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Hayhurst Neighborhood Boundaries
The Hayhurst neighborhood of SW Portland is south of Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy., west of SW 30th Avenue, north of SW Vermont Street, and east of SW 65th Avenue except for the south-western corner that extends to SW Olsen Road.
Adjacent neighborhoods are Bridlemile to the north, Hillsdale to the east, Multnomah and Maplewood to the south, and the City of Beaverton to the west.
About the neighborhood
Hayhurst is mostly residential, with a business district along Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy and a business center at the intersection of SW 45th and Vermont. Hayhurst’s population count within its 730 acres is 5,476 per the 2020 census.
Annexed to the City of Portland in the 1950’s, much of the neighborhood still has a rural feel with mature trees, small homes on large lots, and winding streets without curbs or sidewalks.
History of Hayhurst
Annexed to the City of Portland in the 1950s, much of Hayhurst still has a rural feel with mature trees, small homes on large lots and winding streets without curbs or sidewalks. Our neighborhood is part of the Fanno Creek watershed that was the home to the Atfalati band of the Kalapuyans for thousands of years. The land had been fire-managed by the Atfalati and was said to be almost park-like.
Swiss immigrants started dairy farming in the area in the mid to late 1800s to serve the growing city. SW Vermont Street was originally named Hoffman Road after Swiss immigrant and dairyman John Hoffman, who built the road with the help of Chinese immigrants. At one time there were 17 dairies along Hoffman Road between Hillsdale and Oleson Road. Trains, including the Red Electric line, connected the area to the city in the early 1900s.
While some older homes still exist, construction of tract homes began in the 1950s, and several large apartment complexes have been added along Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy., which was first paved in 1920. Open spaces and “Certified Backyard Habitats” support a variety of wildlife.
Longtime residents and newcomers enjoy quiet streets that in places still show remnants of old farm fencing. Hayhurst is mostly residential, with a business district along Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy and a small business center at the intersection of SW 45th and Vermont.
Hayhurst’s population count within its 730 acres is approximately 6,000 per the 2020 US Census. (One of its two Census tracts overlaps with the Hillsdale neighborhood, so an exact count is not readily available.)
Hayhurst School
The neighborhood was named after Hayhurst Elementary School. The school was built with the proceeds of a $5 million bond approved by voters in 1945 to meet the growing population of Portland school children. The school district was originally planning to name the school after the explorer-botanist David Douglas, but instead they decided to honor Elizabeth Hayhurst (1877-1947), the first president of the Oregon Parent Teacher Association in the early 1900s. It originally offered classes for grades K through 8, but it is now K to 5. The Hayhurst Neighborhood Association conducts Back-to-School safety vigils at busy intersections to remind drivers to slow down and watch for children, and recently supported the school PTA to meet additional classroom and home needs during the pandemic.
Parks, Trails, and Landmarks
Many Hayhurst neighbors have a city park within walking distance of their home. Pendleton Park, with a playground, soccer fields, and ballfield, is just west of Hayhurst school. Gabriel Park and the SW Community Center are right across SW Vermont Street.
Neighbors gather for summer Movies in the Park and Neighborhood Night Out events in Pendleton Park each year. Neighborhood walks are a treasured activity, and became even more popular during the 2020 Covid lockdown.
Neighborhood Greenways on SW Illinois Street, SW 50th Avenue and SW Idaho Drive provide walking and biking routes that feature beautiful trees, especially during the spring and fall.
The neighborhood association is awaiting scheduling from PBOT to improve a muddy trail connection between Pendleton Park and SW 54th Avenue that is used by schoolchildren and neighbors.
Trail #7, the longest trail in the SW Trails urban network, runs north-south through the neighborhood.
A new trail under development is the Red Electric Trail which will eventually connect pedestrians and cyclists to the Fanno Creek Greenway, following the route of the historic railway.
Dairy-inspired street sign toppers remind neighbors and visitors of the area’s history. Alpenrose, Oregon’s oldest dairy founded in 1916, comprised 50+ acres on the west side of the neighborhood. For decades, the Cadonau family (who owned the dairy and the land) generously invited the community to visit the farm and enjoy Dairyville, the ballfields, quarter-midget car track, theater, bike trails and an Olympic-sized velodrome. The Cadonau family sold their dairy business to Smith Brothers Dairy Farms in 2019, and then sold the land to a developer. In 2024, the City of Portland approved development of a 263-home subdivision to be called Raleigh Crest, starting construction in mid-2025. The Neighborhood Association is advocating for transportation improvements along SW Shattuck Road and other local streets to accommodate the expected increased traffic along these old country roads..
Places of worship within the neighborhood include Vermont Hills Church, West Hills Covenant Church, and Hillcrest Bible Church. Long-standing non-profit Cedar Sinai Park provides community-based care to seniors and rehabilitation nursing care.
Two tributaries of Fanno Creek flow west through the neighborhood, Vermont Creek and Pendleton Creek, which has its headwaters between SW 47th and 48th Avenues. Longtime residents still recall catching fish in Vermont Creek. Restoration efforts along both creeks are still underway. Neighbors participated in the city street tree inventory project to count and identify trees along several neighborhood streets. There is one designated Heritage Tree in the neighborhood, a Smoothleaf Elm on SW Boundary Street.
Perhaps the neighborhood’s most famous resident was Rusty Nails the clown (real name James Allen), who frequently entertained families at Alpenrose and hosted his own TV show for children during 1957 to 1972. One of his frequent guests on the show was fellow Oregonian Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny and many other Looney Tunes characters).
Contact
Neigborhood association general mail address: HayhurstNA@gmail.com
Neighborhood Association Chair Marita Ingalsbe: Marita.Ingalsbe@gmail.com
Mailing Address:
Hayhurst Neighborhood Association
c/o District 4 Coalition
434 NW 6th Ave., Suite 202
Portland, OR 97209
