Located within the Portland metropolitan area, the city also includes the planned communities of Charbonneau on the south side of the river and Villebois on the western edge.

Wilsonville has a council-manager form of government and operates its own library, public works, and parks and recreation department.

[9] 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.

[13][14] In 1971, the planned community of Charbonneau on the south side of the river was annexed into the city the year after development began.

[6] A standalone post office was built in 1976 at Boones Ferry and Wilsonville roads, with city police protection added in 1979.

[10] Author Walt Morey owned an estate in Wilsonville and after his death in 1992, his widow sold the property to a developer.

The housing development built on that property, Morey's Landing, bears his name as does the children's section of the Wilsonville Public Library.

[23] 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.

[27] During the Great Recession, Nike closed its distribution center in Wilsonville,[28][29] projector maker InFocus moved its headquarters from the city,[30] and retailer G.I.

[32] 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.

[39] Wilsonville is located on the southern edge of the Portland metropolitan area, sitting at an elevation of 154 feet (47 m) above sea level.

[45] The foothills of the Chehalem Mountains lie to the west of Wilsonville, with most land within the city on level ground.

Summers in Wilsonville are generally warm, but temperatures year-round are moderated by a marine influence from the Pacific Ocean.

[50] Wilsonville receives most of its precipitation during the mild to cool winter months, with the wettest period from November through March.

[58] Part of the population count includes inmates at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility that opened in the city in 2001.

[61] Copier and printer manufacturer Xerox operates a large facility in Wilsonville, and is the city's largest employer.

[65] Wilsonville is home to many other business located in industrial parks straddling Interstate 5 that are filled with manufacturing and distribution facilities.

[62] Other large employers in the city are Tyco Electronics (Precision Interconnect), Sysco, Rockwell Collins, and Rite Aid.

[72] Memorial Park includes a water feature, athletic fields, and the Stein-Boozier Barn used as meeting space, among other amenities.

[78] Wilsonville has a home rule charter and is a council-manager governed municipality where the unelected city manager runs day-to-day operations.

As of 2023[update], Wilsonville's elected officials are Julie Fitzgerald (Mayor), Kristin Akervall (Council President), Joann Linville, Caroline Berry and Katie Dunwell.

It has connections to the regional TriMet system, which includes the Westside Express Service commuter rail that terminates in the city.

[88] At the federal level, Wilsonville lies within Oregon's 6th congressional district, represented by Andrea Salinas.

[90] In addition, Wilsonville lies within District 3 (represented by Gerritt Rosenthal) of the Metro regional government.

[96] The city is also in the Clackamas Community College district and has a satellite campus on Town Center Loop.

The Westside Express Service (WES), a commuter rail line to Beaverton, began operations in February 2009.

[104] Freight rail service is provided by the Portland and Western Railroad over the same tracks as WES, with connections to BNSF Railway.

Famous politicians to call Wilsonville home include former governor George Law Curry,[105] Congresswoman Edith Green,[106] federal judge James M. Burns,[107] and former mayor and state representative Jerry Krummel.

[113] Others include children's author Walt Morey,[114] businessman Tom Bruggere,[115] baseball coach Mel Krause[116] and actor Frank Cady.

Then-Wilsonville Mayor Jerry Krummel visited Japan in 1994 to attend a ceremony honoring Kitakata's 40th birthday.