Ontario

Ontario is a city of 12,000 people (2020) in Eastern Oregon along the Snake River at the Idaho border. The city is the largest community in the region of far eastern Oregon, also known as the Western Treasure Valley.

Understand̝

Ontario, and the northern 3/4 of Malheur County, uses Mountain time, rather than Pacific — a reflection of its close ties with Idaho.

Get in

By car

• & Interstate 84 passes around the north and eastern part of town to/from the Snake River. Ontario is accessed from Exits #374 (SR-201) and 376 (E Idaho Ave/US Hwy 30). Going west from Ontario US 30 runs concurrently on I-84. Ontario is located 376 mi (605 km) (6 hrs) southeast of Portland and 57 mi (92 km) (1 hr) northwest of Boise.
• OR Hwy 201 goes around town on the west side from I-84 (Exit #374). Connects Ontario to US Hwy 95 in Weiser ID 18.5 mi (29.8 km) north and to US Hwy 20 & 26 5 mi (8.0 km) south of town in the hamlet of Cairo, Oregon.
• & US Hwy 20 and 26 go another 12.5 mi (20.1 km) west from Cairo to Vale where they split towards separate directions. US Hwy 20 goes southwest towards Burns and Bend while US Hwy 26 goes up towards John Day and Prineville. Going the other way SR-201 become US Hwy 26 which continues 35 mi (56 km) south and east towards Caldwell ID from Cairo.

By plane

• 1 Ontario Municipal Airport (ONO  ^IATA). General aviation (updated Sep 2019)

The nearest airport for commercial flights is Boise Airport (BOI ^IATA) which located south of Boise off of Exit 53 of I-84 and 59 miles SE of Ontario.

By bus

The 2 Snake River Transit Hub is located in front of the Malheur County Transportation District's office & bus garage at 842 SE 1st which is located SE of the E Idaho/I-84 Jct next to Kirley's Family Dining. SE 1st Ave becomes SE 10th St. It serves as a central bus stop for:

• Eastern Oregon Point, (bus stop) 842 SE 1st Ave (next to Greyhound bus stop.). It goes across eastern Oregon to Ontario via Brothers, Hamptons, Riley, Buchanan, Burns, Drewser Jct, Harper, Vale, etc from Bend where passengers connect to other buses going towards Portland, Redmond, Florence (via Eugene) and other surrounding towns in Central Oregon. (updated Nov 2019)
• Grant County People Mover, ☏ +1 541-575-2370. It goes west towards John Day through Vale, Prairie City, etc (updated Nov 2019)
• Greyhound Lines, (bus stop) 842 SE 1st Ave (bus stop next to driveway.). Greyhound travels primarily on Interstate 84 (Portland, Hood River, The Dalles, Baker City, Stanfield/Hermiston, Pendleton, La Grande, Ontario, Nampa, Boise, Twin Falls, Burley, Tremonton, Ogden and/or Salt Lake City. Some buses continue east towards Denver contiguously from Salt Lake City. (updated Nov 2019)
• 1 Malheur County Transportation District - Fixed Route Services, (office & hub) 842 SE 1st Ave, ☏ +1 541-889-7651. M-F 6AM-5PM; first Sa each month 9AM-3PM. Local bus service in Ontario and commuter service to Vale and Nyssa. Connections to the Snake River Transit District at Wal-Mart. (updated Nov 2019)

• 3 Autobus Los Paisanos, 2615 Blaine St, Caldwell ID (Another 32 mi/50 km SE of town via I-84 & N 21st St in Caldwell ID (Exit 29)), ☏ +1 208-459-0253. M Tu Th F 8AM-3PM. Connects Caldwell, Jerome and El Paso, Texas. (updated Aug 2017)

See

• 1 Four Rivers Cultural Center and Museum, 676 SW 5th Ave, ☏ +1 541-889-8191. M-F 9AM-5PM; Sa 10AM-5PM. (updated Jul 2017)

Do

• 1 Ontario State Recreation Site, toll-free: +1-800-551-6949. Free. (updated Jul 2017)
• 2 Lake Owyhee State Park, ☏ +1 541-339-2331. (updated May 2018)

Eat

• 1 Romio's Pizza and Pasta, 375 S Oregon St (along S Oregon between 3rd & 4th Ave), ☏ +1 541-889-4888. (updated Mar 2018)

Drink

• 1 Bert's Growler Garage, 1635 SW 4th Ave (SW 4th & Sunset, west of town), ☏ +1 541-889-2263, Bertsgrowlergarage@aol.com. (updated Mar 2021)

Sleep

Most of the listed hotels in the below are east of town at E Idaho Ave & I-84 (Exit #376):

• 1 Best Western Inn & Suites, 251 Goodfellow Street, ☏ +1 541-889-2600, toll-free: +1-800-828-0364, fax: +1 541 889-2259. Check-in: 11AM, check-out: 2PM. 
• 2 Holiday Inn Ontario, 1249 Tapadera Ave, ☏ +1 541-889-8621. 
• 3 Holiday Inn Express, 212 SE 10th St, ☏ +1 541-889-7100. (updated Nov 2019)
• 4 Motel 6, 275 NE 12th Street, ☏ +1 541-889-6617, fax: +1 541 889-8232. 
• 5 Red Lion Inn, 266 Goodfellow St (By Home Depot), ☏ +1 541-889-8282. (updated Nov 2019)
• 6 Super 8 by Wyndham, 615 E Idaho Ave (along E Idaho (US Hwy 30), next to Pilot Travel Ceter, west of I-84), ☏ +1 541-241-8516. (updated Nov 2019)

Go next

• Baker City, Oregon: The time zone changes to Pacific time about 25 miles from Ontario at the Baker county line.
• La Grande, Oregon: The next city after Baker on I-84
• Boise, Idaho: The capital city of Idaho, and also its largest city.

Routes through Ontario

The Dalles ← Huntington ←	W  E	→ Payette-Fruitland → Boise
Bend ← Burns ←	W  E	→ Meridian → Boise
Prineville ← John Day ←	W  E	→ Meridian → Boise
The Dalles ← Huntington ←	W  E	→ Payette-Fruitland → Boise