Whether you love or hate Portland, you can’t deny that it has a depth of culture that certain other cities are simply lacking. With this, comes years of strange stories and reasons why Portland is such an unusual, quirky place.

Based on this, we’ve picked through the 12 most unusual facts about Portland, and some of them may be more surprising compared to others. As the saying goes ‘Keep Portland Weird’. After reading this article, you may understand where this phrase comes from.

• Keep Portland Weird was initially taken from Austin Texas: Terry Currier, owner of Music Millennium, introduced the slogan ‘Keep Portland Weird’ to the city after discovering a similar movement in Austin, Texas. In 2007, Currier officially trademarked the phrase, solidifying it as an unofficial motto for Portland.
  
• Portland has the same latitude as Portland Maine: The city of Portland, Oregon is situated at a latitude of 45:30, while Portland, Maine is located at a latitude of 43:40. Interestingly, Ottawa, Canada is actually positioned further south than Portland, Oregon.
  
• Reed College has its own nuclear reactor: Since 1968, the Reed College Research Reactor has served as a dedicated facility for research and education. Remarkably, Reed College holds the distinction of being the sole liberal arts college worldwide to possess its own nuclear reactor.
  
• Portland was almost named ‘Boston’: When Asa Lovejoy and Francis Pettygrove, both founding members of the city, obtained the land, they resorted to a coin toss to determine its name. The victor had the privilege of naming it after their place of origin. Pettygrove, hailing from Portland, Maine, emerged as the winner, resulting in the land being named Portland. However, had Lovejoy won, the city would have been known as Boston, in homage to his hometown in Massachusetts.
  
• Portland is also known as ‘Stumptown’: When Portland first took shape in the 1800s, trees were cut to their stumps to accommodate the new city. At one point, the place was covered in stumps. The proliferation of these tree stumps throughout the city led to Portland being referred to as “Stumptown” as a nod to its history of tree removal and the visible remnants of the logging activities.
  
• By law, you must wear shoelaces when crossing the street: Years back, to emphasize personal safety, Portland implemented a law that prohibits individuals from walking along the streets with untied shoelaces.
  
• Stalin’s granddaughter has a shop in Portland: Svetlana Alliluyeva, the sole daughter of Stalin, chose to defect from the Soviet Union in 1966 and later married architect William Wesley Peters. Their daughter, Chrese Evans, currently resides in Portland, pursuing her passions as an artist, writer, and antique dealer.
  
• Portland has the most strip clubs per capita: Portland has 8.86 clubs per 100,000 people. There is no city in the USA that has this many strip clubs per person.
  
• Portland has the most pinball machines per capita: With over 900 pinball machines located in Portland, it also has the most pinball machines per capita. Is this related to strip clubs? Possibly. Who knows?
  
• Portland has its own volcano: This may be known to most locals, but technically Mt. Tabor is a volcano. Thankfully, it’s been inactive for many years and isn’t dangerous.
  
• Portland has the world’s smallest park: Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1971 as the tiniest city park globally, Mill Ends Park measures merely two feet wide. Situated in the median strip of Naito Parkway, near SW Taylor Street, this unique park graces the surroundings of the Willamette River.
  
• Portland once drained 38 million gallons of drinking water: In 2014, a surveillance camera captured an incident where a 19-year-old individual was observed urinating through an iron fence into the Mount Tabor Reservoir, located in Southeast Portland. As a result, the man was issued citations for trespassing and public urination, and he received a ban prohibiting his return to Mount Tabor Park. To avoid contamination, the water was completely drained.