The city is home toOntario International Airport, which is the 9th-busiest airport in the United States by cargo carried, as of 2021.[8] Ontario handles the mass of freight traffic between the ports ofLos Angeles andLong Beach and the rest of the country.[9]
It takes its name from the Ontario Model Colony development established in 1882 by the Canadian engineerGeorge Chaffey and his brothersWilliam Chaffey and Charles Chaffey.[10] They named the settlement after their homeprovince ofOntario.
Ontario was inhabited by theTongva people for over 1,000 years.[11] Their country is now known asTovaangar. The Ontario area was connected to the village ofCucamonga, whose location is not precisely known.
Juan Bautista de Anza passed through the area on his 1774 expedition, which created a land route between the province ofSonora and San Gabriel.[16] An Ontario city park[16] and a middle school[17] now bear his name. The route became known as theEl Camino Real.
In 1804, the northern part of Las Californias became the new province ofNueva California.[18]
In 1810, the San Gabriel Franciscans took over the Tongva village ofKaawchama (in today's westRedlands), replacing it with theGuachama rancheria. This included a chapel devoted to San Bernardino (beginning the association of the saint with the area). The rancheria was destroyed by theSerrano in 1812, and was rebuilt nearby as theSan Bernardino de Sena estancia in 1819.
In 1822, word of the Mexican triumph in theMexican War of Independence reached Nueva California,[19] and the lands previously controlled by the Spanish Empire passed to the custody of theMexican government.
In 1824, the province of Nueva California was renamedAlta California.
In January 1847, theUnited States took control of the area, after theconquest of California during theMexican-American War, and U.S. control was formalised by theTreaty of Cahuenga.[24] Under theTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, the United States recognised the existing land tenure, and took formal control of the land. It ruled it under amilitary administration until a new civilian body was established in December 1849, which became the state ofCalifornia in September 1850. In February 1850, the interim California government establishedLos Angeles County. (The earlier Los Angeles municipal government did not cover today's Ontario.)[25]
San Bernardino County was founded in 1853, following the establishment ofa new Mormon settlement. A road was built between San Bernardino and Los Angeles that year, passing through Rancho Cucamonga.[23]
Slavery of Native Americans became illegal in California in 1865.[27]
John Rain's heirs sold Rancho Cucamonga in 1870 to anIsaias Hellman-led syndicate,[28] the "Cucamonga Company".[29] 20 years after the initial application, the California government formally converted the title of the rancho to freehold in 1872.[21][30]
In 1881, the Chaffey brothers,George andWilliam, purchased a parcel of Hellman's Rancho Cucamonga land, and rights to Mount San Antonio water. The brothers established a settlement they named "Ontario" in honor of theprovince ofOntario inCanada, where they were from.[31]
The land was sometimes referred to the "San Antonio lands", as they included half the water rights toMount San Antonio[32] (colloquially known as "Mount Baldy"). They engineered a drainage system channelling water from the foothills of the mountain 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. A mule-drawn passenger tramway was used from 1887 to 1895 on the central reservation the Avenue, operated by theOntario and San Antonio Heights Railroad Company.[33]
The San Antonio Water Company was incorporated in October 1882. Since then it has served the area that is today Ontario, Upland and, San Antonio Heights, and to a lesser extent Montclair.[34]
Also in 1885, theOntario Record newspaper was founded. (It would later be known asThe Daily Report.)
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 adry town, early deeds containing clauses forbidding the manufacture or sale of alcoholic beverages within the town.
Interior of citrus packing house in Ontario, 1905
Ontario attracted farmers (primarily growingcitrus) and ailing Easterners seeking a drier climate (often to treattuberculosis). To impress visitors and potential settlers with the "abundance" of water in Ontario, a fountain was placed at theSouthern 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.[35] Agriculture was vital to the early economy, and many street names recall this legacy. TheSunkist plant remains as a living vestige of the citrus era.
The Chaffey brothers left in 1886 to found the Australian irrigation settlements ofMildura andRenmark, selling their Ontario assets to the Ontario Land & Improvement Company. Its president was Charles Frankish.[36] He founded theOntario State Bank in 1887, the settlement's first bank.[37]
Central Ontario was incorporated as a city in 1891.[29] The San Antonio Electric Light & Power Company was organized in 1891 to provide electricity to Ontario, Pomona and Redlands.[29]
The olive vat room atGraber Olive House in Ontario, California. In 1894, two years after planting olive trees in Ontario, C. C. Graber began sellingvat cured olives from the pictured vat room in vats similar to the ones pictured. Graber Olive House is the oldest operating olive packer in the United States.
TheGraber Olive House was established in 1894, and is now the longest operating olive packing business in the United States.
In 1895, the Ontario Electric Company was established by Charles Frankish.[37] In its first year it took over the mule-cars, and replaced them with electrical powered vehicles.[37]
The City of Ontario's territory was greatly expanded in 1900.[29]
Tens of thousands of European immigrants came to work in agriculture. In the early 1900s, the firstFilipinos andJapanese farm laborers arrived, and later many came to own plant nurseries.[38]
In 1901, the original college closed, and a newOntario High School replaced it. This soon becameChaffey College, and offered college courses as well as high school education.
Ontario was declared a "model colony" by an act of Congress in 1903.[39]
North Ontario broke away from the city in 1906, calling itselfUpland.[29]
In 1929, the city of Ontario established the Ontario Municipal Airport. This is now theOntario International Airport, and is the largest employer in the city.
AM radio stationKOCS began in 1946,[40] which was followed by sister stationKOCS-FM in 1947. The stations initially operated as part of The Daily Report, and would go on to change their name, format and ownership many times.
In 1960, the higher education part of Chaffey College moved to nearby Rancho Cucamonga.
AnOntario station of theMetrolink rail service opened in 1993 (it later became known as "Ontario – East").
Large shopping mallOntario Mills opened to the public on November 14, 1996, on the old Ontario Motor Speedway parking lot.
On December 13, 1996,AMC Theatres opened AMC Ontario Mills 30 in Ontario, which it billed as the "world's largest theater".[41] Three months later,Edwards Theaters opened the Edwards Ontario Palace 22 across the street.[41] If the two adjacent parking lots were treated as one, Ontario now had 52 screens on one parking lot, more than any other location in the United States.[41] The opening of that many screens in the Inland Empire came about as the culmination of a lifelong rivalry between AMC's Stanley Durwood and Edwards Theaters's James Edwards.[41] Edwards was infuriated when he learned Durwood had beaten him to a deal with Ontario Mills, and later told him, "I had to teach you a lesson".[41] As a result, the name Ontario became synonymous with self-destructive rivalry in the North American film exhibition industry.[42] At the ShoWest conference in March 1997, Bill Kartozian, the former head of theNational Association of Theatre Owners, told the attendees: "Thou shalt not Ontario each other".[42]
In 1999, the large agricultural area in the south of Ontario (the "ag preserve") was rezoned for residential and commercial use. This area was now described as the "New Model Colony", before being renamedOntario Ranch, and finally New Haven.[44]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.0 square miles (129 km2). Of that, 49.9 square miles (129 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) is water. The total area is 0.13% water.
The climate of Ontario is influenced byBShsemi-arid conditions, with hot summers and mild winters. Santa Ana Winds hit the area frequently in autumn and winter. Extremes range from 118 °F (48 °C) down to 25 °F (−4 °C). According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Ontario has ahot-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.[47]
The most common country of origin in Ontario besides the United States is Mexico. 19.04% of Ontario's population is Mexican-born. The other most common countries of origin outside the United States in Ontario are thePhilippines,El Salvador,Guatemala,Vietnam,Korea,China,Honduras,Thailand andPeru. The most common spoken languages in Ontario besides English are Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Tagalog, other Pacific Island language, Korean, Portuguese, Urdu and Arabic. Roman Catholicism is the most practiced religion.[50] German, Irish, English, Italian and Dutch are the most common ancestries.[51]
Ontario, California – Racial and ethnic composition 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 may be of any race.
The U.S. Census accounts for race by two methodologies. "Race alone" and "Race alone less Hispanics" where Hispanics are delineated separately as if a separate race.
The population was 175,265, and the population density was 3,507.3 inhabitants per square mile (1,354.2/km2).[57]
The census reported that 99.4% of the population lived in households, 0.4% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.2% were institutionalized.[57]
There were 51,312 households, out of which 43.4% included children under the age of 18, 49.9% were married-couple households, 8.1% werecohabiting couple households, 25.5% had a female householder with no partner present, and 16.5% had a male householder with no partner present. 15.0% of households were one person, and 5.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.4.[57] There were 40,617families (79.2% of all households).[58]
The age distribution was 24.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% aged 18 to 24, 30.6% aged 25 to 44, 23.8% aged 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 34.0years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males.[57]
There were 53,219 housing units at an average density of 1,065.0 units per square mile (411.2 units/km2), of which 51,312 (96.4%) were occupied. Of these, 54.7% were owner-occupied, and 45.3% were occupied by renters.[57]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income in 2023 was $82,806, and theper capita income was $31,141. About 10.7% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line.[59]
The2010 United States census[60] reported that Ontario had a population of 163,924. The population density was 3,278.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,265.7/km2). The racial makeup of Ontario was 83,683 (51.0%)White (18.2% Non-Hispanic White),[61] 10,561 (6.4%)African American, 1,686 (1.0%)Native American, 8,453 (5.2%)Asian, 514 (0.3%)Pacific Islander, 51,373 (31.3%) fromother races, and 7,654 (4.7%) from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino 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%) wereopposite-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 35,595families (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 948.9 units per square mile (366.4 units/km2), 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.[61]
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 attractedvintners andolive growers. TheGraber Olive House, which continues to produce olives, is a city historical landmark and one of the oldest institutions in Ontario.[citation needed]Dairy farming is also prevalent, as it continues to be in neighboringChino. Much of southern Ontario still contains dairy farms and otheragricultural farms.[62] 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.[63]
A major pre-war industry was the city'sGeneral Electric plant that produced clothingirons. During and afterWorld War II, Ontario experienced a housing boom common to many suburbs. The expansion of the Southern California defense industry attracted many settlers to the city.[64] With California's aerospace industry concentrated in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, the Ontario International Airport was used as a pilot training center.[65] Today, Ontario still has a manufacturing industry, the most notable of which areMaglite, which produces flashlights. Manufacturing has waned, and Ontario's economy is dominated by service industries andwarehousing. Major distribution centers are operated by companies such asAutoZone,Cardinal Health,MBM,Genuine Parts/NAPA, andNordstrom.[66]
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.[68]
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.[69]
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.[70]
The Ontario post office contains two oil on canvas murals,The Dream depicting founder Chaffey with surveyors andThe Reality which shows a view of the completed Euclid Avenue, painted by WPA muralistNellie Geraldine Best in 1942.[71]
Since 1958, Ontario has placed three-dimensionalnativity scenes on the median of Euclid Avenue during the Christmas season.[72] The scenes, featuring statues by the sculptor Rudolph Vargas, were challenged in 1998 as a violation ofchurch-state separation under theCalifornia Constitution 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.[73] To support the nativity scenes the Ontario Chamber of Commerce started a craft fair called "Christmas on Euclid".
The All-States Picnic, anIndependence 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 duringWorld War II, but when it resumed in 1948, it attracted 120,000 people. A 1941Ripley'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.[74]
TheToyota Arena 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 theInland Empire. Over 125 events are held annually featuring sporting competitions, concerts, and family shows.
The arena had been the home of theOntario Reign, a former team in theECHL, that called the arena home from 2008 to 2015. TheLos 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.[75] The Reign led theECHL in average attendance in every subsequent year.
In January 2015, theAmerican Hockey League, a minor league above theECHL, announced that it was forming a new Pacific Division and would be replacing the ECHL Ontario Reign with a relocated team. The Kings relocated theManchester Monarchs, a franchise they had owned and operated since 2012, and became theOntario Reign beginning with the2015–16 AHL season.
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.[77]
TheOntario 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 forfreight, especially forFedEx andUPS.
Because Ontario is a major hub for passengers and freight, the city is also served by several majorfreeways.Interstate 10 and thePomona 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 Ontario-EastMetrolinkstation is located 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 byOmnitrans. Additional bus and rail connections to Los Angeles and elsewhere are available at the nearbyMontclair station. Abus rapid transit line known as thesbX Purple Line is currently being constructed, which will run through the city.
Ontario Mills is a major shopping mall in Ontario; it is also the largest outlet mall in all of California.[85]Cardenas, a supermarket chain specializing inLatin American cuisine, was founded in and is based in Ontario.
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^Dutschke, Dwight (2014)."A History of American Indians in California"(PDF).California Office of Historic Preservation, Five Views: An Ethnic Historic Site Survey for California. RetrievedOctober 10, 2016.
^Bakken, Gordon Morris; Alexandra Kindell (2006).Encyclopedia of immigration and migration in the American West. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.
^writer, Lance Pugmire Lance Pugmire is the Los Angeles Times’ former boxing/MMA/Ducks beat (February 6, 2009)."Mike Sweeney answers a call for help".Los Angeles Times. RetrievedApril 16, 2025.
^"Sister Cities". City of Ontario, California. Archived fromthe original on April 19, 2014. RetrievedFebruary 2, 2015.
^"Partnerstädte" (official site) (in German). Winterthur, Switzerland: Stadt Winterthur. 2016. Archived fromthe original on September 27, 2016. RetrievedSeptember 29, 2016.
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