GENERAL INFORMATION Population: Portland: 437,390, Metro area: 1,1749,700. Location: The metropolitan area is made up of six counties: Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington and Yamhill. Portland, founded in 1851 was part of a 640-acre claim owned by Asa Lovejoy and Francis Pettygrove. Lovejoy, a native of Massachusetts, wanted to name the settlement Boston. But Pettygrove, from Maine, wanted to name it Portland. The dispute was settled with a coin toss. Pettygrove won. www.region.portland.or.us Flight times: Chicago-4.5 hrs., Los Angles-2 hrs., Miami-7 hrs. City Center to Portland Int'l Airport: 25 min. WEATHER Mild, with temperatures averaging 66 degrees in the summer and 38 degrees in the winter. Average Daily High/Low Temperature: March: 60°F / 42°F June: 76°F / 54°F September: 65°F / 49°F December: 46°F / 34°F Click for a current weather forecast for Portland. TRANSPORTATION Portland metropolitan area leads the country in light-rail development and boasts the best transit system in the U.S. Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (Tri-Met): 4012 SE 17th Avenue, Portland, OR 97202. 503-238-RIDE (7433) www.tri-met.org Amtrak: 800 872-7245 www.amtrak.com Greyhound Bus: 800 231-2222 www.greyhound.com/index.html Web pages featuring Oregon Railroads: www.easystreet.com/pnwc/ Willamette Shore Trolley: www.trainweb.org/oerhs/wst.htm ATTRACTIONS Japanese Garden Society of Oregon: Off Kingston Ave., in Washington Park., 503/223-1321. April 1-May 31 and Sept. 1-Sept. 30, daily 10am-6pm; June 1-Aug. 31, daily 9am-8pm; Oct. 1-Mar. 31, daily 10am-4pm. $5 adults, $2.50 students and seniors, free: children under 6 Oregon History Center: 1200 SW Park Ave., 503/222-1741. Tues.-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm. $6 adults, $3 students, $1.50 children 6-12; free Thur - seniors. Oregon Maritime Center & Museum: 113 SW Front Ave., 503/224-7724. $4 adults, $3 seniors, $2 students, free for children under 8. Models of ships that sailed the Columbia and Willamette rivers, plus the historic stern-wheeler Portland, moored across Waterfront Park from the museum, is also. Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI): 1945 SE Water Ave., 800/955-6674. 503/797-4000. $11 adults, $9 seniors and children 4-13 Oregon Symphony Ticket Office www.orsymphony.org: 923 SW Washington, Portland, OR 97205. 800/228-7343, 503/228-1353, Fax: 503/228-7034 Pioneer Courthouse Square: Bounded by Broadway, Sixth Ave., Yamhill St., and Morrison St. The heart of downtown Portland and acts as an outdoor stage for everything from flower displays to concerts to protest rallies Portland Art Museum: 219 SW Park Ave., 503/226-2811. Tues.-Sun. 10am-5pm; first Thurs. of each month 10am-9pm. Bus: 6. MAX: Library Station. $6 adults, $4.50 seniors and students, $2.50 children 6-15, free for children under 5; seniors half price every Thurs. Half price 4-9pm on the first Thurs. of each month. Respectable collection of European, Asian, and American art, but the major emphasis is on visiting exhibitions. Portland Saturday Market: Underneath Burnside Bridge. between SW First Ave. and SW Ankeny St., 503/222-6072. First weekend in Mar to Christmas Eve, Sat 10am-5pm and Sun 11am-4:30pm. Bus: 12, 19, Free admission. The Saturday Market (held on both Saturday and Sunday) is arguably Portland's single most important and best-loved event. World Forestry Center: 4033 SW Canyon Rd., 503/228-1367. 9am-5pm (10am-5pm in winter). $3, adults, $2 seniors/children 6-18, free for children under 6. Washington Park Zoo: 4001 SW Canyon Rd.. Washington Park., 503/226-1561. Memorial Day to Labor Day daily 9:30am-6pm; Labor Day to Memorial Day daily 9:30am-4pm. Bus: 63. Admission $5.50 adults, $4 seniors, $3.50 children ages 3-11, free for children under 2; free second Tues. of each month from 3pm to closing.