Portlanders lack affinity for box stores like Walmart, which closed its last city-
limits location in 2023. But they love Costco. Founded in 1983 in Seattle, the chain has a cult following for huge-volume goods, like its two-liter bottles of extra-virgin olive oil, pints of pure vanilla extract, and giant teddy bears. The full experience includes grabbing a hot-dog-and-soda combo ($1.50), plus a cookie or soft-serve for dessert. How much better could one Costco be than another? While most stores carry the same staple products, logistics matter: parking, store navigation, and available specialty items can affect customer experience. (For example, pedestrian walkways mean not dodging cars backing up with rear visibility blocked by back seats full of Costco goodies.) We splurged on a membership and made the rounds for a ranking. 

7 Aloha 15901 SW Jenkins Rd God help you if you visit this Costco after 3pm on a weekday, when it’s swarmed with Nike employees stopping for gas and groceries, and the parking lot gets chaotic. It’s a smaller store, so we didn’t find much in the way of specialty items. We suggest driving to the Hillsboro location, which is bigger and less crowded. Finds: Nintendo Switch gear, like the game Pikmin 4 and two colors of Joy-Con controllers 

6 East Vancouver 19610 SE First St, Camas This far-flung Costco provides little reward for the long drive. There’s sales tax on household goods, and a pantry and frozen section with nothing unique on offer. Finds: Kirkland brand liquor, though buyers face Washington’s a 20.5 percent spirits tax, among the highest in the country (Costco carries only beer and wine in Oregon, where state law prevents grocery stores from selling liquor.)

5 Tigard 7850 SW Dartmouth St (pictured above) While this Costco’s offerings are perfectly fine, exiting the parking lot can take 10 minutes, and good luck if you need to turn left. And the store is too small to carry unusual finds. But it sits next to a WinCo and a US Foods Chef’Store, making a budget grocery trifecta. Finds: Buffalo mozzarella from Italy, utterly soft faux chinchilla body pillows you didn’t know you need to caress 

4 Vancouver 6720 NE 84th St We like the parking lot’s smooth flow and ample walkways. We suggest this store for stocking up on $20 bottles of Kirkland whiskey, or Suntory’s Hibiki Harmony whiskey ($69 plus tax). But skip the paper goods and Toto washlets, which are taxed in Washington, and grab those in Oregon instead. Finds: Liquor, red kiwi, TacoTime beef taco–flavored pizza 

3 Portland 4849 NE 138th Ave This is a serviceable, middle-of-the-road Costco. Avoid weekday afternoons, when commuter traffic fills the lot, and busy weekends. Try arriving right at opening time. If you’re after roast chicken, pickings were slim when we stopped by. Finds: White Rabbit ice cream bars

2 Clackamas 13130 SE 84th Ave Unlike most locations, where the food court line bottlenecks your exit efforts, this food court conveniently has its own entrance, making it easy for shoppers who aren’t hungry to get out and for mere diners to buy and enjoy a hot dog (or pizza or ice cream) in relative peace. Though the parking lot is a bit tight, the crowds are manageable in the evenings, and we found the gas station staff friendly and helpful. Finds: Zip-up fleece jackets for under $20

1 Hillsboro 1255 NE 48th Ave This was the biggest Costco in the world from its opening in 2005 until an even larger store opened in Salt Lake City in 2015. It hosts a massive selection of pet toys and treats, a bigger-than-ever furniture department, and an array of gifts, with soup dumplings, Brazilian cheese bread, and Japanese chocolates from Meiji, plus Indian food products including paneer, roti, dal, and gulab jamun. The extra-large rotisserie chicken case is well-stocked. Finds: Pac-Man arcade game, $70 six-story cat tree, full-size American Girl dolls