Inland Empire (California)

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The Inland Empire and its regions within
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The Inland Empire and its regions within

The Inland Empire refers to the region in Southern California located in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The Inland Empire is centered on the oldest cities in the region: Ontario, San Bernardino, 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.

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[edit] 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.

The Inland Empire was popular for recreational activities such as skiing the San Bernardino's or staying overnight at Riverside's Mission Inn. In Southwestern Riverside County, Lake Elsinore was popular among movie stars and boating enthusiasts. A naval academy was stationed there as well and a railroad ran through Corona, Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, and Temecula into San Diego.

See more on the History of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. *Inland Empire History

[edit] 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, however, still generally more expensive than the rest of the nation.

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, Promenade Mall in Temecula 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.
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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.
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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 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.

[edit] Crime

The city of San Bernardino (which is in the Inland Empire) is ranked among the Top 25 Most Dangerous cities in the nation. It was #16 most dangerous in 2004 and #10 in 2005. According to FBI data of 2003, its murder rate was 25.9 per pop. 100,000 (secondary source: City-Data.com). In comparison to Los Angeles' rate, 13.9 per pop. 100,000, San Bernardino's murder rate is relatively high.

[edit] 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 County 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:

Incorporated cities in the Inland Empire include (date of incorporation in parenthesis):

Unincorporated communities or Census Designated Places in the Inland Empire include:

Freeways serving the Inland Empire include:

[edit] 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.

[edit] External links

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