Oregon Zoo
The Oregon Zoo, originally the Portland Zoo and later the Washington Park Zoo, is a zoo in Portland, Oregon, United States. Its story as a place to visit starts in 1888. Look also at Moda Center, 2.8 mi away.
A zoo & aquarium inside Portland
You can stay in Portland
Oregon Zoo is inside Portland, which has 257 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Established in 1888
Oregon Zoo dates from 1888. About ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep and Oct
May, June, July, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 64–82°. When to go ↓
An airport 8 miles away
Portland (PDX) has airline service, about 8 miles from Oregon Zoo.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
Here is how the weather at Oregon Zoo changes month by month.
Oregon Zoo
The Oregon Zoo, originally the Portland Zoo and later the Washington Park Zoo, is a zoo in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is located in Washington Park, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of downtown Portland. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest zoo west of the Mississippi River.
The 64-acre (26 ha) zoo is owned by the regional Metro government. It currently holds more than 1,800 animals of more than 230 species, including 19 endangered species and 9 threatened species. The zoo also boasts an extensive plant collection throughout its animal exhibits and specialized gardens. The zoo also operates and maintains the 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge Washington Park & Zoo Railway that previously connected to the International Rose Test Garden inside the park, but currently runs only within the zoo.
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Animals
- 1 animals · 232 species
- Area
- 64 acres
- Established
- 1888
- Wikipedia readers
- 15K a year
Lodging near Oregon Zoo
Close by, places to stay are in Portland (257) and Vancouver (40).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Oregon Zoo | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | in town | — | 257 182 hotels · 31 motels · 19 inns & B&Bs · 11 lodges & cabins · 3 hostels · 5 campgrounds · 6 RV parks | 635,109 | $582K | D− |
| Vancouver | 11 mi northeast | 15 min | 40 33 hotels · 2 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 199,698 | $462K | D |
| Beaverton | 5 mi southwest | 10 min | 17 16 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 97,842 | $570K | C− |
| Hillsboro | 11 mi west | 15 min | 23 20 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs | 111,126 | $521K | C− |
| Tigard | 7 mi southwest | 10 min | 12 11 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins | 57,929 | $611K | D |
| Gresham | 13 mi east | 20 min | 21 15 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 111,513 | $459K | C− |
| Lake Oswego | 7 mi south | 10 min | 9 7 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 39,722 | $932K | B |
| Oatfield | 9 mi southeast | 15 min | 10 8 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 13,294 | $569K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Next door to Oregon Zoo
You can reach each of these within 55 miles.
Big draw54 mi MountainMount St. Helens
13 mi Stadium & arenaModa Center
2in town Stadium & arenaProvidence Park
Big draw50 mi MountainMount Hood
3in town MuseumPittock Mansion
43 mi City parkForest Park
529 mi WaterfallMultnomah Falls
63 mi Stadium & arenaVeterans Memorial ColiseumPhoto credits
Mount St. Helens: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain · Moda Center: Lugnuts, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Providence Park: Pdx.rollingthunder, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mount Hood: Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory., Public domain · Pittock Mansion: PittockBack.jpg: Cacophony derivative work: Tiptoety talk, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Forest Park: EncMstr, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Multnomah Falls: John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Veterans Memorial Coliseum: Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Asked about Oregon Zoo
Is Oregon Zoo in Portland?
Yes. It’s inside Portland, OR.
When is the best time to visit Oregon Zoo?
May, June, July, August, September and October, with highs of 64–82°.
What is the closest airport to Oregon Zoo?
Portland (PDX), about 8 miles away.
Where should I stay near Oregon Zoo?
Portland (in town, 257 places to stay), Vancouver (11 mi, 40 places to stay) and Beaverton (5 mi, 17 places to stay).
Tips from Portland
No one has shared advice yet; Portland’s Town Square takes questions.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.