Ontario is a city in Richland County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 6,656. It is part of the Mansfield metropolitan area.
It was founded in 1834 on the western edge of the Allegheny Plateau, just west of the city of Mansfield. After being incorporated in 1958, Ontario became a heavy manufacturing center because of the Erie Railroad line, and its proximity to Mansfield. However, its status in that regard began to decline in the late 20th century, when much of the Erie Railroad that once ran through the city was abandoned; and shifts in the manufacturing industry led to the relocation or repositioning of many factories. The city's industry has since diversified into the service economy, including education, finance and healthcare. The city is also a major regional retail hub serving the entire North-Central Ohio area, with a shopping population of over 150,000.
History
Ontario was founded by Hiram Cook, and was platted in December 1834 as a settlement in Springfield Township near Mansfield. During that same month thereafter, the original settlement of Ontario merged with New Castle, another small settlement that was originally located just to the west of the Ontario settlement along the Mansfield and Bucyrus route (known today as State Route 309) that had just been laid out and platted. Upon the advent of the federal numbered highway system in 1928, the Lincoln Highway through Ontario became U.S. Route 30. In 1960, the new Ontario High School was built, complete with an indoor swimming pool, a theatre, 3 shops, and numerous high-tech classrooms and labs for college-preparatory studies. New school construction and renovation has continued over the years, and today the Ontario School District is the main district.
The arrival of both General Motors and the Richland Mall to Ontario was the beginning of the eventual shift of commerce and industry from the adjacent rust belt city of Mansfield to the new suburb-satellite town of Ontario. Several annexations have been made to Ontario since its incorporation and millions of dollars have been spent on public infrastructure including streets, water and sewer facilities, parks, schools, and new civic buildings for Administrative offices, Public Safety Departments and the Water Department.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Ontario had a population of 6,656, and the population density was .
The median age was 43.1 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.6 males age 18 and over.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 5,661 || 85.1%
|-
| Black or African American || 303 || 4.6%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 13 || 0.2%
|-
| Asian || 199 || 3.0%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 102 || 1.5%
|-
| Two or more races || 378 || 5.7%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 165 || 2.5%
|}