Brightwood is an unincorporated

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 community within the Mount Hood Corridor in Clackamas County

Clackamas County, Oregon

Clackamas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2010, the population was 375,992...

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is located between Wemme

Wemme, Oregon

Wemme is an unincorporated community in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. It is located within the Mount Hood Corridor, between Welches and Brightwood along U.S. Route 26. It is one of the communities that make up the Villages at Mount Hood....

 and Sandy

Sandy, Oregon

Sandy is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, and named after the nearby Sandy River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 5,385, however the 2006 estimate shows 7,070 people....

 just off of U.S. Route 26 at an elevation of 355 meters. It is one of the communities that make up the Villages at Mount Hood

Mount Hood Village, Oregon

Mount Hood Village is the name of a census-designated place within the Mount Hood Corridor in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 3,306...

.

A post office called "Salmon" was established in the area in 1891, named after the nearby Salmon River

Salmon River (Clackamas County, Oregon)

The Salmon River is a 33.9 mile river in Oregon's Cascade Range and drains a portion of southwestern Mount Hood.The entire length of the river is protected National Wild and Scenic River, the only such river in the contiguous 48 states....

. The post office was renamed Brightwood in 1910. The name Brightwood was said to have been coined by a local resident, Mr. Alcorn, for the pleasing effect of the sun shining on the cottonwood

Populus trichocarpa

Populus trichocarpa is a deciduous broadleaf tree species native to western North America. It is used for timber, and is notable as a model organism in plant biology. Its full genome sequence was published in 2006...

trees in the spring.

Brightwood today consists of three businesses: A general store, a tavern, and a Mountain property rental office which resides in the former Post Office Building.