An object recognition apparatus is provided, which enhances accuracy in recognizing more than one object to be detected closely located along a scan direction. In the apparatus, measured-distance datums included in an area formed by those measured-distance datums which are spaced apart by a distance of not more than a predetermined allowable value are grouped as one candidate area. The candidate area, if it has a size larger than a specified value, is regarded as a special candidate area. An object area on an image datum corresponding to the special candidate area is subjected to an image recognition process to define the range of the objects residing therein. The special candidate area is divided at a border between the objects based on the defined range. All candidate areas including the divided new candidate areas are subjected to a tracing process to confirm an object in each candidate area.