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News Release

New Data Shows Surges In 2025 Downtown Visitor Foot Traffic - 09/15/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
September 15, 2025 

 

Press Contact:  

Monice Wong, mwong@portlandalliance.com 

 

                                                                                  

New Data Shows Surges in 2025 Downtown Visitor Foot Traffic

Downtown Data Shows Increased Visitor Foot Traffic, but Work Remains to Grow Office Worker and Employee Activity in the Core.

 

 

Portland, OR — A surge of visitor foot traffic occurred in the first 8 months of 2025 in downtown Portland. According to the latest Downtown Foot Traffic Report from Downtown Portland Clean & Safe: 

  • 2025 saw the busiest summer for pedestrian traffic since before the pandemic. 

  • Through August, more than 21.45 million pedestrians visited the core.   

  • This equates to a 5.6% increase in foot traffic from the same time period in 2024. 

  • For the first time in recent years, there were six consecutive months of year-over-year foot traffic growth from March through August.  

  • Strong weekend activity and a packed calendar of cultural events have sparked sustained waves of foot traffic downtown. 

“Portland remains resilient, and downtown vibrancy is trending in a positive direction,” said Andrew Hoan, President and CEO of the Portland Metro Chamber. “Public-private partnership focused on attracting visitors to the central city clearly produced results. We commend Mayor Wilson and the City of Portland, Travel Portland, and all those who leaned in to make this a great summer for Portlanders and beyond." 

 

Hoan added, "The data shows a consistent upward trend in visitors and event-driven activity, which underscores the positive impact of ongoing cleaning and safety initiatives, cultural anchors, and community programming in keeping the core lively. While the positive visitor foot traffic is great for our city, the same public-private partnership to grow businesses and build housing in our core is needed to build a better future for our city.” 

 

Marcus Hibdon, Travel Portland Vice President of Communications, added, “We are seeing clear evidence that visitors from near and far are attracted to the many events and cultural activities fueling downtown’s resurgence. Increasing foot traffic downtown is a core component of our city’s recovery and we are excited for the future as more visitors and workers return to the heart of the city.” 

 

Additional Key Findings from the Report: 

  • January 2025 posted the largest year-over-year gain (+22%), helped by mild weather compared to last winter’s ice and snow. 

  • Weekends drive downtown activity, with Saturdays up 6.6% compared to 2024 and consistently the busiest day across the 213-block district. 

  • Events boosted foot traffic across the core—Cinco de Mayo, Rose Festival, Blues Festival, Pride, and newer events like Rockstar Energy Open and Project Pabst all corresponded with notable upticks. PDX Live concerts at Pioneer Courthouse Square also played a strong role in weekend vibrancy. 

  • Downtown anchors remain magnets—Powell’s Books, Pioneer Place, Nordstrom, and the Cart Blocks food pod continue to generate high pedestrian volumes. 

  • Old Town gateways are strengthening, with intersections like 5th & Couch up nearly 40% over June 2024. 

 

Challenges Remain

Portland’s downtown recovery tells a nuanced story in 2025—strong in visitor activity but lagging in worker return. Through August 2025, overall foot traffic in the Downtown Portland Clean & Safe District has averaged roughly 70% of 2019 visitor volumes.  

While visitor activity is strong, office worker presence continues to lag. Employee visits remain at roughly 56% of 2019 levels, well below the national average of ~73% and trailing peer cities such as Seattle (~66%) and Denver (~58%). However, Portland’s recovery ranks ahead of San Francisco and Los Angeles among major U.S. metros. 

 

Looking Ahead  

Lagging office worker traffic remains a barrier. However, vibrancy is on the rise with steady increases in visitor traffic, in part due to robust downtown activations and cultural events. 

 

Mayor Wilson comments, “Portland’s heart is beating stronger and stronger every month. The businesses, unique events, and activations downtown remind us of what makes this city so special. We’ll keep building on this momentum to ensure downtown is lively every day of the week." 

 

The full 2025 Summer Foot Traffic Report is available at 2025 Summer Update: Downtown Foot Traffic Report

 

New Data Shows Surges In 2025 Downtown Visitor Foot Traffic - 09/15/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
September 15, 2025 

 

Press Contact:  

Monice Wong, mwong@portlandalliance.com 

 

                                                                                  

New Data Shows Surges in 2025 Downtown Visitor Foot Traffic

Downtown Data Shows Increased Visitor Foot Traffic, but Work Remains to Grow Office Worker and Employee Activity in the Core.

 

 

Portland, OR — A surge of visitor foot traffic occurred in the first 8 months of 2025 in downtown Portland. According to the latest Downtown Foot Traffic Report from Downtown Portland Clean & Safe: 

  • 2025 saw the busiest summer for pedestrian traffic since before the pandemic. 

  • Through August, more than 21.45 million pedestrians visited the core.   

  • This equates to a 5.6% increase in foot traffic from the same time period in 2024. 

  • For the first time in recent years, there were six consecutive months of year-over-year foot traffic growth from March through August.  

  • Strong weekend activity and a packed calendar of cultural events have sparked sustained waves of foot traffic downtown. 

“Portland remains resilient, and downtown vibrancy is trending in a positive direction,” said Andrew Hoan, President and CEO of the Portland Metro Chamber. “Public-private partnership focused on attracting visitors to the central city clearly produced results. We commend Mayor Wilson and the City of Portland, Travel Portland, and all those who leaned in to make this a great summer for Portlanders and beyond." 

 

Hoan added, "The data shows a consistent upward trend in visitors and event-driven activity, which underscores the positive impact of ongoing cleaning and safety initiatives, cultural anchors, and community programming in keeping the core lively. While the positive visitor foot traffic is great for our city, the same public-private partnership to grow businesses and build housing in our core is needed to build a better future for our city.” 

 

Marcus Hibdon, Travel Portland Vice President of Communications, added, “We are seeing clear evidence that visitors from near and far are attracted to the many events and cultural activities fueling downtown’s resurgence. Increasing foot traffic downtown is a core component of our city’s recovery and we are excited for the future as more visitors and workers return to the heart of the city.” 

 

Additional Key Findings from the Report: 

  • January 2025 posted the largest year-over-year gain (+22%), helped by mild weather compared to last winter’s ice and snow. 

  • Weekends drive downtown activity, with Saturdays up 6.6% compared to 2024 and consistently the busiest day across the 213-block district. 

  • Events boosted foot traffic across the core—Cinco de Mayo, Rose Festival, Blues Festival, Pride, and newer events like Rockstar Energy Open and Project Pabst all corresponded with notable upticks. PDX Live concerts at Pioneer Courthouse Square also played a strong role in weekend vibrancy. 

  • Downtown anchors remain magnets—Powell’s Books, Pioneer Place, Nordstrom, and the Cart Blocks food pod continue to generate high pedestrian volumes. 

  • Old Town gateways are strengthening, with intersections like 5th & Couch up nearly 40% over June 2024. 

 

Challenges Remain

Portland’s downtown recovery tells a nuanced story in 2025—strong in visitor activity but lagging in worker return. Through August 2025, overall foot traffic in the Downtown Portland Clean & Safe District has averaged roughly 70% of 2019 visitor volumes.  

While visitor activity is strong, office worker presence continues to lag. Employee visits remain at roughly 56% of 2019 levels, well below the national average of ~73% and trailing peer cities such as Seattle (~66%) and Denver (~58%). However, Portland’s recovery ranks ahead of San Francisco and Los Angeles among major U.S. metros. 

 

Looking Ahead  

Lagging office worker traffic remains a barrier. However, vibrancy is on the rise with steady increases in visitor traffic, in part due to robust downtown activations and cultural events. 

 

Mayor Wilson comments, “Portland’s heart is beating stronger and stronger every month. The businesses, unique events, and activations downtown remind us of what makes this city so special. We’ll keep building on this momentum to ensure downtown is lively every day of the week." 

 

The full 2025 Summer Foot Traffic Report is available at 2025 Summer Update: Downtown Foot Traffic Report