GRESHAM, OREGON

'Gresham' (IPA: ) is a city located in Multnomah County, Oregon about 18km east of Portland. It was named for the American Civil War general Walter Quinton Gresham. As of 2006, the city had a total population of 97,745.^[1] This makes Gresham the fourth largest city in Oregon.

Contents

History

Geography

Demographics

Infrastructure

Government

Education

Transportation

Highways

Mass transit

Local attractions

Notable residents

Sister cities

External links

History

The city of Gresham could not establish itself as a city unless given a post office and postal code. A local store owner offered to use his store as a post office and offered to name the city after Postmaster General Walter Quinton Gresham if a post office was granted. Up until that time the city had simply been known as Campground because this forested site was where pioneers often stopped to spend the night and compose themselves before moving on to Portland. Although a post office was established in May, 1884, Gresham was not incorporated as a city until 1905. Lewis Shattuck, son of a pioneer family, was the first mayor.

Geography

Gresham is located at 45°30'13" North, 122°26'22" West (45.503692, -122.439425).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 57.6 km² (22.2 mi²). 57.4 km² (22.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.40% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 33,327 households, and 22,695 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,572.4/km² (4,071.6/mi²). There are 35,309 housing units at an average density of 615.5/km² (1,593.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 82.72% White, 1.89% African American, 0.94% Native American, 3.33% Asian, 0.27% Pacific Islander, 7.02% from other races, and 3.82% from two or more races. 11.90% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 33,327 households out of which 36.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% are married couples living together, 12.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% are non-families. 24.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.67 and the average family size is 3.17.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $43,442, and the mean income for a family is $51,126. Males have a median income of $37,701 versus $27,744 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,588. 12.5% of the population and 8.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.2% of those under the age of 18 and 6.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Infrastructure

Government

The city of Gresham is governed by an elected mayor and city council, who are elected to four year terms. The city council consists of the mayor and six counselors, who are elected at large.

Education

Gresham is served by three school districts: Centennial, Gresham-Barlow, and Reynolds. Mount Hood Community College is also located in Gresham.

Transportation

Highways

Gresham is accessed from Interstate 84 and U.S. Route 26.

Mass transit

The city of Gresham is serviced by TriMet's bus system, MAX Light Rail line as well as the fareless Sandy Area Metro (SAM) shuttle bus to Sandy, Oregon. The Blue Line contains the following MAX stations:

★ East 162nd Avenue

★ East 172nd Avenue

★ East 181st Avenue

★ Rockwood/East 188th Avenue Transit Center

★ Ruby Junction/East 197th Avenue

★ Gresham City Hall

★ Gresham Central Transit Center

★ Cleveland Avenue

Local attractions

★ Mount Hood Jazz Festival

Notable residents

★ Randy Couture, professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter and current UFC Heavyweight Champion

★ Nikki Fuller, professional female bodybuilder, attended Gresham High School

★ Katie Harman, Miss America 2002

★ Fred Jones, NBA player, moved to Gresham in middle school

★ Angela Via, singer, moved to Gresham as a child

Sister cities

Gresham has sister cities in other countries. They are:

★ Ebetsu, Japan - 1977

★ Sok-Cho, South Korea

★ Owerri, Nigeria

External links

★ Gresham City Government

★ Gresham City Charter

★ Gresham Library

★ Gresham Chamber of Commerce

★ Historic Downtown Gresham

★ Oregon Blue Book entry for Gresham