Ontario, Oregon
Ontario is a city of 11,842 people in Malheur County, Oregon, founded in 1899.
Why visit Ontario
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 16 parks and trails, 38 places to eat, 16 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Reel Theatre 8, J.C. Palumbo Fruit Company Packing Warehouse Building, James Rowley and Mary J. Blackaby House and Ontario State Recreation Site.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 93°F; December lows average 22°F.
Weather in Ontario
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ontario
Ontario is the largest city in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. It lies along the Snake River at the Idaho border. The population was 11,645 at the 2020 census. The city is the largest community in the region of far eastern Oregon, also known as the Western Treasure Valley.
From the Wikipedia article Ontario, Oregon (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks9
J.C. Palumbo Fruit Company Packing Warehouse Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
United States historic place
James Rowley and Mary J. Blackaby House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic house in Oregon, United States
N. A. Jacobsen Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Commercial building in Payette, Idaho
Ontario Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Former railway station in Ontario, Oregon, United States
Portia Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Women's club in Payette, Idaho
Woodward Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Office building in Payette, Idaho, United States
A. B. Moss Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Coughanour Apartment Block
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
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Payette City Hall and Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds16
4 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes38
Mackey's Public House
Restaurant · Irish · 0.6 mi
111 Southwest 1st St
11:00-01:00
26 more on the map.
History
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 after Ontario, 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 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 1884, Scott was Ontario's postmaster.
From the History section of Ontario, Oregon on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay16
Churches and places of worship17
St. John's United Church of Christ
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic
829 Southwest 2nd Avenue, Ontario
Shopping12
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries24
Fruitland Elementary School
School · 3.6 mi
1100 South Pennsylvania Avenue, Fruitland
Healthcare9
St. Luke's Emergency Services: Fruitland
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.4 mi
1210 Northwest 16th Street, Fruitland
Map of Ontario
150 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°F | 23°F | 1.3 in |
| Feb | 44°F | 26°F | 0.8 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 32°F | 1.0 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 38°F | 0.9 in |
| May | 74°F | 47°F | 1.4 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 54°F | 0.7 in |
| Jul | 93°F | 60°F | 0.2 in |
| Aug | 91°F | 57°F | 0.1 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 47°F | 0.3 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 36°F | 0.8 in |
| Nov | 47°F | 28°F | 0.9 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 22°F | 1.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ontario Ksrv (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Malheur County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2024-07-22: Durkee Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Coastal Storm)
- 2004-02-19: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Ontario Municipal Airport (ONO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Fruitland 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Middleton 28 mi southeast, about 46 min by car
- Caldwell 31 mi southeast, about 49 min by car
- Star 32 mi southeast, about 52 min by car
- Eagle 36 mi southeast, about 58 min by car
- Nampa 37 mi southeast, about 59 min by car
- Meridian 41 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Garden City 42 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Kuna 45 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Boise City 47 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- St Johns UCC - Payette Idaho, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Portia Club - Payette Idaho, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jacobsen Bldg 1908, publichall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oregon Short Line Railroad Depot - Ontario, Oregon, Ron Reiring, CC BY 2.0
- Blackaby House (Ontario, Oregon), Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palumbo Fruit Company Warehouse - Payette Idaho, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Woodward Bldg 1908, publichall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Coughanour Apartment Block - Payette Idaho, Duane Garrett Idaho State Historical Society, Public domain
- Moss Building - Payette Idaho, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Payette City Hall-Courthouse 2 - Payette Idaho, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Ontario Oregon, Always dreamin, CC BY-SA 4.0
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