Hayden Island, Portland, Oregon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Neighborhood representation | |
| Association | Hayden Island Neighborhood Network |
| Coalition | North Portland Neighborhood Services |
| Neighborhood geography | |
| Area | 4.38 km² |
| Location | Interactive map |
| Demographics (2000) | |
| Population | 2130 (density 486/km²) |
| Households | 1224 (84% occupied) |
| Owned | 1012 (83%) |
| Rented | 212 (17%) |
| Size | 1.74 persons (average) |
Hayden Island is an island in the Columbia River between Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon. It is bordered on the north side by the main channel of the Columbia River and on the south side by a smaller channel of the Columbia, which is also known as North Portland Harbor. Even though separated by this channel from most of Portland, much of Hayden Island is part of Portland and forms one of its 95 officially recognized neighborhoods. Most of the neighborhood is in Portland's North section, though the eastern end is in Northeast Portland.
Interstate 5 connects the island to the rest of North Portland to the south and, by the Interstate Bridge, to Vancouver to the north. The east end of the island, often called Jantzen Beach, is highly developed as it is serviced by the northernmost exit on Interstate 5 in Oregon.
The island is of historic interest for its past ferries and amusement parks. Until the Interstate Bridge opened in 1917 ferries provided service between Portland and Vancouver from landings on the island's north shore. After the opening of the bridge, streetcar service opened Hayden Island to amusement park developments due to its beaches and strategic location. Jantzen Beach, the last operating amusement park, closed down in the 1970's. Tomahawk Island, just off the east tip of Hayden Island, became another amusement park—Lotus Isle—for a few years in the 1930's.
Because Oregon does not have a state sales tax, it is common practice for Washingtonians to drive to Oregon for larger purchases. The Jantzen Beach Shopping Center and many hotels populate this part of the island. A narrow neck of land connects Hayden Island to Tomahawk Island (not an independent island since construction of the linkage), which has numerous marinas and yacht clubs.
The west side of the island (in unincorporated Multnomah County) is as yet undeveloped, though it was added to the urban growth boundary by voters in 1983. The Port of Portland purchased the land in 1993 with the intention of building a large cargo facility. Environmental activists have successfully blocked this development for the time being, and the Port of Portland is currently looking for alternative sites.
