Visit the Portland City Archives

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You don't need to be a scholar to do research, the Portland City Archives is open to everyone!
Photograph of the exterior of the Portland Archives and Records Center, located at the Portland State University campus
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Plan Your Visit to the Portland City Archives

The Portland City Archives are open for you. Visit the City Archives if you are seeking material such as elected officials’ papers, department reports, planning maps, Ordinances and Resolutions, budget information, correspondence, and/or photographs. If the City contributed in some way, there is a good chance we have some record of it.

We also have material that helps support research on the city, from City Directories (1863 to 1986) to early souvenir books. These types of materials are not necessarily City-produced, but they are helpful in digging into the history of Portland and the people who live here. 

Popular research topics at the City Archives include:

  • Urban planning
  • Parks & recreation
  • Land use
  • Environmental issues
  • Public works and safety
  • Economic development
  • Social and cultural issues including gentrification and our city's racial history. 

Our records cover those topics but so much more. You can also explore our collection online using Efiles. This is a catalog of everything we have in the collection. Some of the entries include images, maps, and documents that you can view or download from any computer. If you have a specific subject you would like to explore, contact us, and we'll get you started!

Scheduling Your Visit 

Contact the City Archives to make an appointment by calling 503-865-4100 or emailing PARC@portlandoregon.gov. In-person research at the Portland Archives & Records Center is currently available only by appointment on the following days/times:

  • Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12PM-4PM
  • Wednesdays, 9AM-1PM

In setting up your appointment, an archivist on staff will discuss with your your topics of interest. Records and materials are typically re-filed daily, but we can place a hold if you need to conduct research for an extended period of time. 

Group Visits & Tours 

The Portland Archives & Records Center (PARC) is happy to host your workgroup, organization, or class in our Research Room! We are excited to introduce students and community members of all ages to archives and to Portland’s City records.
Please email us at parc@portlandoregon.gov at least 15 business days before your scheduled visit. Requests are not finalized until you receive a confirmation email from PARC staff with additional instructions on visiting the archives and what to expect.

City Holidays & Closures:

The Research Room will be closed on the following days:

  • New Year's Day
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Presidents' Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Veterans’ Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Day After Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Day

Research Room Guidelines

Please help us keep our archives for generations to come by adhering to our Research Room guidelines: 

  • We only allow pencil, paper, phones, and laptops in the Research Room 
  • Lockers are available to hold other belongings 
  • No food or drinks are allowed inside the Research Room. They can be thrown away in the hallway trash bins or put in a locker
  • Lotions, perfumes, and oils can damage historical records. Please ensure your hands are clean before coming to the Research Room 
  • This is a fragrance free workplace. If you are wearing a scented product that impacts the health of an employee or other researcher you may be asked to leave. Click here to read the City’s fragrance-free workplace policy (BHR-4.03) 

Accessing our Building

We are located on the PSU campus in the Academic & Student Recreation Center (ASRC) at 1800 SW 6th Avenue, 5th floor, Suite 550. You’ll enter in the doors on the brick plaza side. We are the building on the south side of the brick plaza. Upon arrival at the front door, use the intercom to call up to our office. The building is currently key-card accessible only, so we will buzz you in. Once inside, take the elevators to the 5th floor. 

Get Directions

Transportation/Parking

We are located at the PSU Urban Center/SW 6th & Montgomery stop for the Green, Yellow, and Orange MAX lines. The Portland Streetcar stop is near us and there are numerous bus lines that stop within a couple blocks of our building. 

Visit TriMet's website to plan your route.  

There is some paid street and surface lot parking available, or you can pay to park in the PSU parking garage at 1812 SW 6th Ave. 

Pandemic Considerations 

  • Indoor masks are no longer be required by the State or the City and are now optional in the Research Room.
  • We are now scheduling more than one researcher at a time for in-person research appointments. Our research room accommodates social distancing, but if you have concerns about sharing the research room with other customers, please let us know, and we will set up a solo appointment for you.
  • Sanitizer and an air purifier are available inside the Research Room for use.   

Copies & Scanning Services 

The easiest way to make a copy of our materials is by doing it yourself! Bring your phone and snap photos of any materials you’d like to reference later. 

If you prefer a paper copy or need publication-quality scans, ask City Archives staff in the Research Room, and we will happily assist. Photocopies are reduced to fit on to 8½ x 11 sized paper and are printed double sided unless otherwise requested. It is likely we can make photocopies for you on the spot, but depending on the extent of your copying needs, we may not fulfill your request right away. We’ll let you know if there will be a delay.

For High-Resolution Scans: 

  • Currently, hi-res scans are made at no cost, though you may be asked to narrow down the number of requested scans dependent on the queue for scanning and staff availability. 
  • Turnaround time for scans is 15 business days, but we will deliver files to you as soon as we can!
  • Already know what you would like digitized? Use our PARC Records Request form to request digitized records without having to come in to our center (limit of 20 items) 

Due to the fragile nature of many historical records, some requests for paper or scanned copies may be denied. In these situations, alternative methods for obtaining a copy may be available.

Citing City Archives

The City Archives strives to make our materials as accessible and easy to use as possible. One way you can help us is to cite our materials when using them in any publication, whether it be a book, film, magazine or newspaper, blog, website, presentation, school project, report, or zine.

Citations credit the original creator for their work, validate your source as authentic, and help City Archives staff locate items when asked about materials in your published work.

For all educational and non-profit purposes, please freely use our materials and cite the City Archives using the instructions below. For all commercial purposes, please contact PARC@portlandoregon.gov before use.

View our Citation Instructions.

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