Portland is one of the top 50 places to travel in 2025, according to Travel + Leisure

If an international flight is out of the question, you might be able to satisfy your travel needs with something a bit closer to home — say, a trip to one of the Pacific Northwest’s biggest cities.

Portland has made yet another best-of list, joining tropical paradises like Fiji and historic havens like Rome on magazine Travel + Leisure’s top 50 places to travel in 2025. And if you’ve been keeping up with The Oregonian/OregonLive’s coverage this past year, the news might not come as a big surprise. There’s been a lot to love in Portland lately.

The list was compiled by two dozen staff members at Travel + Leisure, a travel magazine based in New York City, who went through nearly 120 potential candidates. Staff focused on what each destination feels like right now — assessing, for lack of a better word, the overall vibe of a place instead of just a few popular tourist spots.

Destinations were categorized into seven groups: cultural immersion, nature lovers, big-city thrills, moments on the water, food and drinks, beach vibes and adventurous travelers.

Portland found itself in the big city thrills category (alongside Detroit; Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China; Marrakesh, Morocco; Rome; and Sacramento), but the argument could be made for almost all groups.

For one, Travel + Leisure lauds the city for its outdoor appeal.

Portland has more than 250 public green spaces, including several waterfront parks and trails along the Willamette River (Last year, the Trust for Public Land ranked the city No. 9 among the 100 largest U.S. cities for public parks.) The city is a haven for cyclists, with greenways and bike paths criss-crossing throughout Portland.

But if you’d rather do something more lowkey, exciting developments are in store over the next year. Or, as Travel + Leisure promises: “Now there are new, enticing reasons to visit this laid-back Pacific Northwest city.”

Cascada — a part-hotel, part-wellness-spa retreat flush with a conservatory, indoor pools and garden — is set to open on Northeast Alberta Street in 2025. For art lovers, an $111 million expansion project is completely restructuring Portland Art Museum, adding nearly 100,000 square feet of space and hundreds of new pieces.

And thanks to Portland International Airport’s recent $2 billion renovation, you can start enjoying your trip to Oregon the moment your plane hits the runway.

Not only is the revamped main terminal gorgeous (Try not to cramp your neck staring up at the lush trees and wood-beamed ceilings), but there’s also a full slate of brand new dining and shopping options (Remember, Oregon doesn’t have sales tax!).

The airport is so beloved, in fact, you might even plan to show up early for your flight back home.

— Veronica Nocera covers life and culture. You can reach her at vnocera@oregonian.com, 503-221-8111 or @vernocera