Oak Grove

Oak Grove is an unincorporated Clackamas County community wedged between Milwaukie to the north and Lake Oswego to the south, with McLoughlin Blvd running the length of its western edge. McLoughlin is commercial, loud at rush hour, and not the place you want to be walking — but it does mean the drive to Portland or Oregon City is straightforward. The residential streets that run east from McLoughlin into the interior of Oak Grove are a different story: established trees, large lots on many blocks, and the kind of quiet that you do not get two miles north in inner SE Portland.

North Clackamas School District serves Oak Grove, which includes Lewelling Elementary, Rowe Middle School, and Milwaukie High School for most of the area. The Springwater Corridor Trail runs along the eastern edge with river access points — an asset that does not get as much attention as it should. North Clackamas Sports Park is a significant recreational facility with multiple athletic fields that draws use from across the district. The housing stock is primarily 1950s through 1970s, with some larger lots than you find in Milwaukie proper.

Oak Grove has not gentrified at the pace of Milwaukie or Sellwood, which is why prices are still lower than those neighborhoods to the north. The trade-off is fewer walkable amenities — most daily needs require a drive on McLoughlin. There is no town center. Being unincorporated also means the city does not have its own services; County roads and County governance. For buyers who want space and affordability without the isolation of a rural purchase, Oak Grove offers a genuine middle option.