RE-ADDRESSING PROJECT:

Consistent addressing within a city strengthens residents’ sense of community and common identity and promotes better efficiency in delivery of emergency and other services. At present, there are both City and County site and street addressing systems, and two non-Hillsboro zip codes, inside the City limits. In the Hillsboro 2020 Vision and Action Plan, Strategy 5 calls for development of a common “Hillsboro” postal address for every home and business within the boundary of the City

Project Background: 

The City of Hillsboro and Washington County have different addressing systems, based on the “point of origin”. The City grid’s point of origin is the intersection of Main Street and First Avenue in downtown Hillsboro. Washington County’s address grid point of origin is the intersection of the historic “Base Line” (which dates from the mid-1800s) and the Willamette River. As a result, the County address grid around, and in some cases inside Hillsboro, includes five-digit site addresses and three-digit street numbers. In certain neighborhoods in the City, such as the southeast and northwest areas which have experienced rapid annexation and development in the last 10 years, older County-addressed residences and some County-numbered roads are now interspersed with new developments and streets addressed and numbered on the City grid. This situation creates confusion for residents and for emergency and non-emergency service providers, as well as making it inconvenient for visitors from outside the neighborhood to locate an address.

Project Scope:

The Hillsboro Re-Addressing Project is a multiple phase program initiated by the Hillsboro Planning Department, intended to reconcile the differences between the City and the County address grids by establishing a consistent City site address, street name, and zip code addressing system.  Over several phases in several areas, County road numbers and site addresses will be replaced by City street numbers and site addresses. The steps involved in the Re-Addressing Project are outlined below:

1. City takes jurisdiction of County roads in subject neighborhoods.
2. City coordinates with public and private service providers, including the Post Office, County Elections and Tax Assessment, and private utilities, to resolve any issues from those parties. 
3. City conducts public outreach programs to advise residents and property owners of the schedule for proposed site address and street number changes, and to answer questions regarding the process. Property owners are advised of their proposed new addresses and street numbers. 
4. Following public outreach, City sends formal notices of address changes to affected property owners and residents. Site addresses will have an extended effective date (at least six months) to allow time for owners to change private records, subscriptions, etc. New “dual” street signs will be installed, showing both the old County road numbers and the new City street numbers. 

Project Timeline:

The City began the first phase of the Re-Addressing Project in “Reedville Area 1”, between SW 239th Avenue and SW Cornelius Pass Road, SW Tualatin Valley Highway and SW Johnson Street. Transfers of street jurisdictions have been completed in this area. Almost 400 addresses were affected by changes in house numbers, street names, street numbers or directional prefixes (SW to SE). The changes became effective in January 2005. 

In winter 2006 the City began the second phase of the Re-Addressing Project in Reedville Areas 2 and 3, between SW Brookwood Avenue and SW Cornelius Pass Road, SE Johnson Street and West Baseline Road.

Later phases of the Re-Addressing project will reconcile City and County grid inconsistencies in the Orenco and Jackson School Road areas. Subsequent phases of the Project may include revisions of US Post Office zip codes in those portions of the City located east of Cornelius Pass Road. 

Project Contact Information:

Rockne Stites, Planning Database Coordinator
Phone: (503) 681-6151

Hillsboro Planning Department
Phone:(503) 681-6245

150 East Main Street, 4th Floor
Send an E-Mail
Hillsboro, Oregon 97123

Planning Department •150 E Main Street • Hillsboro OR 97123 • (503) 681-6153 • Email