There is a bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that takes up an entire city block, spans multiple floors, and holds over a million books on its shelves. It is not a library, and it is not a chain store.
It is a fiercely independent landmark that has been drawing readers, travelers, and curious wanderers for decades. The first time I walked through its doors, I grabbed a map at the entrance, looked up at the color-coded rooms stretching in every direction, and quietly accepted that my afternoon was no longer my own.
Powell’s City of Books is the kind of place that turns a quick browse into a three-hour adventure, and I am here to tell you exactly why it deserves a spot at the very top of your Portland itinerary.
A Portland Landmark With a Story Worth Knowing
Right at the corner of West Burnside Street and Northwest 10th Avenue, the building that houses Powell’s City of Books does not try to impress you from the outside. It is wide, a bit industrial-looking, and easy to spot thanks to its bold signage…