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Ontario
Ontario, Oregon
Main Street (now Oregon Street) looking south, early 1920s
Main Street (now Oregon Street) looking south, early 1920s
Motto(s): 
Where Oregon Begins
Location in Oregon
Location in Oregon
Country United States
State Oregon
County Malheur
Incorporated 1899
Area
 • Total 5.17 sq mi (13.38 km2)
 • Land 5.17 sq mi (13.38 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
2,150 ft (655 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 11,366
 • Estimate 
(2019)
10,994
 • Density 2,128.56/sq mi (821.76/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (Mountain)
ZIP code
97914
Area code(s) 541
FIPS code 41-54900
GNIS feature ID 1125001

Ontario is the largest city in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. It lies along the Snake River at the Idaho border. The population was 11,366 at the 2010 census. The city is the largest community in the region of far eastern Oregon, also known as the Western Treasure Valley.

Ontario is the principal city of the Ontario, OR-ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Malheur County in Oregon and Payette County in Idaho.

Ontario is approximately halfway between Portland and Salt Lake City. It is the closest city to the Idaho border along Interstate 84. The city's slogan is "Where Oregon Begins".

History

Ontario was founded on June 11, 1883, by developers William Morfitt, Mary Richardson, Daniel Smith, and James Virtue. In March 1884, Richard Welch started a post office for the quarter of Ontario, so named by James Virtue after Ontario, Canada. Two months later Joseph Morton applied for a Morton post office at an island about one mile south of town, with Oscar Scott as postmaster. Unfortunately for Morton and Scott, merchants Morfitt and Richardson of Malheur City, gold miner Virtue, and lumberman Smith of Baker City acquired more land and were better financed. More importantly, Morfitt had negotiated a train depot for Ontario. All the settlers and speculators knew the railroad was coming and how important that would be to Ontario's future so Scott closed his Morton post office and built a hotel at present-day Ontario. By December, Scott was Ontario's postmaster.

The town continued to grow with the arrival of the Oregon Short Line Railroad in later 1884, and freight and passenger service were added to the town's offerings. Soon after, stock began arriving from Eastern Oregon's cattle ranches to Ontario's stockyard for transshipment to markets throughout the Pacific Northwest. Ontario became one of the largest stockyards in the West. In addition, the construction of the Nevada Ditch and other canals aided the burgeoning agricultural industry, adding those products to Ontario's exports.

Ontario was incorporated by the Oregon Legislative Assembly on February 11, 1899.

A city by the time of World War II, Ontario Mayor Elmo Smith allowed Japanese Americans to settle at a time when much of the West Coast supported their exclusion. Smith told the Associated Press "If the Japs, both alien and nationals, are a menace to the Pacific Coast safety unless they are moved inland, it appears downright cowardly to take any other stand than to put out the call, 'Send them along; we'll cooperate to the fullest possible extent in taking care of them.'" A population of about 134 in the city and surrounding county before the war ballooned to 1,000 as the county recruited farm workers during the war.

Geography

Wheat Fields After a Storm, Ontario Oregon
Storm clouds leaving during a sunset over wheat fields in Ontario, Oregon. Wheat as well as onions are a popular crop in this area due to the arid climate.

Ontario is located at an elevation of 2,150 feet (660 m) above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.17 square miles (13.39 km2), all of it land.

Climate

Ontario has a cold desert dry-summer continental climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

Climate data for Ontario, OR
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 64
(18)
66
(19)
85
(29)
94
(34)
103
(39)
108
(42)
114
(46)
113
(45)
104
(40)
94
(34)
78
(26)
66
(19)
114
(46)
Average high °F (°C) 34
(1)
43
(6)
55
(13)
65
(18)
74
(23)
84
(29)
93
(34)
91
(33)
81
(27)
66
(19)
47
(8)
36
(2)
64
(18)
Average low °F (°C) 18
(−8)
24
(−4)
31
(−1)
37
(3)
45
(7)
51
(11)
57
(14)
54
(12)
45
(7)
34
(1)
27
(−3)
20
(−7)
37
(3)
Record low °F (°C) −25
(−32)
−24
(−31)
10
(−12)
17
(−8)
25
(−4)
31
(−1)
34
(1)
32
(0)
24
(−4)
13
(−11)
−6
(−21)
−23
(−31)
−25
(−32)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.29
(33)
0.87
(22)
0.86
(22)
0.68
(17)
0.93
(24)
0.62
(16)
0.30
(7.6)
0.28
(7.1)
0.47
(12)
0.55
(14)
1.19
(30)
1.41
(36)
9.45
(240.7)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 3.40
(8.6)
1.20
(3.0)
0.30
(0.76)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.30
(0.76)
5.00
(12.7)
10.20
(25.9)
Source: http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?location=USOR0258

Demographics

DSCN6514 ontariodowntown e
Downtown Ontario
Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 200
1900 445 122.5%
1910 1,248 180.4%
1920 2,039 63.4%
1930 1,941 −4.8%
1940 3,551 82.9%
1950 4,465 25.7%
1960 5,101 14.2%
1970 6,523 27.9%
1980 8,814 35.1%
1990 9,392 6.6%
2000 10,985 17.0%
2010 11,366 3.5%
2019 (est.) 10,994 −3.3%
Sources:
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Ontario racial composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 5,692 48.88%
Black or African American (NH) 125 1.07%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 112 0.96%
Asian (NH) 193 1.66%
Pacific Islander (NH) 14 0.12%
Some Other Race (NH) 45 0.39%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 415 3.56%
Hispanic or Latino 5,049 43.36%
Total 11,645

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,645 people, 4,315 households, and 2,491 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 11,366 people, 4,275 households, and 2,678 families living in the city. The population density was 2,198.5 inhabitants per square mile (848.8/km2). There were 4,620 housing units at an average density of 893.6 per square mile (345.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 69.5% White, 0.7% African American, 1.3% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 22.6% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.3% of the population.

There were 4,275 households, of which 35.4% had children under age 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.28 .

The median age in the city was 32.1 years. 28.9% of residents were under age 18; 12.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23% were from 25 to 44; 21% were from 45 to 64; and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

Transportation

Bus
  • Snake River Transit provides public transportation between points in Ontario and nearby Fruitland and Payette.
  • Ontario is a stop on the Eastern POINT intercity bus line between Bend and Ontario. It makes one stop per day in each direction.
  • Greyhound Lines offers service east and west on I-84 from Ontario.
Air
  • Ontario Municipal Airport
Highway

Sister cities

Ontario has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:

  • Japan Ōsakasayama, Osaka, Japan

Economy

HospitalRoadOntario
Southwest 4th Avenue overlooking Holy Rosary Medical Center

The Heinz Frozen Food Company (formerly Ore-Ida), a subsidiary of H. J. Heinz Company, processes locally grown potatoes, and annually produces over 600,000,000 pounds (270,000,000 kg) of 75 different potato products, while employing approximately 1,000. Tater tots were first created and manufactured here in 1953 (commercial distribution began in 1956).

St. Alphonsus Medical Center is a 49-bed, acute-care hospital, serving Ontario and the surrounding communities in Eastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho; it is part of the hospital system of Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho.

Education

Ontario is served by the Ontario School District (8C) public schools and by private schools.

Public schools

  • Ontario High School 9-12
  • Ontario Middle School 7-8
  • Aiken Elementary K-5
  • Alameda Elementary K-6
  • Cairo Elementary K-5
  • May Roberts Elementary K-6
  • Pioneer Elementary K-5

Private schools

  • Treasure Valley Christian School Pre K-12
  • St. Peter's Catholic School K-8
  • Four Rivers Community School (charter school) K-12

Notable people

  • Cliff Bentz, Congressman for Oregon House District 2 and former state senator for Oregon's District 30
  • Madeline DeFrees, poet
  • Tom Edens, MLB pitcher
  • A. J. Feeley, NFL quarterback
  • Erik Fisher, skier
  • Sally Flynn, also known as Sally Hart, singer on The Lawrence Welk Show
  • Charles C. Gossett, Idaho politician
  • Joel Hardin, Border Patrol agent and mantracker
  • Denny Jones, congressman and rancher
  • Randall B. Kester, Oregon judge
  • Phyllis McGinley, children's author
  • Elmo Smith, newspaper editor, mayor of Ontario and governor of Oregon
  • Leland Evan Thomas, WWII pilot killed in action at Guadalcanal
  • Dave Wilcox, NFL linebacker

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ontario (Oregón) para niños

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