Portland International Airport is located on the south side of the Columbia River. It serves as both a commercial and a cargo airport, with a major presence in the region. Almost 90% of all passenger traffic for the area flows through the airport as it serves as a hub city for regional short hauls in addition to offering international flights.
Portland is usually referred to as PDX. It serves mainly domestic markets, although there is non-stop service to Germany, France and a large number of Canadian destinations. There is connecting service to much of the Pan-Pacific region. All the short stops and its use as a maintenance hub for Horizon Airways have made PDX into one of the top 20 busiest airports in the world in recent years.
Portland International Airport is constructed as one main terminal with concourses branching off as a H shape. There are five concourses all told, with three on one side and two on the north side. There is a great deal of shopping in the airport, which travelers will want to take advantage of because Oregon is one of the few states with no sales tax, so all of the airport shops are tax-free zones. The retailers have also adopted the increasingly popular street pricing code, which basically means that airport items are not marked up higher than prices in a regular non-airport shop.
PDX is also known for the free wi-fi available throughout the terminal zone and the children's play zones. The airport is also extremely green and regularly wins awards for environmental responsibility. Because some of the runways extend partially into the Columbia River, environmental awareness has been part of the airports planning since the beginning. It has a large recycling program and uses natural light and solar power extensively in the new international terminal area.
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