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This view of the Portland city skyline is illuminated by trees showcasing a fiery autumn-orange color and a snow-capped Mt. Hood in the background.
Credit: David Grant via Flickr

Fall in Portland

The arrival of autumn brings beautiful color, pleasant weather and smaller crowds.

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This view of the Portland city skyline is illuminated by trees showcasing a fiery autumn-orange color and a snow-capped Mt. Hood in the background.
Credit: David Grant via Flickr
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With summer behind and winter ahead, autumn in Portland presents a great opportunity for recreation, festive activities, dining and shopping in beautiful surroundings with fewer crowds. Whether you’re looking for a haunted Halloween adventure, a bountiful harvest, a place to read, stunning natural beauty or award-winning seasonal cuisine, fall in Portland is an ideal time and place.

The city’s arts offerings come into full swing every fall, as do our professional sports. Autumn is the prime time to explore Portland’s independent theater, big musical productions, opera, ballet and symphony, along with the Portland Timbers and Thorns, Winterhawks and Trail Blazers franchises.

Fall in Portland Quick Facts

What is the weather like in Portland in the fall?

In Portland, fall weather is generally mild, with plenty of gorgeous days mixed in. By mid-October, temperatures are likely to be in the low 70s to mid-60s Fahrenheit (around 20° C) during the day, with lows in the high 40s and low 50s Fahrenheit (around 10° C). Come November, average temperatures drop by 10 degrees Fahrenheit (around 12° C) or so.

Where are the fall colors in Portland?

With over 1.4 million trees in the city, most of them deciduous, Portland is awash with spectacular fall colors once the cooler temperatures set in. Savor the seasonal changes during an urban hike, or enjoy the display from a beautiful viewing spot. 

What should I pack for fall in Portland?

For a trip to Portland in the fall, we recommend packing several layers and a rainproof jacket. Old-school Portlanders tend to shun umbrellas, but they can come in handy to shield glasses and faces from heavier showers. To avoid getting stuck in the mud or drenched in a puddle, a pair of rain boots is also worth bringing on your trip to Portland.

Where should I eat this fall?

Many of Portland’s award-winning restaurants offer fresh, regionally inspired seasonal menus. Try Coquine, Seasons & Regions, Q Restaurant & Bar, or Southpark for starters.

Fall Recreation

With more frequent rain and cooler temperatures, fall in Portland can be a perfect season for getting outdoors with fewer folks competing for parking and views. Destinations like Multnomah Falls and the Columbia River Gorge see a fraction of the visitors once October rolls around. The leaves start changing color, making hikes and outdoor strolls more beautiful than ever, and the sun still makes regular appearances despite our collective worry about life after summer. 

maple tree with bright orange leaves
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Fall colors shine at the Portland Japanese Garden.
Credit: Rebecca Saltonstall
waterfall in Portland's Japanese Garden
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The Portland Japanese Garden offers 12 acres of tranquility and a tea house.
fallen red and yellow leaves surround an autumnal tree on a hillside
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Find 2,300 species of trees (including stately redwoods), miles of hiking trails and striking fall colors at Hoyt Arboretum.
Credit: Mike Drewry from Hoyt Arboretum and Friends
Maple trees with red leaves frame a light green St. John's bridge
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Autumnal trees frame the epic St. Johns Bridge in North Portland.
Credit: Ian Sane, via Flickr

Fall Colors

While Portland’s 1.4 million trees make stunning fall colors easy to find, savvy visitors head for spots like the Portland Japanese Garden, Hoyt Arboretum, any of our nearby waterfall destinations, or the countless parks and gardens throughout the city.

Get Outside This Fall

From harvests to haunts, autumn is full of outdoor activities for all.

Full Calendar

Fall Harvest

Portland’s location on the northern end of the fertile Willamette Valley, west of the Columbia River Gorge, means an autumn season full of incredible harvests of hops, apples, pears, pumpkins and more. By late August, you can enjoy fresh-hopped beers across the city at breweries like Stormbreaker, Great Notion, and Wayfinder. In early October, combine the self-guided “fruit loop” orchard and rural farm tour experience with a stop at the Hood River Valley Harvest Festival.

Visit the local farms and pumpkin patches of Sauvie Island for activities and fun like caramel apples, a corn maize, hayrides and pumpkins to carve. If a good scare or haunted house is what you’re looking for, check out The Spirit of Halloweentown, Oaks Park Scare Grounds and The Fear PDX.

A woman and three children find their way through the tall corn at the Corn Maize at The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island.
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The Corn Maize at The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island is fun for the whole family.
Dozens of jack-o'-lanterns illuminate the lawn of a park
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Jack o' lanterns illuminate the lawn of Plaza Park in St. Helens.
a person standing in front of a pumpkin patch holding a pumpkin in front of their face
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Pick your very own perfect pumpkin on Portland's Sauvie Island.
Credit: Meg Aul via Flickr
people in costumes paddle boats made of giant pumpkins on a lake while spectators watch on the shore
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Dressed in quirky costumes, paddlers at the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta compete for prizes in a series of races.

Fall Shopping

With back-to-school in the rearview and the Holidays in the not-so-distant future, the fall season presents a great opportunity to shop with purpose. The city’s lack of sales tax means built-in savings when you shop at the city’s farmers’ markets, overflowing with seasonal produce and goods, or Portland’s great shopping neighborhoods, which are less busy post-summer. Spend a crisp fall Saturday in the Hawthorne, Mississippi or Nob Hill neighborhoods, where you’ll find a great selection of arts and crafts, vintage, vinyl, jewelry, apparel, books and more.

Cultural Markets & Art

The fall calendar also fills up with unique shopping experiences, like the Indigenous Marketplace, Portland Open Studios, Sitka Art Invitational, and the Oregon Buddhist Temple Fall Bazaar. All great opportunities to treat yourself to a one-of-a-kind item or Holiday gift to check off the shopping list before things get too hectic.

Favorite Fall Events

The arrival of autumn in Portland brings plenty of things to do and see in and around Portland.

Go to Events
gamers and onlookers gather around a vintage television set in a living room setup at a retro gaming conference

A Guide to Portland Retro Gaming Expo

This annual celebration of classic video and arcade games features expert panels, cosplay competitions, dozens of local and international exhibitors with rare finds, and a 30,000-square-foot “retrocade” with hundreds of games to play.

A woman and three children find their way through the tall corn at the Corn Maize at The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island.

The Corn Maize on Sauvie Island

The Corn Maize, located on Sauvie Island north of Portland, offers visitors eight acres of physical and mental challenges in a cornfield.

two people sit together in the sunshine in the middle of a crowd

Portland Date Ideas for Every Season

Fun things to do in Portland for adults out on a date night abound! Whatever the season, find gardens to wander through or sweet treats for your sweetie.

two race car drivers hold up their winning trophies

Grand Prix of Portland

Every fall since 2018, Portland International Raceway has hosted the celebrated open-wheel racing with the Grand Prix of Portland.

a woman creates art in a studio

Portland Open Studios

For two weekends every October, Portland Open Studios invites visitors to explore the houses and offices of artists across the city.

people in costumes paddle boats made of giant pumpkins on a lake while spectators watch on the shore

West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta

This annual race series consists of paddlers piloting a gaggle of gigantic gourds through a watercourse.

three people standing near a food cart carrying books

The Portland Book Festival

Portland Book Festival (formerly “Wordstock”) returns every November with an impressive (and extensive) lineup of local and national authors.

people tasting wine surrounded by wine barrels

Wine Country Thanksgiving

During Oregon’s premier tasting and cellar-stocking event, many local wineries open their doors to the public, offering samples of favorite selections.

a giant pumpkin sculpture is lit on the inside sitting in front of a town hall building

The Spirit of Halloweentown

Get into the Spirit of Halloweentown, an October event in St. Helens, Oregon, that features haunted tours, celebrity appearances, costume contests and more.

Festivals, Sports & More

Portland reaches its sports pinnacle in autumn, as the beloved Portland Trail Blazers basketball and Winterhawks hockey teams get underway, and the Portland Timbers and Thorns conclude their soccer seasons. If you can’t get tickets to the game, The Sports Bra and Jackie’s sports bars are great options to watch with fellow fans.

To enjoy the passion of sport in a truly unique experience, catch the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta, where costumed racers pilot their giant pumpkins on Tualatin Lake. For a different pace, the Portland Book Festival, Kiku Matsuri, Chrysanthemum Festival and Portland Retro Gaming Expo are among the popular festivals of the season.

Events, Fall

Events by Month

Each month in Portland brings its own unique array of things to do, see and experience.

Full Calendar
A chef plates some food in a kitchen

September Events

As summer winds down, Portland ups the ante with performance art, live music and dining events throughout September.

kids running through a pumpkin patch

October Events

October events in Portland include a giant pumpkin race, a can’t-miss film festival, corn mazes, haunted houses and other autumn- and Halloween-themed events.

Giant lit-up neon Portland Oregon Stag sign has an added red Rudolph nose for the winter season

November Events

Portland in November gets cozy with downtown’s holiday tree lighting, Willamette Valley wine tasting and a festival to help you find a great book.