Porto

Porto is a city in Portugal. Only Lisbon is bigger.

Long ago, the Romans called it Portus, which means 'port': a place where ships come in.

Universalis says Porto is Portugal's second city, after Lisbon, and calls it 'the capital of the North'. It is a big center for trade and industry, and for politics and culture too. UNESCO says the Romans gave the town the name Portus, which means 'port'.

Portugal's census of 22 March 2021 counted 231,800 people in the municipality of Porto.

Universalis: a city of Portugal a few kilometers from the Atlantic, the country's second city after Lisbon, 'the capital of the North', a large commercial and industrial center (metalworking, textiles, food processing) and a political and cultural hub; 263,131 people in 2001. UNESCO: the Romans named it Portus, 'port', in the 1st century BC.

Instituto Nacional de Estatística via City Population: Porto municipality 263,131 (2001), 237,591 (2011), 231,800 (census 22 March 2021); estimate 31 December 2025: 273,476.

In this photo, colorful houses with orange roofs climb a steep, rocky hill. A road runs along the river below, with cars parked beside it.

This photo shows the Guindais hillside in Porto on 9 May 2012, seen from across the river. Houses with orange tile roofs climb a steep, rocky slope, a wall with battlements runs along the top, and a road with parked cars follows the river below.

Universalis says Porto's old town is made of tall, narrow houses with wide windows. UNESCO names some of its later buildings: the Palácio da Bolsa, the old stock exchange, built from 1842 to 1910, and São Bento railway station, built from 1900 to 1916.

Commons: 'Encosta dos Guindais, Porto, Portugal', own work by Diego Delso (uploader Poco a poco, his account), CC BY-SA 3.0, Quality Image, taken 9 May 2012; category 'Views of Encosta dos Guindais from Gaia' (taken from the south bank); no camera location.

Universalis: the old town is made of tall, narrow houses with wide windows. UNESCO: the historic center lies within the line of the 14th-century walls, two sections of which remain; it also has the São João theatre (1796–1798; 1911–1918), the Palácio da Bolsa (1842–1910) and São Bento railway station (1900–1916). Wikidata: Encosta dos Guindais (Q37175803) 0.97 km S of the city point.

Porto has factories, an old theater and an old stock exchange building. Two of its bridges are made of metal.

Universalis calls Porto a large center for trade and industry, with metalworking, textiles and food processing. From the 1700s, the city also organized the making and shipping of wines from the Douro valley, which boats carried down the river to its port.

Universalis says two of Porto's bridges and its Crystal Palace show the beginnings of building with metal. UNESCO names the São João theatre, first built from 1796 to 1798 and again from 1911 to 1918.

Universalis: a great commercial and industrial center (metallurgy, textiles, agri-food) and a political and cultural hub; from the 18th century Porto organized the production and export of the Douro valley's wines, mostly for England, which drew a British community; two of its bridges (one built by Gustave Eiffel) and the Crystal Palace bear witness to the beginnings of metal architecture; Vila Nova de Gaia on the south bank is where the wine is prepared. UNESCO: the São João theatre (1796–1798; 1911–1918); the Palácio da Bolsa (1842–1910); architecture from Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and neoclassical to modern. Wikidata: Palácio da Bolsa (Q1371109) 1.04 km SSW of the city point.