Moving from San Diego to Portland
San Diego, also called America’s Finest City, is rife with California stereotypes between the palm trees, amazing weather, and crisp beaches filled with sun-kissed people. Portland has a grungier vibe. You’ll often find people sporting eccentric haircuts and outdoor gear as they bike to the nearest coffee shop.
Each city has its own vibe, but when you’re moving from San Diego to Portland, you’ll have to plan for a lot more than just changing vibes — you’ll have to move all your stuff too. And that’s where Allied can help you.
Benefits of Moving From San Diego to Portland
Even though you’re staying on the west coast, Portland differs from San Diego in the following ways.
More Affordable Cost of Living
It’s more affordable to live in Portland than in San Diego. In fact, America’s Finest City is 22.4% more expensive than the City of Roses. From groceries to apartments and utilities, you’ll save more money when you move out of California.
Not only that, but Portland is one of the most bikeable cities in the USA. The city’s bike infrastructure spans 385 miles, and 6.6% of the population — or 22,000 people — commute on bikes as a result. With the convenience of bike transportation, you might find it more cost-effective to ditch your car and bike around the city instead, saving even more money.
Public Transportation
If you don’t want to ride a bike, you can rely on Portland’s impressive public transportation system. Portland has a higher proportion of public transportation riders than other larger cities, according to transit planner Christof Spieler. Portland not only has a good line-up of bus routes but trains that can take you where you need to go in the city. Even though the city is bikeable and walkable, Portland’s expansive public transportation system offers a cost-effective way to save you time as you travel about the city. This can’t be said in San Diego, which heavily relies on automotive transportation.
More Access to Nature
San Diego has plenty of national or state parks in its midst — Border Field State Park and Silver Strand State Beach are just a few of them. But most of San Diego’s natural settings are aquatic or manicured parks, making it difficult to satiate the adventurers out there.
This is why those who enjoy strapping on their hiking boots, filling their packs with gear and food, and hitting a trail will enjoy Portland. The city has lots of short hiking trails inside the city parameters, and there are longer, multi-day hiking trails just a quick ride away.
The Wildwood Trail is an example of more advanced hiking trails, but there are the Hoyt Arboretum Trail and the Forest Park Ridge Trail for those who want to complete their hikes in a day. Mount Hood is also visible from Portland, reminding you of all the natural opportunities surrounding the city.
Coffee Culture
Portland and Seattle are neck-and-neck when it comes to the coffee hubs of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle may have the City of Roses beat since it is the birthplace of Starbucks, but you can still find plenty of impressive coffee shops there.
There are 2,572 coffee shops in Portland, to be exact. Barista, Spella Caffe, and Coava Coffee Roasters are a few of the most popular places to go, but you’re sure to find your own favorite cafe near where you live.
Cost of Moving From San Diego to Portland
The average line haul cost of a move from San Diego to Portland with Allied is $3,900. Many factors influence that number, such as the number of items you’re moving and the total weight of them, the distance you’re moving, and whether you want help packing or unpacking your belongings. The best way to know the true cost of moving from San Diego to Portland is to fill out the Instaquote above.
Best Things to Do in Portland
Though Portland is nearly half the size of San Diego, there’s still lots to do. Below are some of the best activities Portland has to offer.
Eat at a Food Truck
Portland has accumulated an impressive array of food trucks, with the total number estimated to exceed 600. If there’s a way to sell food out of a vehicle, Portlanders have figured it out. People sell food out of trucks, busses, spaces that look like mobile homes, and 1950s campers.
No matter what your favorite food is, there’s bound to be a food truck selling it. There’s no shortage of Mexican, Italian, Indian, Asian, American, or fusion pieces to suit your taste. Gracie’s Apizza, Gumba, Pastrami Zombie, and Matt’s BBQ are considered some of the best food carts in Portland. If you’ve never ordered from a food cart, we recommend starting there.
Buy a Book at Powell’s
Powell’s Books is considered the world’s largest bookstore based on shelf space. You’ll find plenty of affordable new and used books on any subject you want. If Powell’s somehow doesn’t have what you’re looking for, they can order it for you. With a book store the size of a city block, you’re sure to find your next favorite read.
Stroll Around Washington Park
Washington Park in Portland is massive. It’s about 410 acres of land — just 100 acres shy of Brooklyn’s famous Prospect Park. You can spend hours in this lush park to the southwest of the city. There’s a Japanese Garden, archery range, children’s playground, arboretum, the International Rose Test Garden, and more. There’s even a free shuttle to get to the park, so you can easily spend a Saturday getting lost in this beautiful, green park.
Visit the Pittock Mansion
The Pittock Mansion is a slice of history. Built by the wealthy Pittock family in 1914, the historic building showcases what lavish living looked like nearly a century ago, complete with vintage furniture and trails throughout the 46 acres of green space outside the estate. The Pittock Mansion also holds events, so you can catch one on the day you visit if you’re lucky.
Take a Portland Food Tour
In addition to food carts, Portland has plenty of other restaurants you can try as well. If you want to sample all the best foods Portland has to offer in a short amount of time, you can’t go wrong with a food tour.
You can take a walking guided tour to some of Portland's best restaurants, such as Le Pigeon Burger, Maple Bacon Bar, and the iconic Voodoo Doughnut. But multiple places offer food tours, each with their own assortment of restaurant picks. Find the best one to suit your tastes and budget.
How to Move from San Diego to Portland
Portland is a little over 1,000 miles north of San Diego. Instead of doing the 16.5 hour road trip yourself, let one of our Allied movers help you carry your belongings from California to Oregon.
We specialize in long-distance moves like this one. Just like how a lot of planning goes into a road trip, even more goes into planning a long-distance move. We at Allied have the expertise to ensure your moving process goes smoothly and that all your belongings show up to your new home in one piece.
In the last 15 years, Allied facilitated over 750,000 moves all over the country. Our expert movers know how to load a moving van so that nothing gets broken on the journey to your new home. Our friendly movers can also help you pack up your old home and unpack your new one, taking one headache out of the moving process.
Portland is an exciting city to explore, and we want to help you create your new home as quickly as possible. Use the Instaquote above to get started on your move from San Diego to Portland.