If you’ve ever spotted a spider scurrying across your basement floor or building a web in your garden, you’re not alone. Portland’s mild, moist climate creates the perfect environment for arachnids, with at least 20 distinct species calling our homes and yards their habitat.
While most are harmless helpers that control insect populations, knowing which spiders share your space helps you make informed decisions about coexistence or removal.
This guide walks you through identification features, typical locations, and safety considerations for every spider you’re likely to encounter in Portland.
1. Western Black Widow
The western black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) stands as Portland’s most medically significant spider, though encounters remain relatively rare in urban settings. Female black widows display the iconic glossy black body with a red hourglass marking on their abdomen’s underside, measuring about 1.5 inches with legs extended. Males are considerably smaller and brown, posing no threat to humans.
You’ll typically find these spiders in undisturbed outdoor areas like woodpiles, garden sheds, meter boxes, and beneath deck edges where they build irregular, tangled webs close to the ground. They prefer dark, protected spaces with minimal human traffic. Black widows are nocturnal and extremely shy, biting only when directly threatened or accidentally pressed against skin.
Important Note: Black widow bites require medical attention. Symptoms include muscle pain, cramping, and nausea. The venom affects the nervous system, though fatalities are extremely rare with modern medical care.
Their presence actually benefits your property by controlling pest insects, and they’ll avoid areas with regular human activity. If you discover a black widow in a high-traffic area, professional removal is recommended over DIY approaches.
2. False Black Widow
The false black widow (Steatoda grossa) earns its name from a superficial resemblance to true black widows, though it lacks the distinctive red hourglass marking. These spiders display a bulbous, dark brown to purplish-black abdomen, sometimes with pale markings, and measure roughly 0.5 inches in body length.
Common indoor locations include basements, garages, window frames, and behind furniture where they construct tangled cobwebs similar to true widows. Unlike their more famous relatives, false black widows readily adapt to human dwellings and may live indoors year-round. They’re found throughout Portland homes, particularly in older structures with plenty of undisturbed corners.
While their bite can be painful and cause localized swelling similar to a bee sting, false black widows pose minimal medical risk to most people. The discomfort typically resolves within a few days. These spiders are actually beneficial household residents, preying on common indoor pests like silverfish, cockroaches, and flies.
3. Giant House Spider
The giant house spider (Eratigena duellica) often causes alarm due to its impressive size—females can span 4 inches with legs extended, making them one of Portland’s largest spiders. Despite the intimidating appearance, they’re completely harmless to humans. These spiders feature brown coloration with darker markings and long, hairy legs built for speed.
True to their name, giant house spiders frequently enter homes during fall mating season, particularly through basement windows, gaps around doors, and vents. You’ll encounter them running across floors at surprising speeds, as they’re active hunters rather than web-dwellers. They prefer ground-level spaces like basements, crawl spaces, and garages.
Pro Tip: Giant house spiders are among the fastest spiders in the world, capable of running up to half a meter per second. This speed helps them catch prey and escape predators.
Their presence indicates a healthy ecosystem in and around your home, as they consume numerous pest insects including mosquitoes, flies, and even other spiders. Many Portland residents practice “catch and release” with these beneficial arachnids rather than killing them.
4. Hobo Spider
The hobo spider (Eratigena agrestis) has long been surrounded by controversy regarding its bite effects, though recent research suggests it’s far less dangerous than once believed. These brown spiders measure 0.5-0.75 inches in body length with a chevron pattern on their abdomen and lack distinct coloration that makes field identification challenging.
Hobo spiders build funnel-shaped webs in ground-level locations both indoors and outdoors. Common sites include window wells, basements, crawl spaces, retaining wall gaps, and among ground-covering vegetation in gardens. They’re particularly abundant in Portland’s older neighborhoods where wooden structures provide ample hiding spots.
While previously classified as medically significant, current evidence suggests hobo spider bites rarely cause the necrotic wounds once attributed to them. Most reported “hobo bites” were likely misidentified or caused by other factors. These spiders bite defensively only when trapped against skin, and reactions are typically mild—similar to a mosquito bite.
Their funnel webs efficiently trap ground-dwelling insects, making them valuable pest controllers in yards and gardens. The webs themselves are easy to spot: flat sheets with a tubular retreat where the spider waits for prey vibrations.
5. Common House Spider
The common house spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) is probably the spider you’ve encountered most frequently in Portland homes. These small spiders measure just 0.2-0.3 inches in body length, displaying yellowish-brown coloring with darker patterns. Females are noticeably larger than males and both sexes create the classic cobwebs found in home corners.
Every Portland home harbors several house spiders in ceiling corners, closets, basements, attics, and behind furniture. They’re particularly common near windows where flying insects congregate, attracted by light. These spiders rarely leave their webs, spending their entire lives in the same general area if undisturbed and food remains available.
House spiders pose zero threat to humans—they cannot bite through skin even if they tried, and they’re far too timid to attempt it. Their cobwebs might be aesthetically displeasing, but these spiders provide continuous pest control by catching flies, mosquitoes, and gnats. A single house spider can consume dozens of insects weekly.
Regular web removal encourages spiders to relocate rather than requiring pesticides. However, many homeowners find peaceful coexistence worthwhile given the pest control benefits these tiny hunters provide year-round.
6. Cellar Spider
Cellar spiders (Pholcus phalangioides), often called “daddy long-legs spiders,” are those delicate-looking arachnids with tiny bodies and extremely long, thin legs. Their body measures only 0.3 inches, but legs can extend up to 2 inches, creating their distinctive gangly appearance. They’re pale tan to light brown with a small, cylindrical abdomen.
Portland basements, crawl spaces, dark corners, and garages provide ideal habitat for cellar spiders. They construct loose, irregular webs in corners and hang upside down within them, waiting for prey. When disturbed, cellar spiders vibrate rapidly in their webs, making themselves appear blurred—a defensive behavior that confuses predators.
Common Mistake: Despite urban legends, cellar spiders do not have “the most potent venom” that’s ineffective due to small fangs. This myth has been thoroughly debunked. They’re actually harmless to humans and beneficial pest controllers.
These spiders are particularly effective against other spiders, including black widows and house spiders. They’ll actively hunt other arachnids, making them valuable allies in spider population management. Their presence often indicates good air quality, as they cannot tolerate high levels of airborne pollutants.
7. Cross Orb-Weaver
The cross orb-weaver (Araneus diadematus), also known as the European garden spider, creates the beautiful circular webs often adorned with morning dew in Portland gardens. These spiders display distinctive white cross-shaped markings on their brown, orange, or tan abdomen, with females reaching 0.75 inches in body length while males are considerably smaller.
Garden shrubs, fence lines, porch overhangs, and vegetation near outdoor lights attract cross orb-weavers. They construct elaborate circular webs up to 2 feet in diameter, typically building fresh webs each evening and consuming the old web by morning. Peak visibility occurs in late summer and fall when females reach maximum size.
These spiders bite only when handled roughly and the bite is medically insignificant—comparable to a mild bee sting at worst. Most people never experience even this mild reaction. Cross orb-weavers are purely beneficial garden residents, capturing mosquitoes, flies, aphids, and other garden pests in their efficient webs.
Their webs showcase remarkable engineering: the spiral threads contain sticky droplets while the radial support threads remain dry, allowing the spider to move freely while prey becomes trapped. Portland gardeners often protect these spiders as natural pest control partners.
8. Banded Garden Spider
The banded garden spider (Argiope trifasciata) ranks among Portland’s most visually striking arachnids with distinctive yellow or orange bands across their legs and silvery-white markings on their abdomen. Females can reach 1 inch in body length, creating large orb webs often featuring a characteristic zigzag pattern called a stabilimentum through the web’s center.
Open gardens, tall grass areas, shrub borders, and sunny flower beds provide optimal habitat for banded garden spiders. They prefer locations with good sun exposure where flying insects are abundant. Their large, wheel-shaped webs can span up to 2 feet across, positioned vertically between plants or structures.
These spiders are completely harmless to humans—they bite only when directly handled and the effect is milder than a bee sting. Their imposing size and bold coloration serve as warning displays to birds and other predators rather than threats to people.
The zigzag stabilimentum in their webs serves multiple purposes according to researchers: attracting prey through UV reflection, warning birds to avoid web destruction, and camouflaging the spider’s body outline. Banded garden spiders are voracious consumers of grasshoppers, beetles, and flying insects that damage garden plants.
9. Orb-Weaver Spider
Various orb-weaver species (Araneus spp.) beyond the cross orb-weaver inhabit Portland yards and gardens. These spiders all share the characteristic of building circular, wheel-shaped webs, but vary considerably in size, color, and patterns. Body sizes range from 0.25-1 inch depending on species, with colors spanning yellow, orange, brown, gray, and even green.
Portland’s orb-weavers occupy diverse habitats including garden vegetation, tree branches, porch edges, fence lines, and gaps between buildings. Each species has slight preferences, but all require anchor points for web construction. They’re most noticeable in late summer and early fall when females reach maturity and build their largest webs.
Key Insight: Orb-weavers demonstrate remarkable precision—a typical web contains up to 1,000 connection points, constructed in complete darkness using only tactile feedback from their legs.
All orb-weaver species are beneficial and pose no threat to humans. Their bites are rare and medically insignificant. These spiders provide valuable ecosystem services by controlling populations of flying insects including mosquitoes, flies, gnats, and moths. A single orb-weaver web can capture dozens of insects nightly.
Web construction follows a fascinating pattern: radial threads first, then a temporary scaffolding spiral, followed by the final sticky capture spiral built from the outside in. Portland’s moist climate is ideal for orb-weavers, as humidity prevents their webs from becoming brittle.
10. Wolf Spider
Wolf spiders (Hogna spp., Tigrosa spp.) are robust, hairy hunters that prowl Portland’s outdoor spaces rather than building webs. These spiders range from 0.5-1.5 inches in body length with brown, gray, or black coloring and distinctive patterns. They have excellent eyesight with large, forward-facing eyes that reflect light at night, creating an eerie eyeshine effect when illuminated by flashlights.
Gardens, lawns, ground cover, woodpiles, and landscaped areas host wolf spiders. They hunt actively on the ground, pursuing prey with impressive speed and agility. In fall, they sometimes wander into homes through gaps in foundations or open doors, but they don’t establish indoor populations. They’re most active during warm evenings and overnight hours.
Wolf spiders rarely bite humans, doing so only when directly threatened or handled. Bites cause minimal symptoms—temporary pain and mild swelling similar to a bee sting. These spiders are actually beneficial pest controllers, consuming large quantities of crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, and other ground-dwelling insects.
Female wolf spiders demonstrate remarkable maternal care among arachnids. They carry their egg sac attached to their spinnerets, then carry dozens of tiny spiderlings on their back after hatching—a sight that startles many Portland residents but is completely harmless.
11. Jumping Spider
Jumping spiders (Phidippus audax, Phidippus johnsoni) are the charismatic, curious spiders often found on Portland’s exterior walls and window sills. These small spiders measure 0.25-0.75 inches with compact, fuzzy bodies and disproportionately large forward-facing eyes. The bold jumping spider (P. audax) displays black coloring with white or colored spots, while the red-backed jumping spider (P. johnsoni) features a distinctive red abdomen.
Sunny exterior walls, fences, window frames, patio furniture, and garden plants attract jumping spiders. They’re active hunters that stalk prey during daylight hours, making them the most commonly observed spiders on Portland’s sunny spring and summer days. Unlike most spiders, jumping spiders have excellent vision and will turn to track movement, often appearing to “watch” people.
Pro Tip: Jumping spiders can leap up to 50 times their body length with remarkable accuracy. They secure themselves with a silk dragline before jumping, acting as a safety tether.
These spiders are completely harmless and display fascinating behaviors—they’ll often approach rather than flee, seemingly curious about their surroundings. Bites are extremely rare and medically insignificant. Jumping spiders provide excellent pest control for aphids, flies, mosquitoes, and small moths.
Their hunting technique involves careful stalking followed by a precisely calculated pounce. Portland gardeners appreciate jumping spiders as they actively hunt pest insects on plants throughout the growing season without building webs that might be aesthetically displeasing.
12. Ground Spider
Ground spiders (Gnaphosidae family) are nocturnal hunters that remain hidden during Portland’s daylight hours. These spiders typically measure 0.25-0.5 inches in body length with flattened, elongated bodies adapted for squeezing into tight spaces. Coloration ranges from reddish-brown to black, often with a distinctive silky appearance due to dense hair covering.
Leaf litter, under rocks, beneath bark, mulched garden beds, and foundation gaps shelter ground spiders. They emerge after dark to hunt small insects on the ground surface. During the day, they retreat into silk-lined burrows or existing crevices. They occasionally enter homes through ground-level openings but don’t establish permanent indoor populations.
Ground spiders are harmless to humans—bites are exceedingly rare and cause only minor, temporary irritation. These spiders play important roles in Portland’s ecosystem by controlling populations of springtails, ants, small beetles, and other ground-dwelling arthropods that might otherwise become problematic.
Their flattened body shape allows ground spiders to navigate under loose bark, stones, and tight foundation gaps where other predators cannot follow. This makes them particularly effective at controlling pests in areas that are difficult to treat with conventional pest management methods.
13. Crab Spider
Crab spiders (Thomisidae family) get their name from their crab-like appearance and sideways walking motion. These spiders measure 0.2-0.4 inches with a flattened, wide body and legs that extend laterally. Coloration varies dramatically—many species are white, yellow, or pink, allowing them to blend with flowers, while others are brown or gray to match bark and leaves.
Flower blossoms, garden vegetation, shrub foliage, and tree bark provide hunting grounds for crab spiders. They’re ambush predators that wait motionless on flowers for visiting pollinators or on leaves for passing insects. Some species can slowly change color over several days to match their surroundings, though this ability is limited to a few species.
These spiders are completely harmless to humans and beneficial to gardens despite occasionally catching bees and butterflies. They primarily consume pest insects like aphids, thrips, flies, and mosquitoes. Bites are extremely rare and cause only mild, temporary discomfort.
Key Insight: Crab spiders don’t build webs for hunting but may produce silk for egg sacs and draglines. They rely entirely on camouflage and lightning-fast reflexes to capture prey.
Portland gardeners often observe crab spiders on roses, daisies, lavender, and other flowering plants during spring and summer. Their presence indicates a healthy, diverse garden ecosystem with abundant insect activity.
14. Grass Spider
Grass spiders (Agelenopsis spp.) create the distinctive funnel webs commonly seen in Portland lawns during dewy mornings. These spiders measure 0.5-0.75 inches in body length with brown coloring featuring light stripes running lengthwise down their body. They closely resemble wolf spiders but can be distinguished by their web-building behavior and more slender build.
Lawns, ground-covering vegetation, garden edges, and low shrubs host grass spider populations. Their sheet-like webs extend horizontally across grass blades or low vegetation with a funnel-shaped retreat at one end. These webs become dramatically visible when covered in morning dew, creating the shimmering “fairy webs” effect across Portland’s lawns in late summer and fall.
Grass spiders are fast-moving and skittish, retreating quickly into their funnel when approached. They pose no threat to humans—bites are rare and medically insignificant, causing at most minor, temporary irritation. These spiders provide valuable lawn pest control by capturing crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, and other insects that might damage turf grass.
The funnel serves as both a hiding spot and a detection system. When prey lands on the sheet web, vibrations travel to the funnel where the spider waits. The spider then rushes out at remarkable speed to capture prey before dragging it back into the funnel for consumption.
15. Funnel Weaver Spider
Funnel weaver spiders (Agelenidae family), closely related to grass spiders, build similar funnel-shaped webs but occupy different habitats. These spiders vary in size from 0.4-1 inch depending on species, with brown to gray coloration and typically lighter undersides. They feature long spinnerets visible at the rear of their abdomen.
Stone walls, rock gardens, woodpiles, deck undersides, and structural gaps attract funnel weavers. They build sheet webs in protected areas with a tubular retreat where the spider hides while waiting for prey. These webs are less visible than grass spider webs as they’re typically constructed in shadier, more protected locations.
Like their grass spider cousins, funnel weavers are harmless to humans with no medically significant venom. Bites occur only when the spider is accidentally trapped against skin, causing minimal symptoms. These spiders control populations of flies, beetles, ants, and other crawling insects around Portland homes.
Funnel weavers are particularly abundant in Portland’s older neighborhoods where stone foundations, retaining walls, and wooden structures provide ideal web attachment points. Their webs can persist for weeks if undisturbed, with the spider maintaining and repairing sections as needed.
16. Sheet Web Spider
Sheet web spiders (Linyphiidae family), also called money spiders due to folklore, are among Portland’s smallest spiders, most measuring just 0.1-0.2 inches in body length. Despite their tiny size, they’re incredibly abundant. Coloration varies from pale yellow to dark brown, with many species featuring shiny, black carapaces.
Low vegetation, grass, shrubs, tree branches, and building exteriors support sheet web spider populations. They construct tiny, horizontal sheet webs close to the ground or among vegetation, often with a tangle of threads above the sheet that knocks flying insects down onto the capture surface. These webs are most visible in misty Portland mornings when moisture makes them apparent.
Pro Tip: Sheet web spiders are among the most abundant spiders on Earth. A single English meadow study counted over 2 million per acre—Portland’s green spaces likely host similar densities.
Sheet web spiders are too small to bite humans and their presence indicates a healthy ecosystem. They consume enormous quantities of tiny flying insects including gnats, midges, aphids, and springtails. Their collective impact on pest populations is far greater than their size suggests.
These spiders use a technique called ballooning for dispersal—young spiders climb to high points, release silk threads that catch the wind, and sail to new locations. This creates the “gossamer” effect sometimes observed in Portland’s parks and gardens when thousands of tiny spiders disperse simultaneously.
17. Long-Legged Sac Spider
The long-legged sac spider (Cheiracanthium mildei) is a pale yellow to light green spider measuring 0.25-0.4 inches in body length. Unlike most spiders, sac spiders don’t build traditional webs. Instead, they construct silk sacs in protected locations and hunt actively at night.
Indoor populations establish in Portland homes, particularly in upper corners of rooms, behind picture frames, along wall-ceiling junctions, and in closets. They’re also found outdoors in garden foliage. Sac spiders are the most common source of indoor spider bites in homes, though these bites are generally mild.
Bites typically occur when spiders become trapped in clothing or bedding, resulting in localized pain, redness, and swelling similar to a bee sting. While some bites may produce small lesions, the necrotic wounds once attributed to sac spiders are now believed to be caused by bacterial infections or other factors rather than the venom itself.
Sac spiders provide beneficial pest control by hunting small insects, including bed bugs, mites, and other spiders. They’re particularly active during summer months and may be attracted to indoor spaces by prey availability. Regular cleaning of ceiling corners and behind furniture reduces their indoor populations.
18. Western Parson Spider
The western parson spider (Herpyllus ecclesiasticus) gets its name from the distinctive white or gray marking on its dark abdomen that resembles a clerical cravat. These spiders measure 0.5-0.75 inches with a black or dark brown, flattened body covered in dense hairs.
Ground-level locations both indoors and outdoors attract parson spiders. They’re common under rocks, leaf litter, woodpiles, and inside homes in basements, garages, and lower-level rooms. Parson spiders are nocturnal hunters that move rapidly across floors and walls at night, sometimes startling Portland residents with their speed.
These spiders are harmless to humans—bites are rare and cause only minor, temporary discomfort. They’re beneficial hunters that consume crickets, beetles, ants, and other household pests. Parson spiders don’t build webs, instead relying on speed and stealth to capture prey.
During daylight hours, parson spiders hide in cracks, crevices, and under objects. They’re most active during spring and fall, which is when Portland residents most frequently encounter them indoors. Their presence indicates good ground-level pest control and a healthy local ecosystem.
19. Nursery Web Spider
Nursery web spiders (Pisaurina mira) are large, impressive hunters that display remarkable maternal behavior. These spiders can reach 0.75-1 inch in body length with tan to brown coloring and a distinctive lighter stripe running down each side of their body. They closely resemble wolf spiders but can be distinguished by eye arrangement and web-building behavior.
Tall grass, garden vegetation, shrub foliage, and areas near water sources host nursery web spiders. Unlike wolf spiders, they hunt in vegetation rather than on the ground and are often found in gardens and landscaped areas. They’re most visible during late spring and summer when females carry egg sacs.
Female nursery web spiders carry their egg sac in their jaws (rather than attached to spinnerets like wolf spiders) until just before hatching. They then build a silk tent, or “nursery web,” in vegetation where they guard the emerging spiderlings for several days. This maternal care is exceptional among spiders.
Nursery web spiders are harmless to humans with no medically significant venom. They provide excellent garden pest control, consuming large quantities of flies, mosquitoes, beetles, and caterpillars. Portland gardeners often observe these spiders stalking prey among flowers and vegetables during summer months.
20. Orb-Weaving Cobweb Spider
Various cobweb-weaving spiders in the Theridiidae family create the tangled, three-dimensional webs commonly called cobwebs. These spiders vary widely in size and appearance, from tiny 0.1-inch species to larger 0.5-inch specimens. Coloration ranges from nearly transparent white to dark brown or black, with many featuring globular abdomens.
Every Portland structure—homes, garages, sheds, fences, and outdoor furniture—hosts cobweb spiders. They build irregular, tangled webs in corners, under eaves, between structural elements, and in any protected area. These webs lack the organized structure of orb webs, instead forming seemingly chaotic tangles with sticky droplets throughout.
Most cobweb spiders are completely harmless to humans, though this family includes black widows (covered separately). The majority of species are beneficial household residents that capture flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and other flying pests. They require minimal maintenance of their webs, which can persist for months if undisturbed and productive.
Key Insight: Cobweb structure, while appearing messy, is actually highly functional. The three-dimensional design captures flying insects from multiple angles, and anchor threads have breakaway points that detach when large prey struggles, dropping the victim closer to the waiting spider.
Portland’s climate allows cobweb spiders to remain active year-round indoors, providing continuous pest control. Their webs accumulate dust over time, creating the “dusty cobweb” appearance, but the sticky capture threads remain effective long after construction.
Living With Portland’s Spiders
Understanding spider identification helps Portland residents make informed decisions about spider management.
Most species are beneficial pest controllers that pose no health risks. The vast majority of spiders you’ll encounter in your home and yard are harmless helpers working to reduce mosquito, fly, and other pest insect populations.
Only the western black widow requires cautious respect and potential removal from high-traffic areas. All other Portland spiders can be safely relocated outdoors if found indoors, or simply left alone to provide free, natural pest control.
Many homeowners find that tolerating spiders in basements, garages, and yards significantly reduces flying and crawling insect problems without requiring pesticides.
If you’re concerned about specific spiders in your space, catch-and-release methods work well for larger species. For smaller spiders, consider whether their presence is truly problematic—most are so small and reclusive that they go unnoticed while quietly controlling pest populations.
Portland’s diverse spider community reflects a healthy urban ecosystem where natural predators keep pest insects in balance.
