Travel Information

Portland, Oregon, USA

The City of Roses

The ISPCS 2019 Symposium will take place in the heart of downtown Portland at the Crowne Plaza Portland-Downtown Conv Center, 1441 NE 2nd Ave, Portland, OR 97232.  

Learn More about the Venue

Transportation

Getting Around Portland

No matter how you get around Portland, it helps to know the lay of the land. The city is divided by the Willamette River, which runs south-north, and Burnside Street, which runs east-west, into quadrants: southwest, northwest, southeast and northeast. A fifth region, North Portland, is bounded roughly by the Willamette and Columbia rivers and Williams Avenue.

You’ll also hear the terms “east side” and “west side” in reference to the halves of the city on either side of the Willamette River. The phrase “Central City” is often used to describe downtown, Old Town/Chinatown, the Pearl District, and the central east side.

Getting To And From The Airport

The airport is located 9 miles (14.5 km) northeast of downtown Portland and is conveniently connected to the city center via MAX light rail train.

Shuttles

The Crowne Plaza offers a complimentary roundtrip airport shuttle based on availability. For airport pickups, guests can call the hotel (503) 233-2401 once they have cleared customs and they will deploy a shuttle out, if available. These stop at Island 1 at the Portland Airport.  

Light rail

The MAX light rail Red Line is the easiest way to travel to and from the airport. Here are some quick facts:

• The trip between the airport and downtown Portland takes about 38 minutes.
• An adult ticket costs $2.50 (Youth $1.25, Honored Citizen $1). MAX ticket machines return change in coins, so small bills are recommended.
• You can roll your luggage on board.
• The first train of the day arrives at PDX at 4:45 a.m. The last train departs PDX at 11:50 p.m.
• The MAX station and ticket machines are located on the lower level, next to the south baggage claim area (turn right at the base of the escalator). View airport map.

For complete schedules and more information, visit www.trimet.org/schedules/maxredline.htm.

Taxicabs

The average taxi fare from the airport to downtown is approximately $35 before gratuity. Radio Cab offers a discount with coupons available on their website. The one-way trip takes 20-40 minutes. You can find taxis waiting in the center section of the airport terminal’s lower roadway outside of baggage claim; to get back to the airport from the city center, you can order a cab through the city’s main operators or from a hotel with a dedicated taxi stand.

Portland Street Car

For step-by-step instructions on riding the Streetcar, read the Ride Guide or watch this video guide. Every streetcar is equipped with ramps and indicates next stops with reader boards and audio announcements.

Bus Lines

For step-by-step instructions on riding a TriMet bus, please read this How to Ride the Bus guide and this guide which details Bus Accessibility Features. The bus stop closest to the registration area of the Oregon Convention Center is the NE Martin Luther King & Holladay stop (0.1 miles from entrance).

Car- & Ride-sharing

Portland became the birthplace of car-sharing in the United States in 1998, with the founding of a small local company that eventually became part of Zipcar. Today, car-sharers in Portland have access to five car-sharing services — and that number is growing every day. Ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft also operate in Portland, making it easier than ever to get around the city without bringing your own vehicle. Please read this Car- and Ride-sharing Guide for more information.