MAX Light Rail

For the streetcar system in Portland, see Portland Streetcar. For other uses, see Metropolitan Area Express (disambiguation) and Max (disambiguation).

Metropolitan Area Express
From top to bottom: A Blue Line train on the Steel Bridge and a Red Line train at Sunset Transit Center
Overview
Owner	TriMet
Locale	Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Transit type	Light rail
Number of lines	5
Number of stations	93
Daily ridership	66,300 (weekdays, Q2 2026)
Annual ridership	22,061,900 (2025)
Website	trimet.org/max
Operation
Began operation	September 5, 1986 (1986-09-05)
Number of vehicles	149 (details)
Train length	1–2 vehicles
Technical
System length	59.7 mi (96.1 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line, 750 V DC
Top speed	55 mph (89 km/h)
System map All stations are accessible Cleveland Avenue Gresham Central Gresham City Hall Civic Drive Ruby Junction/E 197th Avenue Rockwood/E 188th Avenue E 181st Avenue E 172nd Avenue E 162nd Avenue E 148th Avenue E 122nd Avenue E 102nd Avenue Expo Center Portland Airport Delta Park/​Vanport Mount Hood Avenue Kenton/N Denver Avenue Cascades N Lombard Parkrose/Sumner Rosa Parks Gateway North N Killingsworth Street NE 82nd Avenue Gateway/NE 99th Avenue NE 60th Avenue Hollywood/NE 42nd Avenue SE Main Street N Prescott Street Lloyd Center/NE 11th Avenue Overlook Park NE 7th Avenue Albina/​Mississippi Convention Center Interstate/​Rose Quarter Rose Quarter SE Division Street SE Powell Boulevard SE Holgate Boulevard Old Town/​Chinatown Union Station Skidmore Fountain SB continues as Oak Street/SW 1st Avenue NW 6th & Davis NW 5th & Couch Yamhill District Morrison/SW 3rd Avenue SW 6th & Pine SW 5th & Oak Mall Pioneer Place Lents Town Center/SE Foster Road Pioneer Courthouse SE Flavel Street Pioneer Square SE Fuller Road Clackamas Town Center Library | Galleria SW 6th & Madison | City Hall Providence Park PSU Urban Center PSU South Kings Hill/SW Salmon Street NB continues as Goose Hollow/ SW Jefferson Street Lincoln Street/SW 3rd Avenue Washington Park South Waterfront/S Moody Sunset OMSI/SE Water Beaverton Clinton Street/SE 12th Avenue Beaverton Central SE 17th Avenue & Rhine Street Millikan Way SE 17th Avenue & Holgate Boulevard Beaverton Creek SE Bybee Boulevard Merlo Road/SW 158th Avenue SE Tacoma/Johnson Creek Elmonica/SW 170th Avenue Milwaukie/​Main St Willow Creek/SW 185th Avenue SE Park Avenue Quatama Orenco Hawthorn Farm Hillsboro Airport/​Fairgrounds Washington/SE 12th Avenue Hillsboro Health District Hillsboro Central/SE 3rd Avenue Hatfield Government Center Key Blue Line Red Line Green Line Yellow Line Orange Line Two services sharing a track Multiple services sharing a track Bidirectional Unidirectional Open interchange Closed interchange Station

The Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) is a light rail system serving the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Owned and operated by TriMet, it spans 59.7 miles (96.1 km) and comprises five lines and 93 stations. The system connects parts of Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties, with the Blue, Orange, Red, and Yellow lines converging in downtown Portland and the Green Line operating along Interstate 205 (I-205) in East Portland and Clackamas. Trains run at frequencies ranging from 30 minutes off-peak to 7+1⁄2 minutes in overlapping segments. In 2025, MAX had a ridership of 22.1 million.

MAX was among the first second-generation light rail systems built in the United States, emerging from freeway revolts in the 1970s. Planning for its inaugural eastside segment, then known as the Banfield Light Rail Project, began in 1973 after the cancellation of the Mount Hood Freeway. Construction started in 1982, and service between downtown Portland and Gresham commenced on September 5, 1986. The system has since expanded several times, most recently with the opening of the Portland–Milwaukie extension in 2015.

MAX is one of three urban rail systems in the Portland metropolitan area, alongside the Portland Streetcar and WES Commuter Rail. MAX connects directly with these systems and with other services, including Amtrak, Frequent Express, and local and intercity buses. Trains operate in consists of up to two cars due to Portland's short downtown blocks. All vehicles and platforms are accessible, and fares are collected using the Hop Fastpass payment system.