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Top 25 of 2025: Hillsboro’s 2025 Year in Review

Post Date:01/05/2026

The City of Hillsboro’s annual Year in Review updates the community about City projects, programs, and areas of importance that highlighted the year.

The Top 25 of 2025 appeared in the January/February 2026 City Views newsletter, delivered to every mailbox of every residence and business in Hillsboro — more than 49,000 addresses total.

Due to limited print space in City Views, many City Department highlights could not be included, except for here in an online digital format, including:

Economic & Community Development Department

Hillsboro Housing Production Strategy Readoption: Housing Production Strategy Readoption due to state remand for greater specificity in implementation timelines and actions' alignment with identified housing needs the City will take over a six-year period to ensure housing supply within Hillsboro meets the community’s current and future needs.
Hillsboro Housing Code Audit: Completion of a consultant-led audit identifying key structural, procedural, legal, and policy issues affecting residential development in the City's Community Development Code and Design & Construction Standards, and including code recommendations to inform Hillsboro Housing Production Strategy Readoption regulatory actions.
Adoption of Public Facilities Plan Update Comprehensive Plan Amendments: Adopted the City's most recent facility master plans into the Comprehensive Plan and streamlined and simplified the Public Facilities Plan section.
Metro 2040 Growth Center Boundaries Comprehensive Plan Amendments Adoption: Adopted City-modified Metro 2040 Growth Center boundaries for the Hillsboro Regional Center (downtown), Tanasbourne/Amberglen Regional Center, and Orenco Town Center to respond to state and Metro requirements involving Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities.
Building relationships. Reducing barriers. Elevating marginalized voices: Hosted two community dialogues, one in English, one in Spanish, involving a total of 50 community members at the Hillsboro Community Senior Center with dinner and childcare to build relationships, discuss housing, growth, and development, and opportunities to get involved in land use planning, now and in the future.
Minor & Major Comprehensive Plan Amendments Community Development Code Amendments Adoption: Refined the process for minor and major Comprehensive Plan amendments to provide clarification and increase efficiency.
Thorns FC & Portland Fire WNBA Team Break Ground on New Training Facility: Hillsboro will be home to their new training facility with the world’s first dual-sport training facility exclusively for professional women's teams. The site includes a 17,000 square foot building and 2 full-sized soccer fields.
Jobs & Resource Career Expo: The City partnered with Work Systems; Washington County; Washington County Chamber; Work Source to host and sponsor a career expo for 2,000+ attendees that featured 57 employers recruiting for 2,000 open positions. A total of 90 job seekers got free 1-on-1 resume reviews, and more than 300 attendees got free professional headshots.
Hillsboro Technology Park: Approximately 1,300 new jobs created and retained in Hillsboro thanks to redevelopment efforts in the Jackson East-North sub-area for infrastructure and future target industry investment. This included a $5 million reimbursement from Business Oregon for site development costs in the Tech Park, in addition to the $1.6 million received in 2024.
North Hillsboro Industrial Renewal Area (IRA):
- Over 800% increase in assessed value since adoption (2017)
- Over $42.1 million property tax revenue collected between FY 2023 and FY 2025 tax years.
- Appx. $3.6 billion in assessed value in FY 2026 in the IRA.
- Appx. 2,800 new jobs created and retained
- Acquired 8 acres for a total of 102 acres currently owned in Jackson East/North.
Major Sponsor of Second Annual Silicon Forest Tech Summit: Harnessing the Power of Diversity which seeks to demystify local tech companies, while emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and embracing diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Welcomed over 1,100 attendees, 30 companies, and 20 speakers who came together to connect, collaborate, and shape the future of the industry.
Celebrated the 13-year partnership between Portland Community College and they City of Hillsboro through the Future Connect Scholarship Program, which has provided $1.5 million in financial and coaching support. Since its inception, Future Connect has transformed the lives of 4,648 students in our region. During the 2024-2025 academic year, 338 new students joined the Future Connect program.
Westside Pitch Event – Fourth Annual Pitch Event: 5 Local companies were selected as finalists to compete for financial awards and investment, $30,500 were awarded to 3 Selected companies, with over 100 attendees at Hidden Creek Community Center.
Launched the second cohort of the Hillsboro Youth Apprenticeship Program, strengthening a growing pathway that connects students to paid on-the-job training in advanced manufacturing. Celebrated the first graduates of the two-year Hillsboro Youth Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship, marking the successful completion of Hillsboro’s first paid registered apprenticeship for high school youth.
Washington County Chamber of Commerce completed another year of small business support with 45 Latino businesses receiving technical assistance, 210 Business coaching hours provided, and 175 businesses directly engaged in 1-on-1 assistance.
8^th annual partnership with Adelante Mujeres’ Cocinemos Entrepreneur Support Program included: 25 annual program graduates, 105 coaching hours provided to small businesses, and 9 new businesses started at conclusion of annual program.
Centro Cultural – Centro de Prosperidad Economic Prosperity Center completed another year of community service by serving 69 small business clients, providing 300 hours of business coaching, helping 7 new businesses get created, and delivering 16 business skill-building workshops.
TiE Oregon and Hillsboro completed their fourth year of partnership supporting traded-sector entrepreneurs with: Approximately 16 Washington County Entrepreneurs served via business coaching and development, $30,500 in cash awards and equity investment issued to local entrepreneurs during Hillsboro’s 4th annual Westside Pitch Event including Hillsboro’s own Lac to love.
Downtown Small Business Grant Program:
- 5 Storefront, Security, and Lighting Improvement Grants were awarded, providing assistance and matching incentives for commercial property owners to enhance the design and appearance of their storefront façades.
- 3 Tenant Improvement Grants were awarded, providing matching funds to food, beverage, and specialty retail businesses and property owners interested in enhancing leased and owned spaces.
Avenida Diez: Performed intensive community engagement to inform the Equitable Development Strategy, which will be completed in 2026.
5^th Annual Winter Lighting Enhancements in the Cultural Arts District supports businesses during the dark winter months, while also providing festive lighting for patrons.
The FLIP Museum: Downtown Hillsboro became the new home of a hands-on interactive children’s museum.

Fire & Rescue

A new rescue unit debuted at the Cherry Lane Fire Station.
10 new firefighters were hired for the South Hillsboro Fire Station.
Staff completed the Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
American Sign Language and video relay translation were added to the Language Line.
More than 1,600 community members attended fire station open houses.
Of the 15,113 total calls for service; 13,820 were emergency medical service calls, and 1,293 were fire-related calls for service.
Staff engaged with community members at 172 community events for a total of 385+ hours.

Human Resources

In summer 2025, the City hosted a wide range of paid summer internships providing valuable work experience in multiple departments including the City Manager’s Office, Economic & Community Development, Human Resources, Library, Parks & Recreation, Police, Finance, Water, Water Treatment Plant, and Public Works. Interns earned competitive wages and participated in tours, workshops, and mentorship opportunities designed to build professional skills and connections. The City has offered summer internships for many years and staff are excited to offer another season in 2026.
Interested applicants can apply at Hillsboro-Oregon.gov/Jobs, where each posting lists specific requirements, and may also sign up for a Job Interest Card to be notified when relevant positions open in the spring.
HR staff saw a significant increase in job applications.

HiLight

HiLight passed 2,000 subscribers, expanded to serve more than 11,000 homes & businesses, and passed 5 years of operations.
HiLight service extended to the Glencoe Hut, making a new service area available in northwest Hillsboro.

Library

Digital Navigator: For the first eight months of 2025, a Digital Navigator was provided to Shute Park Library by WCCLS. Our first navigator proved so valuable that, thanks to one last scrap of ARPA funding, two navigators were hired for 2025-26, providing service at both library locations. In addition to offering drop-in hours to assist patrons with their technological needs, they will co-present with library staff on topics such as computer basics, online safety, and more.
Digital Literacy Workshops: The Hillsboro Public Library’s Digital Literacy Workshop Initiative, funded by a $10,000 grant from PLA & AT&T, successfully supported digital skill-building and confidence among underserved populations. With its focus on accessibility, cultural relevance, and community partnership, the initiative strengthened the Library’s role as a digital learning hub.
Dedication of the Steve Callaway Children’s Area: The Children’s Area at Brookwood Library was dedicated in honor of Steve Callaway, Hillsboro’s Mayor from 2017 – 2025, in recognition of his unwavering dedication, visionary leadership, and compassionate service to the people of Hillsboro.
Front-facing Shelving: New front-facing shelving was added to the Steve Callaway Children’s Area during a refresh. Front-facing shelving is highly valuable for children, as it encourages browsing, supports independent decision-making, and fosters a love of reading. Showcasing book covers makes it easier for children to choose books, discover new titles, and feel more engaged with the library.
Library Strategic Plan: With a consultant guiding the process, a new department Strategic Plan was written. Great care was taken to include the community. A steering committee was formed, Library and community data were reviewed, benchmarking against other libraries was conducted, and staff and community surveys were conducted. In addition, meetings were held with key stakeholders and focus groups. The plan is now complete, and implementation begins in 2026.
Total circulation for 2025: 2,202,695. Digital circulations in 2025 were 665,295 – an increase of 16% over 2024.
The Library hosted 761 programs in 2025, with total attendance of 24,154. The most-attended event was the End of Summer Reading Programs celebration, with 556 attendees.
Total library traffic for 2025: 560,582 visits. That’s the equivalent of almost two weeks’ worth of vehicle traffic across Burnside Bridge.

Parks & Recreation:

Adopted the Hillsboro Parks & Recreation System Plan, which will help shape priorities and investment over the next 50 years.
Expanded the Hillsboro Mural Program, including an annual funding opportunity which led to two new murals in the Cultural Arts District.
Added two off leash dog areas in South Hillsboro with both grass and artificial turf all season areas.
Record setting attendance at community events included the final year of Lightopia at Gordon Faber Recreation Complex as the event is being reimagined for 2026.
Proactive tree and habitat restoration work at Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve helped to mitigate for the impacts of the invasive and destructive emerald ash borer beetle.
Completed trails in South Hillsboro with construction of the Cornelius Pass Bridge over Butternut Creek.
Increased summer camp offerings and launched new cultural enrichment programs at Hidden Creek Community Center.
Shute Park Aquatic & Recreation Center achieved a milestone by generating more than $2 million in revenue for the first time in its 71-year history.

Police:

After more than a year of preparing to become an accredited police department, Hillsboro Police received a positive review from the assessor, Northwest Accreditation Alliance.
Upgraded radio systems to include UHF and VHF, alongside its digital network, to improve coverage and compatibility with other emergency agencies.
Began transitioning to all blue emergency lighting on patrol vehicles.
Conducted a community engagement survey to inform the department's Strategic Plan update.
Shred Event: Collected and destroyed a combined 27 tons of sensitive documents at the biannual event for community members.

Public Works

Maintained more than 260 miles of roadway year-round from paving and sweeping to leaf collection and severe weather response.
Fixed 121 trip hazards at 68 locations.
Replaced or installed 36 ADA ramps.
Transportation Team members responded to and investigated 244 community member requests.
- Also: Collected traffic data from 242 locations around Hillsboro.
Completed the Shute Road Multi-Use Path.
Completed the Lincoln & 2^nd Avenue project.
Provided street leaf pickup throughout Hillsboro and hosted two leaf drop-off events for residents to safely dispose of leaves and donate food during November and December.

Water

The Uni-directional Flushing (UDF) Program cleans watermains by removing built up sediment in pipes. The program flushed 300,960 linear feet of pipe (57 miles) in 2025 to prepare Hillsboro's water system for an additional water supply from the Willamette River.
Awarded $47,000 to residential, industrial, commercial, and institutional customers for water conservation projects.
Purchased a 5-acre property for a future water reservoir in South Hillsboro.
A new emergency supply well at South Hillsboro’s Fire Station #9 will aid firefighting efforts in case of a large emergency event.
The Leak Notification Program was piloted in 2025, and staff performed 2,407 leak checks to help customers.
Between May and October, Hillsboro residents used over 12,300 gallons of water from our Hometown Tap boards. At least 90 gallons were accessed during extreme heat events, and boards were requested 18 times for special events.
In 2025, Hillsboro Water:
- completed 1,080 hydrant inspections
- repaired and replaced 22 hydrants
- surveyed 87 miles of mainline pipes for leaks
- repaired 43 breaks and leaks
- replaced 410 linear feet of old piping
- installed 390 meters on new construction projects
- replaced 1,225 broken meters, registers, and meter bodies
- completed 2,141 utility locates
- 244 emergency locates
- replaced 2 pressure reducing valves (PRVs)
The Water Conservation Team performed 98 Home Water Audits to help customers learn how they can reduce their water consumption by changing water-use habits, device upgrades, and leak detection tips.
As part of ongoing efforts to build out Hillsboro's Water Service Line Inventory, Water Operators completed 33 service line material inspections in 2025.
The Water Quality Team collected 2,339 water samples.
Hillsboro Water participated in 34 community outreach events, including career fairs, health fairs, concerts in the park, arts and cultural festivals, sustainability events, and the Washington County Fair. This is a 26% increase in community events compared to 2024.
Water Department staff worked to secure Federal EPA grant funding of $2.2 million to begin the work to replace 15-miles of 18-inch-diameter steel pipeline first constructed in the 1940s. The new line will provide a seismic resilient connection to Hillsboro's original water supply on the Tualatin River.

City Manager’s Office

Worked with partners at Washington County, Metro, Project Homeless Connect and more to open the Year-Round Shelter.
Increased accessibility in Hillsboro with a language access website launch, iSpeak Hillsboro cards, Wordly at Council meetings, and listening devices.
Engaged community for Hillsboro's Climate Action Plan.
Supported 4 new City Councilors and a new Mayor.
Relaunched Community Conversations with Mayor Beach Pace as the host.
Supported the Civic Leadership Academy and the community vote to decide the official Hillsboro Community Flag.
Updated the Hillsboro 2035 Community Plan.
Celebrated 20 years of Hillsboro's Youth Advisory Council (YAC) program.
Coordinated a Sister City student delegation visit to Fukuroi, Japan.

What’s Ahead for 2026

Fire Station 9 will open in the South Hillsboro neighborhood.
The new Hillsboro Hops Stadium will open in the spring.
Lighted futsal courts are coming to Dairy Creek Park.
Block 67 Soon to Break Ground: The project will consist of two mixed-use buildings delivering needed housing, a space for a grocer/food cooperative, and other commercial spaces to contribute to the community's vibrancy.
Community Choice grant-funded projects are coming to three parks (Evergreen, Orenco Woods, and Shute Park).
More public art will be installed, including Cloud Nest, the Shute Park Library installation, and more murals around Hillsboro.
Willamette Water Supply Program: While the upper-Tualatin River will continue to be Hillsboro’s primary water source, the City of Hillsboro is developing the Willamette River at Wilsonville as an additional water supply source. This includes a state-of-the-art water treatment plant and over 30 miles of transmission pipes, built to modern seismic standards to withstand the impacts of a large earthquake or other natural disaster to help restore service quickly after a catastrophic event.
Groundbreaking will take place on the new HPD headquarters near the Hillsboro Airport.
The City of Hillsboro will mark its 150-year anniversary.
A Paramedic Scholarship Program will launch in partnership with the Hillsboro School District and Portland Community College.
OpenHillsboro, the City’s new land use and permitting implementation, will go live in 2026.
Implementation of the Library’s Strategic Plan: The Hillsboro Public Library will implement its new department strategic plan in 2026, guiding efforts to bring the community together, strengthen core services, create inclusive, accessible, safe, and joyful spaces, and enhance communication and awareness.
Hillsboro Reads: The Library’s signature author event, will look a little different in 2026. For two weeks in March, the focus will be on the adult title Tilt by local author Emma Pattee. The kickoff event on March 7 is an author talk, funded by the Library Foundation of Hillsboro. In June, Hillsboro Reads will return with a focus on children’s, youth, and young adult titles.