Ontario Community Profile
June 11, 1883, William Morfitt, James W. Virtue, Daniel Smith and Mary Richardson formed a new town site in the mud and dust, sand and grasslands south of the confluence of the Malheur and Snake rivers. The partners knew the railroad was coming, and believed their investment would be a good one. Naming the town was difficult for the founders. Morfitt wanted it to be named Ione, after his only daughter, and Virtue wanted it named after his birthplace in Canada. Stories have both the flipping of a coin and drawing the name out of a hat as the method of solving the dilemma, but whichever way it came about, Ontario was the name selected.
The town was incorporated in 1896, and E.H. Test was its first mayor. During Test's administration, the first jail was built for $100. July 16, 1896, the city council instructed the city marshal to collect $7.50 a month from prostitutes, and deposit the money in the city's coffers.
City Location |
 Eastern Oregon, on the Oregon/Idaho border. The city was incorporated in 1896.
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| Address | 444 SW 4th Street, Ontario, OR 97914 |
| Phone | 541-889-7684 |
| Fax | 541-889-7121 |
| Web Page | http//www.ontariooregon.org |
| ontario@cyberhighway.net | |
| Time Zone | City resides in the Mountain Time Zone. |
| Nearest Major Highway and Distance | I-84 |
| Nearest Major City and Distance |
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| Distance to Portland | 376 miles |
Recreation |
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| Parks/Recreation | Lake Owyhee State Park, Succor Creek State Recreational Area, Snake River @ Farewell Bend, Bogus Basin Ski Resort, Brundage Mt. Ski Resort, Anthony Lakes Ski Resort, Sumpter, Unity Phillips Reservoir, 5 city parks and one golf course, swimming pool, tennis courts, skate park. |
Climate |
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| Elevation | 2,150' |
| Temperature |
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| Hottest Month | July |
| Coldest Month | January |
| Driest Month | July |
| Wettest Month | December |
| Average annual precipitation | 9.680" |
| Humidity (Hour 10, local time) |
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Public Safety/Emergency Services |
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| Fire Station(s) serving community | Ontario Fire Department, 1 station |
| Number of paid and volunteer firefighters | 34* *number of firefighters from City web site |
| Rating by Insurance Services Organization (ISO) | 3-8* * ISO rating is last reported rating in directory |
| Police Department | Ontario Police Department |
| Number of paid and reserve officers | 30 |
| Nearest Hospital and distance | Holy Rosary Medical Center, Local |
| Regional Hospital and distance | Holy Rosary Medical Center, Local |
| Emergency services to community | Ambulance Service, Life Flight Service |
| General Clinic(s) | 3 |
Education |
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| Public and Private Schools K–12 | Aiken Elementary, Alameda Elementary, Cairo Elementary, May Roberts Elementary, Pioneer Elementary; Ontario Middle; Ontario Sr High |
| Public School District | Ontario School District 8C |
| School District Website | http//www.ontariosd.k12.or.us/ |
| K-12 Enrollment | 2797 |
| Student/Teacher ratio Elementary |
20:1
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| Student/Teacher ratio High school |
16.5:1
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| Other Schools in the School District (Private, Parochial) |
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News/TV/Internet |
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| Local Newspapers |
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| Regional Newspapers | |
| Radio Stations | Local KCID, KSRV AM stations, KSRV FMRegional City receives Boise, ID stations |
| TV Stations | City receives Boise, ID, area stations |
| Available Cable Television | Chambers Cable, Primestar, Snake River Communications |
| Telephone Service Provider(s) | Malheur Bell |
| Local Internet Service Provider(s) | |
Library System |
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| Public Librairies | Malheur County Library |
Data Sources
- Oregon Department of Transportation, State of Oregon Map; Oregon Blue Book
- City Administration, local chamber of commerce, local convention and visitor bureau
- Oregon Climate Service
- Oregon State Fire Marshal, Oregon Fire Service Resource Directory 2000
- City Administration
- Malheur County Profile 1999-2000