Inland Empire (California)
For residents of Southern California, the Inland Empire is a popular
informal name for a region located in Riverside and San Bernardino
Counties. The Inland Empire is centered on the oldest cities in the
region: Ontario, San Bernardino, Redlands, Upland, and Riverside.
These cities were established at about the end of the 19th century and
were major centers of agriculture including citrus, dairy, and
wine-making. The name "Inland Empire" was first used in the 1950s
to distinguish the region from the communities of the Los Angeles
area, and Los Angeles itself.
The "Inland" part of the name is derived from the region's location
about 37 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean (from Huntington Beach)
and east of downtown Los Angeles. The most accepted physical
boundary between Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and the
Inland Empire is the definition of the Inland Empire consisting of two
counties: Riverside and San Bernardino county. Between the Los
Angeles area and the Inland Empire there was limited development (if
any) and so, until about the 1970s, this relatively open, rural space
between two 'developed' regions served as a convenient boundary.
However, since then rapidly growing population and, therefore,
residential, commercial, and industrial development, has led to cities
being established in this rural, 'intermediate' area. Interconnectivity
provided by a vast automobile-oriented transportation network,
including perhaps one of the most comprehensive freeway systems in
the United States, has further eroded any real or perceived boundary.
So the best boundary might simply be considered to be the county
line that separates Los Angeles County and San Bernardino/Riverside
Counties. Cities in southeastern Los Angeles County lying east of the
San Jose Hills, such as Pomona, Diamond Bar, and Claremont, are
sometimes included. Also, the vegetation and climate changes from
the coastal to desert regions can act as boundary, though a less
precisely defined one than the county lines.
More recently, the name has also been used to distinguish the area
from the coastal communities of Orange County which are located to
the west of the Inland Empire and south of Los Angeles County.
However, because of the Santa Ana Mountains, the boundary between
Orange County and the Inland Empire is more clear and obvious.
History
Prior to the mid-19th century, the area was sparsely populated by
Native Americans; the Spanish and Mexicans who once controlled the
area considered it largely unsuitable for colonization. The first group
of White American settlers arrived over the Cajon Pass in 1851, in the
form of Mormon pioneers who were the first settlers of San Bernardino.
Although the Mormons left a scant six years later, recalled to Salt
Lake by Brigham Young during the church's standoff with the US
government, more settlers soon followed.
The arrival of railroads in subsequent decades and the importation of
navel and Valencia orange trees touched off explosive growth, with the
area becoming a major center for citrus production. This agricultural
boom continued with the arrival of water from the Colorado River and
the rapid growth of Los Angeles in the early 20th century, with dairy
farming becoming another staple industry. In 1926, Route 66 (now
known as Foothill Boulevard) came through the northern parts of the
area, bringing a stream of tourists and migrants to the region.
Today
As with the other agricultural areas in Southern California, such as the
San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys and Orange County, urban
development has come to the Inland Empire. Since the 1980s, the
area has evolved from a rural to a suburban environment. In addition
to existing cities such as Riverside and San Bernardino, the region is
now comprised of numerous suburban cities known as bedroom
communities such as Rancho Cucamonga. Affordable home ownership
is the primary motivation behind the growth in these Inland Empire
communities as homes in the Inland Empire are generally less
expensive than comparable homes in Orange and Los Angeles
Counties.
Commercial development has increased at a similar pace to keep
abreast with, and serve, the rapidly growing population of the Inland
Empire. Like most suburban areas, the region is home to several
large shopping malls, including the Montclair Plaza in Montclair,
Ontario Mills in Ontario and Victoria Gardens Mall in Rancho
Cucamonga.
Inexpensive land prices (compared to Los Angeles and Orange
Counties), a large supply of vacant land, and a transportation network
where many highways and railroads intersect have also made it a
major industrial center. Some of the nation's largest manufacturing
and shipping companies have chosen the Inland Empire for their
distribution facilities including Toyota Motor Corporation's North
American Parts and Logistics Distribution (NAPLD) center in Ontario
and APL Logistics in Rancho Cucamonga. These distribution centers
operate as part of the link that transports finished goods and
materials from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to
destinations to the north and east such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, and
Denver.
The result of this ongoing development has resulted in greater
employment opportunities, increased affluence of the populace, and
homeownership. Unfortunately, increased traffic congestion,
degradation in air quality, and loss of open and environmentally
sensitive land has been the negative result. Air pollution, or
suspended particulate matter locally generated from the increased
number of automobiles in the area, from point sources such as
factories, dust carried into the air by construction activity, and the
contribution of similar pollutants from the Los Angeles area has
regularly caused the Inland Empire to be at, or near, the bottom of
many air quality ratings. In 2004, the EPA rated the San
Bernardino-Riverside area as having the worst particulate air pollution
in the United States (although the San Joaquin Valley in central
California had the worst overall air pollution). The air pollution
problem is exacerbated by the region's location which is surrounded by
mountain ranges to the north and east; the mountains 'contain' these
aerosols which otherwise would be carried out of the region by the
prevailing winds which typically flow from west to east.
The Inland Empire is subject to smog conditions on a regular basis as
seen here, looking south, from the north terminus of Haven Avenue in
Rancho Cucamonga. Note how the street 'fades' into the smoggy haze
and the Santa Ana Mountains are completely obscured.
The Inland Empire is also subject to Santa Ana Winds that lead to
generally clear days, free of smog or the marine layer, as seen here,
looking south, from the north terminus of Haven Avenue in Rancho
Cucamonga. Note how the street that 'faded' into the smoggy haze
and the Santa Ana Mountains that were completely obscured in the
image above are now visible.
Traffic congestion problems on the major roadways, as with elsewhere
in Southern California, is, simply stated, the result of the steady
increase in the number of vehicles and a transportation infrastructure
that has not been upgraded accordingly. Many of the existing freeways
were completed in the late 1970's. With the exception of the
extension of the Foothill Freeway, California State Highway 210
(CA/SR-210) from San Dimas to Fontana in late 2003 and its eventual
completion at about 2010, no new freeways or highways are planned
in the Inland Empire. Another problem is the jobs vs. housing
imbalance. In general, most of the higher paying jobs are located in
Los Angeles and Orange County. Thus, workers must commute daily
up to two hours (each direction) on the existing network. As the
population increases, the problem is most certainly going to increase
as well.
The steady rise in population and the strong demand for housing has
led to a dramatic increase in single-family residential construction on
lots of 1/4 acre (1,000 m²) or more (as opposed to high-density
development such as multi-level apartments or condominiums). Much
of the vacant land is rapidly being developed to the chagrin of those
who grew up living 'in the country'. In addition, much of the land that
was used for agriculture is now being sold by their owners and being
converted for use for more intensive purposes such a shopping
centers, industrial warehouses, etc. This continuous development, due
to the various interests involved, has become seemingly unplanned
and uncontrolled suburban sprawl.
The solution to all of these problems is not simple. The presence of
so many municipal jurisdictions within the Inland Empire which often
have different 'visions' for their respective futures means that no two
cities can mutually agree on a solution or, just as common, have
unequal means for implementing one. The lack of an organized or
unequal enforcement of existing laws and policies further undermines
any solution that could be proposed. Lastly, the pace at which
development occurs (fast) versus the ability of government to respond
to changes (slow) means that it could easily take years, if not
decades, for a viable solution (such as new roads, pollution controls,
etc.) to go into effect.
Geography
The Inland Empire is the region which is comprised of the counties of
Riverside County and San Bernardino County, in addition to the
eastern most portion of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles borders the
Inland Empire on the West; Inyo and Kern to the North, San Diego to
the South and the States of Arizona and Nevada to the East. The
Victor Valley region, lying to the north of the San Bernardino Mountain
range, and to the east of the Antelope Valley, in the southern Mojave
Desert is generally considered part of the Inland Empire. Only a few
cities on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County that share an area
code with the rest of the region are also considered to be in the Inland
Empire.
Valleys in the Inland Empire include:
Cucamonga Valley
Menifee Valley
Murrieta Valley
Pomona Valley
Temecula Valley
Victor Valley
Incorporated cities in the Inland Empire include (date of
incorporation in parenthesis):
Adelanto (1970)
Apple Valley (1988)
Banning (1913)
Barstow (1947)
Beaumont (1912)
Big Bear Lake (1981)
Blythe (1916)
Calimesa (1990)
Canyon Lake (1990)
Cathedral City (1981)
Chino (1910)
Chino Hills (1991)
Claremont (1907)
Coachella (1946)
Colton (1887)
Corona (1896)
Desert Hot Springs (1963)
Diamond Bar (1989)
Fontana (1952)
Grand Terrace (1978)
Hemet (1910)
Hesperia (1988)
Highland (1987)
Indian Wells (1967)
Indio (1930)
Lake Elsinore (1888)
La Quinta (1982)
La Verne (1906)
Loma Linda (1970)
Montclair (1956)
Moreno Valley (1984)
Murrieta (1991)
Needles (1913)
Norco (1964)
Ontario (1891)
Palm Desert (1973)
Palm Springs (1938)
Perris (1911)
Pomona (1888)
Rancho Cucamonga (1977)
Rancho Mirage (1973)
Redlands (1888)
Rialto (1911)
Riverside (1883) (the largest city in the Inland Empire Region)
San Bernardino (1854)
San Dimas (1960)
San Jacinto (1888)
Temecula (1989)
Twentynine Palms (1987)
Upland (1906)
Victorville (1962)
Yucaipa (1989)
Yucca Valley (1991)
Unincorporated communities or Census Designated Places in the
Inland Empire include:
Aguanga
Alberhill
Alta Loma
Amboy
Angeles Oaks
Anza
Arlington
Arrowbear
Baker
Baldwin Lake
Belltown
Bermuda Dunes
Big Bear City
Big River
Bloomington
Blue Jay
Bryn Mawr
Cabazon
Cadiz
Canyon Crest
Canyon Springs
Casa Blanca
Cedar Glen
Cherry Valley
Chiriaco Summit
Coronita
Crafton
Crestline
Crest Park
Daggett
Del Rosa
Desert Beach
Desert Center
Desert Haven
Devore
Earp
East Blythe
East Hemet
East Highlands
Eastside
Eastvale
Eden Hot Springs
Edgemont
El Ceritto
El Mirage
Essex
Etiwanda
Fawnskin
Fern Valley
Flamingo Heights
Forest Falls
Fort Irwin
Fredalba
French Valley
Frontera
Garner Valley
Garnet
Gavilan Hills
Gilman Hot Springs
Goffs
Glen Avon
Glen Helen
Good Hope
Green Valley Lake
Green River
Guasti
Heart Bar
Helendale
Hidden Valley
Highgrove
Hinkley
Home Gardens
Homeland
Idyllwild
Indio Hills
Johannesburg
Joshua Tree
Juniper Flats
Jurupa
Kelso
Lake Arrowhead
Lake Gregory
Lakeland Village
Lakeview
Lakeview Hot Springs
Landers
La Sierra
La Sierra Heights
Lenwood
Lucerne Valley
Ludlow
Lytle Creek
Mecca
March Air Reserve Base
Meadowbrook
Mead Valley
Menifee
Mentone
Midland
Minneola
Mira Loma
Morongo
Mountain Center
Mountain Pass
Mount Baldy
Murrieta Hot Springs
Muscoy
Newberry Springs
North Palm Springs
North Shore
Nipton
Nuevo
Oak Glen
Oak Hills
Oak Valley
Orangecrest
Oro Grande
Pedley
Phelan
Pigeon Pass
Pine Cove
Pine Meadow
Pinon Hills
Pioneertown
Quail Valley
Randsburg
Reche Canyon
Red Mountain
Rimforest
Ripley
Romoland
Rubidoux (the largest unincorporated community in the Inland Empire
Region)
Salton City
San Antonio Heights
Sedco Hills
Seven Oaks
Silverwood Lake
Skyforest
Sky Valley
Snow Valley
Sugarloaf
Sun City
Sunnymead
Sunnyslope
Temescal Canyon
Thermal
Thousand Palms
Trona
Twin Peaks
Twine Pines
Valle Vista
Valley of Enchantment
Whitewater
Wildomar
Winchester
Wonder Valley
Woodcrest
Wrightwood
Yermo
Freeways serving the Inland Empire include:
(California State Route 2)
San Bernardino Freeway (Interstate 10)
Mojave Freeway/Barstow Freeway/Ontario Freeway/Corona
Freeway/Temecula Valley Freeway/Escondido Freeway (Interstate 15)
(California State Route 18)
(California State Route 30)
(California State Route 38)
Needles Freeway (Interstate 40)
(California State Route 58)
Pomona Freeway/Moreno Valley Freeway (California State Route 60)
(California State Route 62)
(California State Route 66)
Corona Expressway/Chino Valley Freeway (California State Route 71)
(California State Route 74)
(California State Route 79)
(California State Route 78)
(California State Route 83)
(California State Route 86)
(California State Route 86S)
Riverside Freeway (California State Route 91)
California State Route 95.svg (California State Route 95)
(California State Route 111)
(California State Route 127)
(California State Route 138)
(California State Route 142)
(California State Route 173)
(California State Route 177)
(California State Route 178)
(California State Route 189)
(California State Route 195)
Foothill Freeway (California State Route 210)
Barstow Freeway/San Bernardino Freeway/Moreno Valley
Freeway/Escondido Freeway (Interstate 215)
(California State Route 243)
(California State Route 247)
(California State Route 259)
(California State Route 330)
(California State Route 371)
Interesting things to know
Some residents call the area "The 909" (after the region's primary
telephone area code, 909). This term has been picked up on popular
radio and television programs such as The O.C. (which centers on a
character originally from Chino who relocates to wealthy Newport
Beach). In 2004 because of growing demand for telephone numbers
most of Riverside County was granted a new area code, 951.
The Inland Empire has also recently become the center of a new
movement within hip hop music. Local artists such as Suga Free and
Mizz Guided (the self-proclaimed "Queen of the IE") have brought
about much attention to the growing rap community in and around the
area, some rock journalists dubbing it a new genre (similar to Dirty
South) -- "Cali 909".
The region is not as monolithic as it may sound. Originally, the region
was all part of Los Angeles County, until 1853, when San Bernardino
County was formed. Rivalries between Colton, Redlands, Riverside and
San Bernardino over the location of the County seat in the 1890s
caused Riverside County to split off and form its own counties.
Riverside and San Bernardino formed their own communties, each with
their own newspapers. While Ontario and the west-end developed their
own communities, Ontario and San Bernardino had more interaction
because San Bernardino was still the county seat of San Bernardino
county.
For residents of Southern California, the Inland Empire is a popular
informal name for a region located in Riverside and San Bernardino
Counties. The Inland Empire is centered on the oldest cities in the
region: Ontario, San Bernardino, Redlands, Upland, and Riverside.
These cities were established at about the end of the 19th century and
were major centers of agriculture including citrus, dairy, and
wine-making. The name "Inland Empire" was first used in the 1950s
to distinguish the region from the communities of the Los Angeles
area, and Los Angeles itself.
The "Inland" part of the name is derived from the region's location
about 37 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean (from Huntington Beach)
and east of downtown Los Angeles. The most accepted physical
boundary between Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and the
Inland Empire is the definition of the Inland Empire consisting of two
counties: Riverside and San Bernardino county. Between the Los
Angeles area and the Inland Empire there was limited development (if
any) and so, until about the 1970s, this relatively open, rural space
between two 'developed' regions served as a convenient boundary.
However, since then rapidly growing population and, therefore,
residential, commercial, and industrial development, has led to cities
being established in this rural, 'intermediate' area. Interconnectivity
provided by a vast automobile-oriented transportation network,
including perhaps one of the most comprehensive freeway systems in
the United States, has further eroded any real or perceived boundary.
So the best boundary might simply be considered to be the county
line that separates Los Angeles County and San Bernardino/Riverside
Counties. Cities in southeastern Los Angeles County lying east of the
San Jose Hills, such as Pomona, Diamond Bar, and Claremont, are
sometimes included. Also, the vegetation and climate changes from
the coastal to desert regions can act as boundary, though a less
precisely defined one than the county lines.
More recently, the name has also been used to distinguish the area
from the coastal communities of Orange County which are located to
the west of the Inland Empire and south of Los Angeles County.
However, because of the Santa Ana Mountains, the boundary between
Orange County and the Inland Empire is more clear and obvious.
History
Prior to the mid-19th century, the area was sparsely populated by
Native Americans; the Spanish and Mexicans who once controlled the
area considered it largely unsuitable for colonization. The first group
of White American settlers arrived over the Cajon Pass in 1851, in the
form of Mormon pioneers who were the first settlers of San Bernardino.
Although the Mormons left a scant six years later, recalled to Salt
Lake by Brigham Young during the church's standoff with the US
government, more settlers soon followed.
The arrival of railroads in subsequent decades and the importation of
navel and Valencia orange trees touched off explosive growth, with the
area becoming a major center for citrus production. This agricultural
boom continued with the arrival of water from the Colorado River and
the rapid growth of Los Angeles in the early 20th century, with dairy
farming becoming another staple industry. In 1926, Route 66 (now
known as Foothill Boulevard) came through the northern parts of the
area, bringing a stream of tourists and migrants to the region.
Today
As with the other agricultural areas in Southern California, such as the
San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys and Orange County, urban
development has come to the Inland Empire. Since the 1980s, the
area has evolved from a rural to a suburban environment. In addition
to existing cities such as Riverside and San Bernardino, the region is
now comprised of numerous suburban cities known as bedroom
communities such as Rancho Cucamonga. Affordable home ownership
is the primary motivation behind the growth in these Inland Empire
communities as homes in the Inland Empire are generally less
expensive than comparable homes in Orange and Los Angeles
Counties.
Commercial development has increased at a similar pace to keep
abreast with, and serve, the rapidly growing population of the Inland
Empire. Like most suburban areas, the region is home to several
large shopping malls, including the Montclair Plaza in Montclair,
Ontario Mills in Ontario and Victoria Gardens Mall in Rancho
Cucamonga.
Inexpensive land prices (compared to Los Angeles and Orange
Counties), a large supply of vacant land, and a transportation network
where many highways and railroads intersect have also made it a
major industrial center. Some of the nation's largest manufacturing
and shipping companies have chosen the Inland Empire for their
distribution facilities including Toyota Motor Corporation's North
American Parts and Logistics Distribution (NAPLD) center in Ontario
and APL Logistics in Rancho Cucamonga. These distribution centers
operate as part of the link that transports finished goods and
materials from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to
destinations to the north and east such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, and
Denver.
The result of this ongoing development has resulted in greater
employment opportunities, increased affluence of the populace, and
homeownership. Unfortunately, increased traffic congestion,
degradation in air quality, and loss of open and environmentally
sensitive land has been the negative result. Air pollution, or
suspended particulate matter locally generated from the increased
number of automobiles in the area, from point sources such as
factories, dust carried into the air by construction activity, and the
contribution of similar pollutants from the Los Angeles area has
regularly caused the Inland Empire to be at, or near, the bottom of
many air quality ratings. In 2004, the EPA rated the San
Bernardino-Riverside area as having the worst particulate air pollution
in the United States (although the San Joaquin Valley in central
California had the worst overall air pollution). The air pollution
problem is exacerbated by the region's location which is surrounded by
mountain ranges to the north and east; the mountains 'contain' these
aerosols which otherwise would be carried out of the region by the
prevailing winds which typically flow from west to east.
The Inland Empire is subject to smog conditions on a regular basis as
seen here, looking south, from the north terminus of Haven Avenue in
Rancho Cucamonga. Note how the street 'fades' into the smoggy haze
and the Santa Ana Mountains are completely obscured.
The Inland Empire is also subject to Santa Ana Winds that lead to
generally clear days, free of smog or the marine layer, as seen here,
looking south, from the north terminus of Haven Avenue in Rancho
Cucamonga. Note how the street that 'faded' into the smoggy haze
and the Santa Ana Mountains that were completely obscured in the
image above are now visible.
Traffic congestion problems on the major roadways, as with elsewhere
in Southern California, is, simply stated, the result of the steady
increase in the number of vehicles and a transportation infrastructure
that has not been upgraded accordingly. Many of the existing freeways
were completed in the late 1970's. With the exception of the
extension of the Foothill Freeway, California State Highway 210
(CA/SR-210) from San Dimas to Fontana in late 2003 and its eventual
completion at about 2010, no new freeways or highways are planned
in the Inland Empire. Another problem is the jobs vs. housing
imbalance. In general, most of the higher paying jobs are located in
Los Angeles and Orange County. Thus, workers must commute daily
up to two hours (each direction) on the existing network. As the
population increases, the problem is most certainly going to increase
as well.
The steady rise in population and the strong demand for housing has
led to a dramatic increase in single-family residential construction on
lots of 1/4 acre (1,000 m²) or more (as opposed to high-density
development such as multi-level apartments or condominiums). Much
of the vacant land is rapidly being developed to the chagrin of those
who grew up living 'in the country'. In addition, much of the land that
was used for agriculture is now being sold by their owners and being
converted for use for more intensive purposes such a shopping
centers, industrial warehouses, etc. This continuous development, due
to the various interests involved, has become seemingly unplanned
and uncontrolled suburban sprawl.
The solution to all of these problems is not simple. The presence of
so many municipal jurisdictions within the Inland Empire which often
have different 'visions' for their respective futures means that no two
cities can mutually agree on a solution or, just as common, have
unequal means for implementing one. The lack of an organized or
unequal enforcement of existing laws and policies further undermines
any solution that could be proposed. Lastly, the pace at which
development occurs (fast) versus the ability of government to respond
to changes (slow) means that it could easily take years, if not
decades, for a viable solution (such as new roads, pollution controls,
etc.) to go into effect.
Geography
The Inland Empire is the region which is comprised of the counties of
Riverside County and San Bernardino County, in addition to the
eastern most portion of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles borders the
Inland Empire on the West; Inyo and Kern to the North, San Diego to
the South and the States of Arizona and Nevada to the East. The
Victor Valley region, lying to the north of the San Bernardino Mountain
range, and to the east of the Antelope Valley, in the southern Mojave
Desert is generally considered part of the Inland Empire. Only a few
cities on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County that share an area
code with the rest of the region are also considered to be in the Inland
Empire.
Valleys in the Inland Empire include:
Cucamonga Valley
Menifee Valley
Murrieta Valley
Pomona Valley
Temecula Valley
Victor Valley
Incorporated cities in the Inland Empire include (date of
incorporation in parenthesis):
Adelanto (1970)
Apple Valley (1988)
Banning (1913)
Barstow (1947)
Beaumont (1912)
Big Bear Lake (1981)
Blythe (1916)
Calimesa (1990)
Canyon Lake (1990)
Cathedral City (1981)
Chino (1910)
Chino Hills (1991)
Claremont (1907)
Coachella (1946)
Colton (1887)
Corona (1896)
Desert Hot Springs (1963)
Diamond Bar (1989)
Fontana (1952)
Grand Terrace (1978)
Hemet (1910)
Hesperia (1988)
Highland (1987)
Indian Wells (1967)
Indio (1930)
Lake Elsinore (1888)
La Quinta (1982)
La Verne (1906)
Loma Linda (1970)
Montclair (1956)
Moreno Valley (1984)
Murrieta (1991)
Needles (1913)
Norco (1964)
Ontario (1891)
Palm Desert (1973)
Palm Springs (1938)
Perris (1911)
Pomona (1888)
Rancho Cucamonga (1977)
Rancho Mirage (1973)
Redlands (1888)
Rialto (1911)
Riverside (1883) (the largest city in the Inland Empire Region)
San Bernardino (1854)
San Dimas (1960)
San Jacinto (1888)
Temecula (1989)
Twentynine Palms (1987)
Upland (1906)
Victorville (1962)
Yucaipa (1989)
Yucca Valley (1991)
Unincorporated communities or Census Designated Places in the
Inland Empire include:
Aguanga
Alberhill
Alta Loma
Amboy
Angeles Oaks
Anza
Arlington
Arrowbear
Baker
Baldwin Lake
Belltown
Bermuda Dunes
Big Bear City
Big River
Bloomington
Blue Jay
Bryn Mawr
Cabazon
Cadiz
Canyon Crest
Canyon Springs
Casa Blanca
Cedar Glen
Cherry Valley
Chiriaco Summit
Coronita
Crafton
Crestline
Crest Park
Daggett
Del Rosa
Desert Beach
Desert Center
Desert Haven
Devore
Earp
East Blythe
East Hemet
East Highlands
Eastside
Eastvale
Eden Hot Springs
Edgemont
El Ceritto
El Mirage
Essex
Etiwanda
Fawnskin
Fern Valley
Flamingo Heights
Forest Falls
Fort Irwin
Fredalba
French Valley
Frontera
Garner Valley
Garnet
Gavilan Hills
Gilman Hot Springs
Goffs
Glen Avon
Glen Helen
Good Hope
Green Valley Lake
Green River
Guasti
Heart Bar
Helendale
Hidden Valley
Highgrove
Hinkley
Home Gardens
Homeland
Idyllwild
Indio Hills
Johannesburg
Joshua Tree
Juniper Flats
Jurupa
Kelso
Lake Arrowhead
Lake Gregory
Lakeland Village
Lakeview
Lakeview Hot Springs
Landers
La Sierra
La Sierra Heights
Lenwood
Lucerne Valley
Ludlow
Lytle Creek
Mecca
March Air Reserve Base
Meadowbrook
Mead Valley
Menifee
Mentone
Midland
Minneola
Mira Loma
Morongo
Mountain Center
Mountain Pass
Mount Baldy
Murrieta Hot Springs
Muscoy
Newberry Springs
North Palm Springs
North Shore
Nipton
Nuevo
Oak Glen
Oak Hills
Oak Valley
Orangecrest
Oro Grande
Pedley
Phelan
Pigeon Pass
Pine Cove
Pine Meadow
Pinon Hills
Pioneertown
Quail Valley
Randsburg
Reche Canyon
Red Mountain
Rimforest
Ripley
Romoland
Rubidoux (the largest unincorporated community in the Inland Empire
Region)
Salton City
San Antonio Heights
Sedco Hills
Seven Oaks
Silverwood Lake
Skyforest
Sky Valley
Snow Valley
Sugarloaf
Sun City
Sunnymead
Sunnyslope
Temescal Canyon
Thermal
Thousand Palms
Trona
Twin Peaks
Twine Pines
Valle Vista
Valley of Enchantment
Whitewater
Wildomar
Winchester
Wonder Valley
Woodcrest
Wrightwood
Yermo
Freeways serving the Inland Empire include:
(California State Route 2)
San Bernardino Freeway (Interstate 10)
Mojave Freeway/Barstow Freeway/Ontario Freeway/Corona
Freeway/Temecula Valley Freeway/Escondido Freeway (Interstate 15)
(California State Route 18)
(California State Route 30)
(California State Route 38)
Needles Freeway (Interstate 40)
(California State Route 58)
Pomona Freeway/Moreno Valley Freeway (California State Route 60)
(California State Route 62)
(California State Route 66)
Corona Expressway/Chino Valley Freeway (California State Route 71)
(California State Route 74)
(California State Route 79)
(California State Route 78)
(California State Route 83)
(California State Route 86)
(California State Route 86S)
Riverside Freeway (California State Route 91)
California State Route 95.svg (California State Route 95)
(California State Route 111)
(California State Route 127)
(California State Route 138)
(California State Route 142)
(California State Route 173)
(California State Route 177)
(California State Route 178)
(California State Route 189)
(California State Route 195)
Foothill Freeway (California State Route 210)
Barstow Freeway/San Bernardino Freeway/Moreno Valley
Freeway/Escondido Freeway (Interstate 215)
(California State Route 243)
(California State Route 247)
(California State Route 259)
(California State Route 330)
(California State Route 371)
Interesting things to know
Some residents call the area "The 909" (after the region's primary
telephone area code, 909). This term has been picked up on popular
radio and television programs such as The O.C. (which centers on a
character originally from Chino who relocates to wealthy Newport
Beach). In 2004 because of growing demand for telephone numbers
most of Riverside County was granted a new area code, 951.
The Inland Empire has also recently become the center of a new
movement within hip hop music. Local artists such as Suga Free and
Mizz Guided (the self-proclaimed "Queen of the IE") have brought
about much attention to the growing rap community in and around the
area, some rock journalists dubbing it a new genre (similar to Dirty
South) -- "Cali 909".
The region is not as monolithic as it may sound. Originally, the region
was all part of Los Angeles County, until 1853, when San Bernardino
County was formed. Rivalries between Colton, Redlands, Riverside and
San Bernardino over the location of the County seat in the 1890s
caused Riverside County to split off and form its own counties.
Riverside and San Bernardino formed their own communties, each with
their own newspapers. While Ontario and the west-end developed their
own communities, Ontario and San Bernardino had more interaction
because San Bernardino was still the county seat of San Bernardino
county.
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