Rancho Cucamonga, California

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Rancho Cucamonga is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 127,743. By July 1, 2002 Census the fast-growing city's population had reached 143,711. By early 2006, the city's population had reached over 161,000 people^{[citation needed]}.

Bill J Alexander is the current mayor of Rancho Cucamonga, since 1994. Don Kurth is the mayor-elect. Jack Lam is the City Manager. Jack Lam is the City Manager.

The city was incorporated in 1977, as a result of a merger among the unincorporated communities of Alta Loma, Cucamonga, and Etiwanda.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Rancho Cucamonga's Population History
4 Transportation
5 Education
6 The name "Cucamonga"
7 Cucamonga in myth and media
8 Notable residents
9 External links

[edit] Geography

Location of Rancho Cucamonga, California

Rancho Cucamonga is located at 34°7′24″N, 117°34′46″W (34.123345, -117.579404)^GR1, or about 39 miles east of Los Angeles. [1]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 97.0 km² (37.5 mi²). 97.0 km² (37.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.03% is water.

Rancho Cucamonga is the conjunction of the Mojave Trail, the Old Spanish Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, U.S. Route 66 (signed as Foothill Boulevard), and El Camino Real.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 127,743 people, 40,863 households, and 31,832 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,317.0/km² (3,411.4/mi²). There were 42,134 housing units at an average density of 434.4/km² (1,125.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 66.53% White, 7.87% African American, 0.67% Native American, 5.99% Asian, 0.27% Pacific Islander, 13.25% from other races, and 5.41% from a biracial or multiracial background. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.78% of the population.

Rancho Cucamonga is fast becoming a racially diverse community and is a major real estate destination for middle-class African Americans, Hispanics and Asian Americans. Some housing tracts and gated communities tend to be more homogenous in terms of race and ethnicity. Residents are more similar in terms of income, education and occupation, since Rancho Cucamonga is considered one of the most affluent cities in the Inland Empire.

There are 40,863 households, of which 44.7% have children under the age of 18. 60.2% of households consist of a married couple living together. 12.8% have a female householder with no husband present. 22.1% were non-families. 16.8% of all households are single-person and 4.1% have a person of 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.44.

In the city, the population spread is as follows: 29.9% are under the age of 18, 9.9% are from 18 to 24, 33.2% are from 25 to 44, 21.0% are from 45 to 64, and 6.1% are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $60,931, rivaling that of nearby Orange County, and the median income for a family was $69,640 (May, 2005). Males had a median income of $47,363 versus $32,113 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,702. About 4.9% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Rancho Cucamonga's Population History

1950 - 1,255*
1960 - N/A
1970 - 5,796*
1980 - 55,250
1990 - 101,409
2000 - 127,743

(*): Population Figures for 1950 and 1970 were for the Cucamonga portion of the city only and the figures were tabulated prior to incorporation in 1977. The 1960 census data was not available

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

[edit] Transportation

Rancho Cucamonga is served by Omnitrans Bus Service, Metrolink Train Service, and nearby Ontario International Airport. Interstate 15 and the relatively new 210 freeway extension run through Rancho Cucamonga as well as the historic Route 66.

[edit] Education

Rancho Cucamonga has multiple K-12 schools districts within its borders. Alta Loma School District, Central School District, Cucamonga School District, Etiwanda School District, and Chaffey Joint Union High School District. In addition to these schools, Rancho Cucamonga is the home to Chaffey College and satellite campus of the University of LaVerne and University of Redlands, as well as the automotive trade school, Universal Technical Institute (UTI).

[edit] The name "Cucamonga"

"Cucamonga" comes from a Tongva place name (perhaps pronounced [kukɑ'mʌŋnɑ]) that probably means "sandy place". An alternate theory, that it means "light over the mountain", is almost certainly a fanciful invention, since the "-nga" (or "-ngna") place name ending is found in many other Tongva-derived place names in the region.

"Cucamonga" has always been recognized as a funny-sounding place name, among such exotic places as Timbuktu and Bora Bora. One of the catch-phrases of the radio show "The Jack Benny Program" involved a train announcer (Mel Blanc) who said over the loudspeaker, "Train now leaving on track five for Anaheim, Azusa, and Cuc... amonga," taking progressively longer pauses between "Cuc" and "amonga." Part of the joke, for the Los Angeles audience, was that no such train route existed. As a tribute to this 'publicity', the city of Rancho Cucamonga built its minor-league baseball stadium on Jack Benny Way, and erected a bronze statue of the TV host outside of the building's entrance (Coincidentally, Jack Benny Way intersects with Rochester Avenue, which is not named for the character portrayed by Eddie Anderson on "The Jack Benny Program", but rather was named in 1889 after the hometown of three investors, all brothers, Rochester, New York ). In one of his many popular media crossovers, Blanc used that same catch phrase in Daffy Duck's voice in the 1948 Merrie Melodies cartoon "Daffy Duck Slept Here" and later in Bugs Bunny's voice in a 1960s Looney Tunes cartoon.

The musical comedy team of Homer and Jethro had a Grammy-winning hit in 1959 with their single "The Battle of Cucamonga", a parody of Johnny Horton's hit "The Battle of New Orleans".

In an episode of The Simpsons, Krusty the Clown mentioned Cucamonga, along with Walla Walla, Keokuk, and Seattle, as funny place names.

In an early Sesame Street sketch, Cookie Monster tries to fool Ernie by claiming that Ernie has a dread disease called "Cucamongaphobia."

[edit] Cucamonga in myth and media

In the movie Fletch Lives, Fletch , played by actor Chevy Chase, claims to a Ku Klux Klan leader that he is from the "Cucamonga Klan" from California.

In the movie Next Friday the setting is, and was partly filmed in Rancho Cucamonga.

An ABC television movie comedy Camp Cucamonga (1990), presumably takes place in a summer camp in Rancho Cucamonga's forested area in the San Bernardino National Forest. The current city limits barely extend into the forested regions of the foothills, and large parts of Cucamonga Peak north of the city lie in a wilderness area.

A fictional Johnny Carson character named Floyd R. Turbo said he was from Cucamonga, California.

"Pride of Cucamonga", a wine produced by the Joseph Filippi Winery in Rancho Cucamonga, was used as the title of a song by the Grateful Dead.

The city hosts the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League.

Comedian Jamie Kennedy performed a skit for his hidden camera show The Jamie Kennedy Experiment in which he pranked everyone at the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Stadium singing multiple verses of the national anthem.

Hometown to film and television actor Topher Rhys, pop punk band Rufio, O-Town boy band member Trevor Penick, as well as American Idol: Season 3 finalist Matthew Rogers.

Rancho Cucamonga was in a comedic skit on an episode of MADtv.

Musician Frank Zappa built his famous "Studio Z" recording studio in Cucamonga. (It's also the name of a long-lived radio show on Radio 1, Belgium, as an obscure reference to Frank Zappa.)

Rancho Cucamonga was mentioned in a 2006 Dr Pepper commercial.

Pitfall Harry (voiced by Bruce Campbell) claimed to be from Cucamonga, California in Pitfall 3-D: Beyond the Jungle for the Playstation.

[edit] Notable residents

World-renowned woodworker, Sam Maloof, lives in Alta Loma. His work is featured in museums around the United States, including the Smithsonian Institute [2]. His home is a State of California historical landmark. During the construction of the 210 freeway, Maloof's home was moved from the 210 freeway corridor to the top of Carnelian street, where the home is now a museum. Nehemiah Clark from Real World was also born and raised here.