Ontario is the largest city in Malheur County, Oregon. It lies along the Snake River at the Idaho border. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,985. The city is the largest community in the region of far eastern Oregon, also known as the Western Treasure Valley.
Ontario is the principal city of the Ontario, OR-ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Malheur County in Oregon and Payette County in Idaho.
Ontario is approximately halfway between Portland and Salt Lake City. It is the closest city to the Idaho border along Interstate 84. The city's slogan is "Where Oregon begins".
Ontario is located at 44°1'37" North, 116°58'7" West (44.026837, -116.968672). It is at an elevation of 2,150 feet above sea level. Ontario is on the Oregon/Idaho border. Interstate 84 goes through the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.6 km2 (4.5 mi2). 11.6 km2 (4.5 mi2) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 10,985 people, 4,084 households, and 2,634 families residing in the city. The population density is 948.8/km2 (2,459.3/mi2). There are 4,436 housing units at an average density of 383.2/km2 (993.1/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 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. 32.05% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 4,084 households out of which 35.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% are married couples living together, 13.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% are non-families. 30.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.63 and the average family size is 3.30.
In the city the population is spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $29,173, and the median income for a family is $35,625. Males have a median income of $29,775 versus $21,967 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,683. 20.8% of the population and 16.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 29.0% of those under the age of 18 and 14.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
The region's primary industry is the cultivation of russet potatoes, sugar beets, and onions. Ontario also has a growing retail-based economy which attracts shoppers from throughout the county and, perhaps more significantly, from Idaho's Payette County, particularly nearby Payette and Fruitland. Big box retailers Wal-Mart and Home Depot dominate, but the lack of a sales tax in the state attracts shoppers (and relocating retailers) from Idaho communities. It also attracts employees, who benefit from a minimum wage which as of 2005 is 40% higher than the one paid in Idaho.
The Four Rivers Cultural Center, named after the Snake, the Malheur, the Owyhee and Payette Rivers, has a museum which traces the history of settlement in the area by the Northern Paiutes, Basque, Japanese Americans, and Hispanic and European American immigrants. The center's theater and conference center contribute regional dollars to the local economy, as does the Treasure Valley Community College, located near the cultural center.
Ontario's role as a regional center of economic growth is challenged by the westward expansion of Boise, Idaho, about fifty miles east of the city. While Oregon's lack of a sales tax is an asset, the state's land use laws make it hard for the city to grow a property tax base and match the pace of development seen across the state line in Idaho. An article in the August 14, 2005 edition of The Oregonian noted that half of the staff of the Snake River Correctional Institute, Oregon's largest state prison and a large Ontario employer, live in Idaho, commuting daily across the state line. The article also noted that the land use laws that protect farmland across the state work to a farmer's disadvantage if farmers cannot find a way to compete profitably.
Ontario was founded on June 11, 1883 developers by William Morfitt, Mary Richardson, Daniel Smith, and James Virtue, in anticipation of a railroad planned to go through that part of the state. It was named after Virtue's home province of Ontario in Canada.
Ontario was incorporated in 1896.
Source:
OntarioOregon.com
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