It was a places of an annual march around July by the Orange Order, from a Drumcree Church through the nationalist area of the Garvaghy Road, which residents claimed was provocative. the Association of orangemen refused to negotiate by having a committee of residents, & inside 1997, the Parades Commission banned the march indefinitely. It has been replaced by an annual protest on top a ban. Portadown occurs as fastness of the Loyalist Volunteer Force, a loyalist paramilitary group which split from a big Ulster Volunteer Force over the latter's trend lines for the Belfast Agreement, though the Ulster Volunteer Force also have a strong presence in the town.

In the 2004 book "Crap Towns II: The 50 worst places to live in the United Kingdom" Portadown was laid at there are no.Xx, a 2nd greatest ranked inside Northern Ireland after Belfast.

Portadown is referred to as "The Hub of the North" apparently due to its central position within Northern Ireland & good transport links to more towns and cities. Referable this, in the 19th Century it became the major manufacturing & market town & however has many mill taking part in the production of pharmaceutic, meat products, baked goods & carpeting which are then sold nationally & internationally.