| Riverside | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — City — | |||
| City of Riverside | |||
| Riverside Skyline | |||
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| Nickname(s): City of Arts and Innovation | |||
| Location of Riverside County within the State of California | |||
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Riverside
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | California | ||
| County | Riverside | ||
| Founded | 1870 | ||
| Incorporated | 1883 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Council-Manager | ||
| • City Council | Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge Mike Gardner Andy Melendrez Rusty Bailey Paul Davis Chris Mac Arthur Nancy Hart Steve Adams |
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| • City Manager | Scott Barber | ||
| Area[1] | |||
| • Total | 81.444 sq mi (210.941 km2) | ||
| • Land | 81.140 sq mi (210.152 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.304 sq mi (0.788 km2) 0.37% | ||
| Elevation | 860 ft (262 m) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 303,871 | ||
| • Rank | 1st in Riverside County 12th in California 61st in the United States |
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| • Density | 3,731/sq mi (1,440.5/km2) | ||
| • Demonym | Riversider | ||
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | ||
| ZIP code | 92501-92509, 92513-92519, 92521-92522 | ||
| Area code(s) | 951 | ||
| FIPS code | 06-62000 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1661315 | ||
| Website | riversideca.gov | ||
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River,[2] it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California city after Fresno, Sacramento, and Bakersfield, and is located approximately 60 miles (97 km) east of Los Angeles. Riverside is the 61st most populous city in the United States and 12th most populous city in California. As of the 2010 Census, Riverside had a population of 303,871. The city spans 81 square miles (210 km2).
Riverside was founded in the early 1870s and is the birthplace of the California citrus industry as well as home of the Mission Inn, the largest Mission Revival Style building in the United States.[3] It is also home to the Riverside National Cemetery.
The University of California, Riverside is located in the northeastern part of the city. The university also hosts the Riverside Sports Complex. Other attractions in Riverside include the Fox Performing Arts Center, Riverside Metropolitan Museum, which houses exhibits and artifacts of local history, the California Museum of Photography, the California Citrus State Historic Park, and the Parent Washington Navel Orange Tree, one of the two original navel orange trees in California.
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The city was founded in the early 1870s beside the Santa Ana River by John W. North, a staunch temperance-minded abolitionist from Tennessee, who had previously founded Northfield, Minnesota. A few years after, the navel orange was planted and found to be such a success that full-scale planting started. Riverside was temperance minded, and Republican. There were four saloons in Riverside when it was founded. The license fees were raised until the saloons moved out of Riverside.[4] Investors from England and Canada transplanted traditions and activities adopted by prosperous citizens. As a result, the first golf course and polo field in Southern California were built in Riverside.
The first orange trees were planted in 1871, but the citrus industry Riverside is famous for beginning three years later (1874) [5] when Eliza Tibbets received three [5] Brazilian navel orange trees sent to her by a personal friend, William Saunders who was a horticulturist at the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. The trees came from Bahia, Brazil. The Bahia orange did not do well in Florida, but its success in Southern California was phenomenal.
The three trees were planted on the Tibbets' property. One of the trees died after it was trampled by a cow during the first year it was planted. After the trampling, the two remaining trees were transplanted to property belonging to Sam McCoy to receive better care than L. C. Tibbets, Eliza's husband, could provide.[6] Later, the trees were again transplanted, one at the Mission Inn property in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt (this tree died in 1922), and the other was placed at the intersection of Magnolia and Arlington Ave. Eliza Tibbets was honored with a stone marker placed with the tree. That tree still stands to this day inside a protective fence abutting what is now a major intersection.
The trees thrived in the Southern California climate and the navel orange industry grew rapidly. Many growers purchased bud wood and then grafted the cuttings to root stock. Within a few years, the successful cultivation of many thousands of the newly discovered Brazilian navel orange led to a California Gold Rush of a different kind: the establishment of the citrus industry, which is commemorated in the landscapes and exhibits of the California Citrus State Historic Park and the restored packing houses in the downtown's Marketplace district. By 1882, there were more than half a million citrus trees in California, almost half of which were in Riverside. The development of refrigerated railroad cars and innovative irrigation systems established Riverside as the wealthiest city per capita by 1895.
As the city prospered, a small guest hotel designed in the popular Mission Revival style, known as the Glenwood Tavern, eventually grew to become the Mission Inn, favored by presidents, royalty and movie stars. Inside was housed a special chair made for the sizable President William Howard Taft. The hotel was modeled after the missions left along the California coast by Franciscan friars in the 16th and 17th centuries. (Although Spanish missionaries came as far inland as San Bernardino (San Bernardino de Sena Estancia), east of Riverside, there was no actual Spanish mission in what is now Riverside.) Postcards of lush orange groves, swimming pools and magnificent homes have attracted vacationers and entrepreneurs throughout the years. Many relocated to the warm, dry climate for reasons of health and to escape Eastern winters. Victoria Avenue, with its scattering of elegant turn-of-the-century homes, and citrus-lined paseo, serves as a reminder of European investors who settled here.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 81.4 square miles (210.8 km2), of which 81.1 square miles (210 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (0.37%) is water. The elevation of downtown Riverside is 860 feet (260 m). Hills within the city limits include Mount Rubidoux, a city landmark and tourist attraction. Riverside is surrounded by small and large mountains, some of which get a dusting of winter snow.
Riverside experiences a semi-arid mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification CSa) with hot, dry summers and mild, relatively wet winters. Temperatures in the summer can exceed 100 °F (38 °C) but with somewhat low humidity. In the winter, high temperatures average in the upper 60s (°F), but may not rise above 55 °F (13 °C) during rainy days. January, the coldest month, averages a high/low temperature of 68 °F / 43 °F (20 °C / 6 °C), while August, the hottest month, averages a high/low temperature of 95 °F / 64 °F (35 °C / 18 °C).[7] Riverside receives 10.67 inches of precipitation annually with most of it occurring in the winter and early spring, especially January through March, with January being the wettest month. However, during El Nino years, Southern California can receive considerably more precipitation than average.
| Climate data for Riverside | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 97 (36) |
92 (33) |
98 (37) |
104 (40) |
108 (42) |
112 (44) |
113 (45) |
112 (44) |
113 (45) |
108 (42) |
98 (37) |
93 (34) |
113 (45) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 68.1 (20.1) |
68.7 (20.4) |
71.8 (22.1) |
73.8 (23.2) |
78.9 (26.1) |
85.7 (29.8) |
92.3 (33.5) |
93.1 (33.9) |
90.8 (32.7) |
81.0 (27.2) |
75.3 (24.1) |
66.6 (19.2) |
78.8 (26.0) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 46.5 (8.1) |
46.1 (7.8) |
48.3 (9.1) |
51.2 (10.7) |
55.5 (13.1) |
60.1 (15.6) |
66.0 (18.9) |
65.2 (18.4) |
63.5 (17.5) |
57.6 (14.2) |
51.7 (10.9) |
45.6 (7.6) |
54.8 (12.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 24 (−4) |
27 (−3) |
29 (−2) |
33 (1) |
38 (3) |
44 (7) |
49 (9) |
49 (9) |
42 (6) |
32 (0) |
26 (−3) |
22 (−6) |
22 (−6) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 2.33 (59.2) |
2.50 (63.5) |
1.69 (42.9) |
0.68 (17.3) |
0.20 (5.1) |
0.09 (2.3) |
0.04 (1) |
0.09 (2.3) |
0.16 (4.1) |
0.46 (11.7) |
0.81 (20.6) |
1.37 (34.8) |
10.42 (264.7) |
| Source no. 1: weathercurrents.com [8] | |||||||||||||
| Source no. 2: weather.com [9] | |||||||||||||
The Riverside area is referred to as a "smog belt" because of its above-average level of air pollution. In a comparison by the National Campaign Against Dirty Air Power (2003), the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area was found to be one of the most polluted regions based on year-round particle measurements when compared to other U.S. cities.[11] [NEJM 2004;351:1057-1067] Despite smog problems, the city has made efforts to reduce pollution by incorporating additional means of mass transit (Metrolink) and equipping its entire fleet of buses with natural gas. Smog has decreased considerably over the past years as local municipalities and counties work with the South Coast Air Quality Management District to implement measures to improve regional air quality.[12] Most of Riverside's smog problems are the result of the prevailing wind patterns that blow the smog from the L.A. Basin and particulates generated by Southern California's multitude of vehicles, as well as the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach into the [[Inland Empire (California)|Inland
| Ontario | Fontana Rubidoux |
Grand Terrace Colton |
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| Corona | Moreno Valley | |||
| Riverside | ||||
| Corona Lake Elsinore |
Lake Elsinore Murrieta |
Perris |
Riverside is home of the historic Mission Inn, the Beaux-Arts style Riverside County Historic Courthouse (based on the Petit Palais in Paris, France), and the Riverside Fox Theater, where the first showing of the 1939 film Gone with the Wind took place. The theater was purchased by the city and refurbished as part of the Riverside Renaissance Initiative.[13] The Fox Theater underwent extensive renovation and restoration, which was completed in 2009, to turn the old cinema into a performing arts theater.[14] The building was expanded to hold 1,600 seats and the stage was enlarged to accommodate Broadway-style performances. In January, 2010 singer Sheryl Crow opened the newly remodeled Fox Theater to a nearly sold out show.[15]
Riverside is also the home of the "World's Largest Paper Cup," (actually made of concrete) which is over three stories (68.10 ft) tall. The "Dixie Cup" landmark is located on Iowa Street just north of Palmyrita, in front of what was once the Dixie Corporation's manufacturing plant (now closed down).
Three notable hills are in Riverside's scenic landscape: Box Springs Mountain, Evans (Jurupa) Hill and Tecolote Hill; all of which are preserved open spaces. South of Riverside is Lake Mathews. There is also the well-known landmark/foothill, Mount Rubidoux, which is next to the Santa Ana River and one of the most noticeable landmark in the downtown area. This foothill is the dividing line between the town of Rubidoux and the City of Riverside.
March Joint Air Reserve Base borders Riverside on the east serving as a divider between the City and Moreno Valley. March ARB is the oldest operating Air Force Base west of the Mississippi River being founded in 1918.
At the entrance to Riverside from the 60 freeway sits Fairmount Park. This extensive urban oasis was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.[16] Slightly fraying around the edges, it still has a lovely, stocked pond that is home to many species of birds. On nearby private land is the former site of Spring Rancheria, a Cahuilla village.
The City of Riverside has 28 designated "neighborhoods" within the city limits.[17] These neighborhoods include Airport, Alessandro Heights, Arlanza, Arlington, Arlington Heights, Arlington South, Canyon Crest, Casa Blanca, Downtown, Eastside, Grand, Hawarden Hills, Hillside Hunter Industrial Park, La Sierra, La Sierra Acres, La Sierra Hills, La Sierra South, Magnolia Center, Mission Grove, Northside, Orangecrest, Presidential Park, Ramona, Sycamore Canyon Park, Sycamore Canyon Springs, University, Victoria and Wood Streets.
To the east of downtown is the originally named "Eastside," which grew out of a colonia inhabited by Mexican immigrant workers in the orange groves, other orchards and produce fields. The area these people lived in was called Agua Mansa. Mexican communities were also formed in the barrio of Casa Blanca during the early twentieth century.
The City Council has proposed numerous annexations of nearby unincorporated communities which will increase its population and land area over the next few years. Most notable is the Lake Hills/Victoria Grove area, which would extend its southwestern borders to Lake Mathews.[18]
Riverside is home to the University of California, Riverside. The UCR Botanical Gardens contains 40 acres (162,000 m²) of unusual plants, with four miles (6 km) of walking trails. The city prides itself on its historic connection to the navel orange, which was introduced to North America from Brazil by the first settlers to Riverside in 1873. Riverside is home to the one surviving Parent Navel Orange Tree, from which all American West Coast navel orange trees are descended.
There are three hospitals in Riverside.[19]
Riverside is also home to the Riverside Public Library system. Branches include: Arlington, La Sierra, Marcy, Main, Eastside Cybrary, and Casa Blanca.
Convention facilities are available at the Riverside Convention Center, 45,000 sq ft (4,200 m2) indoors and 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m2) outdoors, the Riverside Marriott 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m2) indoors, and the Mission Inn, 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m2) indoors and 5,000 sq ft (460 m2) outdoors.[20] All three facilities are located within walking distance of each other in downtown Riverside.
Cemeteries in Riverside include:
The Riverside Festival of Lights centers around the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, in the downtown area. Decoration of the Inn begins in October and a lighting ceremony that includes notable speakers, fireworks, and live musicians takes place the day after Thanksgiving Day. The Inn puts up more than three million lights and hundreds of animated characters. The festival runs through New Years. At the festival, carolers, horse drawn carriage rides, and ice skating all color the event. Restaurants, cafes, and community groups all contribute to the festival which covers several city blocks in the downtown Riverside area.
Also during the week of Thanksgiving, the Festival of Trees is held at the Riverside Convention Center. Held since 1990, the event seeks to raise money for the Riverside County Regional Medical Center children’s units including the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Child Abuse and Neglect Unit, and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Attracting 25,000 people per year, the event has raised over $5 million since its inception.[27] At the Festival of Trees numerous professionally decorated Christmas trees are judged, auctioned and then displayed for public viewing. Other activities include entertainment, a children's craft area, a sweet shop, and Storytime with Santa.
Each year in February The Riverside Dickens Festival is held to, "enhance a sense of community among citizens of Riverside County and Southern California by creating a series of literary events and to provide educational, family-oriented, literary entertainment and activities such as plays, musical performances, pageants, living history presentations, workshops, lectures, classroom study, exhibits and a street bazaar with free entertainment, vendors and costumed characters."[28]
The Riverside Airshow takes place in March at the Riverside Municipal Airport. The event attracts around 70,000 people and includes aerial performers, over 200 acres (0.81 km2) of aircraft displays, a car show and military vehicle display, children's activities, food and refreshments, helicopter displays and community group exhibits.[29][30]
The Riverside International Film Festival (RIFF) takes place in April and features films from around the world.[31]
The Legends of Riverside Film Festival and charity fund raiser is held in March each year at the Riverside International Automotive Museum. In addition to showcasing popular racing films, the annual event offers attendees an opportunity to personally meet famous racing legends of the past. In attendance at the 2009 event were racing greats Dan Gurney, Elliot and Stuart Forbes-Robinson, Bob Bondurant, Peter Brock, George Follmer, and Dick Goldstrand.[32] The second annual event is scheduled for March 26 through March 28, 2010.[33]
The Riverside Robot Expo is held in November each year, sponsored by the Riverside Robotics Society in alignment of its goal "to bring robotics to the Inland Empire." Society members bring robots and robot replicas to the event to spark children's interest in math, robotics and other sciences.[34]
On September 13, 2008, Riverside hosted its first LGBT Pride event at White Park, near the Mission Inn.
Every first Thursday of the month is the Riverside Art Walk, with local vendors sell handmade arts and crafts.
Riverside is home to a variety of churches, religious organizations, and celebrations. The annual Easter Sunrise service at the top of Mt. Rubidoux is the nation’s oldest continual non-denominational outdoor Easter service[35] The 100th anniversary of the event was held April 12, 2009.
Each December, a second celebration involving Mt. Rubidoux takes place. A 2½-mile procession from Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine to the top of Mount Rubidoux promotes awareness of Juan Diego's walk up Tepeyac hill, in 1531, where he reportedly saw a Marian apparition known as Our Lady of Guadalupe . The 2007 procession attracted 2,500 people.[36]
Riverside is also home to the Inland Empire Atheists and Agnostics,[37][38] an organization of over 800 local atheists, agnostics, and other non-religious individuals.
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According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[39] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California, Riverside | 6,740 |
| 2 | County of Riverside | 6,395 |
| 3 | Riverside Unified School District | 3,867 |
| 4 | City of Riverside | 2,619 |
| 5 | Riverside Community College District | 1,669 |
| 6 | Alvord Unified School District | 1,669 |
| 7 | Riverside Community Hospital | 1,600 |
| 8 | The Press-Enterprise | 1,090 |
| 9 | Parkview Community Hospital | 900 |
| 10 | Goodrich | 500 |
Riverside's close proximity to Hollywood, combined with its many unique architectural features, has made it a frequent filming choice by Hollywood film studios. The Mission Inn has been a particularly favorite backdrop.
Riverside is the 61st-largest city in the United States, 12th largest city in California, the largest city in California's Inland Empire region, the fourth largest inland city in California, the 14th-largest metropolitan area in the nation and part of the 2nd largest Combined Statistical Area in the country.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 4,683 |
|
|
| 1900 | 7,973 | 70.3% | |
| 1910 | 15,212 | 90.8% | |
| 1920 | 19,341 | 27.1% | |
| 1930 | 29,696 | 53.5% | |
| 1940 | 34,696 | 16.8% | |
| 1950 | 46,764 | 34.8% | |
| 1960 | 84,332 | 80.3% | |
| 1970 | 140,089 | 66.1% | |
| 1980 | 170,591 | 21.8% | |
| 1990 | 226,505 | 32.8% | |
| 2000 | 255,166 | 12.7% | |
| 2010 | 303,871 | 19.1% | |
The 2010 United States Census[40] reported that Riverside had a population of 303,871. The population density was 3,731.0 people per square mile (1,440.6/km²). The racial makeup of Riverside was 171,669 (56.5%) White, 21,421 (7.0%) African American, 3,467 (1.1%) Native American, 22,566 (7.4%) Asian (1.7% Korean, 1.6% Chinese, 1.1% Korean, 1.0% Vietnamese, 0.8% Indian, 0.3% Japanese, 0.1% Pakistani), 1,219 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 68,111 (22.4%) from other races, and 15,418 (5.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 148,953 persons (49.0%); 41.8% of Riverside's population is Mexican, 1.1% Guatemalan, 1.0% Salvadoran, 0.7% Puerto Rican, 0.3% Cuban, 0.2% Nicaraguan, and 0.2% Colombian.[41]
The Census reported that 292,322 people (96.2% of the population) lived in households, 8,925 (2.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 2,624 (0.9%) were institutionalized.
There were 91,932 households, out of which 38,939 (42.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 45,398 (49.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 13,845 (15.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 6,372 (6.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,392 (7.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 746 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 18,284 households (19.9%) were made up of individuals and 6,262 (6.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.18. There were 65,615 families (71.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.67.
The population was spread out with 81,406 people (26.8%) under the age of 18, 47,126 people (15.5%) aged 18 to 24, 82,482 people (27.1%) aged 25 to 44, 66,615 people (21.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 26,242 people (8.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.0 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
There were 98,444 housing units at an average density of 1,208.7 per square mile (466.7/km²), of which 51,185 (55.7%) were owner-occupied, and 40,747 (44.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.4%. 168,888 people (55.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 123,434 people (40.6%) lived in rental housing units.
As of the census[42] of 2000, there are 255,166 people, 82,005 households, and 58,141 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,261.5/km² (3,267.2/mi²). There are 85,974 housing units at an average density of 425.0/km² (1,100.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 59.32% White, 7.41% African American, 1.09% Native American, 5.68% Asian, 0.39% Pacific Islander, 21.00% from other races, and 5.10% from two or more races. 38.14% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 82,005 households out of which 39.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% are married couples living together, 14.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% are non-families. 21.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.02 and the average family size is 3.54.
In the city the population is spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years. For every 100 females there are 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $41,646, and the median income for a family is $47,254. Males have a median income of $36,920 versus $28,328 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,882. 15.8% of the population and 11.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 18.9% of those under the age of 18 and 8.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
The three most crime-prone areas are the Casa Blanca, Eastside, and Arlanza neighborhoods. Two well-documented gangs in the area are the Casa Blanca Rifa and East Side Riva, both of which are said by authorities to have connections with the Mexican Mafia. Both started around the late 1920s to early 1930s, but became troublesome around the 1950s and still to this day are known to be very violent. Casa Blanca Rifa got most of its notoriety from the shooting down two police helicopters, one in 1975 in the olden neighborhood's signature clash with Riverside Police and the other on New Year's Eve of 1995.[43] East Side Riva got media attention in 2007 when Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco obtained a gang injunction against 114 of 820 gang members from the gang. Since January 1, 2001, those 114 Eastside Riva gang members have committed 897 documented crimes and have totaled 333 convictions, including some for murder.[44]
Data collected by Project Bridge, an anti-gang program under the City of Riverside’s Park and Recreation Department, shows that the city of Riverside has experienced an increase in gang membership and gang activity since the early 1990s. In 1991, Riverside had approximately 82 gangs with 4,500 active gang members. More recent estimates indicate there are 86 gangs with 8,000 members. Reportedly 3,000 of these members are juveniles, while 10 of these gangs are primarily minors. The juvenile crime rates did drop dramatically between 1994 and 1997 for these areas. However, juvenile crime rates have exhibited a gradual and steady rise since 1998. In 2000, Casa Blanca, Arlanza and Eastside had crime rates of approximately 40, 18, and 30 per 1000 youths, respectively. Of these three areas, the Eastside’s problems are compounded by the highest unemployment rate in the City, 65.1%. The neighborhood also has the lowest educational attainment in the City, with 82% of the population having less than a 4th grade education. Project Bridge has provided comprehensive services to at-risk and gang-involved youth between the ages of 4 and 22 and their families in for over a decade. Since 1995, the program has served over 500 gang-involved youth with recent enrollment nearing 500 participants. Almost 50 percent of participant enrollment is generated from the Eastside, mostly from the areas around the Eastside Apartments.[45]
Riverside's Comprehensive Community-Wide Approach to Gang Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression project is focused on two of the high gang-crime neighborhoods, Casa Blanca and Eastside. In these neighborhoods, there are 21 gangs with approximately 3,230 members. The project targets more than 150 gang-involved and high-risk youth. Oversight of the project is handled by a committee consisting of local agencies and organizations, including the Riverside County Juvenile Court, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, the Riverside and Alvord Unified School Districts, the Youth Service Center, and other agency and community leaders.[46]
On the 2009 list of most dangerous cities in America by Morgan Quitno Press, Riverside came in 174th out of 393 ranked cities of over 75,000 population,[47] making it the 27th most dangerous city in California and 2nd in the Inland Empire area, behind San Bernardino. Like much of the country, Riverside's crime rate has been steadily dropping since reaching all-time high in the 1970s though the past two years has seen a dramatic 10 percent increase in the overall violent crime rate (1,954 crimes in 2005 vs. 1,777 in 2004.) According to the FBI crime index there were 1,922 violent crimes along with 11,059 property crimes in 2008.[48] In the city of Riverside, 15 homicides occurred in 2009, down from 20 in 2008, its highest total since 2003 when there were 24. All but three cases resulted in arrests.[49] In the past 10 years Riverside has averaged about 20 homicides a year, it's highest being in 1999 when there were 31 homicides.[50]
Riverside is governed by a city council and mayor. The city council has seven members each elected from single member wards. The mayor is elected in a citywide election. A city manager is responsible for on-going city services.
In the state legislature Riverside is located in the 31st Senate District, represented by Republican Robert Dutton, and in the 64th and 66th Assembly Districts, represented by Republicans Brian Nestande and Kevin Jeffries respectively.
Federally, Riverside is located in California's 44th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +6[51] and is represented by Republican Ken Calvert.
In Riverside's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, the city’s various funds reported $745.3 million in revenues, $713.9 million in expenditures, $3,901.9 million in total assets, $1,957.1 million in total liabilities, and $348.7 million in cash and investments. The report showed ending fund balance of $360.8 milllion of which $30 million is designated for economic contingencies.[52]
City service departments include:[53]
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Riverside is home to several institutions of higher learning:
Riverside is served by two school districts:
Two notable institutions of learning, for specified student bodies, are also located in Riverside:
Riverside is served by three major freeways, the I-215, the State Route 60, and the State Route 91. These three freeways meet in north-eastern Riverside at the rebuilt 60/91/215 interchange that was completed in late 2007.[76]
The constant construction on Riverside freeways has taken its toll on Riverside's image. The area near the 60/91/215 interchange had a reputation as being one of the worst interchanges in the nation due to its location in a turn, continued construction, short exit time, and other factors. Riverside is one of America's most congested cities because of heavy traffic, it used to be at the top of the list, but it has gone down to number 19.
The city contains two Metrolink commuter rail stations, Riverside-Downtown and Riverside-La Sierra. Both are served by the Inland Empire-Orange County and 91 Lines, and the Downtown station is served by the Riverside Line on weekdays, and the San Bernardino Line on weekends. Amtrak's Southwest Chief which runs from Los Angeles to Chicago also serves the city.
Local bus service is provided by the Riverside Transit Agency.[77] Recently, the agency proposed a new bus rapid transit route to travel along the current Route 1 from the University of California, Riverside to Corona. The project is expected in FY 2011 or 2012, as funding is made available.[78]
Intercity bus service is provided by Greyhound and Amtrak California, as well as a handful of small operators serving the cross-border market into Mexico.
The Riverside Municipal Airport (FAA designator: RAL) with a 5,400-foot (1,600 m) runway, is the only airport within Riverside's city limits, and is the location for the annual Riverside Air Show. The airport is primarily used for private and business aviation. The nearest major airport is the LA/Ontario International Airport in the city of Ontario, California (FAA designator: ONT), about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Riverside.
| Sister cities of Riverside, California[87] |
|---|
| Cuautla, Morelos, Mexico |
| Ensenada, Mexico |
| Hyderabad, India |
| Jiangmen, People's Republic of China |
| Gangnam, South Korea |
| Sendai, Japan |
| Obuasi, Ghana |
| Erlangen, Germany |
Riverside has eight sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:
The Sendai Committee is working on setting up a secure e-pal system whereby the residents of Sendai and Riverside can exchange emails in a fashion similar to pen pals. The aim is to promote grassroots cultural exchange between the two sister cities.
The city of Riverside established an economic partnership program with the state of Oaxaca, Mexico in the early 2000s.
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