History Unveiled: A Journey Through Time
Hillsboro is one of the oldest communities in Oregon. It grew from a pioneer farming settlement into a county seat, a railroad town, and eventually the hub of Oregon's technology industry.
Early Settlement
For thousands of years, the Atfalati band of the Kalapuya people lived in the Tualatin Valley, where the region's mild climate supported fishing, hunting, gathering, and farming. Settlers arriving by the Oregon Trail began farming the area in the early 1840s.
David Hill settled on the East Tualatin Plains in 1842 and opened the area's first post office in his cabin. The community was chosen as the seat of Washington County in 1850 and renamed Hillsborough in Hill's honor that same year.
Growth and Industry
A railroad reached the town in 1872, connecting local farms to outside markets. Hillsboro was incorporated in 1876, and the following decade brought an opera house, hotels, and new businesses downtown. In 1908, the Oregon Electric Railway began interurban service to Portland, and the town's population doubled between 1900 and 1910.
East of downtown, the Oregon Nursery Company built the company town of Orenco in the early 1900s. The name lives on today in Orenco Station, one of Hillsboro's best-known neighborhoods.
The Silicon Forest Era
Technology reshaped the area after World War II. Tektronix opened nearby in 1951, and Intel arrived in the late 1970s, eventually placing its primary technology development center in Hillsboro. Hillsboro's population grew from about 5,000 in 1950 to more than 110,000 today.
Key Milestones
1842: David Hill and other settlers establish farms on the East Tualatin Plains
1850: Community named county seat and renamed Hillsborough
1872: Railroad service reaches the town
1876: Hillsboro incorporated
1908: Oregon Electric Railway connects Hillsboro to Portland
1970s: Intel begins building its Hillsboro presence
1998: MAX light rail returns passenger rail service to Hillsboro
Historic Landmarks
- Washington County Courthouse and the Porter Sequoias downtown
- Historic Main Street and the Venetian Theatre
- Ten sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Hillsboro Central MAX station, built on the site of the original Oregon Electric Railway station
