View source for Portland Union Station

{{Short description|Train station in Portland, Oregon, U.S.}}
{{For|the former Union Station in Portland, Maine|Union Station (Portland, Maine)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox station
| style              = Amtrak
| name               = Portland Union Station
| image              = UnionStationPortland.jpg
| image_caption      = 
| address            = 800 Northwest Sixth Avenue<br />[[Portland, Oregon]]
| country            = United States
| coordinates        = {{coord|45.529|-122.6768|region:US-OR_type:railwaystation|display=inline,title}}
| line               = {{Plainlist|
* [[Fallbridge Subdivision]]
* [[Portland Subdivision]]
}}
| connections        = {{rint|tram|1}}{{nbsp}}'''[[MAX Light Rail]]''':{{Block indent|em=1|1=<nowiki />{{ric|TriMet|Green|name=y}}{{Clear}}{{ric|TriMet|Orange|name=y}}{{Clear}}{{ric|TriMet|Yellow|name=y}}{{Clear}}at [[Union Station (TriMet)|Union Station/Northwest 6th & Hoyt and Union Station/Northwest 5th & Glisan stations]]}}{{Clear}}
{{rint|tram|1}}{{nbsp}}'''[[Portland Streetcar]]'''{{Clear}}
{{rint|bus|1|}}{{nbsp}}'''Transit bus services''':{{Block indent|em=1|1=<nowiki />[[Sunset Empire Transportation District|The Bus]], Central Oregon Breeze, [[FlixBus]], Pacific Crest Lines, [[Oregon POINT|POINT]], Shuttle Oregon, [[TriMet]], [[Tillamook County Transportation District|The Wave]]}}
| platform           = 1 [[side platform|side]], 2 [[island platform|island]] platforms
| tracks             = 5
| parking            = Yes
| bicycle            = Yes
| mpassengers        = {{rail pass box|system=Amtrak|passengers={{Amtrak ridership|Portland, OR}}{{Amtrak ridership|citationOR}}|pass_year={{Amtrak ridership|date}}}}
| opened             = {{Start date and age|1896|02|14}}
| rebuilt            = {{Start date and age|1996}}
| accessible         = Yes
| code               = {{Amtrak code|PDX}}
| owned              = City of Portland ([[Prosper Portland]])
| zone               = 
| services           = {{Adjacent stations
  |system1=Amtrak
    |line1=Cascades|left1=Oregon City|right1=Vancouver, Washington
    |line2=Coast Starlight|left2=Salem|right2=Vancouver, Washington
    |line3=Empire Builder|right3=Vancouver, Washington
  |system4=Portland Streetcar
    |line4=A|transfer4=NW 9th & Lovejoy|left4=NW 10th & Johnson|oneway-left4=true|right4=N Weidler & Ross
}}
| other_services_header = Former services
| other_services_collapsible = yes
| other_services     = {{Adjacent stations
|system1=Amtrak|line1=Pioneer|left1=Vancouver, Washington|right1=Cascade Locks
|right2=Hood River|note-right1=1981–1988|left2=Vancouver, Washington
|line3=Willamette Valley|left3=East Milwaukie
|system4=Union Pacific Railroad|line4=Portland-Granger|right4=Graham
|header5=Joint Great Northern/Northern Pacific/<br />Union Pacific&nbsp;service
|line6=Portland-Seattle|right6=North Portland
|system7=Great Northern Railway|right7=North Portland|line7=Portland-Seattle
|system8=Northern Pacific Railway
|line8=Portland-Seattle|right8=North Portland
|system9=Southern Pacific Railroad|line9=Shasta Route|left9=East Morrison Street
|line10=Corvallis-Portland|left10=East Morrison Street
|line11=Tillamook-Portland|left11=East Morrison Street
|system12=Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway|line12=Main Line|right12=St. Johns}}
| embedded           = {{Infobox NRHP
| name         = Union Station
| embed        = yes
| nrhp_type    =
| built        = 1890-96
| architect    = [[Van Brunt & Howe]]
| architecture = [[Romanesque Revival architecture|Romanesque Revival]]
| added        = August 6, 1975
| area         = {{convert|7|acre|1}}
| refnum       = 75001595<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
}}
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-marker-color = #{{rcr|Amtrak}}
}}

'''Portland Union Station''' is a [[train station]] in [[Portland, Oregon]], United States, situated near the western shore of the [[Willamette River]] in [[Old Town Chinatown]]. It serves as an intermediate stop for [[Amtrak]]'s ''[[Amtrak Cascades|Cascades]]'' and ''[[Coast Starlight]]'' routes and, along with [[King Street Station]] in [[Seattle]], is one of two western termini of the ''[[Empire Builder]]''. The station is a major [[transport hub]] for the [[Portland metropolitan area]] with connections to [[MAX Light Rail]], the [[Portland Streetcar]], and local and [[intercity bus service]]s. The station building contains Wilf's Restaurant & Bar on the ground level and offices on the upper floors. It also has Amtrak's first Metropolitan Lounge on the West Coast,<ref>[http://www.trainweb.com/routes/lounges/jpg_lpo1.htm Metropolitan Lounge], trainweb.com.</ref> which is reserved for [[first-class travel|first-class]] sleeping car and [[business class|business-class]] passengers.<ref>[https://www.amtrak.com/routes/cascades-train.html Amtrak Cascades], amtrak.com. Retrieved January 23, 2019.</ref>

Southeast of the station, the tracks make a sharp turn and cross the river on the historic [[Steel Bridge]]. To the northwest, they follow the river, passing through rail yards before crossing the river again on the [[Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge 5.1]].

The station is owned by [[Prosper Portland]], the city's economic development agency. 

==Services==
[[File:Lobby - Portland Union Station - Portland, Oregon - DSC01174.jpg|thumb|The main atrium waiting room at Union Station]]
[[File:Portland Union Station at dusk - clock tower.jpg|thumb|The clock tower at dusk. The neon signs were added in 1948.]]
Union Station serves as a major [[intermodal passenger transport|intermodal]] [[transportation hub]] for Portland and Oregon. Union Station connects to [[TriMet]] [[MAX Light Rail|MAX]] [[MAX Green Line|Green]] and [[MAX Yellow Line (TriMet)|Yellow]] Line trains at the nearby [[Union Station (TriMet)|Union Station/Northwest 6th & Hoyt and Union Station/Northwest 5th & Glisan stations]], as well as local bus service provided by TriMet. Located at the northern end of TriMet's [[Portland Transit Mall|transit mall]], Union Station is also only a short walk to both lines of the [[Portland Streetcar]], in the [[Pearl District, Portland, Oregon|Pearl District]].

The station is one of two western termini for the ''[[Empire Builder]],'' Amtrak's major [[long-distance Amtrak routes|long-distance train]] to the Pacific Northwest. The train splits at [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]], with one section continuing to Portland by way of the [[Columbia River Gorge]] and the other continuing to [[Seattle]]. It is also a stop for the Seattle-[[Los Angeles]] ''[[Coast Starlight]],'' Amtrak's long-distance West Coast train. It serves as the southern terminus for two daily ''[[Amtrak Cascades|Cascades]]'' trains from [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]] and four daily ''Cascades'' trains from Seattle, and the northern terminus for two ''Cascades'' trains from [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]].

As of 2018, Union Station is the fifth-busiest Amtrak station in the Western United States (behind [[Union Station (Los Angeles)|Los Angeles]], [[Sacramento Valley Station|Sacramento]], [[King Street Station|Seattle]] and [[Emeryville station|Emeryville]]) and the 21st busiest overall.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Amtrak-Corporate-Profile_FY2018_Pub-March-1-2019.pdf|title=Amtrak national fact sheet FY2018}}</ref>

===Bus connections===
Portland's former [[Greyhound Lines|Greyhound]] bus terminal is the next building to the south, having moved to the building (from a location in the center of [[Downtown Portland|downtown]]) in 1985.<ref>Erickson, Steve (September 11, 1985). "Greyhound depot reaches end of line; new terminal opens in NW Portland". ''The Oregonian''.</ref> Greyhound vacated the facility in September 2019 in favor of a curbside pickup location nearby.<ref>{{cite news |last=Theen |first=Andrew |title=Portland Greyhound station moves out; terminal site in NW up for sale |newspaper=The Oregonian |date=September 9, 2019 |access-date=May 19, 2020 |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2019/09/greyhound-moves-out-puts-portland-bus-terminal-up-for-sale.html}}</ref>

==Station details==
Union Station is situated near the western bank of the [[Willamette River]] in [[Downtown Portland, Oregon|downtown Portland]]'s [[Old Town Chinatown]]. The site is bound by Northwest Glisan, Hoyt, and Irving streets to the south; Northwest Broadway Street and Station Way to the west; Northwest Overton Street and [[Naito Parkway]] to the north; and Northwest Ironside Terrace and industrial and commercial zones to the east.<ref>{{cite report |url=https://prosperportland.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Union-Station-Summary-of-Alternatives-Considered-for-web.pdf |title=Summary of Alternatives Considered Union Station Building and Track Improvements Project |publisher=Portland Development Commission |date=November 2016 |access-date=May 19, 2020}}</ref>{{rp|3}}

==History==
[[File:Union Station 1913.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Union Station in 1913]]
The initial design for the station was created in 1882 by [[McKim, Mead & White]]. Had the original plan been built, the station would have been the largest train station in the world.<ref>{{cite news | last= Giarelli | first = Andrew | title = A 'pretty scary place' turns around | newspaper = [[The Oregonian]] | date = May 3, 2007 | page = B3 }}</ref> A smaller plan was introduced by architects [[Van Brunt & Howe]], and accepted in 1885. Construction of the station began in 1890. It was built by the firm of Wakefield and Bridges for the [[Northern Pacific Railway|Northern Pacific Terminal Company]] at a cost of $300,000 (${{format price|{{inflation|US|300000|1896}} }} in {{inflation year|US}} adjusted for inflation), and opened on February 14, 1896. The roof is made of bright red metal roof tiles, with exposed detailed pressed red brick, grey sandstone trimmings, and pebbledash stucco masonry exterior. A feature was the projecting metal canopies with cast iron support posts at the entryway.<ref name="Weaver">{{cite book | last=Weaver| first=Mary L.| title=Window to the Past: A Union Station Album | year=1987 | publisher=Northwest Rail Museum }}</ref> The annex, also constructed in 1896 also by Wakefield and Bridges, contained the freestanding steam plant, storerooms, telegraph office, laundry, and police-room. At the Depot's opening in 1896, the yards in front of the station contained six parallel railroad tracks. Passengers gained entry to the tracks by passing through along, narrow, enclosed one-story shed appended to the east side of the station. The tracks remained unsheltered for almost 10 years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://prosperportland.us/portfolio-items/portland-union-station/|title=Portland Union Station|first=Lisa|last=Norwood}}</ref><ref name="Mullett">{{cite book | last=Mullet| first=Alfred | title=Images of Rail: Portland Terminal Railroad Company | year=2016 | publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] | page=27 | isbn=978-1-4671-1567-4 }}</ref>

The track shelters were built in response to the expected increase in travellers arriving by rail to attend the 1905 [[Lewis and Clark Exposition]] in Portland.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://prosperportland.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Union-Station-Rev-Determination-of-Natl-Reg-of-Historic-Places-Eligibility.pdf|title=Scanned Document - Union-Station-Rev-Determination-of-Natl-Reg-of-Historic-Places-Eligibility.pdf|last=Johnson|first=Ian|date=March 16, 2016|website=prosperportland.us|publisher=[[United States Department of Transportation|US Department of Transportation]]|access-date=December 5, 2023}}</ref>

The signature piece of the structure is the 150-foot-tall [[Romanesque Revival architecture|Romanesque Revival]] [[clock tower]] with its four-sided 1898 Seth Thomas eight-day pendulum clock, has become one of the most iconic and recognizable features of the station. Each of the clock faces is 12 feet in diameter, with a minute hand 6 feet long and an hour hand 5 feet long. The clock has a 14 foot pendulum and 1,000 pounds of counterweight that drops almost 50 feet over 7 days.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://placespages.blogspot.com/2015/02/portland-places-union-station.html|title=PlacesPages: Portland Places: Union Station|first=Robert D.|last=West|date=February 8, 2015}}</ref>  It is wound every seven days. [[Neon sign]]s were added to the tower in 1948.<ref name=oreg1may1985>{{cite news | last=Federman | first =Stan | title = Rail clock buffs want to light up your life | newspaper = [[The Oregonian]] | date = May 1, 1985 | page = A1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregonian-rail-clock-buffs-want-to-l/157024241/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=October 12, 2024}}</ref><ref name="gorsek-pearl">{{cite book | last=Gorsek | first=Christopher S. | title=Portland's Pearl District | year=2012 | publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] | page=127 | isbn=978-0-7385-9324-1 }}</ref> The signs read "Go by Train" on the northeast and southwest sides and "Union Station" on the northwest and southeast sides.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bourgeois |first=Michaela |date=August 2, 2025 |title='Dripping with opulence': National Geographic names Oregon train station among most beautiful |url=https://www.koin.com/news/portland/dripping-with-opulence-national-geographic-names-oregon-train-station-among-most-beautiful/ |work=KOIN}}</ref>

The nearby [[Interlocking]] Tower, also called the “VC tower” was built in 1914 to replace an earlier, wooden, building at this same location that served the same function related to the complex track switching function necessary for the operation of the station-related trackage. Construction was likely related to improvements required to changes in operation after the Terminal Company granted use of Tracks 1 and 2 to the [[Oregon and California Railroad]] and Southern Pacific railroad. The building is a small two-story brick volume with a decorative parapet, glazed terra cotta or white “face brick” detailing remains virtually unaltered on its exterior. The Interlocking Tower at Union Station is believed to be the only remaining building of its type in Oregon, and one of just five in the western United States. Now leased to [[Tri-Met]], the original interlocking function ended on November 5, 1997.<ref name="auto"/> This interlocking tower was added to the National Register  of Historic Places form for Portland Union Station in a 2015 update.

In 1925, a [[pedestrian bridge]] connecting the station to the adjacent [[Broadway Bridge (Portland, Oregon)|Broadway Bridge]] was opened.<ref>{{cite news |title=Elevated Walk Opened: Union Station Pedestrians Separated From Autos |newspaper=[[The Oregonian|The Morning Oregonian]] |date=October 31, 1925 |page=20}}</ref>

Dissatisfaction with the lack of a clear, formal entry and confusing circulation patterns and dramatically increased passenger load were factors that led to the need to remodel. In 1927, the prestigious Portland architectural firm of [[A.E. Doyle]] was hired by the Terminal Rail Company to remodel the station. [[Pietro Belluschi]], a young designer with little architectural training at the time, was put in charge of the remodel. With input from Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and Northern Pacific, the owners of the Terminal Rail Company, the drawings were finished in 1929. Major changes included: structural, functional and formal reordering of the main waiting room (including removing interior cast-iron columns) and associated public spaces; reorganizing the entry and exit sequences from the street and tracks; and functional and formal reorganization of the wing between the restaurant dining room and the main hall. Dormers were added to permit more natural light to enter the station. All new exterior finishes were closely matched to the old. Marble for the floors and walls was shipped from Italy for the remodeling. Little has changed in the station since this remodel in 1930.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.argcreate.com/portfolio/portland-union-station/|title=Portfolio &#124; Portland Union Station|website=Architectural Resources Group (ARG)}}</ref><ref name="auto"/>

In 1931, a pedestal was built in the station's courtyard and the [[Oregon Pony]] 1862-built locomotive was put on display in front of the station.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pnwc-nrhs.org/Trainmaster1962/TM-1962-02.pdf|title=TM-1962-02.pdf|date=February 19, 1962|website=pnwc-nrhs.org/|publisher=National Railway Historical Society|access-date=December 5, 2023}}</ref> The locomotive was moved to [[Cascade Locks]] Oregon in 1970.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pnwc-nrhs.org/trainmaster_special_editions/Oregon_Pony.pdf|title=Legacy of the Oregon Pony|last=Terry|first=Jeff|date=April 2022|website=pnwc-nrhs.org|publisher=National Railway Historical Society|access-date=December 5, 2023}}</ref>

In the early 1920's, ninety trains moved in or out of the station daily, 52 steam trains and 38 electrics; a train would arrive or depart about every 11 minutes. Expansion of service at Union Station related to the [[Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway]] line in 1920s required significant changes to the building and track, and at its peak period of operation in the late 1940s Union Station had as many as 30 separate tracks, continuing east to Front Avenue. Over time, freight rail became less utilized as some businesses turned to trucks instead of railroads for shipment of goods.<ref name="Schwantes">{{cite book | last=Schwantes| first=Carlos| title=Railroad Signatures Across the Pacific Northwest | year=1993| publisher= University of Washington | isbn=978-0295972107 }}</ref>

In the years prior to Amtrak's assuming passenger operations on May 1, 1971, the [[Union Pacific]]'s ''[[City of Portland (train)|City of Portland]]'' ran to Portland from Chicago via Utah. Amtrak ran a successor train, the ''[[Pioneer (train)|Pioneer]],'' on a similar route to Portland until 1997.

The station was placed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1975.<ref>{{cite web | title = National Register of Historic Places - Oregon, Multnomah County | url = http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/OR/Multnomah/state8.html | access-date = 2007-05-02}}</ref>

The neon signs on the tower went dark in March 1971, because the railroads using it, [[Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific]], [[Burlington Northern Railroad|Burlington Northern]] and [[Southern Pacific Transportation Company|Southern Pacific]], were preparing to transfer all of their remaining passenger services to [[Amtrak]].<ref name=oreg1may1985/> For that reason, the station's then-owner, the [[Portland Terminal Railroad]] (itself jointly owned by those three railroads), decided to discontinue operation of the signs.<ref name=oreg1may1985/> In 1985, two local non-profit groups, the [[National Railway Historical Society]] (Pacific Northwest chapter) and the Oregon Association of Railway Passengers, led a fundraising campaign for public donations to enable the signs to be restored to operation.<ref name=oreg1may1985/> New neon tubes, in place of the old, were installed in July,<ref name=oreg25july1985>{{cite news | last=McCarthy | first =Nancy | title = Train-station signs add color | newspaper = [[The Oregonian]] | date = July 25, 1985 | page = B6 }}</ref> and the signs were switched back on and returned to regular use in September 1985.<ref name=oreg19sep1985>"Sneak preview" (photograph and caption). ''The Oregonian'', September 19, 1985, p. 1.</ref> The "Union Station" signs remain illuminated continuously, while the "Go by Train" signs flash on and off,<ref name=oreg25july1985/> in a sequence of "Go", then "Go by", then all three words, then off and on and repeat.
[[File:An interior hallway at Portland Union Station in Oregon.jpg|thumb|An interior hallway of the main station building]]
In 1987, ownership of the station and surrounding land was transferred from Portland Terminal Railroad to the Portland Development Commission (now Prosper Portland) as part of the Downtown/Waterfront urban-renewal district.<ref name = "Giarelli1">{{cite news | first = Andrew | last = Giarelli | title = Union Station has more needs than funds | newspaper =[[The Oregonian]] | date = May 3, 2007 | page = B3 }}</ref> Shortly afterwards, Union Station underwent a renovation. It was rededicated in 1996 for its 100th anniversary.

In 2004, the roadway in front of the station was reconfigured, providing a new connection to the northwest and a [[Courtyard|forecourt]]. In addition, the area is being redeveloped, including new housing where railroad tracks once were.

In 2023, Prosper Portland re-evaluated the alignment of its continued ownership of Portland Union Station with the economic development mission of the agency. They concluded that a sale to an entity with a transportation-focused mission was in the best long-term interest of stakeholders and the station itself.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://prosperportland.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Portland-Union-Station-PA-Annual-Report-22-23.pdf|title=Portland Union Station PA DRAFT - Portland-Union-Station-PA-Annual-Report-22-23.pdf|last=Haack|first=Shelly|date=July 11, 2023|website=prosperportland.us|publisher=Prosper Portland|access-date=December 5, 2023}}</ref> According to ''[[The Oregonian]]'', talks to sell Union Station to Amtrak stalled in early 2024 and Prosper Portland was still seeking a buyer who would be able to finance seismic retrofitting and other upgrades that are estimated to cost $250&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bach |first=Jonathan |date=October 10, 2024 |title=Portland looks to sell Union Station; historic depot needs $250 million in upgrades |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2024/10/portland-looks-to-sell-union-station-historic-depot-needs-250-million-in-upgrades.html |work=The Oregonian |accessdate=October 12, 2024}}</ref>
{{clear left}}

==See also==
* [[North Bank Depot Buildings|North Bank Depot]] – former train station located nearby
* [[Tourism in Portland, Oregon]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Portland Union Station}}
{{Amtrak web|PDX|Portland, OR|OREGON}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041011155921/http://www.aracnet.com/~histgaz/hgv3n6.htm ''"All Aboard!" at Union Station''], 1896 ''[[The Oregonian|Oregonian]]'' article on Union Station opening

{{Amtrak Oregon stations}}
{{Old Town Chinatown, Portland, Oregon}}
{{National Register of Historic Places Oregon}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Amtrak stations in Oregon]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:Union stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1896]]
[[Category:Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon]]
[[Category:Clock towers in Oregon]]
[[Category:Romanesque Revival architecture in Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:Transit centers in the United States]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:Former Union Pacific Railroad stations]]
[[Category:Former Northern Pacific Railway stations]]
[[Category:Former Southern Pacific Railroad stations in Oregon]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Old Town Chinatown]]
[[Category:1896 establishments in Oregon]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Northwest Portland, Oregon]]