Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County in the U.S. state of California, east of

downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is a ...

and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the

Inland Empire The Inland Empire (IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County to the west. It includes the citie ...

metropolitan area, it lies just east of

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...

and is part of the

Greater Los Angeles Area Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino ...

. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 175,265. The city is home to the Ontario International Airport, which is the 15th-busiest airport in the United States by cargo carried. Ontario handles the mass of freight traffic between the ports of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

and

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporat ...

and the rest of the country. It takes its name from the Ontario Model Colony development established in 1882 by the

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

engineer George Chaffey and his brothers

William Chaffey William Benjamin Chaffey, CMG (21 October 1856 – 4 June 1926) was a Canadian engineer and irrigation planner who with his older brother George Chaffey developed what became the cities of Etiwanda, California, Ontario, California, and Upla ...

and Charles Chaffey. They named the settlement after their home

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

History

Portrait of Juan Bautista de Anza (Painted by Fray Orci; 1774, Mexico City)

Ontario was originally inhabited by only the

Tongva Indians The Tongva ( ) are an Indigenous people of California from the Los Angeles Basin and the Southern Channel Islands, an area covering approximately . Some descendants of the people prefer Kizh as an endonym that, they argue, is more historically ...

until

Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

arrived developing the Spanish mission system.

Juan Bautista de Anza Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto (July 6 or 7, 1736 – December 19, 1788) was an expeditionary leader, military officer, and politician primarily in California and New Mexico under the Spanish Empire. He is credited as one of the founding f ...

is said to have passed through the area on his 1774 expedition, and to this day a city park and a middle school bear his name. Following the 1819 establishment of

San Bernardino Asistencia The San Bernardino de Sena Estancia (also known as the San Bernardino Rancho or Asistencia) was a ranch outpost of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in what is now in Redlands, California, United States. It was built to graze cattle, and for Indian ...

, which may have served as an outpost of the San Gabriel mission, it became part of a large, vaguely identified area called "San Antonio". In 1826,

Jedediah Smith Jedediah Strong Smith (January 6, 1799 – May 27, 1831) was an American clerk, transcontinental pioneer, frontiersman, hunter, trapper, author, cartographer, mountain man and explorer of the Rocky Mountains, the Western United States, an ...

passed through what is now Upland on the first overland journey to the West coast of North America via the National Old Trails Road (present-day Foothill Blvd). The 1834 secularization of California land holdings resulted in the land's transferral to private hands. In 1881, the Chaffey brothers, George and William, purchased the land (which at that time also included the present-day city of Upland) and the water rights to it. They engineered a drainage system channeling water from the foothills of

Mount San Antonio Mount San Antonio, commonly referred to as Mount Baldy or Old Baldy, is a summit in the San Gabriel Mountains on the border of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties of California. Lying within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument a ...

(colloquially known as "Mount Baldy") down to the flatter lands below that performed the dual functions of allowing farmers to water their crops and preventing the floods that periodically afflict them. They also created the main thoroughfare of Euclid Avenue ( California Highway 83), with its distinctive wide lanes and grassy median. The new "Model Colony" (called so because it offered the perfect balance between agriculture and the urban comforts of schools, churches, and commerce) was originally conceived as a dry town, early deeds containing clauses forbidding the manufacture or sale of alcoholic beverages within the town. The two named the town "Ontario" in honor of the

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, where they were born. Ontario attracted farmers (primarily

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

) and ailing Easterners seeking a drier climate. To impress visitors and potential settlers with the "abundance" of water in Ontario, a fountain was placed at the Southern Pacific railway station. It was turned on when passenger trains were approaching and frugally turned off again after their departure. The original "Chaffey fountain", a simple spigot surrounded by a ring of white stones, was later replaced by the more ornate "Frankish Fountain", an Art Nouveau creation now located outside the Ontario Museum of History and Art. Agriculture was vital to the early economy, and many street names recall this legacy. The Sunkist plant remains as a living vestige of the citrus era. The Chaffey brothers left to found the settlements of Mildura, Australia and Renmark, Australia, which met with varying success. Charles Frankish continued their work at Ontario. Mining engineer John Tays refined the design of the novel "mule car", used from 1887 for public transportation on Euclid Avenue to 24th Street. At that point, the two mules were loaded onto a platform at the rear of the car and allowed to ride, as gravity propelled the trolley back down the avenue to the downtown Ontario terminus. Soon replaced by an electric streetcar, the mule car is commemorated by a replica in an enclosure south of C Street on the Euclid Avenue median. Ontario was incorporated as a city in 1891, and North Ontario broke away in 1906, calling itself Upland. Ontario grew quickly, increasing 10 times in the next half a century. The population of 20,000 in the 1960s grew 10 times more by 2007. Ontario was viewed as an "Iowa under Palm trees", with a solid Midwestern/Mid-American foundation, but it had a large

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland *Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia *Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports * Swiss Internation ...

community. Tens of thousands of European immigrants came to work in agriculture, and in the early 1900s the first

Filipinos Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or other ...

and Japanese farm laborers arrived, later to display nursery ownership skills. Ontario has over two centuries of

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

residents, starting from the

Californio Californio (plural Californios) is a term used to designate a Hispanic Californian, especially those descended from Spanish and Mexican settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries. California's Spanish-speaking community has resided there sin ...

period of Spanish colonial and Mexican rule in the 1840s. The first wave of Mexican settlers was in the 1880s brought as workers in the railroad industry (see

traquero A traquero is a railroad track worker, or "section hand", especially a Mexican or Mexican American railroad track worker (" gandy dancer" in American English usage). The word derives from "traque", Spanglish for "track". Background While the U.S. ra ...

) and another wave from the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...

of the 1910s. Mexican Americans resided in the city's poorer central side facing State Route 60 and Chino.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of . Of that, is land and is water. The total area is 0.13% water.

Climate

The climate of Ontario is influenced by '' BSh'' semi-arid conditions, with hot summers and mild winters. Santa Ana Winds hit the area frequently in autumn and winter. Extremes range from down to . According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Ontario has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated " Csa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

reported that Ontario had a population of 163,924. The population density was . The racial makeup of Ontario was 83,683 (51.0%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

(18.2% Non-Hispanic White), 10,561 (6.4%)

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1,686 (1.0%) Native American, 8,453 (5.2%) Asian, 514 (0.3%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 51,373 (31.3%) from other races, and 7,654 (4.7%) from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 113,085 persons (69.0%). The Census reported that 163,166 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 411 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 347 (0.2%) were institutionalized. There were 44,931 households, out of which 23,076 (51.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 23,789 (52.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 7,916 (17.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3,890 (8.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 3,470 (7.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 384 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 6,741 households (15.0%) were made up of individuals, and 2,101 (4.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.63. There were 35,595 families (79.2% of all households); the average family size was 3.98. The population was spread out, with 49,443 people (30.2%) under the age of 18, 19,296 people (11.8%) aged 18 to 24, 49,428 people (30.2%) aged 25 to 44, 34,703 people (21.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 11,054 people (6.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males. There were 47,449 housing units at an average density of , of which 24,832 (55.3%) were owner-occupied, and 20,099 (44.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.8%. 90,864 people (55.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 72,302 people (44.1%) lived in rental housing units. During 2009–2013, Ontario had a median household income of $54,249, with 18.1% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 158,007 people, 43,525 households, and 34,689 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 3,173.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,225.5/km). There were 45,182 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 47.8%

, 7.5%

, 1.1% Native American, 3.9% Asian, 0.4%

, 34.1% from other races and 5.3% were from two or more races. 59.9% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 43,525 households, out of which 49.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.3% were non-families. 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.6 and the average family size was 4.0. In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.4% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $42,452, and the median income for a family was $44,031. Males had a median income of $31,664 versus $26,069 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $14,244. 15.5% of the population and 12.2% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

. 19.1% of those under the age of 18 and 7.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Economy

In the years following Ontario's founding, the economy was driven by its reputation as a health resort. Shortly thereafter, citrus farmers began taking advantage of Ontario's rocky soil to plant lemon and orange groves. Agricultural opportunities also attracted vintners and

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ' ...

growers. The

Graber Olive House The ''Graber Olive House'' in Ontario, California, is original site of the longest operating olive packing business in the United States. The family home, in which the product, designated as ''Graber Olives'', was developed, now is designate ...

, which continues to produce olives, is a city historical landmark and one of the oldest institutions in Ontario.

Dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...

farming is also prevalent, as it continues to be in neighboring Chino. Much of southern Ontario still contains dairy farms and other agricultural farms. However, the area is currently under planning to be developed into a mixed-use area of residential homes, industrial and business parks, and town centers, collectively known as the New Model Colony. A major pre-war industry was the city's

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable ene ...

plant that produced clothing irons. During and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Ontario experienced a housing boom common to many suburbs. The expansion of the Southern California defense industry attracted many settlers to the city. With California's aerospace industry concentrated in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, the Ontario International Airport was used as a pilot training center. Today, Ontario still has a manufacturing industry, the most notable of which are

Maglite Maglite (also spelled Mag-Lite, stylized as MAG-LITE) is a brand of flashlight manufactured in the United States by Mag Instrument, Inc. located in Ontario, California, and founded by Anthony Maglica. It was introduced in 1979. Constructed prin ...

, which produces flashlights. Manufacturing has waned, and Ontario's economy is dominated by service industries and warehousing. Major distribution centers are operated by companies such as AutoZone, Cardinal Health, MBM, Genuine Parts/NAPA, and

Nordstrom Nordstrom, Inc. () is an American luxury department store chain headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin in 1901. The original Wallin & Nordstrom store operated exclusively as a shoe store, and ...

. Ontario is also home to

Niagara Bottling Niagara Bottling, LLC is a family owned manufacturer of bottled water and soft drinks based in Diamond Bar, California. They produce private label bottled water for a number of companies including Walmart (Great Value), Food Lion, Safeway Inc. (Si ...

, The Icee Company, clothing companies Famous Stars and Straps and Shiekh Shoes, Scripto U.S.A., and to

Phoenix Motorcars Phoenix Cars LLC, d.b.a. Phoenix Motorcars, is a developer of zero emission, all-electric vehicles ( EV) based in Anaheim, California, United States, focused on the deployment of light- and medium-duty EVs into the fleet and transit markets. Th ...

, who employs over 150 employees in Ontario.

Top employers

According to the city's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Tourism

The Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau implemented a tourism marketing district and adopted an aggressive five-year strategic plan focusing on marketing initiatives to bring visitors to the region, build brand and destination awareness while enhancing the local economy.

Arts and culture

Ontario is home to three museums, the Ontario Museum of History and Art, the Chaffey Community Museum of Art, and the Ontario Police Museum.

Built in 1925, The Granada Theatre was leased to West Coast Junior Theater. By the 1940s, the theater had become part of the Fox West Coast Theater chain. The Granada Theatre was designed by architect

L.A. Smith Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wo ...

. Ontario is also the home to the second largest consumer Quilt Show in the United States, ''Road to California''. The quilt show books over 2,400 room nights and has a recorded attendance of over 40,000 attendees. The Ontario post office contains two oil on canvas murals, ''The Dream'' depicting founder Chaffey with surveyors and ''The Reality'' which shows a view of the completed Euclid Avenue, painted by WPA muralist

Nellie Geraldine Best Nellie Geraldine Best (May 22, 1905 – June 2, 1990) was an American artist, she is known for her sculptures, paintings, and murals. She was active in Oregon, California, and Minneapolis, from the 1930s until the 1950s. Biography Nellie Gerald ...

in 1942. Since 1959, Ontario has placed three-dimensional nativity scenes on the median of Euclid Avenue during the Christmas season. The scenes, featuring statues by the sculptor Rudolph Vargas, were challenged in 1998 as a violation of church-state separation under the

California Constitution The Constitution of California ( es, Constitución de California) is the primary organizing law for the U.S. state of California, describing the duties, powers, structures and functions of the government of California. California's original c ...

by an atheist resident, but the dispute was resolved when private organizations began funding the storage and labor involved in the set-up and maintenance of the scenery in its entirety. To support the nativity scenes the Ontario Chamber of Commerce started a craft fair called "Christmas on Euclid". The All-States Picnic, an Independence Day celebration, began in 1939 to recognize the varied origins of the city's residents. Picnic tables lined the median of Euclid Avenue from Hawthorne to E Street, with signs for each of the country's 48 states. The picnic was suspended during

, but when it resumed in 1948, it attracted 120,000 people. A 1941 Ripley's Believe It or Not! cartoon listed Ontario's picnic table as the "world's longest". As native Californians came to outnumber the out-of-state-born, the celebration waned in popularity until it was discontinued in 1981. It was revived in 1991 as a celebration of civic pride.

Sports

The

Toyota Arena Toyota Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Ontario, California, United States. The arena hosts local sporting events and concerts and is suitable for indoor events, including basketball, ice hockey, ice shows, boxing, graduation ceremonies and co ...

is a multipurpose arena which opened in late 2008. It is owned by Ontario, but is operated by SMG Worldwide. It is an 11,000-seat multi-purpose arena, the largest enclosed arena in the

. Over 125 events are held annually featuring sporting competitions, concerts, and family shows. The arena had been the home of the Ontario Reign, a former team in the

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...

, that called the arena home from 2008 to 2015. The Los Angeles Kings' affiliate played at the 9,736-seat Toyota Arena. In their debut season of 2008–09, they were second in the league in attendance, averaging 5856 fans per game. The Reign led the

in average attendance in every subsequent year. Ontario was the host of the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game. Ontario joined Stockton (2008), Fresno (2006), and Bakersfield (2011) as California franchises hosting the league's midseason showcase. The minor league All-Star Game reportedly generated more than $1 million into the local economy. In January 2015, the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the lea ...

, a minor league above the

, announced that it was forming a new Pacific Division and would be replacing the ECHL Ontario Reign with a relocated team. The Kings relocated the

Manchester Monarchs Manchester Monarchs may refer to: *Manchester Monarchs (AHL) (2001–2015) *Manchester Monarchs (ECHL) The Manchester Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL which began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Manchester, New ...

, a franchise they had owned and operated since 2012, and became the Ontario Reign beginning with the

2015–16 AHL season The 2015–16 AHL season was the 80th season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began on October 9, 2015, and ended on April 17, 2016. The 2016 Calder Cup playoffs follow the conclusion of the regular season. An attendance record ...

. The

Ontario Motor Speedway Ontario Motor Speedway was a motorsport venue located in Ontario, California. It was the first and only automobile racing facility built to accommodate major races sanctioned by all of the four dominant racing sanctioning bodies: USAC (and now In ...

was located in Ontario, and held races for USAC,

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

, NHRA, and

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

. It was demolished in 1980 after the

Chevron Land Company Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened to Socal or CalSo), it is headquartered in S ...

bought the property .

Government

Local government

The city is governed by a five-member council. Ontario City Library05apr2006

According to the 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $399.4 million in revenues, $305.3 million in expenditures, $1,606.0 million in total assets, $317.6 million in total liabilities, and $412.4 million in cash and investments.

State and federal representation

In the California State Legislature, Ontario is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Ontario is in .

Education

Ontario has five school districts: Ontario/Montclair Elementary, Mt View Elementary, Cucamonga Elementary, Chino Unified and Chaffey Joint Union in the City borders. There are also several

private schools An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British En ...

throughout the city as well as two private military schools. Ontario also has nine trade schools. The University of La Verne College of Law is located in downtown Ontario. National University, Argosy University, San Joaquin Valley College and

Chapman University Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California. It encompasses ten schools and colleges, including Fowler School of Engineering, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Law, and Schmid College of Sci ...

have a satellite campus near the Ontario Mills mall. Ontario Christian is located there.

Gateway Seminary Gateway Seminary ("GS") is a Baptist theological institute based in Ontario, California with campus in Fremont, California, Phoenix, Arizona, Vancouver, Washington, and Centennial, Colorado. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. ...

has a campus in Ontario.

Infrastructure

Transportation

The Ontario International Airport provides domestic and international air travel. Because of the many manufacturing companies and warehouses in the city, the airport also serves as a major hub for freight, especially for

FedEx FedEx Corporation, formerly Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Fe ...

and UPS. Because Ontario is a major hub for passengers and freight, the city is also served by several major

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally p ...

and the Pomona Freeway ( State Route 60) run east–west through the city. Interstate 10 is north of the Ontario airport while the Pomona freeway is south of the airport. Interstate 15 runs in the north–south directions at the eastern side of the city. State Route 83, also known as Euclid Avenue, also runs in the north–south direction at the western side of the city. The city maintains an Amtrak station which is served by the

Sunset Limited The ''Sunset Limited'' is an Amtrak passenger train that for most of its history has operated between New Orleans and Los Angeles, over the nation's second transcontinental route. However, up until Hurricane Katrina in 2005, it operated betw ...

and Texas Eagle lines. Ontario also has a Metrolink station off of Haven Avenue. It connects Ontario with much of the Greater Los Angeles area, Orange County and the San Fernando Valley. Public bus transportation is provided by

Omnitrans Omnitrans, stylized as "OmniTrans," is a public transportation agency in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The largest transit operator within San Bernardino County, it serves the San Bernardino Valley. The agency was established ...

. Additional bus and rail connections to Los Angeles and elsewhere are available at the nearby Montclair station.

Cemeteries

The

Bellevue Memorial Park Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. It may refer to: Placenames Australia * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales Canada ...

is located on West G Street. Spanish–American War Congressional

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient

Frank Fulton Ross Frank Fulton Ross (December 2, 1867 – January 29, 1936) was a United States Army soldier received the Medal of Honor for actions on May 16, 1899, during the Philippine–American War. He was part of Young's Scouts and won the Medal along with 1 ...

is buried there, as is George Chaffey, one of the two founders of the city.

Shopping

Ontario Mills is a major shopping mall in Ontario, while Cardenas, a supermarket chain specializing in Latin American cuisine, was founded in and is based in Ontario.

Notable people

Hobie Alter Hobart "Hobie" Alter (October 31, 1933 – March 29, 2014) was an American surf and sailing entrepreneur and pioneer, creator of the Hobie Cat catamarans, and founder of the Hobie company. Biography Hobie Alter will be remembered for creat ...

, pioneer surfboard maker and catamaran builder *

Jeff Ayres Jeffrey Curtis Ayres (born Jeffrey Curtis Orcutt; April 29, 1987), formerly known as Jeff Pendergraph, is an American professional basketball player for Taoyuan Pauian Pilots of the P. League+. He attended Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamon ...

, basketball player, NBA

champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...

with the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

* Rod Barajas, MLB player for the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...

and six other MLB teams * Madge Bellamy, actress *

Jim Brulte James L. Brulte (born April 13, 1956) is an American politician and former chairman of the California Republican Party, having served from March 3, 2013 to February 24, 2019. Brulte formerly served as a Republican in the California State Senat ...

, politician *

Jason Bowles Jason Bowles (born November 24, 1982) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship in 2009. Racing career Early career He made his NASCAR West Series debut in the No. 22 Sunrise Ford/Turb ...

, stock car racing driver *

Eudora Stone Bumstead Eudora Bumstead (, Stone; August 26, 1860 – 1892) was a 19th-century American poet and hymnwriter, remembered as "the children's poet". She began writing rhymes in childhood, and when ten years old was paid for a poem entitled, "Signs of Spring ...

(1860–1892), poet, hymnwriter *

Henry Bumstead Lloyd Henry "Bummy" Bumstead (March 17, 1915 – May 24, 2006) was an American cinematic art director and production designer. In a career that spanned nearly 70 years, Bumstead began as a draftsman in RKO Pictures' art department and later ...

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-winning cinematic art director and designer * Beverly Cleary, author and Newbery Medal-winning novelist (1984), ''The Luckiest Girl'' and memoir ''My Own Two Feet'' * Andy Clyde, actor, married in Ontario in 1932 *

Del Crandall Delmar Wesley Crandall (March 5, 1930May 5, 2021) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He was born in Ontario, California. Crandall played as a catcher in Major League Baseball and spent most of his career with the Boston / ...

, MLB player and manager, 11-time All-Star, member of 1957 World Series champion Braves *

William De Los Santos William De Los Santos is a Hawaiian American author, poet, screenwriter, film director and producer. He is best known for having written and produced the 2003 film ''Spun'', which starred Jason Schwartzman (who portrays De Los Santos in the film) ...

, poet, screenwriter and film director *

Joseph Dippolito Joseph Charles Dippolito (December 28, 1914 – January 14, 1974), also well known as Joe Dip, was an Italian American Mafia member in the Los Angeles crime family. The son of fellow Mafioso Salvatore Charles Dippolito (known as Charlie Dip) ...

, former underboss of the

Dragna crime family The Los Angeles crime family, also known as the L.A. Mafia or the Southern California crime family, is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate based in Los Angeles as part of the larger Italian-American Mafia. Since its inception in the ea ...

* Landon Donovan, former Los Angeles Galaxy and USMNT player; born in Ontario, raised in Redlands * Prince Fielder, baseball player for the Texas Rangers * José Carrera García, professional footballer * Ana Patricia González, winner of Nuestra Belleza Latina 2010 (Our Latin Beauty 2010) and currently appearing on '' ¡Despierta América!'' *

Bill Graber William Noe Graber (January 21, 1911 – March 8, 1996) was an American pole vaulter. He broke the pole vault world record in 1932 and competed at the 1932 and 1936 Olympics, placing fourth and fifth, respectively. Athletic career Graber studi ...

, pole vaulter *

Robert Graettinger Robert Frederick Graettinger (October 31, 1923 – March 12, 1957) was an American composer, best known for his work with Stan Kenton. Biography Graettinger grew up in Ontario, California, United States, learning to play the saxophone in high sch ...

, composer * Cle Kooiman, soccer player *

Ryan Lane Ryan Thomas Lane (born November 23, 1987) is an American actor. Beginning his professional career at the age of nineteen, Lane is best known for his portrayal of Cincinnati Reds center-fielder William Ellsworth Hoy in the Documentary Channel ...

, actor *

Nick Leyva Nicholas Tomas Leyva (born August 16, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. After his retirement as a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) player, Leyva moved into coaching. His Major League Baseball (MLB) coac ...

, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies (1989–1991) * Christina "T" Lopez, singer, actress; former member of Latin girl dance-pop band Soluna * Sam Maloof, furniture designer and woodworker *

Shelly Martinez Shelly Leonor Martinez (born February 9, 1980) is an American model, actress, retired professional wrestler and valet. She is known for her work with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its ECW brand under the ring name Ariel and for Tota ...

, professional wrestler * Anthony Muñoz, 1998

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

inductee * Al Newman, former MLB player *

Douglas Northway Douglas Dale Northway (born April 28, 1955) is an American former swimmer, who represented the United States at two consecutive Olympic Games. Olympics * As a 17-year-old at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, Northway received a br ...

, Olympic bronze medalist, swimming *

Joan O'Brien Joan Marie O'Brien (born February 14, 1936) is an American actress and singer. She made a name for herself acting in television shows in the 1950s and 1960s and as a film co-star with Cary Grant, Elvis Presley, John Wayne, and Jerry Lewis. Early ...

, actress, graduate of

Chaffey Union High School District Chaffey Joint Union High School District is a 9-12 school district located in San Bernardino County, California, United States that serves the communities of Ontario, Montclair, Rancho Cucamonga, and portions of Fontana, Upland, Chino, an ...

Charles Phoenix Charles Phoenix (born December 20, 1962) is an American pop culture humorist, historian, author and chef whose work explores 1950s and 1960s kitsch and Americana. Phoenix is widely known for his "Retro slide shows" featuring a collection of ...

, pop culture humorist, historian, author and chef * Antonio Pierce, football player * Joey Scarbury, singer * Robert Shaw, conductor * Mike Sweeney, MLB player for Philadelphia Phillies, attended Ontario High School and led 1991 baseball team to undefeated record and state title *

Bobby Wagner Bobby Joseph Wagner (born June 27, 1990) is an American football inside linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Utah State, and was drafted in the second round of the 2012 NFL Dra ...

, football player, attended

Colony High School Colony High School is a high school located in Ontario, California and is part of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District. The school serves the communities of southern Ontario, including the new Ontario Ranch community, and portions of east ...

;

middle Linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

for the

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the gam ...

champions

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...

* Joseph Wambaugh, author *

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity and satire of ...

, musician, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of ...

Sister cities

Ontario has five sister cities around the world. They are: * Brockville,

, Canada ''(since 1977)'' * Guamúchil, Sinaloa, Mexico ''(since 1982)'' *

Mocorito Mocorito (meaning "place of the dead") is a small city and its surrounding municipality in the Mexico, Mexican States of Mexico, state of Sinaloa. The city reported 5,426 inhabitants in the 2010 census. History In 1531, with the entry of th ...

, Sinaloa, Mexico ''(since 1982)'' * Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico ''(since 1988)'' *

Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria ...

Canton of Zürich The canton of Zürich (german: Kanton Zürich ; rm, Chantun Turitg; french: Canton de Zurich; it, Canton Zurigo) is a Swiss canton in the northeastern part of the country. With a population of (as of ), it is the most populous canton in the ...

, SwitzerlandHowever, according to the official website by the city of Winterthur, Ontario is not one of its partner cities. * Jieyang, Chinahttps://www.ontarioca.gov/FactsAndHistory

Notes

References

External links

*
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
* {{Authority control Cities in San Bernardino County, California Incorporated cities and towns in California Pomona Valley Populated places in San Bernardino County, California Populated places established in 1891 1891 establishments in California Chicano and Mexican neighborhoods in California