Portland requires outdoor lighting to use full-cutoff, downward-directed fixtures under PCC 33.130.215. Commercial lighting cannot exceed 0.5 foot-candles at residential property lines. Oregon has no statewide dark-sky statute, but Multnomah County's SEC overlays (Columbia Gorge, Sandy River) apply dark-sky best practices. LED color temperature generally limited to 3000K or below to reduce sky glow and protect bird migration along the Pacific Flyway.
Portland City Code 33.130.215 (Outdoor Lighting Standards) requires new and substantially-modified outdoor lighting to use full-cutoff (fully-shielded) luminaires with all light directed downward - no light emitted above the horizontal plane. Residential fixtures up to 900 initial lumens are generally exempt from full-cutoff requirements; commercial, institutional, and multi-family properties have strict cutoff obligations. Light trespass is limited to 0.5 foot-candles measured at the property line of abutting residential lots. Portland's Green Building Policy recommends warm-white LEDs (3000K or below) to reduce blue-spectrum emission harmful to migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway - Portland Audubon coordinates with Bird-Safe Buildings guidelines. The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area enforces additional dark-sky standards in the Scenic Area boundary (east of Troutdale) under 16 USC §544d. Multnomah County MCC 39 applies lighting standards in SEC overlays. Unincorporated areas near Silver Star Natural Area and Sandy River canyon follow reduced-lighting practices. Oregon lacks a statewide dark-sky law like Arizona or New Mexico. Gresham and Troutdale adopt similar full-cutoff requirements in commercial zones. Holiday lighting is typically exempt during November 15 - January 15 under most local codes.
Non-compliant commercial lighting: PCC 33.730 Notice of Violation with 30-day correction window, then $500 to $5,000 per day. Light trespass exceeding 0.5 fc at residential line: $100 to $500. Bird-strike building violations (for large commercial): incentive loss under Bird-Safe program. Columbia Gorge NSA lighting violations: federal penalty up to $5,000/day.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Troutdale, OR
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Troutdale, OR
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Troutdale, OR
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Troutdale, OR
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Troutdale, OR
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Troutdale, OR
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