Portland is located on the Highland Rim in extreme northern Middle Tennessee.

This region has always been known for excellent agricultural soils, a spectacular wildlife environment and an enjoyable climate.

The Highland Rim offered ideal climate and soil conditions for growing dark tobacco.

Within a century, it grew to include a mill, tobacco factory, post office, a Louisville and Nashville Railroad depot, and a number of local retail stores.

In the same year, a train depot was built in Richland along the railroad on property owned by Thomas Buntin.

The first public high school in Sumner County was originally started as a seminary in 1874.

Officials of the L&N railroad were worried that a telegraph mix-up might result in a train wreck.

Postal customers complained of inconvenience as mail was frequently misdirected between the two Richlands.

The Railroad administrators and postal authorities decided that Richland in Sumner County would be renamed as Portland to avoid this confusion.

In the second decade of the 21st century, Portland is growing at a fast pace buoyed by the growth of the Nashville Metropolitan Area.

[10] As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,156 people, 4,469 households, and 3,247 families residing in the city.