Portland, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Portland, Indiana
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Jay County Courthouse
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Location of Portland in Jay County, Indiana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Jay |
| Township | Wayne |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.88 sq mi (12.63 km2) |
| • Land | 4.87 sq mi (12.62 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) 0.24%% |
| Elevation | 906 ft (276 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,320 |
| • Density | 1,296.94/sq mi (500.79/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
47371
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| Area code(s) | 260 |
| FIPS code | 18-61236 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2396259 |
Portland is a city located in Jay County, Indiana, in the United States. It is also the county seat, which means it's where the main government offices for the county are located.
In 2020, about 6,320 people lived in Portland. The city is known for its history and its location near the Salamonie River.
Contents
History of Portland
Portland was officially planned and laid out in 1837. It was given its name after the city of Portland, Maine.
Several important buildings and areas in Portland are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are recognized for their special historical value. These include the Jay County Courthouse, the Portland Commercial Historic District, and the Jonas Votaw House.
Geography and Climate
Portland covers a total area of about 12.88 square kilometers (4.97 square miles). Most of this area is land, with a very small amount of water.
The Salamonie River flows through the city, just south of its center. This river flows west and is a smaller stream that eventually joins the larger Wabash River.
Portland's Climate
Portland experiences a typical Midwest climate with four distinct seasons. Summers are generally warm, while winters can be cold with snow.
| Climate data for Portland, Indiana (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1964–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 65 (18) |
73 (23) |
85 (29) |
87 (31) |
92 (33) |
104 (40) |
102 (39) |
100 (38) |
96 (36) |
91 (33) |
79 (26) |
72 (22) |
104 (40) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 56.0 (13.3) |
59.7 (15.4) |
71.1 (21.7) |
80.3 (26.8) |
86.4 (30.2) |
91.6 (33.1) |
93.1 (33.9) |
90.6 (32.6) |
88.9 (31.6) |
82.1 (27.8) |
70.0 (21.1) |
59.0 (15.0) |
94.3 (34.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33.8 (1.0) |
37.6 (3.1) |
48.2 (9.0) |
61.6 (16.4) |
71.7 (22.1) |
80.4 (26.9) |
83.7 (28.7) |
81.9 (27.7) |
76.5 (24.7) |
64.3 (17.9) |
50.5 (10.3) |
38.9 (3.8) |
60.8 (16.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.4 (−3.7) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
37.9 (3.3) |
49.7 (9.8) |
60.4 (15.8) |
69.6 (20.9) |
72.8 (22.7) |
70.8 (21.6) |
64.4 (18.0) |
52.7 (11.5) |
40.8 (4.9) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
50.3 (10.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 17.0 (−8.3) |
19.0 (−7.2) |
27.7 (−2.4) |
37.8 (3.2) |
49.2 (9.6) |
58.7 (14.8) |
61.9 (16.6) |
59.6 (15.3) |
52.3 (11.3) |
41.1 (5.1) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
22.9 (−5.1) |
39.9 (4.4) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −5.3 (−20.7) |
−0.1 (−17.8) |
9.1 (−12.7) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
34.9 (1.6) |
45.4 (7.4) |
51.5 (10.8) |
49.2 (9.6) |
37.8 (3.2) |
29.0 (−1.7) |
17.3 (−8.2) |
5.8 (−14.6) |
−8.0 (−22.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −29 (−34) |
−16 (−27) |
−13 (−25) |
10 (−12) |
27 (−3) |
38 (3) |
40 (4) |
38 (3) |
28 (−2) |
17 (−8) |
4 (−16) |
−21 (−29) |
−29 (−34) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.82 (72) |
2.71 (69) |
2.80 (71) |
3.62 (92) |
4.31 (109) |
4.55 (116) |
4.07 (103) |
3.83 (97) |
2.97 (75) |
2.85 (72) |
3.01 (76) |
2.39 (61) |
39.93 (1,014) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.4 (16) |
5.4 (14) |
3.1 (7.9) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.6 (1.5) |
3.5 (8.9) |
19.4 (49) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.8 | 8.4 | 9.3 | 11.1 | 11.5 | 10.2 | 8.3 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 9.4 | 109.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 3.8 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 11.1 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population and People
The population of Portland has changed over the years. Here's how it has grown and shrunk:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 462 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,694 | 266.7% | |
| 1890 | 3,725 | 119.9% | |
| 1900 | 4,798 | 28.8% | |
| 1910 | 5,130 | 6.9% | |
| 1920 | 5,958 | 16.1% | |
| 1930 | 5,276 | −11.4% | |
| 1940 | 6,362 | 20.6% | |
| 1950 | 7,064 | 11.0% | |
| 1960 | 6,999 | −0.9% | |
| 1970 | 7,115 | 1.7% | |
| 1980 | 7,074 | −0.6% | |
| 1990 | 6,483 | −8.4% | |
| 2000 | 6,437 | −0.7% | |
| 2010 | 6,223 | −3.3% | |
| 2020 | 6,320 | 1.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, there were 6,223 people living in Portland. The city had 2,607 households. About 23.7% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age in Portland was about 39.4 years.
Education in Portland
The city of Portland has a public library where people can borrow books and other materials. It is called the Jay County Public Library.
Famous People from Portland
Many interesting people have come from Portland, Indiana:
- Leon Ames (actor): He helped start the Screen Actors Guild in 1933.
- Stephanie Arnold (archer): She competed in women's archery at the 2004 Olympics.
- Pete Brewster (football player): He was a professional football player.
- Pete Daily (musician): A talented musician.
- Kevin A. Ford (astronaut): He was a NASA astronaut who piloted a space shuttle mission in 2009.
- Elwood Haynes (inventor): Born in Portland in 1857, he invented the clutch-driven automobile in 1894.
- Jack Imel (television producer): He worked on the famous Lawrence Welk Show.
- Richard T. James (politician): He was Indiana's lieutenant governor from 1945 to 1949.
- Kenneth MacDonald (actor): He acted in many short films and in the Three Stooges movies.
- Mary Meeker (investment banker): Born in Portland in 1960, she helped make the Internet popular for investors in the 1990s. She was even called the "Queen of the Internet."
- John P. C. Shanks (politician and general): He was a U.S. Representative from Indiana and a major general in the Union Army.
- Twyla Tharp (choreographer): She has won an Emmy and a Tony Award for her dance work.
- Bill Wallace (martial artist): Born in 1945, he is a well-known martial artist.
- Greg Williams (basketball coach): He was a WNBA coach and played college basketball.
Images for kids
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The historic Jay County Courthouse in Portland.
See also
In Spanish: Portland (Indiana) para niños
