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West Linn is a city of approximately 27,400 residents (2020 Census) in Clackamas County, located between the Willamette and Tualatin rivers about 13 miles south of downtown Portland. Incorporated August 15, 1913, and named for U.S. Senator Lewis F. Linn of Missouri — a 19th-century advocate for American occupation of the Oregon Territory — the city absorbed the neighboring town of Willamette in 1916 and grew around the historic Willamette Falls hydroelectric site. Today West Linn is one of the Portland metro’s highest-income communities, with the West Linn-Wilsonville School District serving the city and I-205 providing freeway access north to Portland and the Oregon City Bridge (OR-43) crossing east to Oregon City. This page aggregates publicly available facts about the community, current real estate market data from the Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS), and active property listings.
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Searching in: West Linn, OR
Facts about West Linn compiled from official and public sources. Each data point shows its vintage (when the source published it) so you know what you’re looking at.
24th most populous OR city · 2024 ACS 5-year estimate ~26,935 · part of Portland metro, directly south of Lake Oswego
2020 Decennial Census ·
Entirely within Clackamas County · Oregon City (county seat) sits directly east across the Willamette River
Named for U.S. Senator Lewis F. Linn of Missouri · merged with neighboring Willamette (incorporated 1908) in 1916
Single ZIP covering all of West Linn · adjacent ZIPs include Lake Oswego (97034/97035), Tualatin (97062), and Oregon City (97045)
Oregon Blue Book figure · significantly higher than most of the Portland metro — West Linn sits on a hillside overlooking the Willamette River
Latest ACS estimate · ~77% single-family detached · established subdivisions with mature landscaping
2020 Census / 2023 ACS ·
Strongly owner-majority market (latest ACS) · median home sale price ~$738K (Redfin, December 2025)
Older than Portland metro (39.3) and Oregon (40.4) medians · 2020 Census · family-oriented demographics
Via OR-43 (Willamette Drive/Macadam) along the west bank, OR-99E via Oregon City on the east bank, or I-205 N + I-5 N · 24-35 min depending on traffic · PDX airport ~19 mi N via I-205
High-performing district · ~9,000-10,000 students · 16 schools including West Linn High School (~1,800 students) and Wilsonville HS · also 2 charter schools
Oregon City (~3 mi E across the Willamette) · 143-bed acute-care · 24-hour ER · Joint Commission accredited · Legacy Meridian Park in Tualatin also ~5-6 mi W
Portland International ~19 mi N via I-205 · 23-25 min in typical conditions
Köppen Csb · warm-summer Mediterranean · mild wet winters, dry summers typical of Portland metro
Among Oregon's highest · higher than Lake Oswego ($141,549) · 2024 ACS 5-year estimate
2020 Census ·
TriMet bus routes 35 (Macadam/Greeley) and 154 (Willamette) · connects to Portland via OR-43/Macadam · no MAX Light Rail or WES Commuter Rail in West Linn
Second-largest waterfall by volume in the United States (per NPS) and largest in the Pacific Northwest · 1889 T.W. Sullivan hydroelectric plant is one of the oldest continuously-operating hydroelectric plants in the U.S. · Willamette Meteorite was deposited in West Linn by the Missoula Floods
West Linn is a premium residential suburb in the southern Portland metro, entirely within Clackamas County and bordered by the Willamette River (east) and Tualatin River (west). With 27,373 residents at the 2020 Census, around 10,500 housing units, and a strong owner-majority market (~84% owner-occupied per latest ACS), the city attracts established families and professionals drawn by the top-rated West Linn-Wilsonville School District and easy access to downtown Portland via OR-43 and I-205.
Market pricing reflects West Linn’s status as one of Oregon’s highest-income cities (median household income $146,507, 2024 ACS). Median home sale prices are approximately $738K (Redfin, December 2025), with housing stock dominated by single-family detached homes (~77%) — much of it built 1970-1999 with additional newer construction from 2000 onward. Distinct submarkets include the Willamette neighborhood (historic pre-merger community near the Tualatin River), the Bolton/Marylhurst corridor along OR-43, and newer hillside subdivisions including Cedaroak, Rosemont, and Hidden Springs.
Market prices and inventory shift quarter-to-quarter based on regional interest rates and migration trends. The market snapshot at right uses live RMLS® data via our MLS integration rather than hand-keyed estimates — pricing, days on market, and inventory update automatically as transactions close. Buyers evaluating a specific property should verify school assignment within the West Linn-Wilsonville SD boundary, flood risk along the Willamette and Tualatin river corridors, and wildfire risk on the city’s heavily wooded hillsides (~50% of properties have some wildfire risk over 30 years per First Street Foundation).
Note: Market statistics activate with our MLS integration and refresh automatically from RMLS® data. The housing units figure (~42,771) is from the 2024 ACS 5-year estimate and will remain static until revised.
West Linn encompasses several distinct neighborhoods within its 8.05 square miles, entirely within Clackamas County. Historic Willamette anchors the southern end of the city at the Willamette-Tualatin river confluence; Bolton and Marylhurst run along OR-43 toward Lake Oswego; hillside neighborhoods including Rosemont, Skyline, Cedaroak, and Hidden Springs spread across the city’s interior and northern reaches. The Willamette River forms the eastern boundary with Oregon City (accessed via the 1922 Conde McCullough-designed Oregon City Bridge), and the Tualatin River forms most of the western boundary. Descriptions reflect publicly observable characteristics and should not be read as investment advice.
Distances are approximate driving distances from central West Linn. West Linn sits along the I-5 corridor about 13 miles south of downtown Portland, straddling the Washington-Clackamas county boundary. The city borders Tigard to the north, Wilsonville to the south, Lake Oswego and the Stafford area to the east, and Sherwood to the west. I-5, OR-99W, and the West Linn-Sherwood Road are the primary through-routes.
Quick answers about West Linn, each backed by an authoritative source. For questions specific to a particular property or listing, call (800) 256-9702 to reach a licensed Oregon broker.
West Linn had a population of 27,373 residents at the 2020 Decennial Census, making it the 24th-largest city in Oregon. The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimate puts the current population at approximately 26,935. West Linn is part of the broader Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metropolitan statistical area and sits directly south of Lake Oswego, with the Willamette River forming its eastern boundary against Oregon City.
West Linn was officially incorporated on August 15, 1913, according to the Oregon Blue Book. The city was named for U.S. Senator Lewis F. Linn of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, a 19th-century senator who advocated for American occupation of the Oregon Territory as a counterclaim to British interests. The area was previously home to ancestors of some of the present-day Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. Early pioneer Major Robert Moore arrived in 1839 (before the Champoeg Meetings) as a senior member of the Peoria Party, the first attempt to create an American state in Oregon. When West Linn incorporated in 1913, it encompassed West Oregon City, Bolton, Sunset, and Willamette Heights; it merged with the neighboring town of Willamette (incorporated 1908) in 1916.
Downtown West Linn is approximately 13 miles south of downtown Portland via OR-99E along the east side of the river through Oregon City, or via I-205 N to I-5 N — typically 24-35 minutes depending on traffic. OR-43 (Willamette Drive/Terwilliger) along the west side of the Willamette is another common commuting route, often faster when city-center freeways are congested. Portland International Airport (PDX) is about 19 miles north of West Linn via I-205 N, typically a 23-25 minute drive. Public transit is served by TriMet buses (Route 35 runs directly to downtown Portland in 41-44 minutes); there is no MAX Light Rail or WES Commuter Rail in West Linn.
Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center, located just across the Willamette River in Oregon City (~3 miles east of central West Linn), is the closest full-service hospital. It is a 143-bed not-for-profit acute-care hospital operated by Providence Health & Services, Joint Commission accredited, with a 24-hour emergency room, birthing center, ICU, surgical services, and oncology. The hospital was established in 1954 as Doctors’ Hospital, moved to its current 243,000-square-foot facility in 1961, and joined Providence in 2009. Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center in Tualatin (~5-6 miles west via Stafford Road or I-205) is another nearby option, and OHSU Hospital on Marquam Hill is within ~15 miles for Level I trauma needs.
Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center is located within Tualatin itself at 19300 SW 65th Avenue (technically just inside the Clackamas County boundary within the city). Opened in 1973 and operated by Legacy Health, it is a 150-bed licensed / 128-bed operated acute-care hospital with a 24-hour emergency room, comprehensive stroke program, heart catheterization lab, and cancer center, and is Tualatin’s second-largest employer with 800+ staff. For tertiary care, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in west Portland (9205 SW Barnes Rd, ~12-14 miles north via OR-217) is a Magnet-designated hospital with a heart transplant program. OHSU Hospital on Marquam Hill is also within ~15 miles for Level I trauma needs.
West Linn is covered by RMLS® (Regional Multiple Listing Service), which is the primary MLS for the Portland metropolitan area, the Oregon North Coast, the Willamette Valley, and the Columbia River Gorge. RMLS listings in West Linn are concentrated within the 97068 ZIP code, which covers all incorporated West Linn. This site displays live RMLS-sourced listings once MLS integration is active — these pages are currently running in static-reference mode pending final vendor setup.
Tualatin is covered by RMLS® (Regional Multiple Listing Service), which is the primary MLS for the Portland metropolitan area, the Oregon North Coast, the Willamette Valley, and the Columbia River Gorge. RMLS listings in Tualatin typically include properties in the 97062 ZIP code, which also covers portions of nearby Sherwood, Stafford, and Wilsonville. This site displays live RMLS-sourced listings once MLS integration is active — these pages are currently running in static-reference mode pending final vendor setup.
West Linn is primarily a residential community without large corporate campuses; most residents commute to employment centers in Portland, Lake Oswego, Tualatin, Wilsonville, or the Clackamas industrial areas. The West Linn-Wilsonville School District and the City of West Linn (municipal government) are among the largest on-site employers. Historically, the Willamette Falls Pulp and Paper Company (founded 1889 alongside the Sullivan hydroelectric plant) was a major industrial employer at Willamette Falls, employing up to 1,600 people at peak. The mill operated under various owners (Crown Zellerbach, James River, Simpson, and finally West Linn Paper Company) until West Linn Paper closed in October 2017. Willamette Falls Paper Company reopened the mill in November 2019 with approximately 120 employees using a straw-pulp paper technology, but announced mass layoffs in August 2024 (158 of 223 employees); as of 2025 the company has been seeking a buyer with only a skeleton crew maintaining the property. Neighboring Oregon City hosts Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center (750+ staff) and other regional employers accessible to West Linn residents.
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