The beautiful Oswego Lake is the centerpiece for the suburban community of Lake Oswego! Its small-town feel, while only 16 minutes away from Downtown Portland, is just one of the many reasons Lake Oswego residents chose the area.
The town of “Oswego” was first founded by Albert Alonzo Durham in 1847, and named after his birthplace in New York. After the acceptance of the discovery of iron ore in the Tualatin Valley in 1861, the iron industry began its boom, and the town of Oswego was home to the iron industry. When the iron industry reached its demise, the town turned to land development and after the incorporation of the City of Oswego in 1910, began building power poles as a way to get electricity to the community. The true development of the Lake Oswego we know today happened around the 1930s when Paul Murphy developed the Oswego Lake Country Club to make the city a place for work and play. The residential development around Oswego Lake really took off in the 40s and 50s and by 1960 the town was renamed Lake Oswego, the town we know today.
Oswego Lake Country Club – Then & Now
Today, the city of Lake Oswego is known for its spectacular shopping and dining, tight-knit community feel, and fabulous schools. The city hosts a variety of events including a farmers market, summer concerts, movies in the park, and the Festival of the Arts. With the community situated around Oswego Lake, there are also plenty of fun outdoor activities to enjoy, including the Lake Oswego Swim Park which is open to all residents through the summer.
We are still seeing a hot real estate market in Lake Oswego with an average sale price of $878,000. Typically we are seeing homes on the market for around 17 days. We sell a lot of houses in Lake Oswego. Mainly buyers looking for great schools for their kids and a great community vibe. At the beginning of COVID, Kaycee and John called and wanted to raise their daughter Grace out of the city of Portland. They had toured a house on Greentree and it turned out to be the perfect setting for their next chapter. We sold their house in Colonial Park and they moved to Lake Oswego. Grace loves her new home and large yard to run and play! Laura and Peter were similar in that they were looking for the best school for their 4th grader Ryan. Ryan was a favorite – always wanting to help open lockboxes and having a definite opinion about every house we saw! We landed in Westlake backing greenspace so plenty of room for Ryan to run & friends around the corner. The perfect match after a long search for perfection!
Our favorite spots in Lake Oswego:
- Gallery Without Walls – A unique outdoor sculpture exhibit throughout Downtown Lake Oswego 🗿
- Jefe – A traditional yet modern take on Mexican cuisine 🌮
- Iron Mountain Park – A 51-acre park featuring natural and developed features🌳
- Babica Hen Cafe – A cute brunch and lunch spot with a variety of delicious choices 🍳
- Nola Doughnuts – Doughnut shop and bakery with a Louisiana flair 🍩
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Want to see Lake Oswego? Contact one of our agents today, we’d be happy to show you around!
