This study looks into the reality of Portland, OR, which is often referred to as the leading city of smart growth in the U.S. Portland looks more smart-growth oriented than most American metropolises, but rather less among a top-tier group in terms of density, sprawl pattern, auto-dependency etc. Portland’s density levels, the most important component of smart growth, appear to be plain of a few targeted metropolises, limiting the implementation of transit-oriented policies. In addition, it has been confirmed that sprawl is widespread across the Portland metropolitan area. Urban Growth Boundary adopted by the city looks to contribute to the widespread sprawl somewhat. After all, Portland’s reputation as a sustainable city, a smart-growth city, seems somewhat exaggerated.