# Portland:Oregon or Maine?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [October 28, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472 "2013-10-28T18:49:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@kristiecc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kristiecc)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/21 "2013-10-28T22:02:40Z")
Portland, ME hands down. Lobster, betches.
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### Author:  [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/22 "2013-10-28T22:09:20Z")
I grew up in Portland, Oregon, so of course. But I left and was grateful to get out. I think growing up there spoiled it for me.
Roddy
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### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2013, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/23 "2013-10-28T22:37:24Z")
I’m from the Northeast but I still think Oregon. Its a bigger, more important city. Now that I’m living with someone whose family is from there, that just clinches it.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2013, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/24 "2013-10-28T23:09:23Z")
Maine. 90% of the time I hear someone say “Portland” they mean Maine.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/25 "2013-10-28T23:29:06Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#):
>
> Portland, Oregon, where twenty-somethings go to retire. Portland, Oregon, where the street names are eerily reminiscent of Simpsons characters. Portland, Oregon, where the beer is plentiful, and the sun shines … well, once in awhile.
>
> All I know about Portland, Maine is that it exists, and is probably in Maine.
Portland, OR and I live there.
Some Simpson characters were named after Portland streets; many streets were named after Civil War generals (Couch [pronounced “Kootch” for you Maniacs], Harney, Hooker, Grant, etc.).
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### Author:  [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/26 "2013-10-28T23:39:40Z")
Oregon.
I’m in the PNW so the inferior 😉 Maine version doesn’t come up much.
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### Author:  [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/27 "2013-10-29T00:41:46Z")
In my household it will be referring to Portland Maine only because my currently in college kid is at Bates, in Lewiston Maine, 45 minutes out of Portland, so I voted for that one. That said if I heard it out of my household I would assume it was in reference to the Oregon one.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/28 "2013-10-29T00:45:51Z")
I have no idea why but I distinctly remember thinking “Maine” when I heard “Portland” when I was a kid, and at some point it changed to “Oregon.” Perhaps when “Seattle” became a thing (to kids in the Midwest).
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### Author:  [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/29 "2013-10-29T01:16:38Z")
I think of Oregon, and I’m in New Mexico. I was thinking it was an east/west thing - my dad once lived in Maine, and around that time, I’d have thought of Maine - but now that so many have mentioned it, it _did_ shift in the past few decades, as Seattle and Portland, OR became more prominent.
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### Author:  [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/30 "2013-10-29T01:18:55Z")
Oregon. Even though I’ve never been there, and have visited the one in Maine a handful of times. I’m a recent transplant to New England.
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### Author:  [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/31 "2013-10-29T01:23:47Z")
> [@silvermist](#):
>
> The pole said “if you hear” so I’d say Portland, ME because I’m in Portland, ME. If I see it on the web, I think of Portland, Oregon because it usually is.
My pole has never spoken to me, ever.
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### Author:  [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/32 "2013-10-29T01:38:45Z")
I’m in Chicago, and it’s Oregon for me.
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### Author:  [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/33 "2013-10-29T01:40:37Z")
[Portland cement](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_cement)
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/34 "2013-10-29T01:52:13Z")
Or [Isle of Portland](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Portland).
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### Author:  [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/35 "2013-10-29T02:37:49Z")
I’m from Oregon so you know my answer.
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/36 "2013-10-29T02:46:14Z")
When I hear “Portland”, the first thing I think is “Which one”? Sometimes it’s easy to tell which Portland from the context of the story, but both locales have their share of weirdness.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/37 "2013-10-29T03:33:20Z")
Concrete.
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### Author:  [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/38 "2013-10-29T05:26:24Z")
OR even though I’ve never been there but I have been to Portland, ME.
I’m from Alabama.
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### Author:  [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/39 "2013-10-29T05:43:00Z")
[QUOTE=Charlene]
I’ve been to Oregon but I’ve never been to ME.
[/QUOTE]
😃
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### Author:  [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2013, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portland-oregon-or-maine/672472/40 "2013-10-29T08:52:15Z")
Maine, because I’m a native Maineiac!
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