Damascus, Oregon
Damascus is a community of 11,437 people in Clackamas County, Oregon, founded in 2004.
Why visit Damascus
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 48 parks and trails, 67 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 9 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cedar Crossing Bridge, Scouters Mountain, Charles and Fae Olson House and Claude Hayes Miller House.
Weather in Damascus
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Damascus
Damascus is a census-designated place and former city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. Established in 1867, it was incorporated in 2004 in an effort to enable local land use decision-making control by the community. The citizens voted to disincorporate in 2016, and, after a legal challenge, disincorporation was completed in 2020. Damascus is located east of Happy Valley and Interstate 205 and west of Boring.
From the Wikipedia article Damascus, Oregon (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do9
Cedar Crossing Bridge
Bridge · 5.0 mi
Bridge in Oregon, United States
Museums and landmarks10
Charles and Fae Olson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Historic house in Gresham, Oregon, USA
Claude Hayes Miller House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.3 mi
Historic house in Portland, Oregon, USA
Damascus School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
School building in Clackamas County, United States of America
Dr. Herbert H. Hughes House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
Historic house in Gresham, Oregon, USA
Emanuel and Christina Anderson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Historic house in Gresham, Oregon, USA
Gresham Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
Historic building in Gresham, Oregon,United States
Roy E. and Hildur L. Amundsen House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.1 mi
Historic house in Gresham, Oregon, USA
William Gedamke House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.1 mi
Historic house in Oregon, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds48
We Village
Playground · 2.7 mi
16126 Southeast Happy Valley Town Center Drive, Happy Valley
Mo-Th 07:30-20:00; Fr 07:30-22:00; Sa 10:00-22:00
Main City Park
Park · 4.9 mi
Park in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States of America
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Thom Park
Park · 4.6 mi
Park in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States of America
36 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes67
Happy Hollow
Restaurant · Pizza · 2.7 mi
16085 Southeast Happy Valley Town Center Drive, Happy Valley
Mo-Fr 16:00+; Sa,Su 11:00+
La Costita
Restaurant · Mexican · 3.4 mi
14626 Southeast Sunnyside Road, Happy Valley
Mo-Su 11:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-23:00
Mediterranean Grill
Restaurant · Mediterranean · 2.7 mi
15910 Southeast Happy Valley Town Center Drive, Happy Valley
06:00-20:30
Peet's Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.7 mi
15918 Southeast Happy Valley Town Center Drive, Happy Valley
Mo-Fr 06:00-19:00; Sa 06:00-20:00; Su 07:00-19:00
Phở Zen
Restaurant · Vietnamese · 2.7 mi
15936 Southeast Happy Valley Town Center Drive, Happy Valley
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 3.4 mi
14669 Southeast Sunnyside Road, Happy Valley
Mo-Fr 04:00-22:00; Sa,Su 05:00-22:00
Sushi Moto
Restaurant · Sushi · 2.8 mi
15725 Southeast Happy Valley Town Center Drive, Happy Valley
Tu-Fr 11:00-15:00,16:30-21:30; Sa 12:00-15:00,16:30-21:30; Su 16:30-20:30
Taste of Bangkok
Restaurant · Thai · 2.1 mi
13203 Southeast 172nd Avenue, Happy Valley
Mo-Fr 11:00-15:00,16:30-21:00; Sa,Su 11:00-21:00
Valley Growlers
Bar and pub · 2.8 mi
15735 Southeast Happy Valley Town Center Drive, Happy Valley
Mo-Th 12:00-22:30; Fr,Sa 12:00-24:00; Su 12:00-21:00
55 more on the map.
History
According to Oregon Geographic Names, Damascus can date its existence as a community back to 1867, when a post office by that name was established. That post office was closed in 1904. The original heart of the community is along Oregon Route 212, which as of 2004 served as part of the city's southern boundary.
A 2000 decision by Metro to expand Portland's urban growth boundary into the area prompted some citizens of the community to submit Measure 3-138, a measure on the ballot for the 2004 general election in November. The initiative's passage resulted in the incorporation of the former unincorporated communities of Damascus and Carver into the City of Damascus, a step which prevented nearby cities from annexing the community. The city was the first new city in Oregon in 22 years.
In a special election on September 21, 2005, a city charter was approved by 88% of voters. Voters in eleven parcels of land between Damascus and Happy Valley were given the chance to vote on annexation to Damascus: six of the areas voted for annexation, four voted against, and in the eleventh no votes were cast.
As a city, Damascus went through seven city managers in eight years, and generally had a contentious existence as a municipality. This included a vote to disincorporate the city and to recall the mayor in 2013.
From the History section of Damascus, Oregon on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship19
Bethel Baptist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 2.2 mi
17100 Southeast Sunnyside Road, Happy Valley
Pleasant Valley Community Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 3.2 mi
17608 Southeast Foster Road, Gresham
Lao Buddhist Center Northwest Inc.
Place of worship · Theravada · 3.1 mi
17676 Southeast Foster Road, Gresham
Hood View SDA Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 2.7 mi
14385 Southeast 268th Court, Boring
Pleasant Valley Seventh Day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 2.4 mi
11125 Southeast 172nd Avenue, Happy Valley
The Journey Church
Church · Assemblies Of God · 1.2 mi
19070 Southeast Sunnyside Road, Damascus
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries47
Gresham-Barlow School District - Damascus Campus
School · 1.4 mi
14151 Southeast 242nd Avenue, Damascus
Healthcare3
Map of Damascus
211 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Clackamas County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-04-07: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2024-04-13: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2022-09-10: Milo Mciver Fire (Fire)
- 2021-05-04: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Storm)
- 2020-09-15: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds (Fire)
- 2020-09-10: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Portland-Troutdale Airport (TTD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Gresham 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Fairview 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Portland 13 mi northwest, about 20 min by car
- Vancouver 16 mi northwest, about 26 min by car
- Canby 16 mi southwest, about 26 min by car
- Beaverton 18 mi west, about 30 min by car
- Cedar Mill 19 mi northwest, about 30 min by car
- Aloha 21 mi west, about 34 min by car
- Bethany 21 mi northwest, about 34 min by car
- Hillsboro 25 mi west, about 40 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Boring and Damascus, Oregon aerial, jlh_lunasea, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Damascus School - Damascus Oregon, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gedamke House - Gresham Oregon, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hughes House - Gresham Oregon, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Amundsen House - Gresham Oregon, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Olson House 3 - Gresham Oregon, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gresham Carnegie Library - Gresham Oregon, Ian Poellet ( User:Werewombat ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Claude Hayes Miller House, Finetooth, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Anderson House - Gresham Oregon, Ian Poellet ( User:Werewombat ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gresham, Oregon (2021) - 222, Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cedar Crossing Covered Bridge, Akampfer, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gresham field, Peter Woodman from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Adrienne Nelson HS 2024, Flytzjl93, CC0
- Abundant Life Church (Happy Valley, Oregon) (01), Mitchell Laurren-Ring, CC BY 2.0
- ISS056-E-47303 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS056-E-47304 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Casa Colima, Happy Valley, Oregon, 2025 - 2, Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Casa Colima, Happy Valley, Oregon, 2025 - 1, Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ajuga reptans 195092709, Liam Gerry, CC BY 4.0
- Boring Middle School (2367057447), Chris Phan from Winona, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Boring Middle School, Chris Phan from Winona, Minnesota, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Boring Middle School (2367051171), Chris Phan from Winona, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Boring Middle School (2367053087), Chris Phan from Winona, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Boring Oregon Springwater Corridor, Grove, Cory, CC BY 2.0
- Springwater Trail (2367044435), Chris Phan from Winona, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Boring Middle School (2367048827), Chris Phan from Winona, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Future Boring park (2367042739), Chris Phan from Winona, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- ISS047-E-98204 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-31168 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-31170 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS056-E-47302 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-31169 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-31171 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-31172 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS056-E-47301 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Volvo 850 sedan (1997), Drown Soda, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Closed Boring gas station (2367898266), Chris Phan from Winona, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Closed Boring gas station (2367062107), Chris Phan from Winona, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- TriMet Bus 84 (2367058797), Chris Phan from Winona, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Pholiota aurivella 54715271, Chris R., CC0
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