Why is Portland called PDX?

Why is Portland called PDX?

Thanks to Twitter and its unbelievably short limitations on messages – just 140 characters, the length of original text messages (Twitter was supposed to be a platform for mobile phones exclusively, initially) – cities throughout the United States, including Portland, are often referenced by their major airport’s International Air Transport Association (IATA) location identifier.

In the case of Portland, the Portland International Airport’s IATA location code is PDX.

However, Portlanders love their airport for many reasons, so let’s delve into the history of PDX!

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Truth or Myth? You don’t need air conditioning in Portland.

Truth or Myth? You don’t need air conditioning in Portland.

The weather in Portland definitely has a heated reputation throughout the country. The entire Pacific Northwest, but Portland and Seattle specifically, is known for its torrential downpours threatening to drown every living thing, however the summers here are gorgeous.

With typically mild temperatures, low humidity, and weeks without rain (sometimes nearly 60-day stretches without rain, in fact), Portland is a great place to be in the summer. However, many residents will tell you that you don’t need air conditioning here. Let’s investigate.

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Imagine Portland with Solar Freakin’ Roadways

Imagine Portland with Solar Freakin’ Roadways

Portlanders love green energy. We really do. We even opt in to pay a premium to use wind energy to power our homes instead of fossil fuels, nuclear or hydroelectric solutions. So, imagine this – what if we replaced every sidewalk, road and playground with solar panels?

Oh, and this isn’t a dream – this sh*t is happening right now and YOU can be a part of it (but only for a limited time).

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Portlanders are fanatics for hybrid and electric cars (and motorcycles).

Portlanders are fanatics for hybrid and electric cars (and motorcycles).

Ford announced that Portland will be one of the launch cities for the new all-electric model of their Focus later this year. This makes sense, Portlanders love all things hybrid and electric. Heck, you can even pick up an electric sportbike from Brammo down the street in Ashland.

At first, we were excited – electric cars use no gas, right? However, we’d also heard that since coal-based electricity systems have a huge negative impact on the environment, a lot of electric cars’ benefits are burned out. It made us wonder: why do we see so many environment-loving Portlanders driving electric and hybrid cars?

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Oregon’s discovering it isn’t easy being green.

Oregon state tries to embrace energy-saving, green-energy alternatives in almost everything it does. From new buildings that recycle human poop to offering individuals discounts for energy-efficient cars and appliances.

Now, with projected costs for the subsidies to reach $290 million this year, the legislature’s looking at the long, hard road in front of it – do they cut the subsidies that are hurting the state budget at a time when other areas need help, or do they continue subsidizing this up-and-coming industry in hopes that the green industry brings much-needed jobs to our beleaguered state?

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