walking distance or a short drive of landscaped industrial parks, shopping malls, restaurants and theaters. Most also are close to TriMet bus lines or Westside MAX light rail transit. Large, new residential communities such as Orenco Station, Jones Farm and the planned Stonebrook offer a mix of upscale apartments, row houses, brownstones, live/work units and cottages.
Communication
The Hillsboro area is served by our town newspaper, The Hillsboro Argus. The Argus, published twice weekly, has been recording happenings in and around Hillsboro for more than a century. It has won countless awards for excellence and twice in its history was chosen the best newspaper of its size in the United States. Radio station KUIK 1360 is Hillsboro on the air. Located at the Hillsboro Airport, KUIK provides coverage of local events and personalities.
