Jeld-Wen Field

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Portland-based Multnomah Athletic Club was founded in 1891 and soon constructed the stadium for their amateur sports teams beginning in 1893. In 1926, the facility was expanded into a complete stadium, including the upper seating bowl and the wooden benches which can still be found in the park. In 1956, the stadium was renovated in earnest for the first time to reflect its growing usage in the community. In 1966 the City of Portland purchased the park and renamed it Civic Stadium. It was renovated in 2001 to accommodate the Timbers and the Portland Beavers, while the naming rights of the stadium were purchased by Portland General Electric and it was renamed PGE Park. In 2011, the park underwent renovations again, this time so it could accommodate the Portland Timbers MLS franchise and a year later the stadium name rights were sold, this time to Jeld-Wen (Jeld-Wen Field). In 2014, the name was changed again to Providence Park after Providence Health & Services bought the naming rights.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Jeld-Wen Field is thick with anticipation. As the sun dips below the downtown skyline, the Lower Bowl ignites into a sea of green and yellow scarves. The rhythmic thumping of drums begins, a low rumble that vibrates through the soles of the players' boots before rising to a deafening roar as the team steps onto the pitch. In this moment, history is not just watched; it is felt in every chant. The announced attendance at Timbers games in 2011 was 18,627, a sell-out. Until 2023, the Portland Timbers sold out every game at Providence Park since moving to MLS in 2011.

Reader's Guide

Providence Park sits on a rectangular block bounded by Southwest Morrison Street, Southwest 18th Avenue, the Multnomah Athletic Club building and Southwest Salmon Street, and Southwest 20th Avenue. The Multnomah Athletic Club (MAC), an athletic club in downtown Portland that originally constructed the venue, stands next door; the windows on the north side of the club overlook the field. The Interstate 405 freeway in Portland is also known locally as the Stadium Freeway and travels near the stadium. In addition, the Providence Park MAX Light Rail station is across the street. The property slopes significantly downhill from the south end to the north end, with the result that the playing surface sits well below street level. The elevation at street level is approximately 110 feet (35 m) above sea level. A 2019 expansion raised the capacity to 25,218 and added a multi-level facade to the East End.

Did You Know?

• Providence Park has been the home of the Timbers since 1975.
• The stadium has hosted U.S. national team matches, Soccer Bowl '77, the 1999 and 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2014 MLS All-Star Game, the 2015 NWSL Championship Game, and MLS Cup 2021.
• Until 2023, the Portland Timbers sold out every game at Providence Park since moving to MLS in 2011, and the Thorns set a single-game National Women's Soccer League attendance record in August 2019 with a sell-out crowd
• In 2019, both clubs ranked among the top ten in attendance among professional soccer teams (men's or women's) in the United States and Canada.