Young family moving to Wilsonville, OR (Portland, Lake Oswego: home, transfer, public schools)

[IndieAuthor33]

Hi! My family and I are moving to Wilsonville, Oregon and are looking to get a little more information. First off, we are in our mid-late 20s with 3 kids (6,3, &1). Our family loves the outdoors, rainy days by a fireplace, and spending time together; so we figure Oregon is the place for us. My husband's work is transferring him to Portland, and I am a freelance writer and indie author so I work from home. How long is the commute from Wilsonville to Portland (and vice versa)? We've been told that Wilsonville is family-friendly and a good place for people who don't want to live in the city, but work there - is this true? How are winters there? We're moving from Utah and are hoping to escape the snowy winters. And lastly, the schools. How do other parents feel about the schools (especially elementary) in Wilsonville? We are looking for a good PUBLIC school for our oldest son.
Thanks in advance for your positive comments and support! We are really excited for this move and can't wait to be surrounded by the beauty in Oregon

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by IndieAuthor33

Hi! My family and I are moving to Wilsonville, Oregon and are looking to get a little more information. First off, we are in our mid-late 20s with 3 kids (6,3, &1). Our family loves the outdoors, rainy days by a fireplace, and spending time together; so we figure Oregon is the place for us. My husband's work is transferring him to Portland, and I am a freelance writer and indie author so I work from home. How long is the commute from Wilsonville to Portland (and vice versa)? We've been told that Wilsonville is family-friendly and a good place for people who don't want to live in the city, but work there - is this true? How are winters there? We're moving from Utah and are hoping to escape the snowy winters. And lastly, the schools. How do other parents feel about the schools (especially elementary) in Wilsonville? We are looking for a good PUBLIC school for our oldest son.
Thanks in advance for your positive comments and support! We are really excited for this move and can't wait to be surrounded by the beauty in Oregon

I would say Wilsonville during non rush hour is about 30 minutes from Downtown Portland. I have heard really good things about the schools. You will be close to Bridgeport Village which is very family friendly and had shopping and dining options. My kids and I were there last weekend and ate outside and listened to music. The Whole Foods there is huge and hubby loves the REI. The weather is basically like Portland.

[IndieAuthor33]

Originally Posted by Yankeemama

I would say Wilsonville during non rush hour is about 30 minutes from Downtown Portland. I have heard really good things about the schools. You will be close to Bridgeport Village which is very family friendly and had shopping and dining options. My kids and I were there last weekend and ate outside and listened to music. The Whole Foods there is huge and hubby loves the REI. The weather is basically like Portland.

Thanks! Sounds like Wilsonville is going to be the perfect place for us 😀

[gray horse]

Wilsonville and nearby Sherwood are both great communities! Great schools, polite kids, involved parents. You have everything you need nearby, Costco, Target, Fred Meyers, some nice restaurants.


The commute to Portland can be about 20 minutes during non-commute hours, but Friday afternoons are hellish, often 1 to 1.5 hours from Portland to Wilsonville. There are often accidents on I-5 near Wilsonville that really screws things up because that is the only bridge across the Willamette for miles in either direction.


Enjoy!

[Phrogg]

I can't remember if I've ever been in Wilsonville in the winter, but I used to live in Lake Oswego, which is between Wilsonville and Portland. It used to snow maybe every other year or so, typically a couple inches that melted away soon. Every few years there was enough snow that you could go sledding for a day or two. Higher elevations in Lake Oswego and Portland do snow a little more and a little more often (I remember days where PCC Sylvania would be closed due to snow but the LO schools were open). Because it snows so little, people freak out and drive badly when it does. You, being from Utah, will find this entertaining. The ice is more concerning than the snow, and you can get a few days where you have to be careful of black ice. If you are OK with rain-- what seems at times like constant grey drizzle-- the weather in the Portland area will probably suit you.

You seem like a good fit for Wilsonville, but if you are worried about commute times, consider Lake Oswego as well. It's about 8 miles from Portland, is also family-friendly, and has excellent public schools. From what I can tell from my own research, though, Lake Oswego skews older nowadays and Wilsonville has more young families. You could consider West Linn, too, though I am not sure whether Wilsonville or West Linn would be a better commute.

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by Phrogg

I can't remember if I've ever been in Wilsonville in the winter, but I used to live in Lake Oswego, which is between Wilsonville and Portland. It used to snow maybe every other year or so, typically a couple inches that melted away soon. Every few years there was enough snow that you could go sledding for a day or two. Higher elevations in Lake Oswego and Portland do snow a little more and a little more often (I remember days where PCC Sylvania would be closed due to snow but the LO schools were open). Because it snows so little, people freak out and drive badly when it does. You, being from Utah, will find this entertaining. The ice is more concerning than the snow, and you can get a few days where you have to be careful of black ice. If you are OK with rain-- what seems at times like constant grey drizzle-- the weather in the Portland area will probably suit you.

You seem like a good fit for Wilsonville, but if you are worried about commute times, consider Lake Oswego as well. It's about 8 miles from Portland, is also family-friendly, and has excellent public schools. From what I can tell from my own research, though, Lake Oswego skews older nowadays and Wilsonville has more young families. You could consider West Linn, too, though I am not sure whether Wilsonville or West Linn would be a better commute.

Lake Oswego is full of families but extremely expensive. Wilsonville is a great place to move with babies or very small kids IMO because there are a lot of new housing attracting young professionals with young children so great for working parents who have limited time to socialize. LO has a lot of stay at home moms which makes it easier for play dates during the week. It seems that both parents work in the burbs on the west side.