This Trendy City Is Where You Can Order The Best Coffee In All Of America

Nicknamed the Rose City, Portland (Oregon) is a real Pacific Northwest gem. With its endless greenery and emphasis on creativity, Portland is an ideal destination for nature enthusiasts and art aficionados, and the same can be said if you're a coffee lover. While you might want to think again before ordering this beverage on your flight to Portland, the wait will be worth it. Data gathered by Clever Real Estate led the company to crown Portland as the best coffee city in the U.S. in 2024. This isn't a huge shock — Portland's dedication to good brews is evident. 

Several independent coffee shops roast their beans in the city, including Stumptown, Coava Coffee Roasters, Roseline Coffee, Heart Coffee Roasters, and many more. In fact, according to Clever Real Estate, there are 2.4 coffee roasteries and 27.8 coffee shops per 100,000 residents. Why the coffee craze? A 2016 article from the Oregonian reported that coffee has always been a mainstay in Portland. 

However, the publication notes that the relationship between Portland and coffee truly blossomed when Seattle-based Starbucks, which was founded in 1971, opened several locations in Portland in the late '80s and '90s. Stumptown opened soon after, cementing its status in the coffee industry, and the rest is history. With so many coffee shops, it might be difficult to pick and choose where to have a cup of joe in Portland. Nevertheless, there's a solution: a coffee tour of the city.

In addition to visiting Rose City's notable attractions like the Portland Japanese Garden and Powell's City of Books, tourists should opt for a coffee-based outing to get a true taste of the city. Third Wave Coffee Tours offers various coffee-themed excursions. For instance, the A Streetcar Named Delicious Tour takes guests coffee-tasting in the trendy Pearl District, Downtown, and the Northwest District. As its name suggests, transportation is via none other than Portland's streetcar system. At the time of this writing, this tour is only available only on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. and begins at Never Coffee.

All tours can be booked online. Regardless of which one you decide on, Tripadvisor reviewers repeatedly praise Third Wave Coffee Tours, with a guide called Lora singled out for praise. One individual wrote, "She tailored the experience, bringing us to great shops we hadn't yet experienced in neighborhoods we'd not yet visited. Lattes with peppercorns ... cortados with anisette ... cold-filtered, drip, espresso, you name it."

Uniquely, there is a Downtown Portland Coffee & Donut Tour available on Airbnb Experiences. The two-and-a-half-hour journey has a 4.5 out of 5 rating and includes a maximum of five stops in this architecturally stunning neighborhood. Chocolate lovers can also rejoice, as there is a Portland's Best Chocolate and Coffee walking tour. The two-hour activity begins at Director Park in Downtown and can be booked online.

Even if you don't opt for a coffee tour, drinking good java in a spectacular setting is a must in Portland. If you're looking for a unique spot, there's no shortage of options. Tov Coffee, located in the Hawthorne neighborhood, serves Egyptian coffee in an Egyptian-style setting. Menu items at this colorful cafe include a rosa mocha and several cardamom-infused drinks. Downtown, visitors will find Less and More Coffee. This is not your traditional sit-down cafe; it's actually a kiosk in what was formerly a bus stop.

It's perfect for a pit stop to fuel up before exploring downtown. Specialty drinks include an ube latte and an iced tiramisu latte. In Northwest Portland, Electrica (seen in the TikTok above) offers Mexican and Japanese-inspired drinks in an industrial-brick building. They serve a Saikyo latte that includes miso caramel and black sesame and offer a cafe de olla syrup (a Mexican tradition). For a classic cafe experience, head to the Dragonfly Coffee House, also in Northwest Portland.

This picturesque establishment appears as if it should belong on an episode of "Gilmore Girls." Think inviting decor with a cozy ambiance. Their speciality drinks include a pecan spice latte and a honey lavender latte. If you are heading to Portland soon, check out the nearby stunning beach that won't break the bank. Looking for more coffee inspiration? Learn what popular coffee order in America will get you a cup of milk in Italy.