Portland International Airport was first located on the Swan Island, in 1926, and due to difficulties to expand the airfield, plans to relocate it were conceived in 1935. Later on, in 1936, the current Portland International Airport site was purchased to transform the site into a “super airport”. In 1959, after a few improvements and the opening of a new terminal, the airport was given the “International” designation to its name.

Portland International Airport is nowadays the largest airport in Oregon and its passenger travel and air cargo accounts for 90% and 95% of the whole state respectively.