Iconic fast-food chain In-N-Out Burger looks like it may be coming to Washington County soon — but where?

Along with two other locations in Portland’s Westside suburbs, the California-based company is reportedly eyeing a location in Hillsboro on Northeast Evergreen Parkway east of Northwest 185th Avenue, in the Tanasbourne area.

Restaurant officials submitted a land-use application to the Hillsboro government for the location in April. The story was first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive on Wednesday, Sept. 1.

Just days after that story was published, The Portland Business Journal reported that In-N-Out has purchased a property in Tualatin next to Bridgeport Village for $3.3 million.

The purchase of the property at 17070 S.W. 72nd Ave. suggests In-N-Out is serious about moving into the area.

The restaurant, which is known for its “Double-Double” burger and animal-style fries, currently has three locations in Oregon, all located south of the Portland metro area. The closest location to the area is in Keizer, which opened in December 2019.

Whether the restaurant will open at either location in Hillsboro or Tualatin remains to be seen.

An In-N-Out spokesperson declined to comment when asked by the Portland Business Journal about the Tualatin location, saying, “We don’t speak publicly on financial information or business strategies.”

Additionally, the restaurant has been vague about its plans for the location in Hillsboro.

Ed Guzman, a Hillsboro city spokesperson, confirmed that In-N-Out hasn’t yet submitted site development permitting documents for the city to review. Such permitting is the next step in the application process, Guzman told Pamplin Media Group.

The land-use application submitted in April specifies the creation of “a new quick-service restaurant with a drive-through.”

A Barnes & Noble bookstore located in the area of the proposed Tanasbourne restaurant is set to close permanently in October, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

As Pamplin Media Group previously reported, the restaurant has also held neighborhood meetings on the possibility of a location in Beaverton, which would be located on the north side of Southwest Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway near Highway 217, across from Asian supermarket Uwaijimaya.

“That said, it is still very early in the development application process. Because it is still so early in the process, it would be premature to comment on a timeline or if we will even achieve a development approval,” Mike Abbate, assistant vice president of real estate and development for In-N-Out, told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “I’m sorry I can’t be more specific than that, but anything I could offer would be a guess, and I do not want to take a chance on misleading your readers.”

While an In-N-Out in the Portland area would likely be busy, just as in Beaverton, some neighbors have raised concerns about the impact the restaurant would have on traffic if it opened on Evergreen Parkway in Hillsboro.

With fast food restaurants, including Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s, as well as big-box retailers such as Target and Best Buy already nearby, commenters on a Reddit thread discussing the possible Hillsboro location say the area already experiences high traffic congestion.