If you're lucky enough to be moving to Ontario, California, you'll be moving to a place that's blessed with lovely Mediterranean-like weather, excellent business and job opportunities, ideal central location, and a variety of local and nearby attractions. Founded as a 'Model Colony' based on innovation, planned development and sustainable living, the city of Ontario has become a conveniently accessible urban center that attracts more and more new residents each year, thereby keeping Ontario moving companies busy.
Economy:
The economy of Ontario has deep agrarian roots. The city first developed as an agricultural community where dairies, citrus farms, olive groves and vineyards flourished. Although dairies and agricultural farms are still prevalent in Ontario, the city's economy has diversified to reflect a growing industrial and manufacturing focus. A rapidly expanding logistics and high technology sector has led to the city's positioning itself as south California's Next Urban Center offering high quality office development, urban housing, and lifestyle amenities. Ontario takes its reputation as the "Gateway to Southern California" very seriously. The city invested $270 million in 2008 to expand and modernize its LA-Ontario International Airport in order to serve passengers wishing to avoid the delays and congestion at the Los Angeles International Airport. Three major freeways connect Ontario to the Southern California freeway system, providing Ontario movers and other businesses that depend heavily on transportation infrastructure a means to move goods quickly.
History:
It took a visionary to turn the dry lands of the Cucamonga Desert into a model colony with an innovative water distribution system, a beautifully landscaped thoroughfare that ran from the north to the south of the colony and a local college that provided quality education to the citrus growing families in the area.
In August 1881, Canadian engineer George Chaffey and his brother William purchased 6,216 acres of the Cucamonga Rancho and subsequently expanded to the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks on the south and the Kincaid Ranch at San Antonio Canyon on the north. This land was to become the nucleus of the colony which the Chaffey brothers had named after their hometown of Ontario. Next, the Chaffey brothers undertook an ambitious water project that would provide irrigation to the colony's farms and proportionate water rights to all landholders, an innovation at a time when water distribution favored the landholder who lived closest to the water source. The centerpiece of the Ontario Colony was Euclid Avenue, a double avenue that was eight miles long and 200 feet wide, separated by a center parkway that was seeded in grass and lined with pepper trees.
In 1886, the Chaffey brothers left for Australia where they hoped to build model communities similar to Ontario. They sold their Ontario rights to English native Charles Frankish, who saw the area's potential for growth and development. As president and manager of the Ontario Land and Improvement Company, Frank brought more "firsts" to the area, including a bank, electric lighting, and a streetcar system that ran on gravity and mule power before its electrification in 1895. On December 8, 1891, Ontario was incorporated as a sixth-class municipality.
Tourism:
Visitors and people moving to Ontario will find plenty to enjoy in this charming Southern California city. For a taste of history and the region's finest olives, visit the historic Graber Olive House, home of the world-famous olives grown and produced by the Graber family since 1894. Learn about local viniculture at the Joseph Filippi Winery and Vineyards, where five generations of the Filippi family have been producing award-winning wines since 1922. Who could resist a sale? Not anyone who has ever set foot on the Ontario Mills Mall, the largest outlet shopping mall and entertainment center in Southern California. If you ever want to take a break from all that Ontario has to offer, you'll be glad that Los Angeles is just a short 45-minute drive away and you are never too far from the bright lights of Hollywood or the thrilling rides of Disneyland.