Boring, Oregon

The land on which Boring was built was a former lava field. The Boring Lava Field, which takes its namesake from the community,{{Sfn|Bishop|Allen|2004|p=90}} is located just north of Boring. There are approximately 80 lava vents across the area, remnants of the volcanic activity that occurred there roughly 2.6 million years ago. The lava field extends across surrounding Portland and Vancouver, Washington, though the volcanic centers are extinct. The land that would later become Boring had no known inhabitants, though the Clackamas Tribe had a camp located south of Boring, near present-day Oregon City, along the Willamette River.{{sfn|Bosserman|2014|p=9}} By 1855, the remaining members of the tribe had relocated to the Grand Ronde.{{Sfn|Bosserman|2014|p=9}} Settlers began to arrive in the Oregon Territory in mid-1800s via the Oregon Trail, after the establishment of Portland.{{sfn|Bosserman|2014|p=29}}

{{multiple image

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| image1=Boring, OR railway station.png

| caption1=Boring station on the Portland Railway, Light and Power Company line, {{circa}}{{nbsp}}1904

| image2=The Street railway journal (1907) (14573511037).jpg

| caption2=Interior of trains operating through Boring, 1907

}}

Boring takes its name after William Harrison Boring, an Illinois native and early resident who began farming there in 1874, and subsequently donated land for the community's first schoolhouse to be built.{{Sfn|Bosserman|2014|p=15}} He was a Union veteran who had moved to Oregon after having fought in the Siege of Vicksburg during the Civil War.{{Cite news

| title = Yawns Across the Water: Boring Meets Dull in Oregon

| author = De Avila, Joseph

| newspaper = The Wall Street Journal

| url = https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323968704578650544013171684

| date = Aug 8, 2013 | access-date = August 7, 2014

}} William's half-brother, Joseph, had settled in the area in 1856 prior to his arrival.{{Cite web

| title = A Tale of Dull and Boring Sister Cities

| author = Leveille, David

| publisher = Public Radio International

| url = http://www.pri.org/stories/2012-04-26/tale-dull-and-boring-sister-cities

| date = April 26, 2012 | access-date = July 9, 2016

}}{{Sfn|McArthur|2003|p=101}}

Boring was platted in 1903 as Boring Junction after the construction of a railway line by the Portland Railway, Light and Power Company.{{Sfn|McArthur|2003|p=100}} The post office was established and named Boring the same year, which builders of an interurban railway adopted as the name of the community.{{Sfn|McArthur|2003|p=101}} An electric trolley operated on the railroad line from Portland through Gresham and Boring, ending in Cazadero, which began transporting passengers in 1905.{{Cite web

| title = Boring History

| publisher = Boring CPO.com

| url = http://www.boringcpo.org/section.cfm?wSectionID=3201

| access-date = October 27, 2015

}} The trolley significantly reduced travel time between Portland and the communities to its east: Horse and buggy travel from Boring to Portland took an average of six hours, while a trip to Portland via the trolley system took only one hour. Though younger students in the area attended a local school built on Richey Road, high school students in Boring commuted via trolley to Gresham and Portland to attend high schools there. The early residents of the area post-settlement were mainly German and Swedish immigrants.{{cite web|url=http://restoreoregon.org/greshams-oldest-house/|work=Restore Oregon|title=Gresham's Oldest House to be Torn Down?|date=June 26, 2014|access-date=September 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206201428/http://restoreoregon.org/greshams-oldest-house/|archive-date=December 6, 2017|url-status=dead}}

After World War II and the prominence of automobile ownership, the trolley ceased passenger operations to Portland, but continued to travel between Boring and Gresham. The railway went defunct in the following years, and was incorporated as part of the Springwater Corridor, a rail trail that begins in Boring and ends at the Eastbank Esplanade in downtown Portland.

In 2005, citizens of Boring applied to become one of the first legally recognized villages in Oregon.{{Cite web

| title = Two Villages, One Hamlet: Three communities apply for special status in Clackamas County

| author = Oberg, Ron

| url = http://web4.co.clackamas.or.us/mrm/1547.html

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120717091528/http://web4.co.clackamas.or.us/mrm/1547.html

| date = December 13, 2005 | access-date = April 9, 2016 | archive-date = July 17, 2012

}} However, after many months of polarizing debate on the village issue, residents narrowly defeated the village designation in a town hall referendum in August 2006, with 293 votes in favor and 298 against.{{Cite news

|title = Five votes sink Boring village

|last = Hathcock

|first = Marcus

|newspaper = The Sandy Post

|url = http://www.sandypost.com/news/story.php?story_id=115645677539036400

|date = August 23, 2006

|access-date = June 7, 2012

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120312035205/http://www.sandypost.com/news/story.php?story_id=115645677539036400

|archive-date = March 12, 2012

|url-status = dead

|df = mdy-all

}}

File:Dull and Boring.JPG]]

The unusual name of the community often prompts its inclusion on lists of unusual place names.[http://tripatlas.com/guides/United_Kingdom/1090/8_Strange_and_unusual_place_names_around_the_world TripAtlas] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420093104/http://tripatlas.com/guides/United_Kingdom/1090/8_Strange_and_unusual_place_names_around_the_world |date=April 20, 2010 }}{{Sfn|Parker|2010|p=viii}} The name "Boring" is embraced by locals, however, and found in many local businesses, resulting in many road signs that seem humorous to outsiders. Boosters of the village designation use the slogan "The most exciting place to live."{{Cite web

| title = Boring Village

| url = http://www.wolfpk.com/boringvillage/

| access-date = December 30, 2007

}}{{cite web|url=http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2970|work=Roadside America|title=Town of Boring, Oregon|access-date=September 29, 2016}}

In 2011, Elizabeth Leighton of Aberfeldy, Scotland, proposed the community's pairing with the village of Dull, Scotland, after passing through Boring on a cycling holiday.{{Cite news

| title = Dull and Boring? Not any more for Scottish village and US town

| author = Alexandra Topping

| author2 = agencies

| name-list-style=amp| newspaper = The Guardian | location = UK

| url = https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jun/06/dull-and-boring-scottish-village

| date = June 6, 2012 | access-date = August 9, 2014

}}{{Cite web

| title = Welcome to Dull and Boring

| publisher = Kuriositas.com

| url = http://www.kuriositas.com/2012/06/welcome-to-dull-and-boring.html

| date = June 6, 2012 | access-date = August 9, 2014

}}{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9223920/Dull-is-to-twin-with-Boring.html|work=The Telegraph|title='Dull' is to twin with 'Boring'|date=April 24, 2012|access-date=August 29, 2017}} In June 2012, Boring accepted the proposal of Dull to "pair" their municipalities, in an effort to promote tourism in both places as a play on their names.{{Cite news

| title = Boring in Oregon votes to pair with Dull in Perthshire

| publisher = BBC

| url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-18336146

| date = June 5, 2012 | access-date = June 7, 2012

}}{{Cite news

| title = Boring group makes Dull decision: Partnership official with Scottish village

| last = Fuggetta | first = Emily

| newspaper = The Oregonian

| page = C1

| url = http://www.oregonlive.com/happy-valley/index.ssf/2012/06/boring_group_makes_dull_decisi.html

| date = June 5, 2012 | access-date = June 7, 2012

}} Dull is a village of only 84 residents, while Boring has about 8,000.{{Cite news

| title = Dull woman pushes for Boring partnership: Oregon town teams up with Scottish village

| last = Dungca | first = Nicole

| newspaper = The Oregonian

| url = http://www.oregonlive.com/happy-valley/index.ssf/2012/04/dull_woman_describes_boring_pa.html

| date = April 25, 2012 | access-date = June 7, 2012

}}

In 2013, the farm community and former gold prospecting site Bland Shire in West Wyalong, New South Wales, Australia{{Cite news

|title=Dull and Boring story also to become Bland?

|newspaper=Highland Perthshire News

|url=http://www.highlandperthshirenews.co.uk/general-civic-activities/dull-and-boring-story-also-to-become-bland

|date=July 12, 2014

|access-date=August 9, 2014

|url-status=usurped

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810035909/http://www.highlandperthshirenews.co.uk/general-civic-activities/dull-and-boring-story-also-to-become-bland

|archive-date=August 10, 2014

|df=mdy

}}{{Cite news

| title = Bland hopes to join Dull and Boring - Perth & Kinross

| newspaper = The Courier

| location = UK

| url = http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/perth-kinross/bland-hopes-to-join-dull-and-boring-1.98554

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140810024043/http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/perth-kinross/bland-hopes-to-join-dull-and-boring-1.98554

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = August 10, 2014

| date = June 1, 2013

| access-date = August 9, 2014

}} was added to the mix to create not a "twinned town" relationship but a "League of Extraordinary Communities" grouping Dull, Boring, and Bland{{Cite news

| title = Bland joins Dull and Boring

| newspaper = The Daily Advertiser

| url = http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/2110343/bland-joins-dull-and-boring/?cs=156

| date = February 25, 2014 | access-date = August 9, 2014

}}{{Cite news

| title = Scots town Dull joins forces with Bland and Boring

| newspaper = The Scotsman

| url = http://www.scotsman.com/news/odd/scots-town-dull-joins-forces-with-bland-and-boring-1-3185215

| date = November 13, 2013 | access-date = August 9, 2014

}} as a means of encouraging travel, promoting all three communities.{{cite news|title=Scots town Dull joins forces with Bland and Boring|newspaper=The Scotsman|date=November 12, 2013|location=Edinburgh, Scotland|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/odd/scots-town-dull-joins-forces-with-bland-and-boring-1-3185215|access-date=August 10, 2017}}{{cite news|title=Dull, Boring and Bland Team Up to Lure Tourists|work=NBC News|date=April 25, 2014|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/dull-boring-bland-team-lure-tourists-n89946|access-date=August 10, 2017}}{{Cite news

| title = BBC TV crew tapes interviews in Boring

| newspaper = Portland Tribune

| url = http://portlandtribune.com/go/42-news/217895-78131-bbc-tv-crew-tapes-interviews-in-boring

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140814120818/http://portlandtribune.com/go/42-news/217895-78131-bbc-tv-crew-tapes-interviews-in-boring

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = August 14, 2014

| date = April 22, 2014 | access-date = August 9, 2014

}} The same year, construction of the Boring Station Trailhead Park was completed on the empty lot that once housed the original 1903 train station, and opened to the public.{{cite web|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/happy-valley/index.ssf/2012/01/strip_club_patrons_win_right_t.html|work=The Oregonian|title=Strip club patrons win right to park at new Boring Station Trailhead Park at head of Springwater Corridor|date=January 15, 2012|access-date=October 2, 2016|author=Zheng, Yuxing}} The Boring Community Planning Organization also issued commemorative "Boring & Dull: a pair for the ages" T-shirts and mugs, as well as raffling off a trip to Dull.{{Cite news

| title = Happy Boring & Dull Day!

| magazine = Time

| url = https://newsfeed.time.com/2013/08/09/happy-boring-and-dull-day/

| date = August 9, 2013 | access-date = August 9, 2014

}}

File:Mt. Hood, Oregon, Clackamas County.jpg from Boring]]

File:Boring and Damascus, Oregon aerial.jpg

Located at the northernmost end of the eastern Willamette Valley, Boring rests in the foothills of the Cascade mountain range, at the base of Mount Hood. The community is approximately {{convert|31|mi|km}} from Government Camp, a major resort and skiing community on Mount Hood.{{cite web|url=http://www.distance-cities.com/distance-boring-or-to-government-camp-or|work=Distance Between Cities|title=Boring, Oregon and Government Camp, Oregon|access-date=September 22, 2016}} The community comprises approximately {{convert|30|sqmi|sqkm}} of Clackamas County. Boring is considered part of the Portland metropolitan area, located approximately {{convert|12|mi|km}} southeast of the Portland city limits, and {{convert|16|mi|km}} from downtown Portland.{{cite web|url=http://www.distance-cities.com/distance-portland-or-to-boring-or|work=Distance-Cities|title=Distance between Portland, OR and Boring, OR|access-date=October 6, 2016}}

Boring's landscape is hilly, with its elevation ranging between {{convert|548|ft|m}} and {{convert|755|ft|m}}. Several creeks run west through the community limits into the Clackamas River, including Doane Creek, North Fork Deep Creek, and Tickle Creek.{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Boring,+OR/@45.4324291,-122.3838334,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x54959bae23a922ff:0x5999408136deae2e!8m2!3d45.4313662!4d-122.3734641|work=Google Maps|title=Boring, OR 97009|access-date=September 22, 2016}}

According to the Köppen climate classification, Boring has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. The community receives an annual average of {{Convert|54.26|in|mm}} of rain—significantly more than neighboring Portland, which averages {{Convert|36.03|in|mm}}, or Gresham, which averages {{Convert|44.85|in|mm}}. Boring's high volume of rainfall can be attributed to its location in the Cascade foothills, which situates it at a considerably higher elevation than other towns and cities in the Portland metropolitan area.{{cite web|url=https://fox12weather.wordpress.com/2015/09/06/a-neat-old-metro-rainfall-map/|work=Fox 12|title=A Neat Old Metro Rainfall Map|date=September 6, 2015|access-date=October 8, 2016|author=Nelsen, Mark}} The first frost in Boring typically occurs within the first week of November, while the last is typically in the first week of April.

{{Weather box

| collapsed =

| open =

| single line = yes

| location = Boring, Oregon

| source = Zip Data Maps Profile for Zip Code 97009{{cite web|url=http://www.zipdatamaps.com/97009|work=Zip Data Maps|title=Zip Code 97009 Profile|access-date=December 2, 2018}}

| Jan high F = 46

| Feb high F = 51

| Mar high F = 56

| Apr high F = 61

| May high F = 68

| Jun high F = 73

| Jul high F = 80

| Aug high F = 81

| Sep high F = 75

| Oct high F = 64

| Nov high F = 52

| Dec high F = 46

| year high F = 63

| Jan low F =34

| Feb low F =36

| Mar low F =38

| Apr low F =41

| May low F =46

| Jun low F =50

| Jul low F =54

| Aug low F =54

| Sep low F =50

| Oct low F =44

| Nov low F =39

| Dec low F =35

| year low F =44

| Jan precipitation inch =7.53

| Feb precipitation inch =6.16

| Mar precipitation inch =5.51

| Apr precipitation inch =4.36

| May precipitation inch =3.55

| Jun precipitation inch =2.45

| Jul precipitation inch =.97

| Aug precipitation inch =1.26

| Sep precipitation inch =1.26

| Oct precipitation inch =2.36

| Nov precipitation inch =7.76

| Dec precipitation inch =8.04

| year precipitation inch =54.26

}}

File:Shirley Gamble and Haroldine DeBord, 1946 (5836929896).jpg

After its inception as a railroad community, Boring evolved into a hub for the timber industry in the Northwest, beginning in the pre-World War I era and continuing throughout much of the 20th century. One of the first mills established in Boring was the Hillyard Sawmill, which began operations in the 1890s; the mill produced over {{convert|30000|ft|m}} of lumber per day, mostly consisting of railroad ties.{{Sfn|Bosserman|2014|p=46}} Bert Jonsrud, an early resident of the area, would later establish the Jonsrud Bros. Lumber Company, which would become Boring's main lumber mill. In a 1915 survey of timber and logging camps in the Pacific Northwest, it was reported that Jonsrud mill was producing {{convert|20000|ft|m}} of lumber per day.{{Cite journal

| title = Pacific Coast Mills: Oregon

| volume = 16 | page = 56

| location = Portland, Oregon, U.S.

| journal = The Timberman

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=yPEwAQAAMAAJ&q=boring+oregon+jonsrud+mill&pg=RA3-PA56

| date = February 1915

|via= Google Books

}} {{Open access}} Today, Vanport International is the main lumber company operating out of Boring. Although their main business is lumber export, they are co-located with a lumber mill actively processing timber products.

The Portland Traction Company, a now-defunct railroad, operated a rail line from Portland (near the current location of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) on the Willamette River) to Boring via Gresham.{{cite web|url=http://www.craigsrailroadpages.com/ptc/index.htm|title=The Rise and Fall of the Portland Traction Company|work=Craig's Railroad Pages|access-date=December 28, 2016|author=Bass, Craig|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227173300/http://www.craigsrailroadpages.com/ptc/index.htm|archive-date=February 27, 2017|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} In the 1950s, the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads jointly took over operation of the remaining portion of the line for freight operations. Much of the line has since been purchased by local governments for the creation of a long-distance rail trail named the Springwater Corridor.

The community is also home to a large number of dairy farms,{{sfn|Bosserman|2014|pages=40–43}} plant nurseries and berry farms,{{Sfn|Morgan| 1992|pages=95; 116}} including Iseli Nursery{{Sfn|Vertrees|Gregory|2010|p=17}} and Liepold Farms, who supplies produce to the local restaurant chain Burgerville.{{Sfn|Gabriel|2014|p=194}} There are over thirty active plant and tree nurseries that operate within the community.{{cite web|title=Search: Nurseries in Boring, Oregon|url=http://www.yellowpages.com/search?search_terms=nurseries+&geo_location_terms=Boring%2C+OR|access-date=September 25, 2016|work=Yellow Pages}} Another Boring community staple, [https://mthoodcenter.com/ Mt. Hood Center], was built in Boring in 1974 and the facility is still functioning today as an equestrian center, event venue, and an equine-based schooling alternative, Mt. Hood Center Academy.{{cite web |url=https://mhcacademy.net/ |title=MHC Academy :: Kindergarten to 8th grade, farm to table with horsmanship an alternative to tranditional public school based on oregon state standards |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004180938/https://mhcacademy.net/ |archive-date=October 4, 2021 |url-status=dead}} Boring is also home of a campus of Guide Dogs For The Blind, Inc., the oldest guide dog training program on the US West Coast. The largest employer in Boring as of 2018 is Good Shepherd Community Church, an independent Evangelical church.{{Cite web

|title=Guide Dogs for the Blind

|publisher=Guidedogs.com

|url=http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer

|access-date=December 28, 2015

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061206223746/http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer

|archive-date=December 6, 2006

}}

According to the 2010 U.S. census, the ZCTA for Boring's ZIP code had a population of 7,726 in 2,875 households. This was a significant drop from the 2000 census, which had reported a population of 12,851. Males made up 50.50% of the population, while females made up 49.50%. According to this data, the population's ethnic profile was 77.3% white, 13.3% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% Asian, .3% African American, and 4% two or more races.

32.20% of households in the ZCTA earned under $50,000 annually, while 39.80% earned between $50,000–$100,000, and 28% had reported earnings exceeding $100,000. As of 2018, the unemployment rate was 3.98%. 86.8% of residents were property owners, while 13.2% were renters.{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_14_5YR_S1101&prodType=table|work=Census.gov|title=American Fact Finder: 97009|access-date=September 26, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214010901/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_14_5YR_S1101&prodType=table|archive-date=February 14, 2020|url-status=dead}} In 2015, Boring was ranked among the wealthiest ZIP codes in the Portland metropolitan area.{{cite news|work=Portland Business Journal|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/subscriber-only/2015/09/25/wealthiest-zip-codes.html|date=September 25, 2015|title=The List: Wealthiest metro-area ZIP codes|last=Sawyer|first=Brandon|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201023042004/https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/subscriber-only/2015/09/25/wealthiest-zip-codes.html|archive-date=October 23, 2020|url-status=live|access-date=October 23, 2020}} {{closed access}} {{registration required}}

Along with other unincorporated communities in Clackamas County, Boring is served by Metro, a regional government of the Portland metropolitan area, and the only metropolitan planning organization in the United States.{{cite web|url=http://www.oregonmetro.gov/sites/default/files/2015_jurisdictional_boundaries_map_regional.pdf|work=Oregon Metro|title=Portland Metropolitan Area Jurisdictional Boundaries|publisher=Metro Research Center|date=September 15, 2015|access-date=October 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224102835/http://www.oregonmetro.gov/sites/default/files/2015_jurisdictional_boundaries_map_regional.pdf|archive-date=December 24, 2016|url-status=dead}} The community is located within Oregon's 3rd congressional district, represented by Earl Blumenauer.

In 2015, Steve Bates, the former chair of the Boring planning council received over 700 signatures in favor of having the community removed from the Metro jurisdiction, due to the fact that Metro's regional boundary only includes the western half of the community, where Boring's downtown area lies.{{cite web|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2015/01/metro_president_says_borings_r.html|work=The Oregonian|title=Metro Council President opposes push to remove Boring from boundary, calls it a 'poor idea'|access-date=October 14, 2016|date=January 22, 2015|author=Bamesberger, Michael}} Metro responded by noting that Boring lies outside of their urban growth boundary, and that the jurisdictional boundary had no bearing on any foreseeable incorporation of Boring.

According to the Clackamas County voting data from the 2012 U.S. general election, Boring somewhat favored the Republican party, which accounted for 59% of votes, while 37% favored the Democratic party.{{cite web|url=http://www.clackamas.us/elections/results/results20121106canvass.pdf|work=Clackamas County|title=November 6, 2012 General Election Precinct Breakdown (Precinct 405)|publisher=U.S. Government|date=November 6, 2012|access-date=October 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806211053/http://www.clackamas.us/elections/results/results20121106canvass.pdf|archive-date=August 6, 2016|url-status=dead}} Other parties accounted for 4% of votes. In the 2008 U.S. general election, the Republican party was only slightly favored at 51%, with the Democratic party at 47%, and 2% accounting for other parties.{{cite web|url=http://www.clackamas.us/elections/results/precinct20081104.html|work=Clackamas County|title=Precinct-by-Precinct Results November 4, 2008 (Precinct 405)|date=November 4, 2008|access-date=October 9, 2016|publisher=U.S. Government}}

File:Kelso School, Boring, Oregon.jpg

The first schoolhouse in Boring was the Fern Hill School, built in 1883.{{Sfn|Bosserman|2014|pages=74–5}}{{Cite news

| title = Boring history comes to life in new book

| author = Corbell, Beverly

| newspaper = The Portland Tribune

| url = http://portlandtribune.com/go/42-news/230342-93956-boring-history-comes-to-life-in-new-book

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160505142944/http://portlandtribune.com/go/42-news/230342-93956-boring-history-comes-to-life-in-new-book

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = May 5, 2016

| date = August 15, 2014 | access-date = April 10, 2016

}} The Kelso Schoolhouse opened two years later, in 1885.{{sfn|Bosserman|2014|p=71}} Another four-room school house called Oregonia was built in 1904.{{Sfn|Bosserman|2014|p=74}} A {{convert|40|by|60|ft|adj=mid}} play shed was added to the school in 1918.{{sfn|Bosserman|2014|p=75}}

Contemporarily, the community is served by the Oregon Trail and the Gresham-Barlow school districts as the community straddles the boundary between the two. Elementary schools in Boring include Naas Elementary and Kelso Elementary. Secondary schools serving Boring include Boring Middle School, Sandy High School (Oregon Trail), and Sam Barlow High School (Gresham-Barlow).{{cite web|url= https://www.gresham.k12.or.us/Page/8121|work=Sam Barlow High School|title=Boundary Map|access-date=June 17, 2020}} Private schools in the area include Good Shepherd School and Hoodview Adventist School.

Boring is also home to Oregon Trail Academy, the only public K-12 single campus International Baccalaureate school in the Northwest. The school was established as a charter school in 2010 by the Oregon Trail School District and also serves students from Gresham-Barlow.{{cite web|url=http://oregontrailschools.com/Page/431|work=Oregon Trail Schools|title=About OTA|access-date=June 17, 2020|archive-date=June 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618153105/https://www.oregontrailschools.com/Page/431|url-status=dead}} In 2019, the school ranked in the top 15 schools in the Portland metro area and 17th in the state.{{cite web|url=https://www.schooldigger.com/go/OR/schoolrank.aspx|work=School Digger|title=Best Schools in Oregon|access-date=June 17, 2020}}

Students' test score performance in the public school system in Boring ranks at or above the national average in both elementary and middle school(s).{{cite web|url=https://www.greatschools.org/search/search.zipcode?sort=rating&zip=97009|work=Great Schools|title=Schools in 97009|access-date=June 17, 2020}}

Oregon Route 212 begins in Boring, and runs through the center of the downtown area. Its roads are maintained by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

From the 1970s until the end of 2012, Boring was within the TriMet transit district, the Portland metropolitan area's mass transit system, and was served by bus line 84, albeit with only a single round trip in each peak period. In 2011, business owners in Boring petitioned the transit district's board to remove Boring from the district, arguing that Boring was receiving too little bus service relative to the amount being paid in employer-payroll taxes.{{cite news|last=Fuggetta|first=Emily|title=TriMet board votes to approve Boring withdrawal|newspaper=The Oregonian|date=December 14, 2011|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/happy-valley/index.ssf/2011/12/trimet_board_votes_to_approve.html|access-date=2017-03-07}} The petition was approved, to take effect at the beginning of 2013, bringing an end to TriMet service in Boring.

The Springwater Corridor, a rail trail that was originally a railroad running between Boring and Portland, begins in Boring next to Boring Middle School, and is used for running, walking, and cycling. The trail ends at the Eastbank Esplanade in downtown Portland.{{cite web|url=https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/finder/index.cfm?action=ViewFile&PolPdfsID=425&/Springwater%20Corridor%20Map.pdf|work=City of Portland|publisher=State of Oregon|title=Springwater Corridor|access-date=September 9, 2017}}

The eponymous fictional town of the Disney TV series Gravity Falls is inspired by Boring.{{Cite news

| title = 'Gravity Falls': Inspired by Boring, Ore.? It's true

| author=Owen, Rob

| newspaper = The Oregonian

| url = http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/2012/06/inspired_by_boring_ore_its_tru.html

| date = June 14, 2012

}}{{Cite web |last=McQuirter |first=Rose |date=2022-04-21 |title=Here's What Makes Gravity Falls a Perfect TV Show For Adults and Kids Alike |url=https://movieweb.com/gravity-falls-perfect-kids-and-adults/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=MovieWeb |language=en}}

In 2017, it was reported that ABC had developed a "serial killer comedy" series titled Boring, OR about a small town under siege by a serial murderer.{{cite web|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/abc-serial-killer-comedy-jack-black-1202592536/|title=ABC Developing Small Town Serial Killer Comedy With Jack Black Producing|author=Otterson, Joe|date=October 17, 2017|access-date=October 20, 2017}} The series is being produced by Jack Black.

In 2013, the community was home to an event hosted by Vitaminwater, in a series in which the company gave Boring and the town of Normal, Illinois, "makeovers". The event featured musical performances by Santigold, Matt & Kim, and Yung Skeeter, as well as standup comedy performances which included Amy Schumer.{{Cite web

| title = Boring, OR Gets a Brilliant Makeover

| work = Fuse

| url = http://www.fuse.tv/videos/2013/03/vitaminwater-boring-oregon-gets-makeover

| date = March 28, 2013 | access-date = October 27, 2015

}} Boring was the subject of a 2016 promotional documentary short by Brooklyn, New York-based cinematographer Adam McDaid for Ogilvy & Mather.{{cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/164009822|work=Vimeo|title=Comfort // Boring, Oregon|author=McDaid, Adam|date=April 24, 2016 |access-date=October 1, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/boring-oregon-really-boring-find-out-wonderfully-weird-ad-shot-there-173189|work=AdWeek|title=Is Boring, Oregon, Really Boring? Find Out in This Wonderfully Weird Ad Shot There Ogilvy's charming film has just one small problem|author=Natividad, Angela|date=August 30, 2016|access-date=October 1, 2016}}

In 2018, the Netflix web television series Everything Sucks! is set in the town and focuses on students attending the fictional "Boring High School."{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/everything-sucks-review-1084902|work=The Hollywood Reporter|title='Everything Sucks!': TV Review|author=Goodman, Tim|date=February 14, 2018|access-date=February 14, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2018/02/16/586012872/everything-sucks-goes-back-to-the-90s-for-love-friendship-and-honesty|title='Everything Sucks!' Goes Back To The '90s For Love, Friendship And Honesty|work=NPR.org|access-date=2018-02-16|language=en}}

• Bob Amsberry (1928–1957), original member of The Mickey Mouse Club{{Cite web

| title = Mickey Mouse Club Cast: Bob Amsberry

| work = Original Mickey Mouse Club

| url = http://www.originalmmc.com/bob.html

| access-date = April 9, 2016

| archive-date = April 17, 2022

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220417221723/http://www.originalmmc.com/bob.html

| url-status = dead

}}

• William H. Boring (1841–1932), Union soldier; founder of town
• Ryan Crouser (1992–), shot putter, discus thrower, Olympic Gold Medalist
• Alex Hirsch (1985–), storyboard artist, writer and producer at Disney
• Charis Michelsen (1974–), actress, model, and makeup artist
• Ben Musa (1905–1974), Oregon state legislator
• Maria Thayer (1975–), actress and comedian{{cite web|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/tv/2016/02/maria_thayer_explains_how_to_g.html|work=The Oregonian|title=TV's Maria Thayer: From a bee farm in Boring to the new sitcom, 'Those Who Can't'|author=Turnquist, Kristi|date=February 11, 2016|access-date=September 25, 2016}}
• Brian Wilbur (1986–), American football quarterback

Though not recognized by Sister Cities International, Boring is paired with the following municipalities:

• {{flagicon|Scotland}} Dull, Perth & Kinross, Scotland, United Kingdom{{Cite web

|title=Dull and Boring? Sounds exciting

|last=Gambino

|first=Lauren

|publisher=KVAL

|date=February 21, 2013

|url=http://www.kval.com/politics/Dull-and-Boring-Sounds-exciting-no-192372601.html

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022213916/http://www.kval.com/politics/Dull-and-Boring-Sounds-exciting-no-192372601.html

|archive-date=October 22, 2013

|url-status=dead

}}{{Cite web

|title=A Tale of Dull and Boring Sister Cities

|last=LeVeille

|first=David

|publisher=The World.org

|url=http://www.theworld.org/2012/04/a-tale-of-dull-and-boring-sister-cities/

|access-date=July 15, 2013

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630235810/http://www.theworld.org/2012/04/a-tale-of-dull-and-boring-sister-cities/

|archive-date=June 30, 2013

}}

• {{flagicon|Australia}} Bland, New South Wales, Australia

• Boring Lava Field
• Plain, Washington
• Cazadero, Oregon
• Damascus, Oregon
• List of places with unusual names
• Boring, Maryland

{{Portal bar|Oregon|United States}}

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Refbegin|30em}}

• {{Cite book| title=Hiking Oregon's Geology |author1=Bishop, Ellen Morris |author2=John Eliot Allen | year=2004|edition=2nd|publisher=Mountaineer Books|isbn=978-0-89886-847-0|ref={{SfnRef|Bishop|Allen|2004}}}}
• {{Cite book| title = Boring

| last = Bosserman | first = Dan

| year = 2014

| publisher = Arcadia Publishing

| series = Images of America

| isbn = 978-1-4671-3210-7

}}

• {{Cite book

|title = Case Studies in Sustainability Management: The Oikos Collection

|editor-last = Gabriel

|editor-first = Jordi Vives

|year = 2014

|isbn = 978-1-78353-068-7

|publisher = Greenleaf Press

|volume = 3

|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=taLqBQAAQBAJ&q=liepold+farms+boring&pg=PT209

}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

• {{Cite book| title = Oregon Geographic Names | edition = 7th

| last = McArthur | first = Lewis A.

| author-link = Lewis A. McArthur

| year = 2003 | orig-year = First published 1928

| publisher = Oregon Historical Society Press | location = Portland, Oregon

| isbn = 0-87595-277-1

}}

• {{Cite book

| title=The Good Food Guide to Washington and Oregon: Discover the Finest, Freshest Foods Grown and Harvested in the Northwest

| last=Morgan

| first=Lane

| publisher=Sasquatch Books

| year=1992

| isbn=978-0-912365-50-3

| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7coTOsdTciQC&q=The+Good+Food+Guide+to+Washington+and+Oregon:+Discover+the+Finest,+Freshest+Foods+Grown+and+Harvested+in+the+Northwest

}}

• {{Cite book

| title = Welcome to Horneytown, North Carolina, Population: 15: An insider's guide to 201 of the world's weirdest and wildest places

| last = Parker

| first = Quentin

| year = 2010

| publisher = Adams Media

| isbn = 978-1-4405-0454-9

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=29zh3dIgmv8C&pg=PR8

}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

• {{Cite book

| title = Japanese Maples: The Complete Guide to Selection and Cultivation

| last1= Vertrees

| first1= J.D.

| last2=Gregory

| first2= Peter

| year=2010

| isbn= 978-0-88192-932-4

| edition=4th

| publisher= Timber Press

| location=London; Portland

}}

{{Refend}}

{{sister project links|b=no|wikt=no|s=no|v=no|voy=Boring|c=Category:Boring, Oregon|m=no|q=no|mw=no|species=no|n=no}}

• [http://boringcpo.org/ Boring Community Planning Organization]
• [http://www.boringgrange.org/ Boring-Damascus Grange]

{{Clackamas County, Oregon}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1856 in Oregon Territory

Category:1903 establishments in Oregon

Category:Populated places established in 1903

Category:History of rail transportation in the United States

Category:History of transportation in Oregon

Category:Logging communities in the United States

Category:Portland metropolitan area

Category:Railway towns in Oregon

Category:Unincorporated communities in Clackamas County, Oregon

Category:Unincorporated communities in Oregon