Editing Ontario, New York

{{Short description|Town in Wayne County, New York, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{for-multi|the hamlet and CDP located within this town|Ontario (CDP), New York|other uses|Ontario (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Ontario, New York
|settlement_type          = [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = A Community of Good Neighbors

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = North Ontario Methodist Church.JPG
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = North Ontario United Methodist Church
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|pushpin_map            = New York
|pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption    = Location within the state of New York
|image_map                = Wayne County New York incorporated and unincorporated areas Ontario highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 260px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Wayne County, New York|Wayne County]] and the state of [[New York (state)|New York]].

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[New York (state)|New York]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in New York|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Wayne County, New York|Wayne]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = [[City Council|Town Board]]
|leader_title             = [[Town Supervisor|Supervisor]]
|leader_name              = Frank Robusto
|leader_title1            = [[Clerk (municipal official)|Clerk]]
|leader_name1             = Debra DeMinck
|leader_title2            = [[Justice Courts (New York)|Court]]
|leader_name2             = Justice Dom Paz<br>Justice William Benedict II
|established_title        = Settled
|established_date         = 1806
|established_title1       = Established
|established_date1        = March 27, 1807<ref name="WCHISTORY">[http://www.co.wayne.ny.us/departments/historian/HistOntario.htm Wayne County Office of County Historian - Town of Ontario History], Retrieved June 7, 2015.</ref>

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref  = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2016">{{cite web|title=2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2016_Gazetteer/2016_gaz_place_36.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 5, 2017}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 84.17
|area_land_km2            = 83.95
|area_water_km2           = 0.22
|area_total_sq_mi         = 32.50
|area_land_sq_mi          = 32.41
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.09

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2010 United States Census|2010]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 10136
|population_density_km2   = 119.89
|population_density_sq_mi = 310.50

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 115
|elevation_ft             = 377
|coordinates              = {{coord|43|14|32|N|77|17|53|W|region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 14519
|area_code                = [[Area code 315|315]], [[Area code 585|585]] and [[Area code 680|680]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 36-55013
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0979313
|website                  = http://www.ontariotown.org/
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 2016
|pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusEst2016"/>
|population_est = 10064
}}

'''Ontario''' is a [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|town]] in the northwest corner of [[Wayne County, New York|Wayne County]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States. The population was 9,778 at the 2000 census, and 10,136 at the 2010 census. The town is named after the [[Great Lakes|Great Lake]] on its northern border.

The town has a [[hamlet (New York)|hamlet]] (and [[census-designated place]]), also called [[Ontario (CDP), New York|Ontario]]. Government offices for the town are located there.

== History ==
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2021}}
The first settler was [[Freeman Hopkins]], who arrived in 1806 from [[Rhode Island]].  He built a small log cabin that had to hold his nine children, wife and himself.  Heavy timber and swamps made life difficult for the first settlers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ontario NY Wayne County History Early Settlers |url=https://wayne.nygenweb.net/ontario/cowlesontario.html |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=wayne.nygenweb.net}}</ref>

The town of Ontario was created in 1807 as the "Town of Freetown" from a part of the town of [[Williamson, New York|Williamson]].  Soon after, the name was changed to "Ontario". Part of Ontario was used to form the town of [[Walworth, New York|Walworth]] in 1829.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Town of Ontario Wayne County NY History Genealogy GenWeb |url=http://wayne.nygenweb.net/townships/ontario.html |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=wayne.nygenweb.net}}</ref>

In 1811, [[iron]] ore was discovered and a thriving smelting operation arose that lasted until past the end of the century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Great Iron Ore Odyssey by Donovan A. Shilling |url=https://www.crookedlakereview.com/articles/101_135/124summer2002/124shilling.html |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=www.crookedlakereview.com}}</ref>

In 1874, the [[Lake Ontario Shore Railroad]] (now the [[Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad]]) was opened.

On June 1, 1970, the [[Ginna Nuclear Generating Station|Robert E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant]] started commercial operation on the shore of Lake Ontario within the town, just past the [[Monroe County, New York|Monroe County]] line.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert Emmett Ginna Nuclear Power Plant |url=http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2017/ph241/sebastian1/ |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=large.stanford.edu}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|32.3|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|32.2|sqmi|km2}}  is land and {{convert|0.1|sqmi|km2}}  (0.37%) is water.

The northern town boundary is [[Lake Ontario]], and the western town line is the border of [[Monroe County, New York|Monroe County]].  The town is east of the [[Rochester, Monroe County, New York|City of Rochester]].

[[New York State Route 104]] is an east-west highway that intersects north-south highway [[New York State Route 350]] at Ontario Center.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1820= 2233
|1830= 1587
|1840= 1889
|1850= 2246
|1860= 2320
|1870= 2295
|1880= 2962
|1890= 2611
|1900= 2550
|1910= 2672
|1920= 2620
|1930= 2713
|1940= 2851
|1950= 3297
|1960= 4259
|1970= 6014
|1980= 7480
|1990= 8560
|2000= 9778
|2010= 10136
|estyear=2016
|estimate=10064
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2016">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2016.html|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|access-date=June 9, 2017}}</ref>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 19, 2015|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2010, there were 10,136 people, 3,960 households, and 2,898 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|303.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 96.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.2% [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.2% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.5% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.0% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.4% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.0% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.6% of the population.

There were 3,960 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 20, 4.7% from 20 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 32.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $65,472, and the median income for a family was $74,589. Males had a median income of $53,917 versus $34,732 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $30,559. About 2.3% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

===Housing===
There were 4,145 housing units at an average density of {{convert|128.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}; a total of 4.5% of housing units were vacant.

There were 3,960 occupied housing units in the town, of which 3,329 were owner-occupied units (84.1%), while 631 were renter-occupied (15.9%). The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% of total units. The rental unit vacancy rate was 7.3%.<ref name="GR2" />

== Communities and locations in the Town of Ontario ==
*'''Bear Creek''' &mdash; A lakeside [[Administrative divisions of New York#Hamlet|hamlet]] on County Road 101 that was once the port for loading iron ore from the county.
*'''Fruitland''' &mdash; A location west of Ontario Center on NY-104.
*'''Furnaceville''' &mdash; A hamlet near the eastern town line on County Road 110, where one of the last major iron furnaces was located (1825 &ndash; 1887).
*'''[[Ginna Nuclear Generating Station]]''' &mdash; A [[nuclear power]] generator on the shore of Lake Ontario.
*'''Lakeside''' &mdash; A hamlet on Route 104, north of Fruitland on County Road 102.  In spite of its name, it is not located on the shore of a lake.
*'''[[Ontario (CDP), New York|Ontario]]''' &mdash; The hamlet (and [[census-designated place]]) of Ontario is on NY-104 and County Road 110 in the southeastern part of the town. It was first settled around 1807.  The [[Brick Church Corners (Ontario, New York)|Brick Church Corners]] [[Historic district (United States)|historic district]] was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1973.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref>
*'''[[Ontario Center, New York|Ontario Center]]''' &mdash; A hamlet by the  NY-104 and NY-350 junction. The [[First Presbyterian Church of Ontario Center]] was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.<ref name="nris"/>
*'''Ontario-on-the-Lake''' &mdash; A lakeside hamlet in the northwest corner of the town on County Road 101.
*'''[[Union Hill, New York|Union Hill]]''' &mdash; A hamlet by the west town line on NY-104. It also extends into Monroe County.

== Nearby towns ==
*[[Webster (town), New York|Webster]]
*[[Williamson, New York|Williamson]]
*[[Walworth, New York|Walworth]]

== Notable people ==
{{div col}}
* [[Chris Collins (soccer)|Chris Collins]] (born 1956) – soccer player<ref>{{cite web |title=NASL–Chris Collins |url=https://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/C/Collins.Chris.htm |website=(NASL) jerseys |access-date=April 21, 2025}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Ontario, New York}}
*{{Official website|http://www.ontariotown.org}}
*[http://www.rworr.net/stations/ontario.html  RW&O Railroad, Ontario, NY]
*[http://www.heritagesquaremuseum.org/ Heritage Square Museum]

{{Wayne County, New York}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Rochester metropolitan area, New York]]
[[Category:Towns in Wayne County, New York]]
[[Category:Towns in New York (state)]]
[[Category:1807 establishments in New York (state)]]