Ontario, Oregon | |
|---|---|
 Main Street (now Oregon Street) looking south, early 1920s | |
 Logo | |
| Motto: Where Oregon Begins | |
 Location inOregon | |
| Coordinates:44°1′37″N116°58′7″W / 44.02694°N 116.96861°W /44.02694; -116.96861 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Oregon |
| County | Malheur |
| Incorporated | 1899 |
| Named after | Ontario, Canada |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Deborah Folden[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 5.17 sq mi (13.38 km2) |
| • Land | 5.17 sq mi (13.38 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,149 ft (655 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 11,645 |
| • Density | 2,254.4/sq mi (870.42/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (Mountain) |
| ZIP Code | 97914 |
| Area code | 541 |
| FIPS code | 41-54900[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1125001[5] |
| Website | www |
Ontario is the largest city inMalheur County,Oregon, United States. It lies along theSnake River at theIdaho border. The population was 11,645 at the2020 census.[6] The city is the largest community in the region of fareastern Oregon, also known as the WesternTreasure Valley.
Ontario is the principal city of the Ontario, OR-IDMicropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Malheur County in Oregon andPayette County in Idaho.
Ontario is approximately halfway betweenPortland andSalt Lake City. It is the closest city to the Idaho border alongInterstate 84. The city's slogan is "Where Oregon Begins".
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Ontario was founded on June 11, 1883, by developers William Morfitt, Mary Richardson, Daniel Smith, and James Virtue. In March 1884, Richard Welch started a post office for the quarter of Ontario, so named by James Virtue afterOntario, Canada. Two months later Joseph Morton applied for a Morton post office at an island about one mile south of town, with Oscar Scott as postmaster. Unfortunately for Morton and Scott, merchants Morfitt and Richardson of Malheur City, gold miner Virtue, and lumberman Smith ofBaker 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 1884, Scott was Ontario's postmaster.
The town continued to grow with the arrival of theOregon Short Line Railroad in later 1884, and freight and passenger service were added to the town's offerings. Soon after, stock began arriving from Eastern Oregon's cattle ranches to Ontario's stockyard for transshipment to markets throughout the Pacific Northwest. Ontario became one of the largest stockyards in theWest. 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 theOregon Legislative Assembly on February 11, 1899.[7]
A city by the time ofWorld War II, Ontario MayorElmo Smith allowedJapanese Americans to settle at a time when much of the West Coast supported their exclusion. Smith told theAssociated Press "If the Japs, both alien and nationals, are a menace to the Pacific Coast safety unless they are moved inland, it appears downright cowardly to take any other stand than to put out the call, 'Send them along; we'll cooperate to the fullest possible extent in taking care of them.'" A population of about 134 in the city and surrounding county before the war ballooned to 1,000 as the county recruited farm workers during the war.[8]
Ontario is in northeastern Malheur County, bordered to the east by theSnake River, which forms the state line withIdaho. The city is located at an elevation of 2,150 feet (660 m) above sea level. ViaInterstate 84 it is 30 miles (48 km) northwest ofCaldwell, Idaho, and 56 miles (90 km) northwest ofBoise, as well as 73 miles (117 km) southeast ofBaker City, Oregon.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the city of Ontario has a total area of 5.99 square miles (15.51 km2), of which 0.001 square miles (0.003 km2), or 0.02%, are water.[2]
Ontario has acold desertdry-summer continental climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.[9] As is common with thehigh deserts of Oregon, winters are cold and snowy, while summers are hot, dry and sunny. The record high temperature of 113 °F (45.0 °C) was observed on August 4, 1961, and July 12, 1967, while the record low of −25 °F (−31.7 °C) was observed on January 27, 1957, and January 22, 1962.[10] On average, Ontario experiences 60.8 days with high temperatures of at least 90 °F (32.2 °C), 10.5 days with high temperatures of at least 100 °F (37.8 °C), 128.4 days with low temperatures at or below 32 °F (0.0 °C), and 2.1 days with low temperatures at or below 0 °F (−17.8 °C).[11]
| Climate data forOntario Municipal Airport, Ontario, Oregon (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1945–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 64 (18) | 67 (19) | 85 (29) | 94 (34) | 103 (39) | 109 (43) | 113 (45) | 113 (45) | 104 (40) | 93 (34) | 74 (23) | 66 (19) | 113 (45) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 49.1 (9.5) | 58.5 (14.7) | 71.0 (21.7) | 80.1 (26.7) | 91.0 (32.8) | 98.1 (36.7) | 104.2 (40.1) | 102.1 (38.9) | 94.7 (34.8) | 81.5 (27.5) | 63.2 (17.3) | 52.4 (11.3) | 104.7 (40.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 38.3 (3.5) | 46.9 (8.3) | 58.4 (14.7) | 66.0 (18.9) | 76.4 (24.7) | 84.7 (29.3) | 95.1 (35.1) | 93.4 (34.1) | 82.7 (28.2) | 66.9 (19.4) | 49.8 (9.9) | 38.9 (3.8) | 66.5 (19.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 31.3 (−0.4) | 37.5 (3.1) | 46.1 (7.8) | 52.7 (11.5) | 62.1 (16.7) | 69.8 (21.0) | 78.3 (25.7) | 76.2 (24.6) | 66.0 (18.9) | 52.8 (11.6) | 39.7 (4.3) | 31.6 (−0.2) | 53.7 (12.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.3 (−4.3) | 28.0 (−2.2) | 33.9 (1.1) | 39.4 (4.1) | 47.9 (8.8) | 54.9 (12.7) | 61.5 (16.4) | 58.9 (14.9) | 49.2 (9.6) | 38.7 (3.7) | 29.5 (−1.4) | 24.4 (−4.2) | 40.9 (4.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 6.1 (−14.4) | 13.4 (−10.3) | 20.5 (−6.4) | 24.7 (−4.1) | 32.5 (0.3) | 41.1 (5.1) | 49.5 (9.7) | 45.4 (7.4) | 35.1 (1.7) | 23.7 (−4.6) | 14.4 (−9.8) | 7.8 (−13.4) | 0.8 (−17.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −25 (−32) | −24 (−31) | 9 (−13) | 17 (−8) | 25 (−4) | 31 (−1) | 34 (1) | 33 (1) | 24 (−4) | 9 (−13) | −6 (−21) | −23 (−31) | −25 (−32) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.38 (35) | 0.89 (23) | 0.97 (25) | 0.77 (20) | 1.17 (30) | 0.72 (18) | 0.26 (6.6) | 0.12 (3.0) | 0.29 (7.4) | 0.64 (16) | 0.88 (22) | 1.39 (35) | 9.48 (241) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.4 (8.6) | 1.2 (3.0) | 0.3 (0.76) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.3 (0.76) | 5.0 (13) | 10.2 (26.12) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.5 | 8.3 | 9.5 | 7.2 | 8.1 | 5.7 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 5.4 | 8.3 | 11.1 | 79.8 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 6.7 |
| Source 1: NOAA (snow/snow days 1981–2010)[11][12] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[10] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 200 | — | |
| 1900 | 445 | 122.5% | |
| 1910 | 1,248 | 180.4% | |
| 1920 | 2,039 | 63.4% | |
| 1930 | 1,941 | −4.8% | |
| 1940 | 3,551 | 82.9% | |
| 1950 | 4,465 | 25.7% | |
| 1960 | 5,101 | 14.2% | |
| 1970 | 6,523 | 27.9% | |
| 1980 | 8,814 | 35.1% | |
| 1990 | 9,392 | 6.6% | |
| 2000 | 10,985 | 17.0% | |
| 2010 | 11,366 | 3.5% | |
| 2020 | 11,645 | 2.5% | |
| Sources:[13][14] U.S. Decennial Census[15] | |||
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category, meaning Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
As of the2020 census, there were 11,645 people, 4,404 households, and 2,491 families residing in the city.[16]
The median age was 34.8 years. 27.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.6 males age 18 and over.[16]
Of the 4,404 households, 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.5% were married-couple households, 20.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[16]
There were 4,682 housing units, of which 5.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 51.7% were owner-occupied and 48.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%.[16]
99.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.1% lived in rural areas.[17]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 7,010 | 60.2% |
| Black or African American | 133 | 1.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 275 | 2.4% |
| Asian | 199 | 1.7% |
| Native Hawaiian andOther Pacific Islander | 18 | 0.2% |
| Some other race | 2,499 | 21.5% |
| Two or more races | 1,511 | 13.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 5,049 | 43.4% |
As of thecensus[19] of 2010, there were 11,366 people, 4,275 households, and 2,678 families living in the city. Thepopulation density was 2,198.5 inhabitants per square mile (848.8/km2). There were 4,620 housing units at an average density of 893.6 per square mile (345.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 69.5%White, 0.7%African American, 1.3%Native American, 2.2%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 22.6% fromother races, and 3.5% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino 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% weremarried couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.28 .
The median age in the city was 32.1 years. 28.9% of residents were under age 18; 12.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23% were from 25 to 44; 21% were from 45 to 64; and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.
As of the census[4] 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/km2). There were 4,436 housing units at an average density of 993.1 per square mile (383.2/km2). 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. Theper capita income for the city was $14,683. About 16.4% of families and 20.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
The Heinz Frozen Food Company (formerlyOre-Ida), a subsidiary ofH. J. Heinz Company, processes locally grown potatoes, and annually produces over 600,000,000 pounds (270,000,000 kg) of 75 different potato products, while employing approximately 1,000.[20]Tater tots were first created and manufactured here in 1953 (commercial distribution began in 1956).[21]
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 ofSaint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center inBoise, Idaho.[22]
About five miles (8 km) northwest of central Ontario is theSnake River Correctional Institution, a 3,000-bed medium security facility. Opened in 1991 and expanded in 1998, the prison has approximately 900 employees.
Since 2019,cannabis dispensaries have been an important part of Ontario's economy and a notable example of theborder effect.[23]
In November 2018, voters overturned a ban on recreational marijuana dispensaries in the town, several years afterOregon legalized recreational marijuana use. As Ontario bordersIdaho (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.[24] Total cannabis sales from Ontario dispensaries topped $100 million in December 2020.[25]
Ontario is served by theOntario School District (8C) public schools.[26] Schools include:[27]
There is also acharter school:
The Annex School has an Ontario postal address but is away from Ontario, in the community ofAnnex.[30]
Ontario Community Library of the Ontario Library District is in Ontario.[32]
Ontario's daily paper is theArgus Observer.
Ontario has onesister city, as designated bySister Cities International:[36]
A city of 11,000, Ontario grosses $91.7 million in 2020 to take over 'Highest County' title in Oregon after local voters overturn ban on cannabis sales.
402 Annex Road | Ontario, Ore. 97914- Despite the Ontario postal address, it is not in Ontario.Compare with the US Census Bureau school district map here.
98 Southwest 9th Street Ontario, OR 97914
388 S.W. 2nd Avenue Ontario, Oregon USA 97914
Municipalities and communities ofMalheur County, Oregon,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Salem (capital) | |||||||||
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