Riverside County, California

Coordinates: 33°44′N 115°59′W / 33.73°N 115.98°W / 33.73; -115.98

Riverside County
County
County of Riverside
Images, from top down, left to right: Riverside's Mission Inn Festival of Lights, North face of the San Jacinto Mountains in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival, Palm Springs aerial tramway, Joshua Tree National Park, Riverside National Cemetery Medal of Honor memorial
Flag Seal
Interactive map of Riverside County
Location in the state of California
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Inland Empire
Incorporated	May 9, 1893
Named for	The City of Riverside, and the city's location beside the Santa Ana River
County seat	Riverside
Largest city (population)	Riverside
Largest city (area)	Palm Springs
Government
• Board of Supervisors	Supervisors[1] Kevin Jeffries Karen Spiegel Chuck Washington V. Manuel Perez Jeff Hewitt
Area
• Total	7,303 sq mi (18,910 km2)
• Land	7,206 sq mi (18,660 km2)
• Water	97 sq mi (250 km2)
Highest elevation [2]	10,843 ft (3,305 m)
Lowest elevation	−234 ft (−71 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	2,418,185
• Density	330/sq mi (130/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
FIPS code	06-065
Website	www.CountyOfRiverside.us

Riverside County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,418,185,^[3] making it the fourth-most populous county in California and the 10th-most populous in the United States. The name was derived from the city of Riverside, which is the county seat.^[4]

Riverside County is included in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as the Inland Empire. The county is also included in the Los Angeles-Long Beach Combined Statistical Area.

Roughly rectangular, Riverside County covers 7,208 square miles (18,670 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 central Riverside County.

Between 2007 and 2011, large numbers of Los Angeles-area workers moved to the county to take advantage of more affordable housing.^[5] 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 metropolitan area.^[6][7] The cities of Temecula and Murrieta accounted for 20% of the increase in population of the county between 2000 and 2007.^{[citation needed]}

History[]

Etymology[]

When Riverside County was formed in 1893 it was named for the city of Riverside, the county seat. The city, founded in 1870, received its name for its location beside the Santa Ana River.^[8][9]

Early history[]

The indigenous peoples of what is now Riverside County are the Luiseño, Cupeño and Cahuilla Indians.^[10] The Luiseño territory includes the Aguanga and Temecula Basins, Elsinore Trough and eastern Santa Ana Mountains and southward into San Diego County. The Cahuilla territory is to the east and north of the Luiseño in the inland valleys, in the 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 Temescal. In 1819, the Mission granted permission to occupy the land for the purpose of grazing and farming, and Serrano established Rancho Temescal. Serrano was mayordomo of San Antonio de Pala Asistencia for the Mission of San Luis Rey.

With the signing of the Treaty of Cordoba in 1821, Mexico gained its independence from Spain, but the San Gabriel Mission near what is now Los Angeles, California, continued to expand, and established in 1824. The ranch was to be one of the Mission's principle rancherias, and the most distant, and it occupied most of today's San Gorgonio Pass area.^[11][12]

Following Mexico's confiscation of Mission lands in 1833, a series of rancho land grants were made throughout the state. In the Riverside County this included; 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.^[13]

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.^[13]

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 the 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[14] 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 1990 (year-round, would be 1980 with seasonal residents) 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 started becoming 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.^{[citation needed]}

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 7,303 square miles (18,910 km²), of which 7,206 square miles (18,660 km²) is land and 97 square miles (250 km²) (1.3%) is water.^[15] It is the fourth-largest county in California by area. At roughly 180 miles (290 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 its range in Riverside County.^[16]

National protected areas[]

• Cleveland National Forest (part)
• Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge
• Dos Palmas Preserve
• Joshua Tree National Park (part)
• San Bernardino National Forest (part)
• Sand to Snow National Monument (part)
• Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument

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[]

• Hurkey Creek Park^[17]
• Idyllwild Park^[18]
• Indio Hills Palms
• Jensen Alvarado Ranch
• Lake Cahuilla Recreation Area ^[19]
• Lake Skinner Recreation Area
• McCall Memorial Equestrian Park^[20]
• Santa Rosa Plateau

Demographics[]

2011[]

Population, race, and income
Total population[21]	2,154,844
White[21]	1,422,604	66.0%
Black or African American[21]	135,859	6.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native[21]	21,493	1.0%
Asian[21]	127,522	5.9%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander[21]	6,955	0.3%
Some other race[21]	359,512	16.7%
Two or more races[21]	80,899	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[22]	968,700	45.0%
Per capita income[23]	$24,516
Median household income[24]	$58,365
Median family income[25]	$65,457

Places by population, race, and income[]

Places by population and race
Place	Type[26]	Population[21]	White[21]	Other[21] [note 1]	Asian[21]	Black or African American[21]	Native American[21] [note 2]	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[22]
Aguanga	CDP	1,540	91.2%	6.1%	0.0%	2.7%	0.0%	8.7%
Anza	CDP	3,111	82.9%	12.6%	0.0%	0.4%	4.2%	31.7%
Banning	City	29,414	76.9%	8.8%	6.8%	6.7%	0.7%	37.0%
Beaumont	City	34,737	72.5%	12.0%	10.1%	4.6%	0.8%	37.6%
Bermuda Dunes	CDP	7,047	88.5%	4.1%	1.1%	6.3%	0.0%	25.4%
Blythe	City	21,102	62.4%	18.8%	2.0%	15.9%	0.9%	48.5%
Cabazon	CDP	1,729	87.9%	7.6%	0.0%	3.5%	0.9%	40.8%
Calimesa	City	7,923	91.0%	7.6%	1.0%	0.5%	0.0%	19.5%
Canyon Lake	City	10,663	92.9%	4.8%	1.1%	0.9%	0.3%	9.7%
Cathedral City	City	51,130	80.7%	13.0%	3.8%	1.8%	0.8%	59.8%
Cherry Valley	CDP	5,477	91.4%	4.7%	3.0%	0.7%	0.3%	15.2%
Coachella	City	39,442	63.5%	34.8%	0.1%	1.3%	0.4%	96.6%
Corona	City	152,111	65.8%	17.4%	9.2%	5.7%	1.9%	42.8%
Coronita	CDP	3,117	58.9%	35.6%	3.1%	2.4%	0.0%	54.5%
Crestmore Heights	CDP	665	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	82.1%
Desert Center	CDP	150	83.3%	16.0%	0.0%	0.7%	0.0%	26.7%
Desert Edge	CDP	4,223	87.7%	11.4%	0.8%	0.0%	0.0%	17.5%
Desert Hot Springs	City	25,793	54.1%	33.3%	1.6%	8.2%	2.8%	51.4%
Desert Palms	CDP	6,592	95.7%	1.4%	2.2%	0.2%	0.5%	3.1%
East Hemet	CDP	18,334	74.4%	18.7%	2.2%	2.8%	1.8%	36.4%
Eastvale	City	53,437	48.8%	17.4%	21.9%	10.9%	1.1%	40.1%
El Cerrito	CDP	5,059	75.0%	23.2%	0.8%	1.0%	0.0%	52.5%
El Sobrante	CDP	12,617	57.9%	16.4%	17.2%	8.6%	0.0%	21.3%
French Valley	CDP	23,097	66.7%	11.6%	17.2%	2.7%	1.7%	24.2%
Garnet	CDP	5,701	66.0%	28.2%	1.8%	3.7%	0.2%	69.4%
Glen Avon	CDP	20,393	56.8%	35.9%	2.3%	4.4%	0.7%	69.0%
Good Hope	CDP	9,194	40.9%	48.1%	1.1%	8.4%	1.5%	75.2%
Green Acres	CDP	1,832	78.7%	12.6%	0.7%	3.8%	4.2%	25.2%
Hemet	City	77,752	73.5%	16.6%	2.7%	5.2%	2.0%	34.1%
Highgrove	CDP	4,155	72.8%	15.0%	5.9%	4.1%	2.2%	67.3%
Home Gardens	CDP	11,179	61.9%	25.6%	8.4%	3.5%	0.6%	70.4%
Homeland	CDP	6,441	68.1%	30.0%	0.5%	0.0%	1.5%	55.7%
Idyllwild-Pine Cove	CDP	2,309	95.5%	1.0%	3.5%	0.0%	0.0%	16.5%
Indian Wells	City	4,937	93.0%	2.5%	2.9%	1.6%	0.0%	6.0%
Indio	City	74,402	62.6%	33.0%	1.7%	1.8%	0.8%	68.4%
Indio Hills	CDP	876	60.7%	36.2%	0.0%	3.1%	0.0%	69.5%
Lake Elsinore	City	50,405	61.3%	26.1%	5.1%	6.0%	1.6%	47.9%
Lakeland Village	CDP	11,558	67.7%	22.8%	4.0%	2.8%	2.5%	39.6%
Lake Mathews	CDP	5,651	58.3%	28.5%	1.6%	10.1%	1.5%	35.4%
Lake Riverside	CDP	1,384	95.2%	2.5%	0.0%	1.4%	0.9%	26.9%
Lakeview	CDP	1,337	67.1%	31.1%	0.0%	0.0%	1.8%	79.9%
La Quinta	City	36,600	82.4%	11.8%	2.8%	1.7%	1.3%	30.1%
March ARB	CDP	791	91.7%	0.1%	3.0%	5.1%	0.1%	11.4%
Meadowbrook	CDP	2,995	40.8%	49.5%	5.0%	4.4%	0.3%	66.7%
Mead Valley	CDP	17,498	50.0%	37.5%	1.8%	9.9%	0.8%	69.3%
Mecca	CDP	8,233	55.3%	43.2%	0.4%	0.0%	1.1%	96.2%
Menifee	City	75,023	72.7%	13.0%	7.1%	6.0%	1.2%	31.1%
Mesa Verde	CDP	1,102	59.2%	38.3%	0.0%	2.5%	0.0%	74.6%
Mira Loma	CDP	20,923	58.6%	36.2%	1.7%	3.2%	0.3%	67.5%
Moreno Valley	City	190,977	50.4%	25.6%	5.4%	17.6%	1.0%	54.4%
Mountain Center	CDP	66	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Murrieta	City	99,476	68.2%	15.1%	8.9%	6.5%	1.3%	27.2%
Norco	City	27,131	72.9%	14.8%	4.4%	6.6%	1.2%	28.0%
North Shore	CDP	2,600	56.3%	38.5%	0.0%	1.2%	3.9%	93.2%
Nuevo	CDP	5,582	76.4%	19.2%	1.2%	1.7%	1.5%	49.0%
Oasis	CDP	6,160	53.7%	42.9%	1.3%	1.2%	0.8%	96.8%
Palm Desert	City	48,769	86.7%	7.1%	4.2%	1.0%	1.0%	22.2%
Palm Springs	City	45,045	82.0%	8.1%	4.5%	4.5%	0.8%	23.8%
Pedley	CDP	11,229	72.3%	18.9%	4.1%	3.9%	0.8%	47.9%
Perris	City	65,993	43.8%	38.8%	3.6%	12.4%	1.4%	70.7%
Rancho Mirage	City	17,022	91.2%	4.1%	1.3%	2.4%	1.0%	11.2%
Ripley	CDP	706	45.6%	45.2%	0.0%	9.2%	0.0%	87.1%
Riverside	City	303,569	65.1%	20.2%	6.9%	6.6%	1.2%	49.4%
Romoland	CDP	1,604	78.1%	9.9%	0.0%	12.0%	0.0%	21.9%
Rubidoux	CDP	37,874	46.9%	42.0%	3.5%	5.8%	1.8%	68.7%
San Jacinto	City	42,722	61.4%	26.4%	5.1%	4.7%	2.5%	53.4%
Sky Valley	CDP	2,021	75.0%	23.8%	1.1%	0.0%	0.0%	40.3%
Sunnyslope	CDP	4,919	51.7%	40.8%	6.6%	0.9%	0.0%	65.1%
Temecula	City	98,189	72.2%	12.2%	9.5%	3.7%	2.4%	25.2%
Temescal Valley	CDP	23,288	74.6%	10.0%	9.9%	4.4%	1.1%	30.4%
Thermal	CDP	3,372	57.1%	39.7%	0.0%	3.2%	0.0%	94.7%
Thousand Palms	CDP	7,578	65.5%	30.8%	0.7%	1.6%	1.3%	60.9%
Valle Vista	CDP	14,579	77.0%	13.8%	2.3%	3.5%	3.4%	26.2%
Vista Santa Rosa	CDP	2,973	60.1%	34.2%	0.5%	0.0%	5.2%	78.5%
Warm Springs	CDP	2,196	55.8%	35.5%	7.3%	1.0%	0.3%	40.1%
Whitewater	CDP	533	55.5%	34.0%	10.5%	0.0%	0.0%	31.7%
Wildomar	City	31,452	68.0%	23.4%	3.6%	3.9%	1.1%	37.7%
Winchester	CDP	2,955	63.8%	30.7%	5.5%	0.0%	0.0%	33.4%
Woodcrest	CDP	14,519	78.0%	13.6%	4.1%	3.8%	0.4%	33.0%

Places by population and income
Place	Type[26]	Population[27]	Per capita income[23]	Median household income[24]	Median family income[25]
Aguanga	CDP	1,540	$22,716	$47,754	$49,275
Anza	CDP	3,111	$19,101	$46,890	$49,563
Banning	City	29,414	$21,150	$37,373	$47,243
Beaumont	City	34,737	$26,458	$66,132	$79,800
Bermuda Dunes	CDP	7,047	$35,634	$64,171	$69,375
Blythe	City	21,102	$15,853	$46,235	$50,254
Cabazon	CDP	1,729	$14,081	$30,288	$26,395
Calimesa	City	7,923	$24,429	$44,911	$61,357
Canyon Lake	City	10,663	$35,332	$80,145	$87,250
Cathedral City	City	51,130	$21,734	$45,088	$47,834
Cherry Valley	CDP	5,477	$30,877	$53,245	$56,523
Coachella	City	39,442	$12,219	$43,357	$41,009
Corona	City	152,111	$27,825	$79,877	$86,106
Coronita	CDP	3,117	$26,448	$75,378	$89,028
Crestmore Heights	CDP	665	$9,579	$49,395	$42,218
Desert Center	CDP	150	$27,083	$57,083	$63,750
Desert Edge	CDP	4,223	$22,937	$35,394	$43,750
Desert Hot Springs	City	25,793	$15,671	$34,606	$37,780
Desert Palms	CDP	6,592	$46,995	$61,572	$77,802
East Hemet	CDP	18,334	$20,947	$53,780	$60,034
Eastvale	City	53,437	$32,263	$115,025	$117,549
El Cerrito	CDP	5,059	$26,328	$69,301	$76,344
El Sobrante (Riverside County)	CDP	12,617	$31,251	$103,100	$102,409
French Valley	CDP	23,097	$26,302	$85,732	$86,250
Garnet	CDP	5,701	$14,344	$37,956	$43,171
Glen Avon	CDP	20,393	$16,850	$45,616	$52,750
Good Hope	CDP	9,194	$12,596	$38,163	$41,004
Green Acres	CDP	1,832	$18,329	$35,774	$35,455
Hemet	City	77,752	$19,236	$34,273	$42,951
Highgrove	CDP	4,155	$16,888	$41,545	$43,495
Home Gardens	CDP	11,179	$17,354	$61,133	$57,923
Homeland	CDP	6,441	$14,997	$38,624	$41,820
Idyllwild-Pine Cove	CDP	2,309	$32,868	$55,495	$63,491
Indian Wells	City	4,937	$100,330	$111,078	$145,714
Indio	City	74,402	$21,293	$52,199	$56,843
Indio Hills	CDP	876	$27,488	$81,831	$80,959
Lake Elsinore	City	50,405	$21,642	$63,771	$67,654
Lakeland Village	CDP	11,558	$18,930	$43,454	$51,230
Lake Mathews	CDP	5,651	$28,851	$69,271	$67,149
Lake Riverside	CDP	1,384	$27,224	$75,313	$68,250
Lakeview	CDP	1,337	$16,613	$55,833	$50,347
La Quinta	City	36,600	$45,172	$77,790	$90,406
March ARB	CDP	791	$38,084	$69,438	$95,357
Meadowbrook	CDP	2,995	$11,904	$31,397	$30,550
Mead Valley	CDP	17,498	$13,784	$42,261	$44,057
Mecca	CDP	8,233	$7,980	$26,176	$22,383
Menifee	City	75,023	$24,159	$54,068	$63,068
Mesa Verde	CDP	1,102	$10,685	$33,750	$31,016
Mira Loma	CDP	20,923	$18,652	$66,635	$68,810
Moreno Valley	City	190,977	$18,246	$56,768	$58,446
Mountain Center	CDP	66	$68,673	$104,167
Murrieta	City	99,476	$29,198	$80,792	$89,683
Norco	City	27,131	$27,361	$84,812	$93,156
North Shore	CDP	2,600	$10,327	$27,197	$26,979
Nuevo	CDP	5,582	$23,116	$64,453	$69,958
Oasis	CDP	6,160	$7,372	$27,340	$25,194
Palm Desert	City	48,769	$42,179	$53,940	$76,174
Palm Springs	City	45,045	$38,054	$45,989	$54,642
Pedley	CDP	11,229	$22,289	$65,012	$65,361
Perris	City	65,993	$14,333	$49,812	$47,364
Rancho Mirage	City	17,022	$66,770	$76,261	$99,250
Ripley	CDP	706	$11,610	$16,859	$17,276
Riverside	City	303,569	$22,806	$57,555	$64,618
Romoland	CDP	1,604	$27,123	$108,594	$101,546
Rubidoux	CDP	37,874	$17,432	$52,108	$53,082
San Jacinto	City	42,722	$17,692	$47,645	$52,928
Sky Valley	CDP	2,021	$22,201	$35,473	$44,506
Sunnyslope	CDP	4,919	$22,121	$68,313	$71,468
Temecula	City	98,189	$28,274	$76,276	$83,539
Temescal Valley	CDP	23,288	$34,281	$91,394	$94,816
Thermal	CDP	3,372	$8,801	$33,311	$27,675
Thousand Palms	CDP	7,578	$19,881	$43,435	$41,550
Valle Vista	CDP	14,579	$24,464	$43,855	$55,335
Vista Santa Rosa	CDP	2,973	$16,345	$52,026	$54,375
Warm Springs	CDP	2,196	$17,378	$54,286	$54,434
Whitewater	CDP	533	$19,160	$36,531	$57,024
Wildomar	City	31,452	$24,255	$63,519	$67,786
Winchester	CDP	2,955	$22,236	$69,798	$81,063
Woodcrest	CDP	14,519	$32,650	$91,864	$103,044

2010[]

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	17,897		—
1910	34,696		93.9%
1920	50,297		45.0%
1930	81,024		61.1%
1940	105,524		30.2%
1950	170,046		61.1%
1960	306,191		80.1%
1970	459,074		49.9%
1980	663,166		44.5%
1990	1,170,413		76.5%
2000	1,545,387		32.0%
2010	2,189,641		41.7%
2020	2,418,185		10.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[28] 1790–1960[29] 1900–1990[30] 1990–2000[31] 2010–2018[3]

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.^[32]

Population reported at 2010 United States Census
The County	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Riverside County	2,189,641	1,335,147	140,543	23,710	130,468	6,874	448,235	104,664	995,257
Incorporated cities	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Banning	29,603	19,164	2,165	641	1,549	39	4,604	1,441	12,181
Beaumont	36,877	23,163	2,276	544	2,845	83	6,058	1,908	14,864
Blythe	20,817	12,396	3,126	243	319	32	4,045	656	11,068
Calimesa	7,879	6,777	88	99	100	10	565	240	1,762
Canyon Lake	10,561	9,495	128	61	190	36	316	335	1,303
Cathedral City	51,200	32,537	1,344	540	2,562	55	12,008	2,154	30,085
Coachella	40,704	19,576	320	290	266	34	19,154	1,064	39,254
Corona	152,374	90,925	8,934	1,153	15,048	552	28,003	7,759	66,447
Desert Hot Springs	25,938	15,053	2,133	357	675	84	6,343	1,293	13,646
Eastvale	53,668	22,998	5,190	290	13,003	198	9,172	2,817	21,445
Hemet	78,657	53,259	5,049	1,223	2,352	284	12,371	4,119	28,150
Indian Wells	4,958	4,721	29	20	83	2	52	51	209
Indio	76,036	46,735	1,805	741	1,693	55	22,394	2,613	51,540
La Quinta	37,467	29,489	713	230	1,176	41	4,595	1,223	11,339
Lake Elsinore	51,821	31,067	2,738	483	2,996	174	11,174	3,189	25,073
Menifee	77,519	55,444	3,858	655	3,788	295	9,642	3,837	25,551
Moreno Valley	193,365	80,969	34,889	1,721	11,867	1,117	51,741	11,061	105,169
Murrieta	103,466	72,137	5,601	741	9,556	391	8,695	6,345	26,792
Norco	27,063	20,641	1,893	248	844	59	2,514	864	8,405
Palm Desert	48,445	39,957	875	249	1,647	55	4,427	1,235	11,038
Palm Springs	44,552	33,720	1,982	467	1,971	71	4,949	1,392	11,286
Perris	68,386	28,937	8,307	589	2,461	286	24,345	3,461	49,079
Rancho Mirage	17,218	15,267	256	94	651	14	598	338	1,964
Riverside	303,871	171,669	21,421	3,467	22,566	1,219	68,111	15,418	148,953
San Jacinto	44,199	25,272	2,928	812	1,341	124	11,208	2,514	23,109
Temecula	100,097	70,880	4,132	1,079	9,765	368	7,928	5,945	24,727
Wildomar	32,176	22,372	1,065	376	1,454	69	5,124	1,716	11,363
Census-designated places	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Aguanga	1,128	929	11	20	24	0	109	35	274
Anza	3,014	2,411	34	57	36	3	347	126	791
Bermuda Dunes	7,282	5,433	180	63	241	11	1,126	228	2,371
Cabazon	2,535	1,751	135	90	38	14	358	149	1,135
Cherry Valley	6,362	5,450	63	102	87	4	451	205	1,347
Coronita	2,608	1,649	38	31	108	12	688	82	1,349
Crestmore Heights	384	229	2	2	6	0	133	12	263
Desert Center	204	164	1	3	2	0	25	9	38
Desert Edge	3,822	3,051	14	34	28	1	624	70	1,220
Desert Palms	6,957	6,728	59	16	95	5	15	39	177
East Hemet	17,418	12,257	679	323	275	29	2,997	858	6,778
El Cerrito	5,100	3,542	91	54	95	11	1,122	185	2,657
El Sobrante	12,723	7,435	1,010	73	2,240	36	1,312	617	3,626
French Valley	23,067	14,827	1,828	229	2,672	134	1,889	1,488	6,318
Garnet	7,543	4,247	203	96	62	10	2,636	289	5,580
Glen Avon	20,199	10,272	805	216	462	34	7,567	843	13,766
Good Hope	9,192	4,156	669	98	64	4	3,885	316	7,319
Green Acres	1,805	1,192	34	41	25	2	396	115	856
Highgrove	3,988	2,104	162	41	113	13	1,388	167	2,604
Home Gardens	11,570	5,275	364	126	667	51	4,500	587	8,524
Homeland	5,969	3,727	130	85	49	15	1,673	290	3,110
Idyllwild-Pine Cove	3,874	3,434	32	30	135	6	88	149	479
Indio Hills	972	542	6	15	5	1	391	12	657
Lake Mathews	5,890	4,239	253	59	193	3	891	252	1,808
Lake Riverside	1,173	1,042	21	16	2	8	46	38	186
Lakeland Village	11,541	7,764	285	131	168	21	2,575	597	5,114
Lakeview	2,104	1,117	15	48	7	2	842	73	1,350
March ARB	1,159	811	171	10	35	2	93	37	172
Mead Valley	18,510	8,383	1,515	179	259	17	7,484	673	13,395
Meadowbrook	3,185	2,034	130	19	51	4	798	149	1,765
Mecca	8,577	2,686	40	47	17	7	5,543	237	8,462
Mesa Verde	1,023	589	8	9	4	1	373	39	715
Mira Loma	21,930	12,577	383	240	465	43	7,250	972	14,846
Mountain Center	63	60	0	1	1	0	0	1	15
North Shore	3,477	1,394	33	26	18	5	1,884	117	3,313
Nuevo	6,447	4,011	113	91	82	16	1,810	324	3,514
Oasis	6,890	1,693	22	96	42	0	4,927	110	6,731
Pedley	12,672	7,509	381	119	554	48	3,520	541	6,773
Ripley	692	393	103	2	1	4	165	24	537
Romoland	1,684	958	65	8	35	12	514	92	865
Rubidoux	34,280	16,935	1,850	391	855	136	12,469	1,644	23,322
Sky Valley	2,406	1,961	35	34	21	3	282	70	682
Sunnyslope	5,153	3,017	96	55	76	10	1,696	203	3,630
Temescal Valley	22,535	14,785	1,507	131	2,157	74	2,565	1,316	6,753
Thermal	2,865	1,034	28	30	32	1	1,685	55	2,730
Thousand Palms	7,715	5,763	105	75	129	10	1,422	211	4,051
Valle Vista	14,578	11,542	440	252	283	41	1,351	669	4,027
Vista Santa Rosa	2,926	1,699	8	140	6	0	942	131	2,487
Warm Springs	2,676	1,673	119	24	102	14	606	138	1,232
Whitewater	859	636	37	31	21	0	97	37	267
Winchester	2,534	1,577	38	17	46	2	728	126	1,233
Woodcrest	14,347	10,418	716	69	715	41	1,716	672	4,113
Other unincorporated areas	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined)	73,117	51,422	2,231	2,102	3,794	206	10,105	3,257	24,128

2000[]

As of the census^[33] 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.

Government and law enforcement[]

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.^[34]

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 groundbreaking for its multidisciplinary approach to land use and conservation planning.^[35][36]

Courts[]

The Riverside Superior Court is the state trial court for Riverside County with 14 courthouses: , Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside Family Law Court, Riverside Juvenile Court, Southwest Justice Center – Murrieta, Moreno Valley Court, Banning Court, Hemet Court, Corona Court, Temecula Court, Larson Justice Center – Indio, Indio Juvenile Court, Palm Springs Court and Blythe Court.^[37]

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 – including a great hall that connects all the departments (courtrooms).^[38] 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.^[39]

Riverside County hands down 1 in 6 death sentences in the US, in spite of it having less than 1% of the population.^[40]

Law enforcement[]

Sheriff[]

The Riverside County Sheriff provides court protection, jail administration, and coroner services for all of Riverside County. It provides patrol, detective, and other police services for the unincorporated areas of the county plus by contract to the cities and towns of Coachella, Eastvale, Indian Wells, Jurupa Valley, La Quinta, Lake Elsinore, Moreno Valley, Norco, Palm Desert, Perris, Rancho Mirage, San Jacinto, Temecula and Wildomar. The Morongo Indian Reservation also contracts with the Sheriff’s Office to provide police services to the reservation.^[41]

Municipal Police[]

Municipal departments within the county are Banning, Beaumont, Blythe, Calimesa, Cathedral City, Corona, Desert Hot Springs, Hemet, Indio, Menifee, Murrieta, Palm Springs, Riverside, Riverside Community College.

Politics[]

Voter registration[]

Population and registered voters
Total population[42]	2,470,546
Registered voters[43][note 3]	1,273,765	51.6%
Democratic[43]	505,690	39.7%
Republican[43]	411,382	32.3%
Democratic–Republican spread[43]	+94,308	7.4%
American Independent[43]	47,462	3.7%
Green[43]	3,770	0.3%
Libertarian[43]	12,638	1.0%
Peace and Freedom[43]	6,389	0.5%
Unknown[43]	5,265	0.4%
Other[43]	6,944	0.5%
No party preference[43]	274,225	21.5%

Cities by population and voter registration

City	Population[21]	Registered voters[44][note 3]	Democratic[44]	Republican[44]	D–R spread[44]	Other[44]	No party preference[44]
Banning	29,414	42.9%	38.9%	40.8%	-1.9%	8.2%	15.4%
Beaumont	34,737	46.4%	33.6%	40.8%	-7.2%	10.3%	19.4%
Blythe	21,102	23.1%	40.3%	36.0%	+4.3%	9.2%	18.3%
Calimesa	7,923	53.7%	29.0%	48.8%	-19.8%	10.1%	16.2%
Canyon Lake	10,663	57.3%	19.9%	57.5%	-37.6%	9.7%	16.8%
Cathedral City	51,130	37.6%	46.9%	31.8%	+15.1%	6.2%	17.5%
Coachella	39,442	25.0%	72.1%	13.1%	+59.0%	2.9%	12.8%
Corona	158,391	43.0%	32.9%	43.3%	-10.4%	7.2%	19.2%
Desert Hot Springs	25,793	35.5%	44.0%	32.7%	+11.3%	8.3%	18.0%
Eastvale	53,437	40.6%	38.0%	34.2%	+3.8%	6.9%	23.6%
Hemet	77,752	44.8%	34.0%	42.4%	-8.4%	9.3%	18.1%
Indian Wells	4,937	59.8%	19.0%	62.7%	-43.7%	6.5%	14.4%
Indio	74,402	39.7%	47.9%	33.0%	+14.9%	6.0%	15.4%
Jurupa Valley[note 4]	57,464	58.4%	40.1%	37.1%	+3.0%	7.1%	18.3%
La Quinta	36,600	52.8%	30.6%	47.4%	-16.8%	8.1%	17.2%
Lake Elsinore	50,405	38.1%	33.8%	36.8%	-3.0%	9.7%	23.4%
Menifee	75,023	52.0%	31.1%	44.2%	-13.1%	9.6%	19.0%
Moreno Valley	190,977	43.5%	48.1%	33.5%	+14.6%	5.6%	14.8%
Murrieta	99,476	48.8%	25.3%	48.2%	-22.9%	9.2%	20.8%
Norco	27,131	45.0%	25.2%	52.5%	-27.3%	8.2%	17.2%
Palm Desert	48,769	50.7%	31.5%	45.8%	-14.3%	7.6%	18.1%
Palm Springs	45,045	53.7%	50.9%	26.7%	+24.2%	7.3%	17.9%
Perris	65,993	36.3%	54.2%	27.8%	+26.4%	5.1%	14.6%
Rancho Mirage	17,022	58.8%	33.2%	45.3%	-12.1%	5.8%	18.0%
Riverside	303,569	44.0%	38.5%	39.0%	-0.5%	7.5%	17.6%
San Jacinto	42,722	38.0%	36.5%	38.6%	-2.1%	9.3%	19.1%
Temecula	98,189	48.0%	25.2%	47.6%	-22.4%	9.7%	21.4%
Wildomar	31,452	47.4%	26.8%	45.4%	-18.6%	10.3%	21.4%

Overview[]

Prior to 2008, Riverside County was historically a Republican stronghold in presidential and congressional elections. Between its creation in 1893^[45] and 2004, it voted for the Democratic presidential nominee only three times:^[46] Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936 (by a margin of 337 votes, or 0.99%), Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 (by a margin of 19,363 votes, or 13.65%) and Bill Clinton in 1992 (by a margin of 6,784 votes, or 1.58%). In 1932, it was one of only two counties on the entire West Coast to vote for Republican president Herbert Hoover over Roosevelt.^[47]

However, in 2008, consistent with a trend in California and nationwide suburbs towards the Democratic Party,^[48] Barack Obama narrowly carried the county with 14,976 votes, a 2.32% margin over Republican John McCain. Obama retained it in 2012 with a plurality, as did Hillary Clinton in 2016, who became the first and only losing Democratic nominee to win the county. Former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden won it in 2020 with a 79,196 lead over then-President Donald Trump, the largest ever raw vote margin for a Democrat.

United States presidential election results for Riverside County, California^[49]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	449,144	45.04%	528,340	52.98%	19,672	1.97%
2016	333,243	44.35%	373,695	49.73%	44,453	5.92%
2012	318,127	47.97%	329,063	49.62%	15,926	2.40%
2008	310,041	47.90%	325,017	50.21%	12,241	1.89%
2004	322,473	57.83%	228,806	41.04%	6,300	1.13%
2000	231,955	51.42%	202,576	44.90%	16,596	3.68%
1996	178,611	45.61%	168,579	43.05%	44,423	11.34%
1992	159,457	37.06%	166,241	38.64%	104,577	24.30%
1988	199,979	59.46%	133,122	39.58%	3,247	0.97%
1984	182,324	63.48%	102,043	35.53%	2,835	0.99%
1980	145,642	59.87%	76,650	31.51%	20,986	8.63%
1976	97,774	49.24%	96,228	48.46%	4,556	2.29%
1972	108,120	58.00%	71,591	38.41%	6,693	3.59%
1968	83,414	52.90%	61,146	38.78%	13,110	8.31%
1964	61,165	43.14%	80,528	56.79%	95	0.07%
1960	65,855	56.15%	50,877	43.38%	544	0.46%
1956	56,766	62.16%	34,098	37.34%	465	0.51%
1952	51,692	65.08%	26,948	33.93%	788	0.99%
1948	32,209	55.66%	23,305	40.28%	2,350	4.06%
1944	23,168	53.94%	19,439	45.26%	346	0.81%
1940	21,779	51.39%	20,003	47.20%	598	1.41%
1936	16,674	48.89%	17,011	49.88%	422	1.24%
1932	14,112	50.20%	12,755	45.37%	1,245	4.43%
1928	17,600	77.94%	4,769	21.12%	212	0.94%
1924	9,619	61.99%	1,318	8.49%	4,579	29.51%
1920	9,124	69.55%	2,798	21.33%	1,196	9.12%
1916	7,452	54.64%	4,561	33.44%	1,626	11.92%
1912	124	1.23%	2,963	29.33%	7,016	69.44%
1908	3,229	57.24%	1,374	24.36%	1,038	18.40%
1904	2,638	65.23%	678	16.77%	728	18.00%
1900	2,329	61.14%	1,134	29.77%	346	9.08%
1896	2,063	53.06%	1,684	43.31%	141	3.63%

In the United States House of Representatives, Riverside County is split between 4 congressional districts:^[50]

• 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 Darrell Issa.

In the California State Senate, the county is split between 3 legislative districts:^[51]

• the 23rd Senate District, represented by Republican Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh,
• the 28th Senate District, represented by Republican Melissa Melendez, and
• the 31st Senate District, represented by Democrat Richard Roth.

In the California State Assembly, the county is split between 7 legislative districts:^[52]

• the 42nd Assembly District, represented by Independent 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 Kelly Seyarto,
• 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. Only the city of Palm Springs voted against the measure.^{[citation needed]}

Crime[]

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Population and crime rates
Population[21]	2,154,844
Violent crime[53]	7,284	3.38
Homicide[53]	91	0.04
Forcible rape[53]	424	0.20
Robbery[53]	2,602	1.21
Aggravated assault[53]	4,167	1.93
Property crime[53]	37,803	17.54
Burglary[53]	17,308	8.03
Larceny-theft[53][note 5]	35,135	16.31
Motor vehicle theft[53]	8,641	4.01
Arson[53]	283	0.13

Cities by population and crime rates[]

Cities by population and crime rates
City	Population[54]	Violent crimes[54]	Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons	Property crimes[54]	Property crime rate per 1,000 persons
Banning	30,541	148	4.85	708	23.18
Beaumont	38,072	103	2.71	1,342	35.25
Blythe	21,323	73	3.42	759	35.60
Calimesa	8,136	13	1.60	202	24.83
Canyon Lake	10,905	11	1.01	209	19.17
Cathedral City	52,867	204	3.86	1,576	29.81
Coachella	42,034	265	6.30	1,547	36.80
Corona	157,342	210	1.33	4,143	26.33
Desert Hot Springs	27,929	344	12.32	1,157	41.43
Eastvale	55,439	41	0.74	1,007	18.16
Hemet	81,213	406	5.00	3,486	42.92
Indian Wells	5,120	2	0.39	203	39.65
Indio	78,501	450	5.73	2,791	35.55
Jurupa Valley	97,577	312	3.20	3,174	32.53
Lake Elsinore	53,912	130	2.41	1,932	35.84
La Quinta	38,690	150	3.88	1,669	43.14
Menifee	80,047	87	1.09	1,942	24.26
Moreno Valley	199,673	706	3.54	6,371	31.91
Murrieta	106,839	70	0.66	1,715	16.05
Norco	27,850	56	2.01	580	20.83
Palm Desert	50,021	104	2.08	2,322	46.42
Palm Springs	45,996	302	6.57	2,232	48.53
Perris	70,616	240	3.40	2,081	29.47
Rancho Mirage	17,778	23	1.29	726	40.84
Riverside	313,532	1,389	4.43	10,818	34.50
San Jacinto	45,637	137	3.00	1,479	32.41
Temecula	103,414	97	0.94	2,440	23.59
Wildomar	33,227	53	1.60	707	21.28

Education[]

Universities and colleges[]

• Azusa Pacific University^[55] – Murrieta
• Brandman University, part of the Chapman University System^[56] – Moreno Valley, Palm Desert, Riverside and Temecula
• California Baptist University^[57] – Riverside
• California Southern Law School^[58] – Riverside
• California State University, San Bernardino, Palm Desert Campus^[59] – Palm Desert
• California State University, San Marcos, Temecula Satellite Campus^[60] – Temecula
• College of the Desert^[61] – Palm Desert and Indio
• La Sierra University^[62] – Riverside
• Mayfield College^[63] – Cathedral City
• Mt. San Jacinto College^[64] – Banning, Menifee, San Jacinto, Temecula
• Palo Verde College^[65] – Blythe
• Riverside Community College District^[66]
  • Riverside City College
  • Moreno Valley College
  • Norco College
• Santa Barbara Business College^[67] – Palm Desert
• University of California, Riverside^[68] – Palm Desert and Riverside
• University of Phoenix^[69] – 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 nine stations in Riverside County: Riverside-Downtown, Riverside-La Sierra, North Main-Corona, West Corona, Jurupa Valley/Pedley, Hunter Park/UCR, March Field-Moreno Valley, Perris-Downtown, and Perris-South.^[70] These trains provide service to Orange, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties seven days a week, with a primarily commuter-oriented schedule.

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^[71]
    • Thermal Army Airfield (Also named Naval Air Facility Thermal (historical)^[72])
  • Hemet Army Airfield

Points of interest[]

• Empire Polo Club, location of the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals
• Gold Base, international headquarters of the Church of Scientology and Golden Era Productions^[73][74]
• Indian Wells Tennis Garden
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
• March Field Air Museum
• Mission Inn Hotel & Spa
• Orange Empire Railway Museum
• Orocopia Mountains Wilderness
• Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and Mount San Jacinto State Park
• Palm Springs Desert Museum
• Ramona Bowl, Home of The Ramona Pageant
• Riverside County fair grounds, location of the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival
• Riverside National Cemetery, including the Medal of Honor Memorial
• Salton Sea State Recreation Area
• Santa Rosa Plateau
• Sunnylands Center & Gardens
• Temecula Valley AVA Wine Region
• Western Science Center

Communities[]

Cities[]

City	Year incorporated	Population, 2020[75]	Median household income, 2013[76]
Banning	1913	29,505	$36,509
Beaumont	1912	53,036	$69,151
Blythe	1916	18,317	$43,472
Calimesa	1990	10,026	$44,911
Canyon Lake	1990	11,082	$80,145
Cathedral City	1981	51,493	$46,282
Coachella	1946	41,941	$40,299
Corona	1896	157,136	$80,557
Desert Hot Springs	1963	32,512	$32,260
Eastvale	2010	69,757	$113,154
Hemet	1910	89,833	$29,679
Indian Wells	1967	4,757	$111,078
Indio	1930	89,137	$41,082
Jurupa Valley	2011	105,053	$61,250
Lake Elsinore	1888	70,265	N/A
La Quinta	1982	37,558	$67,444
Menifee	2008	102,527	$56,735
Moreno Valley	1984	208,634	$53,018
Murrieta	1991	110,949	$72,496
Norco	1964	26,316	$79,279
Palm Desert	1973	51,163	$50,267
Palm Springs	1938	44,575	$45,418
Perris	1911	78,700	$36,229
Rancho Mirage	1973	16,999	$76,261
Riverside	1883	314,998	$51,331
San Jacinto	1888	53,898	$44,851
Temecula	1989	110,003	$66,869
Wildomar	2008	36,875	$60,125

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 2020 census of Riverside County.^[78]

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2020 Census)
1	† Riverside	City	314,998
2	Moreno Valley	City	208,634
3	Corona	City	157,136
4	Murrieta	City	110,949
5	Temecula	City	110,003
6	Jurupa Valley	City	105,053
7	Menifee	City	102,527
8	Hemet	City	89,833
9	Indio	City	89,137
10	Perris	City	78,700
11	Lake Elsinore	City	70,265
12	Eastvale	City	69,757
13	San Jacinto	City	53,898
14	Beaumont	City	53,036
15	Cathedral City	City	51,493
16	Palm Desert	City	51,163
17	Palm Springs	City	44,575
18	Coachella	City	41,941
19	La Quinta	City	37,558
20	Wildomar	City	36,875
21	French Valley	CDP	35,280
22	Desert Hot Springs	City	32,512
23	Banning	City	29,505
24	Agua Caliente Indian Reservation[79]	AIAN	27,090
25	Norco	City	26,316
26	Temescal Valley	CDP	26,232
27	Mead Valley	CDP	19,819
28	East Hemet	CDP	19,432
29	Blythe	City	18,317
30	Rancho Mirage	City	16,999
31	Valle Vista	CDP	16,194
32	Woodcrest	CDP	15,378
33	El Sobrante	CDP	14,039
34	Lakeland Village	CDP	12,364
35	Home Gardens	CDP	11,203
36	Canyon Lake	City	11,082
37	Calimesa	City	10,026
38	Good Hope	CDP	9,468
39	Bermuda Dunes	CDP	8,244
40	Mecca	CDP	8,219
41	Thousand Palms	CDP	7,967
42	Highgrove	CDP	7,515
43	Garnet	CDP	7,118
44	Homeland	CDP	6,772
45	Nuevo	CDP	6,733
46	Desert Palms	CDP	6,686
47	Cherry Valley	CDP	6,509
48	Lake Mathews	CDP	5,972
49	El Cerrito	CDP	5,058
50	Indian Wells	City	4,757
51	Oasis	CDP	4,468
52	Desert Edge	CDP	4,180
53	Idyllwild-Pine Cove	CDP	4,163
54	North Shore	CDP	3,585
55	Torres-Martinez Reservation[80]	AIAN	3,454
56	Meadowbrook	CDP	3,142
57	Anza	CDP	3,075
58	Winchester	CDP	3,068
59	Green Acres	CDP	2,918
60	Thermal	CDP	2,676
61	Coronita	CDP	2,639
62	Cabazon	CDP	2,629
63	Vista Santa Rosa	CDP	2,607
64	Sky Valley	CDP	2,411
65	Romoland	CDP	2,005
66	Lakeview	CDP	1,977
67	Warm Springs	CDP	1,586
68	Colorado River Indian Reservation[81]	AIAN	1,395
69	Lake Riverside	CDP	1,375
70	Morongo Reservation[82]	AIAN	1,243
71	Indio Hills	CDP	1,048
72	Aguanga	CDP	989
73	Whitewater	CDP	984
74	March ARB	CDP	809
75	Mesa Verde	CDP	766
76	Pechanga Reservation[83]	AIAN	582
77	Soboba Reservation[84]	AIAN	567
78	Ripley	CDP	538
79	Desert Center	CDP	256
80	Cahuilla Reservation[85]	AIAN	229
81	Cabazon Reservation[86]	AIAN	192
82	Santa Rosa Reservation[87]	AIAN	131
83	Mountain Center	CDP	66
84	Twenty-Nine Reservation[88]	AIAN	5
85	Augustine Reservation[89]	AIAN	0
86	Ramona Village[90]	AIAN	0

Climate[]

Riverside County Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D     8     20 7     12     24 9     4     31 13     3     37 17     1     45 21     1     44 27     16     46 28     19     44 27     8     45 25     2     36 20     6     28 11     15     20 6 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: [91] Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.3     68 45     0.5     75 48     0.2     88 55     0.1     99 63     0     113 70     0     111 81     0.6     115 82     0.7     111 81     0.3     113 77     0.1     97 68     0.2     82 52     0.6     68 43 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

See also[]

• USS Riverside (APA-102), a World War II attack transport
• List of cemeteries in Riverside County, California
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Riverside County, California
• KPRO (California), a radio station that served the county

Notes[]

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Fitch, Robert J. (1993). Profile of a Century: Riverside County, California, 1893–1993. Riverside County Historical Commission Press. pp. 300. OCLC 28661359
• Gunther, Jane Davies. Riverside County, California, Place Names; Their Origins and Their Stories, Riverside, CA, 1984. LOC catalog number: 84–72920.
• Holmes, Elmer Wallace (1912). 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.
• Lech, Steve (2004). Along the Old Roads: A History of the Portion of Southern California that became Riverside County: 1772–1893. Steve Lech. p. 902. OCLC 56035822.
  • 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.
• 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.

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Riverside County, California.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Riverside County.

• 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 Curlie