Canby is a city of about 18,000 tucked in the Willamette Valley, roughly 25 miles south of Portland. It’s surrounded by pastoral scenes and a strong agricultural industry—the city is one of the country’s largest flower distributors. New residential construction and a growing downtown are evidence of the city’s recent growth. “I used to live in a smaller house when we first moved here, and there was an empty field next to it. Now that’s all a big housing complex,” says Karen Batridge, the young adult services specialist at the Canby Public Library, who moved to the city 15 years ago.
“Canby has a rich history, and a deep sense of community rooted in its agricultural heritage,” says Mayor Brian Hodson, and the city’s welcome sign even designates it as “the garden spot.” Local nurseries cultivate dahlias, tulips, perennials and trees that are distributed nationwide. Canby is also home to an active manufacturing industry. Major employers include Johnson Controls, a battery manufacturer; Milwaukie Electronics, which assembles circuit boards; as well as Shimadzu USA Manufacturing, Inc., which specializes in scientific equipment.
Canby is surrounded by a thriving agricultural community.
Milwaukee Electronics is one of the several major employers located in Canby.
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Contemporary Craftsman homes, modern farmhouses in new developments
Canby’s growth over the second half of the 20th century is evidenced by its variety of housing styles. Midcentury bungalows and ranch-style homes sit closer to the city center, while the outskirts of Canby are filled with new traditional Craftsman homes, modern farmhouses and more contemporary builds as recent as the 2020s. The median home sales price in the city hovers around $610,000, which is considerably higher than the national median of about $406,000. Higher price tags come with longer selling times—homes in Canby spend an average of 78 days on the market, compared to a national average of 44 days.
Canby offers mid-century homes with historic charm at its city center.
You'll find several styles of Bungalow homes in central Canby.
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Nearly century-old Cutsforth’s Market still stands downtown
Downtown Canby buzzes with shoppers drifting from antique stores and restaurants to boutiques and cafes in carefully maintained buildings from the city’s early days. Nearby Cutsforth’s Market has served the community since 1928, and residents can find fresh flowers, local honey and produce at the Canby Farmers Market. Farther southwest, the Canby Square shopping center is anchored by Safeway, Ace Hardware and Marshalls.
Cutsforth's Market offers a locally owned grocery shopping experience in downtown Canby.
Retro Revival Antique Store maintains Canby's old town charm.
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Summer concerts and holiday celebrations in Wait Park
Downtown, Wait Park hosts community events like the Slice of Summer concert series and the Light Up the Night holiday celebration. Canby Community Park sits along the Molalla River, offering a shaded and stocked fishing pond. The Logging Road Trail is a car-free outlet for bikers, hikers and joggers that eventually leads to the Willamette River.
Canby holds several community events around the gazebo at Wait Park.
Canby Community Park offers a pond stocked with trout for local fishing enthusiasts.
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Local job market preparation at Canby High
The Canby School District earns an overall B grade from Niche and serves more than 4,200 students across 85 square miles. Among its eight schools in the city, Trost Elementary is a magnet school with a lottery acceptance system that offers a dual language immersion program for English and Spanish. The B-rated Canby High School—the district’s only high school—has an extensive offering of career and technical education courses that prepare students for the local job market, from agriculture and early childhood education to manufacturing and engineering.
Baker Prairie Middle School is one of two Middle Schools in Canby OR.
Canby High School has an extensive offering of career and technical education courses.
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Roping, riding and rockin’ at the rodeo
The Clackamas County Fair and Rodeo is on everyone’s calendars in Canby. A five-day event that runs during the third week of August, with amusement rides, carnival fare, bull riding competitions, livestock exhibits and live folk and country music performances at the Clackamas County Fairgrounds and Event Center.
The venue also hosts the Oregon Renaissance Faire, which attracts over 75,000 visitors itself. The festival spans four weekends in June—each with a different theme—and includes more than 150 artisans and food vendors, as well as live music and period performances across seven stages. The Clackamas County Fairgrounds and Event Center hosts the Spring Garden Fair every May just in time for Mother's Day. Swan Island Dahlias, the largest flower grower in the country, invites visitors to stroll almost 50 acres of blooms in over 270 varieties in late summer.
The Canby Rodeo takes place every August at the Clackamas County Fairgrounds.
Clackamas County Fairgrounds and Event Center hosts the Spring Garden Fair every May.
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Historic Canby Ferry has operated for over 100 years
Canby is near several major arteries of the Portland metro area. Highway 99E travels through the heart of Canby, continuing north to Oregon City and Portland and south to Salem. It also connects to Interstate 205. Interstate 5 is usually a faster route to downtown Portland, which is about 25 miles—or 40 minutes away, depending on traffic. The Canby Loop provides public transportation around the city, while Route 99X brings commuters to the Oregon City Transit Center.
The Historic Canby Ferry is a relic of the city’s past. It began operating in 1914, and it’s one of three working ferries that remain in Oregon. Accessible by both pedestrians and cars, it crosses the Willamette River, in about 5 minutes, running on a by-need basis.
Long growing season in agricultural Willamette Valley
According to the FBI's Crime Data Explorer, property crime rates in Canby were well below those across Oregon from 2020 to 2023. The local rate trended downward by about 34% over that span. Violent crime rates in Canby stay below the national average and mostly below the Oregon average as well.
Canby residents enjoy a temperate climate with rainy winters and a long growing season that fosters its agricultural industry.
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