Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) is a light rail transit system serving the Portland metropolitan area, Oregon, United States. The system is operated by TriMet, a public agency that operates public transit in the Portland area. Serving an average of 130,000 passengers a day (in Fiscal Year 2012), MAX Light Rail is one of the largest light rail systems in the United States in terms of ridership.

The MAX system currently consists of five lines, each designated by a color. : Hillsboro – City Center – Gresham : Clackamas – City Center – Portland State University : Union Station – City Center – Portland State University – Milwaukie : Portland International Airport – City Center – Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds station : Expo Center – City Center – Portland State University

MAX Light Rail began service on September 5, 1986 with the opening of the original segment from Downtown Portland to Gresham. An extension westward to Beaverton and Hillsboro opened in 1998. The resulting 33-mile east-west line has always been operated as a single through route, and it became known as the Blue Line in 2001, after TriMet adopted color designations for its separate light rail routes after the Red Line opened to the airport. The Yellow Line branch to the Expo Center opened in 2004. In 2009, the Green Line opened, serving the Portland Transit Mall (along with the rerouted Yellow Line) and the new I-205 branch to Clackamas.

The system currently has a total of 93 stations, minus 3 which closed in March 2020 and another in August 2025. 50 stations are served by the Blue Line, 28 stations by the Green Line, 17 by the Orange Line, 28 by the Red Line, and 17 by the Yellow Line, with 39 stations served by two or more lines and 8 by three. All trains connect at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Since 2012, there is a flat fare for the entire TriMet system. Prior to 2012, fares on the MAX system were zonal (i.e. distance-based), the same as on TriMet's bus service. The center of downtown was called Fareless Square (later the "Free Rail Zone") and included the area from the Library and Galleria stations to the Old Town/Chinatown station. This was later expanded across the Steel Bridge into the Lloyd District as far as Lloyd Center/Northeast 11th Avenue station, and Interstate/Rose Quarter station. When the Portland Transit Mall was remodeled in 2009 to accommodate light rail, all stations on the transit mall were included as part of Fareless Square. Moving out from the center of downtown, Zone 1 included the Albina/Mississippi station on the Yellow Line, and from Providence Park to Washington Park on the Red and Blue lines. Zone 2 consisted of the rest of the Yellow Line (from Overlook Park to the Expo Center) as well as the three stations next to Interstate 84 (Hollywood/Northeast 42nd Avenue station, Northeast 60th Avenue station, and Northeast 82nd Avenue station). Zone 3 consisted of all other MAX stations, including all stations in Washington County and all stations beyond the Gateway/NE 99th Avenue Transit Center.

Stations

† Terminals < Westbound/southbound-only stations > Eastbound/northbound-only stations

Station Lines Transit connections Year opened Park & ride Image 35, 40 2004 1998 1998 417 spaces

20, 52, 53, 54, 57, 58, 76, 78, 88 1998 2007 < Transit Mall 2009 2010 Clackamas Town Center Transit Center† 29, 30, 33, 34, 71, 72, 79, 152, 155, 156 2009 750 spaces † 1986 392 spaces 9, 17, 70 2015 6 1990 6 (southbound only) C-Tran: 60 2004 304 spaces 15, 20 1986 73 1986 612 spaces 86 1986 74 1986 1986 87 1986 247 spaces 1998 435 spaces † 11 2004 300 spaces < : 1986 (eastbound only) 15, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 87 CAT: Columbia Gorge Express 1986 690 spaces < 2024 6, 58 1998 FX, 9, 20, 21, 81, 82, 84 SAM: Gresham Express 1986 540 spaces 21 1986 417 spaces † 1998 250 spaces 1998 †(formerly Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport) 46 1998 396 spaces 46 47, 48, 57 YCTA: 33 1998 (formerly Tuality Hospital/SE 8th Ave) 1998 (formerly Hollywood/NE 42nd Ave Transit Center) 75, 77 1986 35 2004 2004 (closed 2020) 51, 63 1997 10, 14, 73 2009 > : 1986 9, 17 2015 70 1986 Mall/SW 4th Ave> (closed 2020) Transit Mall 1990 Mall/SW 5th Ave< (closed 2020) Transit Mall 1990 67 1998 62 1998 400 spaces 29, 32, 33, 34 2015 < 1986 2001 72 2004 4, 75 2004 2004 : 1986 71 1986 72, 77 1986 < Transit Mall 2009 > Transit Mall 2009 16 1986 4, 8, 16, 35, 44, 77 1986 9, 17 : 2015 (formerly Orenco/NW 231st Avenue) 47 1998 180 spaces 2004 12, 21, 71, 73 C-Tran: 65 2001 193 spaces > Transit Mall 2009 < Transit Mall 2009 < Transit Mall 1986 > Transit Mall 1986 † 2001 15, 18, 51, 63 1997 <† Transit Mall 2012 >† Transit Mall 2012 < Transit Mall : 2009 > Transit Mall : 2009 (formerly Quatama/NW 205th Ave) 1998 310 spaces 25, 87 1986 44 2004 4, 8, 35, 40, 44, 77 1986 1986 17, 70 2015 17, 70 2015 19 2015 FX 2009 19 2009 2009 630 spaces 17 2009 125 spaces 15 2009 420 spaces † 33 2015 401 spaces 9 2009 391 spaces 34 2015 318 spaces (closed 2025) 12, 19, 20 1986 9, 17, 35, 36 : 2015 < Transit Mall 2009 > Transit Mall 2009 > Transit Mall 2009 20, 48, 59, 62 The Wave: 5 1998 622 spaces <† Transit Mall

Greyhound Lines The Wave: 5 2009 > Transit Mall

Greyhound Lines The Wave: 5 2009 1998 47 1998 52 59, 88 CC Rider: 2, 6 1998 595 spaces > 1986

References Specific

General

External links

List of MAX Light Rail stations on TriMet website