Ontario, OR Homes for Rent

Right on the Idaho border, about 60 miles from Boise, is Ontario, an eastern Oregon community where plants fuel the economy. Potatoes, onions and cannabis dispensaries drive industry here, though the hospital and penitentiary also play an economic role. “The No. 1 is the marijuana industry,” says Marie Zizich, associate broker with Professional Realty Services International, Bridges in Real Estate and Barbie’s Beach Home Consulting. More than a dozen dispensaries attract customers from over the border in Idaho. Since Ontario is in the onion belt of Oregon, it's also not uncommon to see onions topple out of trucks during transport. These perfectly edible onions, known as “Ontario roadkill,” are most likely to be found in the fall. The city is also the birthplace of the tater tot, and it’s home to the main plant for Ore-Ida, which processes potatoes into the small fried nuggets. Ontario’s population is approaching 12,000, making it the largest city in Malheur County. However, Zizich says, “It’s not a city, it’s a town. A border town.” The history of Ontario is detailed at the Four Rivers Cultural Center & Museum, along with the town’s cross-cultural inhabitants over time, like