Language

Oregon speaks English without any discernable dialect.

Currency

The currency used in Oregon is the US dollar (US$). Banknotes come in denominations of US$1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100. There are 100 cents in US$1, with coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, and 25 cents. Unless you want to exchange foreign currency at the airport in Portland, you will need to visit a bank to get your dollars. Most ATMs accept international cash cards, and credit cards such as MasterCard and Visa are accepted everywhere. Traveler’s checks, however, should be cashed in at a bank because some smaller businesses won’t deal with them.

Time

Nearly all of Oregon is in the Pacific Time Zone (GMT -8, GMT -7 between March 12 and November 4 during daylight savings) except for Malheur County, a small area in the southeast corner, which uses Mountain Standard Time (GMT -7, GMT -6 between March 12 and November 4 during daylight savings).

Electricity

Oregon uses electricity at 110-120 Volts, 60Hz. Flat two-prong plugs are typical, so it is recommended that you travel with a universal plug adapter if you are coming from Europe or Asia.

Communications

The dialing code for the United States is +1. Oregon uses four area codes for different regions of the state: 503 and 507 (Portland region), 541 and 458 (the rest of the state). Mobile phone coverage is good throughout most of Oregon, though there are some dark areas along the remote parts of the coast and the eastern desert. Internet access should be easy to find in most towns, with Wi-Fi hot spots common in hotels, coffee shops, and cafés.

Duty-free

Every visitor arriving in America over the age of 18 may carry one liter of alcohol, 200 cigarettes (or 50 non-Cuban cigars or two kilograms of tobacco), and gifts valued at US$400 without paying duty tax.

Tourist Office

Travel Oregon, 1000 Southwest Broadway suite 2300, Portland, OR 97205: +1-800-547-7842 or http://traveloregon.com/.

Consulates in Oregon

Canadian Consulate General, Seattle: +1-206-443-1777 German Consulate General, Portland: +1-503-222-0490 Netherlands Consulate General, Portland: +1-503-222-7957 French Consulate General, San Francisco: +1-415-397-4330 Australian Consulate General, Washington, DC: +1-202-797-3008 British Consulate General, San Francisco: +1-415-617-1300

Emergency

Emergency services: 911