1846Government
== History ==
Alphonso Boone, the grandson of Daniel Boone, settled in what would later become Wilsonville in 1846 and established the Boones Ferry across the Willamette River i...
1855Culture
Originally, the area was part of what became Yamhill County, but was transferred to the current Clackamas County in 1855.
1876Government
The first post office was established in 1876 with the name Boones Ferry.
1880Government
Founded with the name Boones Landing for the Boones Ferry that crossed the Willamette River, the community became Wilsonville in 1880.
1890Infrastructure
By 1890, the railroad had reached town and the community contained depot, several hotels, a saloon, a tavern, a bank, and several other commercial establishments.
1897Education
In 1897, the twelve school districts in the vicinity of Wilsonville up to Lake Oswego merged to create a single district.
1906Government
A railroad bridge was built across the river for the Oregon Electric Railway beginning in 1906.
1908Architecture
The bridge was completed the next year and service from Wilsonville south to Salem began in 1908.
1910Architecture
A new Methodist church was built in the community in 1910, which was used until 1988 and is still standing.
1939Disaster
In 1939, the wooden trestle part of the railroad bridge across the Willamette caught fire and burned.
1954Architecture
Boones Ferry was decommissioned after the Boone Bridge opened in 1954 carrying what was then the Baldock Freeway, and is today Interstate 5.
1961Architecture
In 1961, the Dammasch State Hospital mental hospital opened on the west side of the community.
1963Architecture
Gordon House, the only house in Oregon to be designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, was built in 1963 near what became Charbonneau and moved to the Oregon Garden in 2001.
1964Disaster
Wilsonville was flooded in 1964 and the first fire station was built in 1966.
1968Government
Wilsonville was incorporated as a city on October 10, 1968, with a population of about 1,000.
1969Government
Wilsonville incorporated with an estimated 1,000 residents in 1969 and grew to 2,920 people at the 1980 Census.
1971Government
In 1971, the planned community of Charbonneau on the south side of the river was annexed into the city the year after development began.
1972Architecture
The wastewater system was built in 1972, while the water system was upgraded with a new treatment plant in 2002.
1973Education
Tektronix built a campus in the city beginning in 1973, which was later sold to Xerox.
1975Architecture
The next year, a new city hall was opened, replacing a trailer that had served as city hall since 1975.
1976Architecture
A standalone post office was built in 1976 at Boones Ferry and Wilsonville roads, with city police protection added in 1979.
1980Architecture
In 1980, the city reached a population of 2,920, and in 1982 the library was opened.
1982Government
Wilsonville Public Library, founded in 1982, is a member of Library Information Network of Clackamas County and had an annual circulation of 493,000 in 2006 to 2007.
1988Education
In 1988, the city opened their first library building, which replaced the one-room library located in space leased from the school district.
1992Education
Due to growth in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District, the school board approved building a new high school to be located in Wilsonville in 1992.
1994Government
Then-Wilsonville Mayor Jerry Krummel visited Japan in 1994 to attend a ceremony honoring Kitakata's 40th birthday.
1995Education
Also in 1995, Wilsonville High School opened as part of the West Linn-Wilsonville School District, the first high school in the city's history.
1996Architecture
There was a single movie theater operated by Regal Cinemas, operated from 1996 to 2023, which featured the first stadium style seating in the Northwest.
1998History
In 1998, lack of an adequate long-term water supply forced the city to suspend adding any new developments to the city.
2000History
=== 2000 census ===
As of the 2000 census, there were 13,991 people, 5,937 households, and 3,775 families residing in the city.
2001Education
Wilsonville Primary School was closed in June 2001, and later sold with the property and turned into a shopping center, anchored by an Albertsons supermarket.
2002Architecture
A new water treatment plant on the Willamette River opened in 2002 to address this need.
2006Architecture
In September 2006, Wilsonville opened a new $9.9 million, two-story brick and steel city hall after a controversy concerning its location led to unsuccessful attempts to recall ...
2007Architecture
In 2007, the old city hall building was turned into a new public works and police department.
2008History
Wilsonville is the setting for the 2008 film Wendy and Lucy.
2009Culture
A farmers' market started in 2009 at the Villebois development, held on Thursdays from May into October.
2010Education
In 2010, the Oregon Institute of Technology took over the InFocus building to house the school's Portland area campus.
2011Architecture
A new shopping center named Old Town Square anchored by a Fred Meyer store opened in 2011 along Interstate 5 at Wilsonville Road, which also included a McMenamins location.
2012Education
Lowrie Primary School in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District opened in 2012 in the Villebois part of the city.
2013Architecture
The Villebois Community Center in that area was completed in 2013.
2014History
Actor Henry Thomas is a current resident of Wilsonville, having moved there in 2014.
2015Economy
Microsoft had a plant, producing the Surface Hub, from 2015 to mid-2017, with the loss of 124 jobs.
2019Disaster
A fire in March 2019 destroyed 20 homes that were being built in the Villebois area.
2020Education
The private, for-profit Pioneer Pacific College operated their main campus in the city until 2020.
2021Government
In 2021, Fry's Electronics closed its store that had opened as Incredible Universe in 1992, while museum World of Speed and the local bowling alley also closed due to the COVID-...
2023Culture
The only theater in town, a nine-screen Regal Cinemas, closed in July 2023.
2025History
According to realtor website Zillow, the average price of a home as of July 31, 2025, in Wilsonville is $633,480.