At the heart of Portland’s world-class public transportation system is MAX light rail, with 84 stations and 52 miles of track connecting the city, airport and region.
Max Lines
MAX has four lines, all of which run through downtown:
Blue Line (Hillsboro/City Center/Gresham)
Green Line (Clackamas/City Center/PSU)
Red Line (Airport/City Center/Beaverton)
Yellow Line (Expo Center/City Center/PSU)
MAX trains run about every 15 minutes most of the day, every day. Service is less frequent in the early morning, midday and evening.
How To Ride MAX
- You must have a validated ticket, bus transfer receipt or pass before boarding MAX. Ticket machines and validators are located at the station. There are no fare boxes onboard MAX.Before boarding, buy your ticket from a ticket machine or validate your previously purchased ticket in the validator located near the ticket machine. A validated ticket is your proof of payment, good for two hours on MAX, buses and the Portland Streetcar. Keep your ticket until you have completed your trip.
Note: MAX ticket machines return change in coins, so small bills are recommended. If you have a TriMet pass or bus transfer receipt, just board MAX and have a seat. (Check the expiration time at the top of your transfer; you may board until that time.)
- Signs at the station indicate where to wait and when the next train is due. Signs on the front of each train identify the line (Blue, Green, Red or Yellow) and destination.
- MAX stops at every station, so you don’t need to signal the operator to get on or off. The station name is announced before each stop and appears on a reader board overhead.
Visit TriMet’s site for more information on how to ride MAX, fares and how to pay.
Popular Places to go On MAX
In addition to all of downtown and the Old Town/Chinatown district, you can ride MAX to the following attractions:
- Washington Park (Oregon Zoo, Portland Children’s Museum, World Forestry Center Discovery Museum, Hoyt Arboretum) – Red and Blue lines
- Rose Quarter (NBA arena and concert venue) – All lines
- Union Station (Amtrak) – Green and Yellow lines
- Portland International Airport (PDX) – Red line
- Portland State University – Green and Yellow lines
- Lloyd Center (shopping center) – Blue, Green and Red lines
- PGE Park (soccer) – Blue and Red lines
- Oregon Convention Center – Blue, Green and Red lines
- Portland Expo Center – Yellow line
