Charbonneau is a private planned community

Planned community

A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...

 within the city limits of Wilsonville

Wilsonville, Oregon

Wilsonville is a city primarily in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A portion of the northern section of the city is in Washington County. Originally founded as Boones Landing due to the Boones Ferry which crossed the Willamette River at the location, the community became Wilsonville in...

 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 was named for Jean Baptiste Charbonneau

Jean Baptiste Charbonneau

Jean Baptiste Charbonneau was an American explorer and guide, fur trapper and trader, military scout during the Mexican-American War, alcalde of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, and a gold prospector and hotel operator in California. He spoke French and English, and learned German and Spanish...

, the son of Sacagawea

Sacagawea

Sacagawea ; was a Lemhi Shoshone woman, who accompanied the Lewis and Clark Expedition, acting as an interpreter and guide, in their exploration of the Western United States...

.

Charbonneau began in 1972 as a nine-hole golf course

Golf course

A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...

 and 228 town homes; it now has a population of about 3,500 living in 1,158 multi-family units and 510 houses with an integrated 27-hole golf course. There is also a small commercial district with about 10 shops including a grocery store and restaurant. As one of the oldest communities of its type in Oregon, its construction helped lead to the adoption of land use planning and the urban growth boundary to attempt to prevent urban sprawl. While technically within the limits of the city of Wilsonville, the Charbonneau District holds an identity separate from that of the rest of the city.

Charbonneau is located on the eastern bank of the Willamette River

Willamette River

The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...

 just north of the Aurora State Airport

Aurora State Airport

Aurora State Airport is a public airport located one mile northwest of the central business district of Aurora, a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It is owned by the Oregon Department of Aviation.Although most U.S...

 in Aurora

Aurora, Oregon

Aurora is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It was founded as a religious commune in 1856 by Dr. William Keil who named the settlement after his daughter. The population was 918 at the 2010 census...

. Travel from the main city is via Interstate 5

Interstate 5

Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...

 over the Boone Bridge, effectively leaving the city to reenter it from the south.

Socially, Charbonneau is even further separated from Wilsonville. The district has its own town center around the golf course club house and publishes a monthly newspaper that covers current events within its borders. Also, Charbonneau's 200 schoolchildren do not attend the West Linn-Wilsonville School District

West Linn-Wilsonville School District

The West Linn-Wilsonville School District is a school district that serves part of the southern metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon. In addition to the cities of West Linn and Wilsonville, the district's boundaries encompass unincorporated areas of southwestern Clackamas County, including the...

; instead, they attend the Canby High School

Canby High School

-Academics:In 2008, 86% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 395 students, 338 graduated, 37 dropped out, 1 received a modified diploma, and 19 are still in high school.-Homebuilding program:...

 in the Canby School District

Canby School District

Canby School District is an public school district based in Canby, Oregon, United States, and serving students in Canby and the surrounding rural area of Clackamas County, including the community of Carus, parts of the city of Wilsonville, and as far south as the Ninety-one School near Hubbard...

. In many ways, residents of Charbonneau relate more closely to the city of Canby

Canby, Oregon

Canby is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 15,829 at the 2010 census. It is located on Oregon Route 99E, two miles northeast of Barlow.-History:...

perhaps due, in part, to the school zoning.