Opened in the early 1920s as a livestock exhibition and auction facility, the center now hosts over 100 events a year, including green consumer shows, trade shows, conventions, meetings and other special events.

[1] Located on the north side of Portland near Vancouver, Washington, it includes the northern terminus for the Yellow Line of Portland's light-rail transit system and has connections to TriMet Bus Line 11-Rivergate/Marine Dr.

Later, a building was constructed adjacent to the North Portland stockyards, which was next to Swift & Co. slaughter and processing plant.

The show later had a side line of holding huge auctions of livestock for breeding purposes.

[3][4] From May 2 to September 10, 1942, the center suspended livestock exposition operations and served as a Civilian Assembly Center under President Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066, which authorized the eviction and confinement of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast during World War II.

3,676 people of Japanese descent were confined in the hastily converted animal corrals for a period of five months, while they awaited transfer to more permanent camps in California, Idaho and Wyoming.

[3] It has 72,000 square feet (6,700 m2) of space and a 30-foot (9 m) ceiling height, can be divided into two exhibit halls and can seat up to 7,000.