Tualatin and Tigard are vibrant suburban communities just a few miles from downtown Portland, but each proudly retains its distinctive identity and celebrates its pioneering history. With a current population of 24,000, Tualatin is one of the fastest-growing communities in the state. Residents and city leaders are working to preserve the city’s small-town atmosphere and the many beautiful trees that have made it known as Tree City, USA. Tigard’s population of around 43,000 is also growing rapidly, but a strong community focus and close-knit neighborhoods help this town to also retain its most attractive features. Both towns are located in Washington County, where carefully-planned residential and industrial growth has enabled the county to preserve more than 75% of its agricultural and forestlands.  

Location
Tigard and Tualatin are small cities on the banks of the Tualatin River, about eight to ten miles from downtown Portland. Tigard is in Washington County, while Tualatin straddles both Washington and Clackamas Counties. The towns of Beaverton and Lake Oswego are less than 8 miles away, and it is approximately 13 miles to Portland. 

Geography/Terrain
The countryside surrounding Tigard and Tualatin was originally rolling woodland. While much of the forest has been logged and converted to farmland, some pockets and areas of regeneration remain and there are several extensive State Parks. The mountains of the Cascade Range are less than an hour’s drive away.  

Jobs
Home to a diversity of businesses, the cities of Tigard and Tualatin offer many advantages to both employers and job-seekers. Their residents are the youngest, most affluent, and most highly educated in Oregon. Electronics leaders such as Intel, IBM and Tektronix, have substantial investments in Washington County, and it is the world headquarters for both Nike and Columbia Sportswear. In Tigard there is over 4.5 million square feet of commercial and industrial space at several large new business parks. 

Housing
Tigard and Tualatin are suburban communities comprising close-knit, family-oriented neighborhoods. Both are growing steadily so that there are plenty of new family homes in new neighborhoods and developments, but both towns also retain many comfortable older neighborhoods in beautiful condition. The average cost of new homes in the two cities in 2004 was $256,000 and $277,000 respectively. 

Recreation
Both Tigard and Tualatin are richly endowed with parks and recreational facilities. At 79 acres, Cook Park in Tigard is the largest of Tigard’s 7 neighborhood and community parks. Situated on the Tualatin River this park, like the nearby Summerlake and Fanno Creek Parks, is a haven for wildlife of all kinds in the midst of the busy suburban community. Also on the Tualatin River, Brown’s Ferry Park in Tualatin is a peaceful refuge for both humans and wildlife. Located near the site of a 19th Century ferry across the river, this park has beautiful views of ponds, creeks, wooded wetlands, and the river itself. An extensive native grass and wildflower prairie will be restored over the next several years. 

The Tualatin Country Club has been challenging and charming golfers since 1912. Renovated in 1992, hazards on this par 72 6,600 yard course include two lakes, the Tualatin River on three holes, and forty-six bunkers. Each hole has four sets of tees to accommodate golfers of all abilities, and practice facilities include a driving range, putting greens, chipping and practice bunkers. The award-winning Pumpkin Ridge near Tualatin has two select courses which have hosted major tournaments including the US Women’s Open and Nike Tour Championship. 

The wine-growing areas of surrounding Washington County offer wonderful recreational possibilities. Since the 1960s, wine-makers have made the best of the perfect combination of climate, soils, and well-situated slopes in the Tualatin Valley to produce some of the finest Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling in America and the world. Organized or independent tours of vineyards and cellars are available. 

A novel way to see the wine country or the byways and hidden gems of the charming Willamette Valley is by bicycle. The gently rolling country lends itself to this unhurried form of transport, and detailed maps are available specifically to help cyclists make the most of their tour. 

Special Attractions/Events
Tualatin’s undoubted highlight of the year is the annual Crawfish Festival. With an amusing history dating back 54 years, this two-day extravaganza celebrates the tasty crustacean that abounds in local waters. There are all manner of events to enjoy, including lots of live music, a parade, a dog show, competitions, a teen dance, community artistic displays and exhibits, and of course vast numbers of crawfish prepared in every conceivable way and eaten with gusto! 

In Tigard, the 600-seat Deb Fennel Auditorium hosts award-winning local music and theater groups and touring professional artists and is the home of the professional Broadway Rose Theatre. This acclaimed company has been presenting five or six wildly popular musical productions a year since 1992, drawing happy audiences from around the Northwest. 

Tigard is also home to Washington Square, one of the largest climate-controlled shopping malls in Oregon. Notable for its contemporary architecture and design, and housing four department stores, including the state’s largest Nordstrom and more than 170 specialty stores, Washington Square is considered to be one of the Portland area’s finest shopping environments. 

Interesting Facts
Tualatin’s origins go back to the 1880’s, when the town was established around the railroad depot on the Tualatin River's west bank The town grew rapidly as the local logging and lumber industry and the associated rail link to Portland developed; new residents arrived from across the country, attracted by plentiful work and good wages. The City of Tualatin was incorporated and an official government was formed in 1913. 

In 1947, an earlier chapter in the city’s history was unearthed when two local boys excavated the fossilized teeth, bones and a four-foot tusk of a Mastodon from what is now the Fred Meyer parking lot. The relics of this 11,500 year-old relative of the elephant have been painstakingly reassembled and are now on display in the Tualatin City Hall. 

Tigard boasts quite a number of historically significant buildings, perhaps the finest of which is the John Tigard House. This lovely three-roomed Gothic Victorian home was built by the town’s founder in 1880 and carefully restored in the 1970’s through the efforts of the Tigard Area Historical and Preservation Association. It has since been entered in the National Register of Historic Places and is now used as a showcase for special historical exhibits. 

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