Population: More than 800,000 residents (the most populous of Oregon's 36 counties)
Geography: 465 square miles (the smallest of Oregon's counties)
Cities: Fairview, Gresham, Maywood Park, Portland, Troutdale, Wood Village
County Employees: About 5,600 people.
Functions: Services for seniors and disabled people, animal services, assessment and taxation, bridges, community justice, courts, elections, health, jails, libraries, marriage licenses and passports, school and community partnerships.
Elected officials: Four commissioners elected to the board by district. Elected countywide are a board chair, sheriff, district attorney and auditor.
Weekly board meetings: At 9:30 a.m. Thursdays, first-floor board room, 501 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.
County History: Created on Dec. 22, 1854 and named after native people in the region.