Portland, Indiana
Portland is a city in and the county seat of Jay County, Indiana, United States.[4] The population was 6,223 at the 2010 census,[5] and in 2018 the estimated population was 6,085.[6]
Portland, Indiana | |
|---|---|
![]() | |
![]() Location of Portland in Jay County, Indiana | |
| Coordinates: 40°26′2″N 84°58′48″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Jay |
| Township | Wayne |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | John Boggs (R) |
| 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 | 909 ft (277 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • 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 |
| Area code | 260 |
| FIPS code | 18-61236[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0441471[3] |
| Website | www |
History
Portland was platted in 1837.[7] It was named after Portland, Maine.[8]
The Jay County Courthouse, Portland Commercial Historic District, and Jonas Votaw House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[9]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Portland has a total area of 4.97 square miles (12.88 km2), of which 1.6 acres (6,524 m2), or 0.05%, are water.[10] The Salamonie River runs through the city just south of its center. The Salamonie is a west-flowing tributary of the Wabash River.
Demographics

| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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[11] | |||
2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 6,223 people, 2,607 households, and 1,620 families living in the city. The population density was 1,338.3 inhabitants per square mile (516.7/km2). There were 3,005 housing units at an average density of 646.2 per square mile (249.5/km2). The racial makup of the city was 94.5% White, 0.4% African American, 0.5% Asian, 3.1% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.8%.[12]
Of the 2,607 households 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 14.0% single female householder, 5.4% single male householder, and 37.9% were non-families. 32.1% of households were one person and 14.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.89.
The median age was 39.4 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.1% were from 25 to 44; 24.7% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.
Education
The town has a lending library, the Jay County Public Library.[13]
Notable people
- Leon Ames, actor, founder of Screen Actors Guild in 1933
- Stephanie Arnold, competed in women's archery in the 2004 Olympics
- Oscar Ray Bolin, serial killer
- Pete Brewster, professional football player
- Pete Daily, musician
- Kevin A. Ford, astronaut, piloted NASA space shuttle mission to International Space Station in 2009
- Elwood Haynes (born in Portland, 1857) invented the clutch-driven automobile in 1894
- Jack Imel, television producer, Lawrence Welk Show
- Richard T. James, Indiana lieutenant governor 1945-49
- Kenneth MacDonald, actor, born Kenneth Dollins; he worked for many years at Columbia Pictures in short features and in the Three Stooges movies
- Mary Meeker (born in Portland, 1960) investment banker, made Internet economically viable by promoting it to investors in the 1990s, (becoming known as the "Queen of the Internet")
- John P. C. Shanks, U.S. Representative from Indiana, Union Army major general
- Twyla Tharp, Emmy and Tony Award-winning choreographer
- Bill Wallace (born 1945), martial artist
- Greg Williams, WNBA coach, college basketball player at Rice University
References
- "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Portland city, Indiana". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
- "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- "Incorporated Cities and Towns". Jay County Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
- Baker, Ronald L. (October 1995). From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History. Indiana University Press. p. 269. ISBN 978-0-253-32866-3.
...named for his hometown, Portland, Maine.
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
- "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- "Indiana public library directory" (PDF). Indiana State Library. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
