10 Great Companies to Work For in Portland, Oregon

Love New York City's culture and arts, but not its cost of living? Hate L.A.'s traffic? Winters in Chicago?

Wish you could have tall buildings and some greenery, too?

If any or all of those ring true, you may be interested to know that great career opportunities abound all over this country—not just in a handful of major cities. In recognition of that, we've decided to shine a spotlight on some of the locations that you're less likely to stumble across in the national media, but which compensate for their lower profile by offering a more relaxed way of life, easier access to the great outdoors, and the opportunity to live less than 90 minutes from your employer's front door.

First in our series: the city of Portland, Oregon. With all the business opportunities of a big city, plus public transit and a top notch culture and arts scene, it's got all the excitement of a concrete jungle, without the concrete, the crime or the prohibitive living expenses of some of its coastal counterparts.

There's no shortage of natural beauty: Portland straddles the Williamette River and has views of Mt. St. Helen and Mt. Hood, and prides itself on its wealth of natural preserves and wilderness parks. And since temperatures rarely dip below 35 degrees in the winter or rise above 80 degrees in the summer, climate extremes will rarely keep you inside after work.

The mix of companies and institutions below reflects the eclectic essence of Portland: there are big, trusted names, but quirky, home grown operations too. And most have sustainability plans firmly in place—Portland's dedication to environmental initiatives has consistently earned it top spots on many "Greenest Cities in America" lists.

Here is the full list of featured employers:

• • Capgemini
• • Stumptown Coffee
• • Kaiser Permanente
• • Symantec
• • research/into/action
• • Portland State University
• • Microsoft
• • David Evans and Associates
• • Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group
• • Slalom Consulting

Be sure to check back for more cities in this series. Upcoming locations include Anchorage, Seattle, Washington, DC, Vancouver, Atlanta and more.