Ontario is the largest city in

Malheur County Malheur County (, ) is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,571. Its county seat is Vale, and its largest city is Ontario. The county was named after the Malheur River, which ru ...

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, United States. It lies along the

Snake River The Snake River is a major river in the interior Pacific Northwest region of the United States. About long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. Begin ...

at the

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

border. The population was 11,645 at the 2020 census

The city is the largest community in the region of far

eastern Oregon Eastern Oregon is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity; thus, the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost countie ...

, also known as the Western

Treasure Valley The Treasure Valley is a valley in the western United States, primarily in southwestern Idaho, where the Payette, Boise, Weiser, Malheur, and Owyhee rivers drain into the Snake River. It includes all the lowland areas from Vale in rural east ...

. 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 Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

and

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

. 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 11 June 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 Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. 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 The Oregon Short Line Railroad was a railroad in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Oregon in the United States. The line was organized as the Oregon Short Line Railway in 1881 as a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railway. The Union Pacific int ...

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 West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

. 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 The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the State legislature (United States), state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper house, upper and lower chamber: the Oregon State Senate, Sena ...

on 11 February 1899. A city by the time of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Ontario Mayor

Elmo Smith Elmo Everett Smith (November 19, 1909July 15, 1968) was an American politician and newspaper publisher who served as the 27th Governor of Oregon from 1956 to 1957. A member of the Republican Party, Smith served two terms as mayor of Ontario fr ...

allowed

Japanese American are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian Americans, Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 United States census, 2000 census, they have declined in ...

s to settle at a time when much of the West Coast supported their exclusion. Smith told the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

"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

Ontario is located at an elevation of above sea level. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. SnowyRoad Ontario

Climate

Ontario has a

cold desert Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve located in the Western Himalayas, within Himachal Pradesh in North India. It was established as a biosphere reserve in August 2009. Biosphere reserves are the areas of terrestrial and coas ...

dry-summer continental climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. As is common with the high deserts of Oregon, winters are cold and snowy, while summers are hot, dry and sunny. The record high temperature of was observed on August 4, 1961 and July 12, 1967, while the record low of was observed on January 27, 1957, and January 22, 1962. On average, Ontario experiences 60.8 days with high temperatures of at least , 10.5 days with high temperatures of at least , 128.4 days with low temperatures at or below , and 2.1 days with low temperatures at or below .

Demographics

2020 census

''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 A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 11,366 people, 4,275 households, and 2,678 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 4,620 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 69.5%

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

, 0.7%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.3% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 22.6% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

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 Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,985 people, 4,084 households, and 2,634 families living in the city. The population density was 2,459.3 people per square mile (948.8/km). There were 4,436 housing units at an average density of 993.1 per square mile (383.2/km). The racial makeup of the city was 69.27% White, 0.55% African American, 2.69% Asian, 0.88% Native American, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 23.09% from other races, and 3.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.05% of the population. There were 4,084 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.30 . In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.5% under age 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,173, and the median income for a family was $35,625. Males had a median income of $29,775 versus $21,967 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $14,683. About 16.4% of families and 20.8% of the population 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 ...

, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The Heinz Frozen Food Company (formerly

Ore-Ida Ore-Ida (; ) is a brand of potato-based frozen foods owned by Kraft Heinz's, H.J. Heinz Company Brands LLC. based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ore-Ida's primary production facility is located in Ontario, Oregon, near the Idaho border where the co ...

), a subsidiary of

H. J. Heinz Company The Kraft Heinz Foods Company, formerly the H. J. Heinz Company and commonly known as Heinz (), is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Henry J. Heinz in 186 ...

, processes locally grown potatoes, and annually produces over of 75 different potato products, while employing approximately 1,000.

Tater tots Tater tots are grated potato formed into small cylinders and deep-fried, often served as a side dish. "Tater" is a dialect form of the word ''potato''. The name "tater tot" is a registered trademark of the American frozen food company Ore-Ida, b ...

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 Boise ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Idaho, most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Loca ...

. About northwest of central Ontario is the Snake River Correctional Institution, a 3,000-bed medium security facility. Opened in 1991 and expanded in 1998, the prison has approximately 900 employees.

Cannabis legalization

Since 2019,

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

dispensaries have been an important part of Ontario's economy and a notable example of the border effect. In November 2018, voters overturned a ban on recreational marijuana dispensaries in the town, several years after Oregon legalized recreational marijuana use. As Ontario borders

(where marijuana remains illegal for all purposes), local news outlets reported that by November 2019 the city's dispensaries were generating a significant amount of revenue from Idaho residents driving across the state line. Total cannabis sales from Ontario dispensaries topped $100 million in December 2020. The additional revenue from cannabis sales reversed a years-long trend of cutting the annual city budget and stoked advocacy for creation of a Greater Idaho, as many in that part of the state did not vote to legalize recreational marijuana or for the decriminalization of harder drugs along with the more liberal parts of the state, as well as those in Idaho who feel the border purchases of marijuana have increased drug abuse and hurt their way of life there.

Education

Tertiary education

Treasure Valley Community College Treasure Valley Community College is a Public college, public community college in Ontario, Oregon, at the western edge of the Treasure Valley. Its service area is sections of Malheur County, Oregon, Malheur and Baker County, Oregon, Baker co ...

K-12 education

Ontario is served by the

Ontario School District Ontario School District 8C (OSD) is a school district headquartered in Ontario, Oregon. The district is entirely in Malheur County. History Previously students at Four Rivers Community School, a charter school, were allowed to join extracurri ...

(8C) public schools. Schools include: * 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 There is also a

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

: *

Four Rivers Community School Four Rivers Community School (4RCC, ) is a K-12 charter school in Ontario, Oregon. The Oregon Board of Education sponsors Four Rivers. History It began operations in 2003. Initially the entity establishing the school negotiated with the Ontari ...

(4RCC) - K-12 - It began operations in 2003. The Annex School has an Ontario postal address but is away from Ontario, in the community of

Annex Annex or annexe may refer to: Places * The Annex, a neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. * The Annex (New Haven), a neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut, United States. * Annex, Oregon, a census-designated place in the United ...

. ;Private schools * Treasure Valley Christian School Pre K-12 *St. Peter's Catholic School (

Roman Catholic Diocese of Baker Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of Roman civilization * Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter ...

) K-8 Ontario Community Library of the Ontario Library District is in Ontario.

Media

Ontario's daily paper is the ''

Argus Observer The ''Argus Observer'' is a weekly newspaper in Ontario, Oregon, United States. It is owned by Wick Communications. History The newspaper and went through several names and owners before becoming the ''Argus Observer'', which is a reference t ...

''.

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 Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...

offers service east and west on I-84 from Ontario. ;Air *

Ontario Municipal Airport Ontario Municipal Airport is three miles west of Ontario, in Malheur County, Oregon. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''general aviation'' facility. The first airline flights were Empire ...

;Highway * Interstate 84 -

Boise Boise ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Located on the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and nor ...

Ogden Ogden may refer to: Places Canada *Ogden, Calgary, in Calgary, Alberta *Ogden, Quebec, a small municipality in the Eastern Townships * Ogdensville, British Columbia or Ogden City, alternate names for gold rush-era Seymour Arm, British Columbia *Og ...

Notable people

Cliff Bentz Cliff Stewart Bentz (born January 12, 1952) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for Oregon's 2nd congressional district since 2021. He previously served in the Oregon Sen ...

, congressman ( 2nd district) and former state senator (District 30) * Jorge Cervantes, horticulturist, writer, and expert in

medical cannabis Medical cannabis, medicinal cannabis or medical marijuana (MMJ) refers to cannabis products and cannabinoid molecules that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has a long history, but has not ...

* Madeline DeFrees, poet * Tom Edens,

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

pitcher * A. J. Feeley,

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

quarterback * Erik Fisher,

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

alpine ski racer *

Sally Flynn Sally Flynn (born July 23, 1946 in Ontario, Oregon) is an American singer and musician (also known as Sally Hart) who was a featured performer on ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' television program. A graduate of Brigham Young University (BYU), she ...

, also known as Sally Hart, singer on ''

The Lawrence Welk Show ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years, from 1951 to 1955, then nationally for another 16 years on ABC from 1955 t ...

'' * Charles C. Gossett, governor of Idaho and U.S. Senator * Joel Hardin, Border Patrol agent and mantracker * Denny Jones, Oregon state representative and rancher * Randall B. Kester, Oregon judge *

Phyllis McGinley Phyllis McGinley (March 21, 1905 – February 22, 1978) was an American author of children's books and poetry. Her poetry was in the style of light verse, specializing in humor, satiric tone and the positive aspects of suburban life. She won a Pu ...

, children's author *

, newspaper editor, mayor of Ontario and governor of Oregon * Leland Evan Thomas, WWII pilot killed in action at

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...

Dave Wilcox David Wilcox (September 29, 1942 – April 19, 2023), nicknamed "the Intimidator", was an American professional football linebacker who played with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 through 1974. Named to pl ...

, NFL linebacker

Sister cities

Ontario has one

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

, as designated by

Sister Cities International Sister Cities International (SCI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) with the goal of facilitating partnerships between communities within the United States and other countries by establishing sister cities. Sister cities are agreements of ...

: * Ōsakasayama, Osaka,

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

References

External links

* * * * {{Authority control Cities in Oregon Populated places established in 1883 Ontario, Oregon micropolitan area Basque-American culture in Oregon 1883 establishments in Oregon Cities in Malheur County, Oregon