Portland lags in pickleball court count
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Even with serious fans and a high-profile pickleball venue coming soon, Portland doesn't rank high in a national count of pickleball courts.
Portland has 8.1 pickleball courts per 100,000 people, according to the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a pro-parks nonprofit, landing the city at No. 24 in the U.S.
Zoom in: Portland Parks & Recreation tells Axios there are now 50 outdoor courts on park property, a dramatic increase from "very few" courts just two years ago, according to spokesperson Mark Ross.
- Portland Tennis Center has the most with 16, followed by Pier, Columbia and Sellwood parks, each with eight.
- More are under construction at Parklane Park, and more are planned for Gabriel and Westmoreland parks.
Zoom out: There's been a sixfold increase in the number of public pickleballcourts in the 100 biggest U.S. cities since 2017 — from 420 to 2,788 — and municipal leaders say they still can't come close to meeting demand from pickleheads.
- Portland's not alone in its love/hate relationship with pickleball.