Ontario, California
San Bernardino County
06-53896
Ontario is a city in San Bernardino County in the U.S. state of California, United States, with 163 924 inhabitants ( 2010). The east of Los Angeles located city is popularly known also Gateway to Southern California ( "Gateway to Southern California "). The urban area has a size of 129.5 km ².
In Ontario lies with the Airport Los Angeles Ontario 's second- largest airport in the Greater Los Angeles. In addition, the city is home to Ontario Mills Shopping Mall, which is called by the operator as the largest one-story shopping mall in western North America. From 1970 to 1980 Ontario possessed with the Ontario Motor Speedway also has a motorsport race track.
Is named the city after the Ontario Colony, which was founded in 1882 by brothers George, William and Charles Chaffey at the same place.
- 4.1 traffic
- 7.1 Sons and daughters of the town
- 7.2 associated with Ontario personalities
Geography
The city is located in the southwest of the San Bernardino counties in California, 56 Kimoleter east of Downtown Los Angeles. It is bordered to the south by Chino, on the west by Montclair, in the north of Upland and Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana and in the east on the southeast by Eastvale in Riverside County.
Ontario has 163 924 inhabitants (as of 2010 census ), making it the fourth largest city in San Bernardino County. The city covers an area of approximately 129.5 km ², of which the land area makes up the largest part; the population density is thus 1267.3 inhabitants per square kilometer. The city center is located at an altitude of 306 meters. Ontario is part of the Metropolitan Region of the Inland Empire.
History
In the first week of August 1881, the Canadian engineer George Chaffey made the decision to transform the barren Cucamonga Desert by sufficient irrigation into productive land. Together with his brother William, he acquired 25 -acre " San Antonio Lands" with the associated water rights for $ 60,000. This area was the core of their future settlement that was later to Kincaid Ranch in San Antonio Canyon, a major water source, extended to the south to the tracks of the Southern Pacific Railroad and the North.
The selected Chaffey land was measured and sold in November 1882. In the center he had to create the named after the Greek mathematician Euclid Euclid Avenue. The two lanes of the 13 kilometer long and sixty feet wide street were separated by a green strip with pepper trees. Today, the Euclid Avenue forms a section of California State Route 83
In order to provide the country with water, cement pipes were laid. Later, the San Antonio Water Company drilled a tunnel into the San Antonio Canyon to tap the underground water course, which in those days was a technical innovation. The high demand for electricity for the uplifting of the water led to the creation of the Ontario Power Company.
A special feature in Ontario was that buyers of land in the settlement were automatically given shares in the Water Company. Through this scheme, all landowners should get put appropriate amount of water available to one of the size of their country. This saved the settlers problems that had emerged in cities where land and water rights were sold separately. Later the brothers Chaffrey Ontario left to found in Australia other cities. Charles Frankish now became the coordinator of the young city.
In 1887 went on Euclid Avenue for the first time the tram of Ontario, at the time pulled even by mules. Charles Frankish and Godfrey tribe founded the Ontario and San Antonio Heights Railroad Company. After the mules had pulled up the tram from the Holt Street to 24th Street, they could be returned to the starting point by means of a trailer on the way back. 1895, the mule train was replaced by electrically powered cars. The current generator was once damaged by a flood, so that at times were again mules in use. The operation of the tram was set in 1933.
On December 10, 1891 Ontario has been collected in accordance with the Constitution of California to the city. First, the mayor has been elected by the City Council, later the general population was eligible to vote.
Agriculture, especially the cultivation of citrus fruits, dominated the next time. The Chaffey College from the founding days of the city, therefore, focused on the farmers to offer help. Here Professor George Weldon developed the Babcock Peach a peach, which is particularly well adapted to the mild California winter. Today, the Chaffey College is located in Rancho Cucamonga, the former campus in Ontario is used by the Chaffey High School. Major fruits in Ontario and its neighboring city Upland were especially oranges, peaches, walnuts, lemons and grapes.
In 1923, the judge Archie Mitchell, Waldo Waterman and other aviation enthusiasts built the Latimer Field, which helped the local aviation importance. The growth of the city itself forced the operator of the aerodrome to constantly dodge to the east, to the airfield took its present position as a Los Angeles - Ontario Airport. During World War II pilots trained here for the Lockheed P -38.
After the war, Ontario won by the influx of new residents, attracted by the favorable climatic conditions of diversity. The 1891 incorporated, about one square kilometer urban area has since been increased to nearly 130 km ². 41 km ² area of the city as an industrial area, the economy is today enriched by industry and manufacturers, so are provided. An important role for the growth of the city occupies the proximity to the metropolis of Los Angeles.
Policy
Ontario is part of the 20th district in the Senate of California, which is currently represented by Democrat Alex Padilla. In the California State Assembly in the place assigned to the 52nd district and is thus represented by Democrats Freddie Rodriguez. At the federal level, California Ontario is a member of 35th Congressional District, the Cook Partisan Voting Index has one of D 15 and is represented by Democrat Gloria Negrete McLeod of.
Twinning
Ontario is twinned with the following five cities:
- Canada Brockville, Ontario, Canada
- Guamúchil Mexico, Sinaloa, Mexico
- Mexico Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico
- Mocorito Mexico, Sinaloa, Mexico
- Switzerland Winterthur, Switzerland
Economy and infrastructure
The city has with Ontario Mills, the largest shopping center in Southern California and one of the largest in North America. In Ontario is also is also the headquarters of the unofficial GMDAT subsidiary Phoenix Motorcars, which is dedicated to the development and construction of electric vehicles.
Traffic
Between 1888 and 1933 there was an initially operated by mule tram in Ontario.
The LA / Ontario International Airport is an important airport mainly for domestic flights dar. But the airport for cargo transport airlines such as FedEx and UPS Airlines is utilized. It is operated by the city of Los Angeles.
Due to the convenient central location of the city, Interstate 10 and the Pomona Freeway lead (CA 60) in east-west direction through the city, where the airport is located south of Interstate 10 and north of the CA 60. The eastern part of the city is also passed by the running in a north-south Interstate 15. The California State Route 83, as Euclid Avenue an important role in the city's history. It is located in western Ontario and also runs in a north -south direction.
Ontario has an Amtrak station, which is served by the passenger train Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle. In addition, the city has a railway station in the route network of the metro link that connects it to the rest of the Greater Los Angeles Area, the Orange County and the San Fernando Valley.
Education
Ontario has 25 elementary schools, six middle schools and five high schools. In addition, the city is home to the University of the Chapman University and formerly the Chaffey College (now located in Rancho Cucamonga ).
Sports
The Citizens Business Bank Arena was opened in late 2008 and belongs to the city of Ontario, but is operated by the Anschutz Entertainment Group. It has 11,000 seats and is the largest enclosed arena in the Inland Empire. It is home to the Ontario Reign, an ice hockey team in the ECHL. The Los Angeles Kings wear occasionally from games in Ontario.
Personalities
Sons and daughters of the town
- Hobart age, surfboard manufacturers and yacht designer
- Jay Anderson, bassist
- Henry Bumstead, Art Director and Production Designer († 2006)
- Landon Donovan, soccer player
- Robert Graettinger, composer († 1957)
- Anthony Muñoz, American football player
- Antonio Pierce, American football player
- Mike Skinner, race car driver
Associated with Ontario personalities
- Bob Marcucci, music producer, died in Ontario in 2011
- Bill Summers, automotive engineer, died in Ontario in 2011
- Joseph Wambaugh, a writer, lives in Ontario