Ontario, Oregon

Ontario, Oregon
Ontario, Oregon
	Main Street (now Oregon Street) looking south, early 1920s.
	Motto: Where Oregon Begins
	Location in Oregon
County	Malheur County
Incorporated	1896
Government
• Mayor	M. Leroy Cammack
Elevation	660 m (2,150 ft)
Population (2000)
• Total	10,985
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (Mountain)
Website	http://www.ontariooregon.org

Ontario is the largest city in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. It lies along the Snake River at the Idaho border. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 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".

History

Ontario was founded on June 11 1883 by developers 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. The current mayor of Ontario is M. LeRoy Cammack.

Geography

Ontario's elevation is 2,150 feet above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.6 km² (4.5 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census Template:GR of 2000, there were 10,985 people, 4,084 households, and 2,634 families residing in the city. The population density was 948.8/km² (2,459.3/mi²). There were 4,436 housing units at an average density of 383.2/km² (993.1/mi²). 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 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 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 for the city was $14,683. About 16.4% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

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 from Idaho's Payette County, particularly from the nearby cities of Payette and Fruitland. Big-box retailers Wal-Mart and Home Depot dominate the retail sector, however, the lack of a sales tax in the state attracts relocating retailers and shoppers from Idaho communities. Ontario also attracts employees, who benefit from a minimum wage that as of 2005 was 40% higher than the one paid in Idaho.

The Four Rivers Cultural Center, named after the Snake, Malheur, Owyhee and Payette rivers, has a museum that traces the history of settlement in the area by the Northern Paiutes and Basque, Japanese American, Hispanic and European American immigrants. The center's theater and conference center contribute regional dollars to the local economy, as does 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.