If a rural, slow-paced life sounds ideal, but you can’t bear to be far from the buzz of Portland culture, Sauvie Island offers the perfect compromise. With just over 1,000 year-round residents, this tranquil community is a mere 20-minute drive from downtown Portland, giving you the best of both worlds. Half of the island is preserved as Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife property, creating a unique backdrop where neighbors include bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, black-tailed deer and sandhill cranes. Locals have even spotted sea lions making a surprise appearance near the houseboats. The challenge is finding a place to live. Presently, the island offers zero long-term rentals, and the housing market is tight, with only a handful of homes and houseboats available for sale. For those fortunate enough to secure a property, daily life becomes an immersive experience — spending afternoons in u-pick fields or watching the sun set over the water. Crossing Wapato Bridge onto the island feels almost like a ritual, as the weight of the city falls away. The pace slows, your shoulders relax, and your breath matches the easy rhythm of the island.
What Neighbors Say
“It’s a very wholesome experience out here,” says Kat Topaz, owner of Topaz Farm (pictured above, right). “Everyone looks out for each other, and you know you can knock on anyone’s door and ask for a cup of sugar, and they’ll give it to you,” she says. Initially, it was the incredible opportunities for birdwatching and beauty of life on the water that drew Topaz’s family to Sauvie Island, but it’s the people and the sense of community that made them stay.
That sense of community provided a unique childhood experience for Topaz’s youngest daughter, who is a senior in high school. She always dreamed of riding horses, but the cost of lessons made it seem out of reach — until the family moved to Sauvie Island. There, not only did she learn to ride, but she also found work at Sauvie Island Stables and began fielding requests from neighbors to exercise their horses. “There wasn’t a day that went by that she couldn’t be on a horse if she wanted to,” says Topaz. Because many of the children on the island are involved in farming and other outdoor occupations, there is less pressure to fill the calendar with extracurricular activities. Adventures are simply baked into the island lifestyle. “We didn’t know that when we moved here,” says Topaz, “and now I wish we’d had that opportunity for our older kids.”
Play Here
On Sauvie Island, play isn’t something you have to make time for — it’s woven into the fabric of daily life. In summer, the river becomes a shared playground, where locals kayak, swim, or simply relax on the beach. (If you happen to move here, a neighbor might whisper about a secret, locals-only stretch of sand.) Locals and visitors attend outdoor summer concerts at Topaz Farm in the thousands, and PDX Parent hosts a family festival on the island every June (pictured above). Fall brings its own rhythm, with pumpkin patches and autumn festivals cropping up at farms every weekend. Throughout the year, the island offers hiking and birdwatching — Wapato Access Greenway is a great spot — plus those special “four-mountain days,” when the skies clear and reveal the stunning silhouettes of Mount Hood, Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier. Sauvie Island School, the local K-8 charter school, opens its playground to the community when school is out, along with the pickleball court, offering another layer of connection in this small but vibrant enclave.
Eat Here
At the height of summer, Sauvie Island bursts into color and flavor, as farms like Topaz Farm, Bella Organic Farm and Columbia Farms offer the simple pleasure of picking fresh fruit and vegetables directly from the earth. Many farms don’t just deliver on juicy berries and vine-ripened veggies — they also boast seasonal menus, farm markets, craft beers, and local wines that feel like a true celebration of the land. Winter slows the tempo, shifting the scene to the Lighthouse restaurant on Highway 30, a five-minute jaunt from the island. Here, scratch-made meals and thoughtfully crafted drinks draw regulars who appreciate a touch of old Portland cool and exceptional food. The blend of rugged vibes and culinary excellence at the Lighthouse actually makes perfect sense, given the spot’s connection to the esteemed Serratto Restaurant. Once you’re a regular, don’t miss the legendary taco night, when neighbors gather to swap stories and savor what makes this slice of Oregon home.
Live Here
$650,000: Median home price
Source: Realtor.com
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