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Portland, Tennessee
Portland City Hall
Portland City Hall
Location of Portland in Sumner County, Tennessee.
Location of Portland in Sumner County, Tennessee.
Country United States
State Tennessee
Counties Sumner, Robertson
Established 1859
Incorporated 1905
Area
 • Total 14.82 sq mi (38.39 km2)
 • Land 14.80 sq mi (38.34 km2)
 • Water 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
801 ft (244 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 13,156
 • Density 888.74/sq mi (343.14/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
37148
Area code(s) 615/629
FIPS code 47-60280
GNIS feature ID 1298281
Website www.cityofportlandtn.gov

Portland is a city in Sumner and Robertson counties in Tennessee. The population was 11,486 in 2010 according to estimates by the U.S. census bureau and in 2020 the population was 13,156. Portland is a part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Portland is located on the Highland Rim in extreme northern Middle Tennessee. This region has always been known for excellent agricultural soils, a spectacular wildlife environment and an enjoyable climate.

People were originally attracted from the tobacco belt in Virginia and the Carolinas to the Highland Rim for land speculation and production of dark tobacco. The Highland Rim offered ideal climate and soil conditions for growing dark tobacco. This lucrative crop increased the value of the land, which benefited land speculators in the area. Eventually these speculators moved on to attempt profits elsewhere. The farmers, however, remained.

The oldest local settlement in Portland is Fountain Head, which is located a couple of miles south of Portland. This settlement was founded in 1792 by the James Gwin family. Within a century, it grew to include a mill, tobacco factory, post office, a Louisville and Nashville Railroad depot, and a number of local retail stores.

William Nolan built a school near Shun Pike in what is now Portland. This stimulated community growth. Portland was originally called Richland. In 1859, the L&N Railroad opened the Nashville-Bowling Green route through Portland. In the same year, a train depot was built in Richland along the railroad on property owned by Thomas Buntin. Buntin was appointed as the depot's first agent and later became Richland's first postmaster. The depot stimulated development in the village. Even today, the railroad runs directly through the center of town.

The first public high school in Sumner County was originally started as a seminary in 1874. It was later named Sumner County High School and opened in 1915.

In 1887, there were two towns in Tennessee named Richland. Officials of the L&N railroad were worried that a telegraph mix-up might result in a train wreck. Postal customers complained of inconvenience as mail was frequently misdirected between the two Richlands. The Railroad administrators and postal authorities decided that Richland in Sumner County would be renamed as Portland to avoid this confusion. The new name was effective on April 10, 1888. Portland was incorporated in April 1904 by legislation passed by the Tennessee Assembly.

In the second decade of the 21st century, Portland is growing at a fast pace buoyed by the growth of the Nashville Metropolitan Area. Daido America operates its US headquarters in Portland. Companies such as Kyowa America and Unipres have manufacturing plants in the city as well.

Geography

Portland, Tennessee Business District 9-28-2013
Portland, Tennessee Business District

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.4 square miles (30 km2), of which, 11.4 square miles (30 km2) is land and 0.09% is water.

Portland is the northern terminus of U.S. Bicycle Route 23. Portland is considered the strawberry capital of Tennessee.

Climate

Climate data for Portland Sewage Plant, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1955–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 72
(22)
81
(27)
85
(29)
89
(32)
94
(34)
106
(41)
105
(41)
105
(41)
100
(38)
95
(35)
86
(30)
76
(24)
106
(41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 45.3
(7.4)
50.3
(10.2)
59.1
(15.1)
69.8
(21.0)
77.7
(25.4)
85.3
(29.6)
88.8
(31.6)
88.1
(31.2)
82.2
(27.9)
71.4
(21.9)
58.9
(14.9)
48.9
(9.4)
68.8
(20.4)
Daily mean °F (°C) 36.0
(2.2)
39.9
(4.4)
48.1
(8.9)
58.2
(14.6)
67.2
(19.6)
75.1
(23.9)
78.6
(25.9)
77.5
(25.3)
70.9
(21.6)
59.7
(15.4)
48.2
(9.0)
39.6
(4.2)
58.3
(14.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 26.6
(−3.0)
29.5
(−1.4)
37.0
(2.8)
46.5
(8.1)
56.6
(13.7)
64.8
(18.2)
68.5
(20.3)
66.9
(19.4)
59.6
(15.3)
47.9
(8.8)
37.4
(3.0)
30.2
(−1.0)
47.6
(8.7)
Record low °F (°C) −19
(−28)
−9
(−23)
−1
(−18)
21
(−6)
29
(−2)
36
(2)
48
(9)
44
(7)
32
(0)
22
(−6)
9
(−13)
−14
(−26)
−19
(−28)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.20
(107)
4.69
(119)
5.08
(129)
5.24
(133)
5.80
(147)
4.36
(111)
4.57
(116)
4.15
(105)
3.64
(92)
3.69
(94)
3.78
(96)
5.11
(130)
54.31
(1,379)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.2
(0.51)
1.5
(3.8)
0.3
(0.76)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
2.0
(5.1)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 10.9 9.9 12.4 10.9 11.0 10.3 9.7 7.9 7.8 8.0 8.8 11.3 118.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.5 0.9 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 1.9
Source: NOAA

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 579
1920 869 50.1%
1930 1,030 18.5%
1940 1,212 17.7%
1950 1,660 37.0%
1960 2,424 46.0%
1970 2,872 18.5%
1980 4,030 40.3%
1990 5,165 28.2%
2000 8,458 63.8%
2010 11,480 35.7%
2020 13,156 14.6%
Sources:

2020 Census data

Portland racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 10,827 82.3%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 603 4.58%
Native American 35 0.27%
Asian 70 0.53%
Pacific Islander 2 0.02%
Other/Mixed 664 5.05%
Hispanic or Latino 955 7.26%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,156 people, 4,469 households, and 3,247 families residing in the city.

2010 Census data

As of the 2010 Census Portland had a population of 11,480. It had a racial and ethnic composition of 90.5% non-Hispanic white, 3.5% black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic from some other race, 1.7% two or more races, and 3.9% Hispanic or Latino.

Notable people

  • Corey Brewer, born and raised in Portland; former NBA basketball player
  • Ronnie McDowell, born and raised in Portland, country music star
  • Steve-O, Jackass stunt performer

Nearby communities

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Portland (Tennessee) para niños

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