Aloha (, not ) is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Washington County, Oregon, United States. By road it is west of downtown Portland. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 53,828. Fire protection and EMS services are provided through Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue and American Medical Response.

History

Wheeler was named for Ira Wheeler, an early inhabitant of the area. In 1893, the Wheeler Subdivision was platted. Trains started stopping in the area in 1907, and a station was established on October 31st of that year. A school district was established in 1911.

The first time that Wheeler would be called Aloha was on December 7, 1911. The post office, approved but still searching for a postmaster, had been named so apparently from the Hawaiian term.

On January 9, 1912, the community received its name with the opening of a post office named Aloha; the area had previously been known as Wheeler Crossing. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the origin of the name Aloha is disputed. Some sources say it was named by Robert Caples, a railroad worker, but it is unknown why the name was chosen. In 1983 Joseph H. Buck claimed that his uncle, the first postmaster, Julius Buck, named the office "Aloah" after a small resort on Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin. Supposedly the last two letters were transposed by the Post Office during the application process. The local pronunciation, however, has remained rather than .

The community attempted to incorporate in 1984, but the regional boundary commission halted the effort after determining the community could not provide the needed municipal services of a city.

In 2012, a public library was opened in a space within a strip mall shopping center on Farmington Road at Kinnaman Road (previously anchored by Bales Thriftway until its closure in 2020). Named the Aloha Community Library, it was established by the non-profit Aloha Community Library Association and is staffed by volunteers. At the time of its opening, it had about 4,500 books.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Aloha had a population of 53,828. The median age was 35.8 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.2 males age 18 and over.

There were 18,547 households in Aloha, of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.0% were married-couple households, 16.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 30,898 || 57.4%

|-

| Black or African American || 1,776 || 3.3%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 690 || 1.3%

|-

| Asian || 6,082 || 11.3%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 406 || 0.8%

|-

| Some other race || 6,833 || 12.7%

|-

| Two or more races || 7,143 || 13.3%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 13,019 || 24.2%

|}

2000 census

As of the census

Hillsboro schools serving Aloha include Century High School, R. A. Brown middle school, and Butternut Creek, Imlay, Indian Hills, Ladd Acres, Reedville, and Tobias elementary schools.

Private schools in or near Aloha include Life Christian School, Palace of Praise Academy, and the elementary campus of Faith Bible Christian School.

Notable people

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  • Jeff Barker, Oregon State Representative
  • Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of Nvidia
  • Loren Parks, Businessman, founder of Parks Medical Electronics, and political donor

See also

  • M. E. Blanton House

References

  • Harvey the Giant Rabbit