Riverside County, California, is one of fifty-eight counties in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,189,641, making it the 4th-most populous county in California and the 11th-most populous in the United States. The name was derived from the city of Riverside, which is the county seat.
Riverside County is included in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as the Inland Empire. The county is also included in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA Combined Statistical Area. There is a high concentration of sprawling tract housing communities around Riverside and along the Interstate 10, 15, and 215 freeways.
Roughly rectangular, Riverside County covers 7,208 square miles (18,670Â km2) in Southern California, spanning from the Greater Los Angeles area to the Arizona border. Geographically, the county is mostly desert in the central and eastern portions, but has a Mediterranean climate in the western portion. Most of Joshua Tree National Park is located in the county.
The resort cities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, and Desert Hot Springs are all located in the Coachella Valley region of Riverside County. Large numbers of Los Angeles area workers have moved to the county in recent years (data from the US Census Bureau for 2007 through 2011) to take advantage of relatively affordable housing. Along with neighboring San Bernardino County, it was one of the fastest growing regions in the state prior to the recent changes in the regional economy. In addition, smaller, but significant, numbers of people have been moving into Southwest Riverside County from the San Diego-Tijuana metropolitan area. The cities of Temecula and Murrieta accounted for 20% of the increase in population of the county between 2000 and 2007.
History
Early history
The indigenous peoples of what is now Riverside County are the Luiseño, Cupeño and Cahuilla Indians. The Luiseño lived in the Aguanga and Temecula Basins, Elsinore Trough and eastern Santa Ana Mountains and southward into San Diego County. The Cahullia lived to the east and north of the Luiseño in the inland valleys, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains and the desert of the Salton Sink.
The first European settlement in the county was a Mission San Luis Rey de Francia estancia or farm, at the Luiseño village of Temecula. Grain and grapes were grown here. In 1819, the Mission granted land to Leandro Serrano, mayordomo of San Antonio de Pala Asistencia for the Mission of San Luis Rey for Rancho Temescal.
Following Mexican independence and the 1833 confiscation of Mission lands, more ranchos were granted. Rancho Jurupa in 1838, El Rincon in 1839, Rancho San Jacinto Viejo in 1842, Rancho San Jacinto y San Gorgonio in 1843, Ranchos La Laguna, Pauba, Temecula in 1844, Ranchos Little Temecula, Potreros de San Juan Capistrano in 1845, Ranchos San Jacinto Sobrante, La Sierra (Sepulveda), La Sierra (Yorba), Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Nuevo y Potrero in 1846.
New Mexican colonists founded the town of La Placita on the east side of the Santa Ana River at the northern extremity of what is now the city of Riverside in 1843.
When the initial 27 California counties were established in 1850 the area today known as Riverside County was divided between Los Angeles County and San Diego County. In 1853 the eastern part of Los Angeles County was used to create San Bernardino County. Between 1891 and 1893 several proposals, and legislative attempts, were put forth to form new counties in Southern California. These proposals included one for a Pomona County and one for a San Jacinto County. None of the proposals were adopted until a measure to create Riverside County was signed by Governor Henry H. Markham on March 11, 1893.
County history
The new county was created from parts of San Bernardino County and San Diego County. On May 2, 1893, seventy percent of voters approved the formation of Riverside County. Voters chose the city of Riverside as the county seat, also by a large margin. Riverside County was officially formed on May 9, 1893, when the Board of Commissioners filed the final canvass of the votes.
Riverside County is the birthplace of lane markings, thanks to Dr. June McCarroll in 1915 when she suggested her idea to the state government.
The county is also the location of the March Air Reserve Base, one of the oldest airfields continuously operated by the United States military. Established as the Alessandro Flying Training Field in February 1918, it was one of thirty-two U.S. Army Air Service training camps established after the United States entry into World War I in April 1917. The airfield was renamed March Field the following month for 2d Lieutenant Peyton C. March, Jr., the recently deceased son of then-Army Chief of Staff, General Peyton C. March, who was killed in an air crash in Texas just fifteen days after being commissioned. March Field remained an active Army Air Service, then U.S. Army Air Corps installation throughout the interwar period, later becoming a major installation of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. Renamed March Air Force Base in 1947 following the establishment of the U.S. Air Force, it was a major Strategic Air Command (SAC) installation throughout the Cold War. In 1996, it was transferred to the Air Force Reserve Command and gained its current name as a major base for the Air Force Reserve and the California Air National Guard.
Riverside county was a major focal point of the Civil Rights Movements in the US, especially the African-American sections of Riverside and heavily Mexican-American communities of the Coachella Valley visited by Cesar Chavez of the farm labor union struggle.
Riverside county has also been a focus of modern Native American Gaming enterprises. In the early 1980s, the county government attempted to shut down small bingo halls operated by the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians and the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians. The tribes joined forces and fought the county all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in the tribes' favor on February 25, 1987. In turn, Congress enacted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988 to establish a legal framework for the relationship between Indian gaming and state governments. Naturally, both tribes now operate large casinos in the county: the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa and the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino adjacent to Spotlight 29 Casino.
The county's population surpassed one million people in 1980 when the current trend of high population growth as a major real estate destination began in the 1970s. Once strictly a place for long distance commuters to L.A. and later Orange County, the county and city of Riverside has become more of a place to establish new or relocated offices, corporations and finance centers in the late 1990s and 2000s. More light industry, manufacturing and truck distribution centers became major regional employers in the county.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 7,303 square miles (18,910Â km2), of which 7,206 square miles (18,660Â km2) is land and 97 square miles (250Â km2) (1.3%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in California by area. At roughly 180 miles (290Â km) wide in the east-west dimension, the area of the county is massive. Riverside County, California is roughly the size of the State of New Jersey in total area. County government documents frequently cite the Colorado River town of Blythe as being a "three-hour drive" from the county seat, Riverside. Some view the areas west of San Gorgonio Pass as the Inland Empire portion of the county and the eastern part as either the Mojave Desert or Colorado Desert portion. There are probably at least three geomorphic provinces: the Inland Empire western portion, the Santa Rosa Mountains communities such as Reinhardt Canyon, and the desert region. Other possible subdivisions include tribal lands, the Colorado River communities, and the Salton Sea.
Flora and fauna
There is a diversity of flora and fauna within Riverside County. Vegetative plant associations feature many desert flora, but there are also forested areas within the county. The California endemic Blue oak, Quercus douglasii is at the southernmost part of it its range in Riverside County.
National protected areas
- Cleveland National Forest (part)
- Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge
- Joshua Tree National Park (part)
- San Bernardino National Forest (part)
- Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
- Dos Palmas Preserve
There are 19 official wilderness areas in Riverside County that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Some are integral parts of the above protected areas, most (11 of the 19) are managed solely by the Bureau of Land Management, and some share management between the BLM and the relevant other agencies. Some extend into neighboring counties:
State parks
- California Citrus State Historic Park
- Lake Perris State Recreation Area
- Mount San Jacinto State Park
County parks and trails
- Jensen Alvarado Ranch
- Lake Skinner Recreation Area
- Santa Rosa Plateau
Demographics
2011
Places by population, race, and income
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Riverside County had a population of 2,189,641. The racial makeup of Riverside County was 1,335,147 (61.0%) White (40.7% Non-Hispanic White), 140,543 (6.4%) African American, 23,710 (1.1%) Native American, 130,468 (6.0%) Asian (2.3% Filipino, 0.8% Chinese, 0.7% Vietnamese, 0.6% Korean, 0.5% Indian, 0.2% Japanese, 0.1% Cambodian, 0.1% Laotian, 0.1% Pakistani), 6,874 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 448,235 (20.5%) from other races, and 104,664 (4.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 995,257 persons (45.5%); 39.5% of Riverside County is Mexican, 0.8% Salvadoran, 0.7% Honduran, 0.6% Puerto Rican, 0.3% Cuban, and 0.2% Nicaraguan.
2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,545,387 people, 506,218 households, and 372,576 families residing in the county. The population density was 214 people per square mile (83/km²). There were 584,674 housing units at an average density of 81 per square mile (31/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 65.6% White, 6.2% Black or African American, 1.2% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 18.7% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. 36.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 9.2% were of German, 6.9% English, 6.1% Irish and 5.0% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 67.2% spoke English and 27.7% Spanish as their first language.
In 2006 the county had a population of 2,026,803, up 31.2% since 2000. In 2005 45.8% of the population was non-Hispanic whites. The percentages of African Americans, Asians and Native Americans remained relatively similar to their 2000 figures. The percentage of Pacific Islanders had majorly risen to 0.4. Hispanics now constituted 41% of the population.
There were 506,218 households out of which 38.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.0 and the average family size was 3.5.
In the county, the population was spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,887, and the median income for a family was $48,409. Males had a median income of $38,639 versus $28,032 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,689. About 10.7% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
Law and government
Government
Riverside County is organized as a General Law County under the provision of the California Government Code. The county has five supervisorial districts, and one supervisor is elected from each district every four years.
In 1999, the County Board of Supervisors approved a multimillion-dollar planning effort to create the Riverside County Integrated Plan (RCIP) which was to encompass a completely new General Plan, regional transportation plan (CETAP) and Habitat Conservation Plan. The resultant General Plan adopted in 2003 was considered ground-breaking for its multi-disciplinary approach to land use and conservation planning.
Law
The Riverside Superior Court is the state trial court for Riverside County with 14 courthouses: Riverside Historic Courthouse, Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside Family Law Court, Riverside Juvenile Court, Southwest Justice Center â€" Murrieta, Moreno Valley Court, Banning Court, Hemet Court, Corona Court, Temecula Court, Larson Justice Center â€" Indio, Indio Juvenile Court, Palm Springs Court and Blythe Court.
The main courthouse is the Riverside Historic Courthouse. This landmark, erected in 1903, was modeled after the Grand and Petit Palais in Paris, France. The courthouse, designed by Los Angeles architects Burnham and Bliesner, has a classical design â€" including a great hall that connects all the departments (courtrooms). In 1994, the courthouse was closed for seismic retrofits due to the 1992 Landers and 1994 Northridge earthquakes. The courthouse was reopened and rededicated in September 1998.
Riverside County hands down 1 in 6 death sentences in the US, in spite of it having less than 1% of the population.
Politics
Voter registration
Cities by population and voter registration
Overview
Riverside has historically been regarded as a Republican county in presidential and congressional elections. In 1932, it was one of only two counties (the other being Benton County, Oregon) on the entire Pacific coast of the United States to vote for Hoover over Roosevelt. In 2008, Barack Obama narrowly carried the county, becoming the first Democrat to do so since Bill Clinton in 1992. In 2012, Obama again carried the county, this time with a plurality of the vote.
In the United States House of Representatives, Riverside County is split between 4 congressional districts:
- California's 36th congressional district, represented by Democrat Raul Ruiz
- California's 41st congressional district, represented by Democrat Mark Takano
- California's 42nd congressional district, represented by Republican Ken Calvert and
- California's 50th congressional district, represented by Republican Duncan D. Hunter.
In the California State Senate, the county is split between 3 legislative districts:
- the 23rd Senate District, represented by Republican Mike Morrell,
- the 28th Senate District, represented by Republican Jeff Stone, and
- the 31st Senate District, represented by Democrat Richard Roth.
In the California State Assembly, the county is split between 7 legislative districts:
- the 42nd Assembly District, represented by Republican Chad Mayes,
- the 56th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Eduardo Garcia,
- the 60th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Sabrina Cervantes,
- the 61st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Jose Medina,
- the 67th Assembly District, represented by Republican Melissa Melendez,
- the 71st Assembly District, represented by Republican Randy Voepel, and
- the 75th Assembly District, represented by Republican Marie Waldron.
Riverside County voted 64.8% in favor of Proposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.
Crime
The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.
Cities by population and crime rates
Education
Universities and colleges
- Brandman University, part of the Chapman University System â€" Moreno Valley, Palm Desert, and Temecula
- California Baptist University â€" Riverside
- California Southern Law School â€" Riverside
- California State University, San Bernardino, Palm Desert Campus â€" Palm Desert
- California State University, San Marcos, Temecula Satellite Campus â€" Temecula
- College of the Desert â€" Palm Desert and Indio
- La Sierra University â€" Riverside
- Mayfield College â€" Cathedral City
- Mt. San Jacinto College â€" Banning, Menifee, San Jacinto, Temecula
- Palo Verde College â€" Blythe
- Riverside Community College â€" Moreno Valley, Norco, Riverside
- Santa Barbara Business College â€" Palm Desert
- University of California, Riverside â€" Palm Desert and Riverside
- University of Phoenix â€" Murrieta and Palm Desert
Transportation
Major highways
Public transportation
- Riverside Transit Agency serves the western third of Riverside County, as far east as Banning.
- SunLine Transit Agency serves Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley area.
- Palo Verde Valley Transit Agency provides service in Blythe, near the Arizona border.
- Pass Transit serves the San Gorgonio Pass communities.
- Corona Cruiser serves the city of Corona.
Riverside County is also served by Greyhound buses. Amtrak trains stop in Riverside and Palm Springs, and Amtrak California provides bus connections to the San Joaquins in Riverside, Beaumont, Palm Springs, Thousand Palms, Indio, Moreno Valley, Perris, Sun City and Hemet. Metrolink trains serve five stations in Riverside County: Riverside-Downtown, Riverside-La Sierra, North Main-Corona, West Corona, and Pedley Station (in the community of Pedley, California). These trains provide service to Orange, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties seven days a week, with a primarily commuter-oriented schedule.
In the late 2000s, local transportation options expanded, such as the addition of new railroad stations in Perris, California to connect travelers and commuters to or from southwest Riverside county, as well the Perris station serves the MetroLink mass transit train service in Corona, California.
Airports
Military air bases
- March Air Reserve Base (former March Air Force Base)
Commercial airports
- Palm Springs International Airport
General aviation airports
Military installations
- Active
- Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range
- March Air Reserve Base
- Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach Detachment Norco
- Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division
- Historical
- Desert Training Center
- Blythe Army Airfield
- Desert Center Army Airfield
- Palm Springs Army Airfield
- Rice Army Airfield
- Shaver's Summit Army Airfield
- Thermal Army Airfield (Also named Naval Air Facility Thermal (historical))
- Hemet Army Airfield
- Desert Training Center
Points of interest
- List of museums in the Inland Empire (California)
- Gold Base, international headquarters of the Church of Scientology and Golden Era Productions
- Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
- March Field Air Museum
- Mission Inn
- Orange Empire Railway Museum
- Orocopia Mountains Wilderness
- Palm Springs Desert Museum
- Ramona Bowl, Home of The Ramona Pageant
- Temecula Valley AVA Wine Region
- Western Science Center
Communities
Cities
Unincorporated communities
Ghost towns
Indian reservations
Riverside County has 12 federally recognized Indian reservations, which ties it with Sandoval County, New Mexico for second most of any county in the United States. (Sandoval County, however, has two additional joint-use areas, shared between reservations. San Diego County, California has the most, with 18 reservations.)
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Riverside County.
†county seat
See also
- USS Riverside (APA-102)
- List of cemeteries in Riverside County, California
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Riverside County, California
Notes
References
Bibliography
- Fitch, Robert J. (1993). Profile of a Century: Riverside County, California, 1893â€"1993. Riverside County Historical Commission Press. pp. 300. OCLC 28661359
- Holmes, Elmer Wallace (1912 (republished 2010 by BiblioLife)). History of Riverside County, California: With Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified with Its Growth. Los Angeles, CA: Historic Record Company. pp. 783 (840 in 2010 republishing). ISBN 978-1174620966. OCLC 7951260.Â
- Lech, Steve (2004). Along the Old Roads: A History of the Portion of Southern California that became Riverside County: 1772â€"1893. Steve Lech. p. 902. OCLC 56035822.Â
- Lech, Steve (2012). Pioneers of Riverside County: The Spanish, Mexican and Early American Periods. Charleston, SC: The History Press. p. 173. ISBN 978-1609498313. OCLC 814373331. (a reprint of the first three chapters of Along the Old Roads.)
Further reading
- Brown, James B. (1985). Harvest of the Sun: An Illustrated History of Riverside County. Northridge, CA: Windsor Publications. p. 244. ISBN 0-89781-145-3. OCLC 11916170.Â
- Gunther, Jane Davies (1984). Riverside County, California, Place Names. Their Origins and Their Stories: Rubidoux Printing Co. 1984. LCCN 84-72920
- History of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, Volume 1.
- History of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, Volume 2.
- History of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties Volume 3.
- Justitia Rei Publicae Fundamentum: Justice is the Foundation of the Republic. Riverside, CA: Riverside Museum Press. 1998. p. 34. ISBN 0-935661-28-X. OCLC 40695255.Â
External links
- Official website
- Official Riverside County, Department of Information Technology website
- Official Riverside County Sheriff website
- Official Riverside County Fire Dept. website
- Official Riverside County District Attorney's Office website
- Official Riverside County Regional Parks District website
- Riverside County, California at DMOZ