San Bernardino County, California

San Bernardino County (/sæn ˌbɜːrnəˈdiːnoʊ/ (listen)), officially the County of San Bernardino, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 2,181,654,^[8] making it the fifth-most populous county in California and the 14th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is San Bernardino.^[9]

San Bernardino County
County
Images, from top down, left to right: San Bernardino County Court House, Downtown San Bernardino, Calico ghost town, a view of the San Bernardino Mountains range from San Gorgonio Wilderness
Flag Coat of arms
Interactive map of San Bernardino County
Location in the state of California
Country	United States
State	California
Established	April 26, 1853^[1]
Named for	San Bernardino, named for San Bernardino de Sena Estancia, named in turn for Saint Bernardino of Siena
County seat	San Bernardino
Largest city (Pop.)	San Bernardino
Largest city (Area)	Victorville
Government
• Type	Council–CEO
• Body	Board of Supervisors ^[2]^[3]
• Chair	Dawn Rowe (N.P.)
• Vice Chair	Paul Cook (R)
• Board of Supervisors ^[4]	Supervisors Paul Cook (R) Jesse Armendarez (N.P.) Dawn Rowe (N.P.) Curt Hagman (R) Joe Baca, Jr. (D)
• Chief executive officer	Leonard X. Hernandez
Area
• Total	20,105 sq mi (52,070 km^2)
• Land	20,057 sq mi (51,950 km^2)
• Water	48 sq mi (120 km^2)
Highest elevation ^[5]	11,503 ft (3,506 m)
Population  (2020)^[7]
• Total	2,181,654 ^[6]
• Density	110/sq mi (40/km^2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes	442/760, 909, 951
FIPS code	06-071
Website	www.sbcounty.gov

While included within the Greater Los Angeles area, San Bernardino County is included in the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario metropolitan statistical area, as well as the Los Angeles–Long Beach combined statistical area.

With an area of 20,105 square miles (52,070 km²), San Bernardino County is the largest county in the contiguous United States by area, although some of Alaska's boroughs and census areas are larger. The county is close to the size of West Virginia.

This vast county stretches from where the bulk of the county population resides in three Census County Divisions (Fontana, San Bernardino, and Victorville-Hesperia), counting 1,793,186 people as of the 2010 Census, covering 1,730 square miles (4,500 km²), across the thinly populated deserts and mountains. It spans an area from south of the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino Valley, to the Nevada border and the Colorado River.

With a population that is 53.7% Hispanic as of 2020, it is California's most populous majority-Hispanic county and the second-largest nationwide.^[10]

History

See also: History of San Bernardino, California

Indigenous

 

Many different Indigenous groups, including the Cahuilla, long inhabited what is now San Berardino County. Captain of the Agua Caliente Band (1900).

The indigenous peoples that resided in what is now San Bernardino County were primarily the Taaqtam (Serrano) and ʔívil̃uqaletem (Cahuilla) peoples who lived in the San Bernardino Valley and the San Bernardino Mountains; the Chemehuevi and the Kawaiisu peoples who lived in the Mojave Desert region; and the 'Aha Makhav (Mohave) and the Piipaash (Maricopa) peoples who lived along the Colorado River. These groups established various villages and settlements throughout the region that were interconnected by a series of extensive trails.^[11][12][13]

Wa'aachnga was a major Tongva village site, also occupied by the Serrano and Cahuilla, located near what is now the city of San Bernardino. The village was part of an extensive trade network along the Mohave Trail that connected villages in San Bernardino County from the Colorado River to the Los Angeles Basin.^[14][15] Wá'peat was a Desert Serrano village located near what is now the city of Hesperia. It was part of a series of villages located along the Mojave River.^[16] By the late 1700s, villages in the area were being increasingly encroached upon by Spanish soldiers and missionaries, who were coming into the region from Mission San Gabriel.^[17][12]

Colonial period

 

Don Antonio María Lugo was granted the right to settle the San Bernardino Valley in 1839 by Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado.

Spanish Missionaries from Mission San Gabriel Arcángel established a church at the village of Wa'aachnga, which would be renamed Politania in 1810.^[12] Father Francisco Dumetz named the church San Bernardino on May 20, 1810, after the feast day of St. Bernardino of Siena. The Franciscans also gave the name San Bernardino to the snowcapped peak in Southern California, in honor of the saint and it is from him that the county derives its name.^[18] In 1819, they established the San Bernardino de Sena Estancia, a mission farm in what is now Redlands.

Following Mexican independence from Spain in 1821, Mexican citizens were granted land grants to establish ranchos in the area of the county. Rancho Jurupa in 1838, Rancho Cucamonga and El Rincon in 1839, Rancho Santa Ana del Chino in 1841, Rancho San Bernardino in 1842 and Rancho Muscupiabe in 1844.

Agua Mansa was the first town in what became San Bernardino County, settled by immigrants from New Mexico on land donated from the Rancho Jurupa in 1841.

Establishment

 

San Bernardino County horticulture exhibit at World Columbian Exposition, Chicago 1893.

Following the purchase of Rancho San Bernardino, and the establishment of the town of San Bernardino in 1851 by Mormon colonists, San Bernardino County was formed in 1853 from parts of Los Angeles County. Some of the southern parts of the county's territory were given to Riverside County in 1893.

In the 1980s, Northern San Bernardino County proposed to create Mojave County due to the abysmal service levels the county provided. Ultimately, the vote for county secession failed. The proposed county was from the Cajon Pass to the city of Needles.^[19]

In 1998, County administrator James Hlawek resigned after being subject to an FBI investigation for bribery, but only after Harry Mays, county Treasurer-Tax Collector Thomas O'Donnell, County Investment Officer Sol Levin and three businessmen had agreed to plead guilty to federal bribery charges.^[20][21]

In 2004, County Supervisor Geral Eaves Pleaded guilty to bribery for accepting gifts from businesses for allowing billboards on county land.^[22]

In 2004, the county was embroiled in a corruption scandal, that lasted until 2016, over the colonies housing development with real estate developer Jeff Burum in upland. The scandal resulted in 102 million being paid to Jeff Burums real estate company. Supervisor Bill Postmus pleaded guilty to 10 felonies in regard to his previous post as county assessor. in 2020, Jeff Burum sued the county again and the county reached for a 69 million dollar settlement. 2022, the county's insurance company, Ironside, balked at paying the settlement, claiming that the county willfully "retaliate against the Colonies II Plaintiffs as part of a decades-long dispute over land and water rights in Upland, California, culminating in a malicious prosecution of Burum."^{[23][24][25][26][27]}

In 2020, voters approved Measure K, which limited county supervisors to one term instead of three, while reducing pay from 250 thousand dollars to 60 thousand dollars. County Supervisors appealed the decision, only to lose in the state's appeals court.^{[28][29][30][31][32]} By 2022, term limits were restored and pay was restored to 80% of the annual base compensation for San Bernardino Superior Court judges under a supervisor lead ballot measure^[33][34][35]

In 2022, The Board of supervisors were pushed by a major supervisor campaign contributor Jeff Burum to vote for secession from the State of California to form the state of Empire.^{[36][37][38][39][40]}

Geography

 

The Arrowhead natural feature is the source of many local names and icons, such as Lake Arrowhead and the county's seal.

 

Central Joshua Tree with the mountains of Joshua Tree National Park on the horizon.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 20,105 square miles (52,070 km²), of which 20,057 square miles (51,950 km²) is land and 48 square miles (120 km²) (0.2%) is water.^[41] It is the largest county by area in California and the largest in the United States (excluding boroughs in Alaska).^[42] It is slightly larger than the states of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island combined, and is also slightly larger than Switzerland. It borders both Nevada and Arizona.

The bulk of the population, nearly two million, live in the roughly 480 square miles south of the San Bernardino Mountains adjacent to Riverside and in the San Bernardino Valley in the southwestern portion of the county. About 390,000 residents live just north of the San Bernardino Mountains, in and around the roughly 280 square-mile area that includes the Victor Valley. Roughly another 100,000 people live scattered across the rest of the sprawling county.

The Mojave National Preserve covers some of the eastern desert, especially between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The desert portion also includes the cities of Needles next to the Colorado River and Barstow at the junction of Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. Trona is at the northwestern part of the county, west of Death Valley. This national park, mostly within Inyo County, also has a small portion of land within San Bernardino County. The largest metropolitan area in the Mojave Desert part of the county is the Victor Valley, with the incorporated localities of Adelanto, Apple Valley, Hesperia, and Victorville. Further south, a portion of Joshua Tree National Park overlaps the county near the High Desert area, in the vicinity of Twentynine Palms. The remaining towns make up the remainder of the High Desert: Pioneertown, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Landers, and Morongo Valley.

The mountains are home to the San Bernardino National Forest, and include the communities of Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, Running Springs, Big Bear City, Forest Falls, and Big Bear Lake.

The San Bernardino Valley is at the eastern end of the San Gabriel Valley. The San Bernardino Valley includes the cities of Ontario, Chino, Chino Hills, Upland, Fontana, Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace, Montclair, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Loma Linda, Highland, Redlands, and Yucaipa.

Adjacent counties

 

San Bernardino

Inyo

Los
Angeles

Kern

Riverside

Orange

Clark County,
Nevada

Mohave
County,
Arizona

La Paz
County,
Arizona

 

Counties adjacent to San Bernardino County, California

National protected areas

 

Cadiz Dunes Wilderness

• Angeles National Forest (part)
• Death Valley National Park (part)
• Havasu National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Joshua Tree National Park (part)
• Mojave National Preserve
• San Bernardino National Forest (part)
• Sand to Snow National Monument (part)

More than 80% of the county's land is owned by the federal government.^[43] There are at least 35 official wilderness areas in the county that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. This is the largest number of any county in the United States (although not the largest in total area). The majority are managed by the Bureau of Land Management, but some are integral components of the above listed national protected areas. Most of these wilderness areas lie entirely within the county, but a few are shared with neighboring counties (and two of these are shared with the neighboring states of Arizona and Nevada).

Except as noted, these wilderness areas are managed solely by the Bureau of Land Management and lie within San Bernardino County:

• Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness
• Bighorn Mountain Wilderness (part)
• Black Mountain Wilderness
• Bristol Mountains Wilderness
• Cadiz Dunes Wilderness
• Chemehuevi Mountains Wilderness
• Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness
• Clipper Mountain Wilderness
• Cucamonga Wilderness
• Dead Mountains Wilderness
• Death Valley Wilderness (part)
• Golden Valley Wilderness
• Grass Valley Wilderness
• Havasu Wilderness (part)
• Hollow Hills Wilderness
• Joshua Tree Wilderness (part)
• Kelso Dunes Wilderness
• Kingston Range Wilderness
• Mesquite Wilderness
• Mojave Wilderness
• Newberry Mountains Wilderness
• North Mesquite Mountains Wilderness
• Old Woman Mountains Wilderness
• Pahrump Valley Wilderness (part)
• Piute Mountains Wilderness
• Rodman Mountains Wilderness
• Saddle Peak Hills Wilderness (part)
• San Gorgonio Wilderness (part)
• Sheep Mountain Wilderness (part)
• Sheephole Valley Wilderness
• Stateline Wilderness
• Stepladder Mountains Wilderness
• Trilobite Wilderness
• Turtle Mountains Wilderness
• Whipple Mountains Wilderness

Demographics

2020

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	5,551		—
1870	3,988		−28.2%
1880	7,786		95.2%
1890	25,497		227.5%
1900	27,929		9.5%
1910	56,706		103.0%
1920	73,401		29.4%
1930	133,900		82.4%
1940	161,108		20.3%
1950	281,642		74.8%
1960	503,591		78.8%
1970	684,072		35.8%
1980	895,016		30.8%
1990	1,418,380		58.5%
2000	1,709,434		20.5%
2010	2,035,210		19.1%
2020	2,181,654		7.2%
U.S. Decennial Census^[44] 1790–1960^[45] 1900–1990^[46] 1990–2000^[47] 2010^[48] 2020^[49]

2020 census

San Bernardino County, California - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010^[48]	Pop 2020^[49]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	677,598	566,113	33.29%	25.95%
Black or African American alone (NH)	170,700	173,322	8.39%	7.94%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	8,523	8,412	0.42%	0.39%
Asian alone (NH)	123,978	176,204	6.09%	8.08%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	5,845	6,173	0.29%	0.28%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	4,055	12,117	0.20%	0.56%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	43,366	68,400	2.13%	3.14%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,001,145	1,170,913	49.19%	53.67%
Total	2,035,210	2,181,654	100.00%	100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

 

Ethnic origins in San Bernardino County

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population^[50]	2,023,452
White^[50]	1,240,228	61.3%
Black or African American^[50]	176,209	8.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native^[50]	20,762	1.0%
Asian^[50]	126,991	6.3%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander^[50]	5,984	0.3%
Some other race^[50]	364,236	18.0%
Two or more races^[50]	89,042	4.4%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)^[51]	984,022	48.6%
Per capita income^[52]	$21,932
Median household income^[53]	$55,853
Median family income^[54]	$61,525

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place	Type^[55]	Population^[50]	White^[50]	Other^[50] ^[note 1]	Asian^[50]	Black or African American^[50]	Native American^[50] ^[note 2]	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)^[51]
Adelanto	City	30,670	55.5%	19.4%	2.4%	21.1%	1.5%	51.8%
Apple Valley	Town	68,316	76.6%	10.1%	2.0%	10.4%	0.9%	28.7%
Baker	CDP	713	37.0%	52.5%	0.0%	8.7%	1.8%	69.6%
Barstow	City	22,913	58.8%	18.0%	1.7%	16.4%	5.0%	39.6%
Big Bear City	CDP	11,504	82.3%	13.7%	1.1%	1.3%	1.6%	23.7%
Big Bear Lake	City	5,109	74.9%	20.9%	0.0%	1.8%	2.3%	24.0%
Big River	CDP	1,213	88.0%	8.9%	0.0%	0.0%	3.1%	12.1%
Bloomington	CDP	25,234	60.9%	33.2%	0.8%	3.5%	1.6%	83.5%
Bluewater	CDP	114	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	10.5%
Chino	City	78,050	60.8%	22.2%	9.8%	6.4%	0.9%	54.3%
Chino Hills	City	74,765	55.6%	11.8%	28.3%	3.8%	0.5%	30.2%
Colton	City	52,283	50.2%	32.5%	5.2%	10.4%	1.6%	68.0%
Crestline	CDP	8,743	87.5%	9.7%	0.8%	1.2%	0.8%	14.2%
Fontana	City	192,779	58.2%	24.8%	6.4%	9.7%	0.9%	65.9%
Fort Irwin	CDP	9,781	69.4%	10.1%	7.1%	10.2%	3.2%	25.5%
Grand Terrace	City	12,132	65.4%	20.8%	7.6%	5.6%	0.6%	37.9%
Hesperia	City	88,247	74.9%	15.0%	2.1%	6.3%	1.7%	47.9%
Highland	City	52,777	52.4%	29.5%	7.1%	10.1%	0.9%	47.9%
Homestead Valley	CDP	3,072	94.7%	3.6%	1.3%	0.0%	0.4%	3.8%
Joshua Tree	CDP	7,194	82.4%	10.6%	2.7%	3.0%	1.3%	16.4%
Lake Arrowhead	CDP	9,434	81.0%	16.4%	0.6%	1.4%	0.6%	23.7%
Lenwood	CDP	3,784	63.3%	25.1%	0.4%	9.4%	1.8%	44.7%
Loma Linda	City	23,081	48.4%	15.0%	28.7%	6.8%	1.1%	22.8%
Lucerne Valley	CDP	6,029	76.4%	6.6%	1.7%	12.1%	3.1%	21.3%
Lytle Creek	CDP	735	86.8%	2.3%	8.2%	0.0%	2.7%	27.3%
Mentone	CDP	8,670	75.5%	12.0%	4.2%	7.7%	0.7%	29.7%
Montclair	City	36,802	43.1%	39.8%	10.2%	4.6%	2.3%	67.1%
Morongo Valley	CDP	3,550	81.7%	15.3%	0.1%	0.0%	2.9%	25.4%
Mountain View Acres	CDP	3,376	68.5%	18.2%	1.9%	11.1%	0.4%	58.4%
Muscoy	CDP	11,573	52.2%	41.8%	3.2%	1.7%	1.0%	82.8%
Needles	City	4,910	74.5%	9.3%	1.6%	3.0%	11.5%	16.0%
Oak Glen	CDP	502	95.6%	1.4%	0.0%	3.0%	0.0%	20.9%
Oak Hills	CDP	8,780	84.2%	9.6%	3.5%	0.7%	2.1%	34.5%
Ontario	City	165,120	52.6%	33.9%	4.6%	7.6%	1.4%	66.5%
Phelan	CDP	12,851	78.5%	14.8%	4.0%	1.2%	1.4%	29.5%
Piñon Hills	CDP	6,130	93.4%	5.1%	0.4%	1.0%	0.0%	18.0%
Rancho Cucamonga	City	163,151	63.2%	16.4%	10.5%	8.4%	1.5%	34.8%
Redlands	City	68,995	69.6%	15.9%	7.9%	5.3%	1.3%	29.5%
Rialto	City	99,501	59.2%	22.5%	2.4%	14.9%	0.9%	67.2%
Running Springs	CDP	5,027	84.4%	11.2%	0.9%	0.4%	3.1%	17.6%
San Antonio Heights	CDP	3,914	74.0%	18.0%	7.1%	0.1%	0.8%	21.5%
San Bernardino	City	210,100	44.8%	34.9%	4.4%	14.9%	1.1%	58.8%
Searles Valley	CDP	1,812	91.9%	5.0%	0.0%	2.2%	0.8%	9.9%
Silver Lakes	CDP	4,508	88.1%	4.3%	3.7%	3.2%	0.7%	14.2%
Spring Valley Lake	CDP	8,080	91.3%	5.4%	1.9%	1.0%	0.3%	21.1%
Twentynine Palms	City	25,786	74.8%	10.1%	3.6%	7.4%	4.1%	19.8%
Upland	City	74,021	61.0%	22.5%	9.3%	5.5%	1.8%	37.8%
Victorville	City	111,704	62.0%	17.1%	4.5%	15.4%	1.1%	47.5%
Wrightwood	CDP	4,556	96.6%	2.5%	0.9%	0.0%	0.0%	10.1%
Yucaipa	City	50,862	81.0%	13.6%	2.5%	1.9%	1.0%	26.3%
Yucca Valley	Town	20,508	82.7%	11.0%	2.6%	2.4%	1.4%	14.1%

Places by population and income
Place	Type^[55]	Population^[56]	Per capita income^[52]	Median household income^[53]	Median family income^[54]
Adelanto	City	30,670	$11,771	$42,208	$45,187
Apple Valley	Town	68,316	$23,229	$50,664	$57,811
Baker	CDP	713	$11,235	$33,000	$43,047
Barstow	City	22,913	$20,571	$45,417	$55,403
Big Bear City	CDP	11,504	$21,008	$41,509	$54,881
Big Bear Lake	City	5,109	$22,207	$31,541	$36,750
Big River	CDP	1,213	$24,254	$29,219	$43,611
Bloomington	CDP	25,234	$13,492	$44,673	$44,855
Bluewater	CDP	114	$25,664	$32,500	$41,250
Chino	City	78,050	$22,918	$73,400	$80,411
Chino Hills	City	74,765	$35,157	$101,905	$108,140
Colton	City	52,283	$16,385	$41,788	$46,195
Crestline	CDP	8,743	$24,872	$51,478	$58,171
Fontana	City	192,779	$19,297	$64,058	$65,652
Fort Irwin	CDP	9,781	$18,214	$52,798	$53,774
Grand Terrace	City	12,132	$29,591	$64,337	$82,898
Hesperia	City	88,247	$17,589	$48,624	$52,894
Highland	City	52,777	$22,494	$59,419	$66,445
Homestead Valley	CDP	3,072	$19,107	$26,356	$38,838
Joshua Tree	CDP	7,194	$25,501	$43,510	$49,221
Lake Arrowhead	CDP	9,434	$35,810	$63,117	$68,462
Lenwood	CDP	3,784	$16,799	$43,000	$53,938
Loma Linda	City	23,081	$31,242	$61,116	$71,844
Lucerne Valley	CDP	6,029	$16,034	$25,323	$34,167
Lytle Creek	CDP	735	$21,703	$65,982	$74,050
Mentone	CDP	8,670	$25,747	$56,075	$57,198
Montclair	City	36,802	$17,173	$50,959	$51,434
Morongo Valley	CDP	3,550	$23,084	$37,734	$57,321
Mountain View Acres	CDP	3,376	$17,573	$54,427	$58,125
Muscoy	CDP	11,573	$11,294	$44,853	$50,236
Needles	City	4,910	$19,818	$30,139	$34,968
Oak Glen	CDP	502	$23,376	$63,902	$68,462
Oak Hills	CDP	8,780	$29,805	$76,882	$84,158
Ontario	City	165,120	$19,123	$55,902	$57,731
Phelan	CDP	12,851	$23,682	$52,863	$61,746
Piñon Hills	CDP	6,130	$26,576	$38,140	$58,542
Rancho Cucamonga	City	163,151	$32,738	$78,782	$88,362
Redlands	City	68,995	$32,586	$68,015	$82,420
Rialto	City	99,501	$15,967	$50,452	$54,271
Running Springs	CDP	5,027	$28,608	$60,833	$76,121
San Antonio Heights	CDP	3,914	$46,524	$97,960	$102,692
San Bernardino	City	210,100	$15,762	$40,161	$42,771
Searles Valley	CDP	1,812	$22,908	$31,970	$65,472
Silver Lakes	CDP	4,508	$30,517	$64,058	$73,405
Spring Valley Lake	CDP	8,080	$24,390	$54,344	$67,877
Twentynine Palms	City	25,786	$21,546	$43,412	$45,225
Upland	City	74,021	$29,614	$67,449	$75,304
Victorville	City	111,704	$17,249	$52,357	$53,667
Wrightwood	CDP	4,556	$36,747	$80,793	$89,583
Yucaipa	City	50,862	$26,985	$59,596	$73,302
Yucca Valley	Town	20,508	$21,990	$45,502	$52,942

2010 Census

The 2010 United States Census reported that San Bernardino County had a population of 2,035,210. The racial makeup of San Bernardino County was 1,153,161 (56.7%) White, 181,862 (8.9%) African American, 22,689 (1.1%) Native American, 128,603 (6.3%) Asian, 6,870 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 439,661 (21.6%) from other races, and 102,364 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,001,145 persons (49.2%).^[57]

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)
San Bernardino County	2,035,210	1,153,161	181,862	22,689	128,603	6,870	439,661	102,364	1,001,145
Incorporated cities and towns	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Adelanto	31,765	13,909	6,511	411	617	194	8,337	1,786	18,513
Apple Valley	69,135	47,762	6,321	779	2,020	294	8,345	3,614	20,156
Barstow	22,639	11,840	3,313	477	723	278	4,242	1,766	9,700
Big Bear Lake	5,019	4,204	22	48	78	10	491	166	1,076
Chino	77,983	43,981	4,829	786	8,159	168	16,503	3,557	41,993
Chino Hills	74,799	38,035	3,415	379	22,676	115	6,520	3,659	21,802
Colton	52,154	22,613	5,055	661	2,590	176	18,413	2,646	37,039
Fontana	196,069	92,978	19,574	1,957	12,948	547	58,449	9,616	130,957
Grand Terrace	12,040	7,912	673	120	778	32	1,898	627	4,708
Hesperia	90,173	55,129	5,226	1,118	1,884	270	22,115	4,431	44,091
Highland	53,104	27,836	5,887	542	3,954	168	11,826	2,891	25,556
Loma Linda	23,261	11,122	2,032	97	6,589	154	2,022	1,245	5,171
Montclair	36,664	19,337	1,908	434	3,425	74	9,882	1,604	25,744
Needles	4,844	3,669	95	399	35	9	323	314	1,083
Ontario	163,924	83,683	10,561	1,686	8,453	514	51,373	7,654	113,085
Rancho Cucamonga	165,269	102,401	15,246	1,134	17,208	443	19,878	8,959	57,688
Redlands	68,747	47,452	3,564	625	5,216	235	8,266	3,389	20,810
Rialto	99,171	43,592	16,236	1,062	2,258	361	30,993	4,669	67,038
San Bernardino	209,924	95,734	31,582	2,822	8,454	839	59,827	10,666	125,994
Twentynine Palms	25,048	17,938	2,063	329	979	345	1,678	1,716	5,212
Upland	73,732	48,364	5,400	522	6,217	159	9,509	3,561	28,035
Victorville	115,903	56,258	19,483	1,665	4,641	489	26,036	7,331	55,359
Yucaipa	51,367	40,824	837	485	1,431	74	5,589	2,127	13,943
Yucca Valley	20,700	17,280	666	232	469	44	1,185	824	3,679
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)
Baker	735	302	1	5	10	14	380	23	502
Big Bear City	12,304	10,252	83	202	103	31	1,089	544	2,323
Big River	1,327	1,137	14	50	2	0	54	70	160
Bloomington	23,851	12,988	649	309	330	47	8,600	928	19,326
Bluewater	172	156	2	1	0	1	9	3	11
Crestline	10,770	9,289	107	135	96	20	526	597	1,775
Fort Irwin	8,845	5,481	1,086	103	402	120	916	737	2,261
Homestead Valley	3,032	2,594	34	58	30	9	196	111	517
Joshua Tree	7,414	6,176	234	84	104	18	368	430	1,308
Lake Arrowhead	12,424	10,729	95	93	152	33	847	475	2,709
Lenwood	3,543	2,133	219	94	37	25	813	222	1,675
Lucerne Valley	5,811	4,507	170	106	90	0	676	262	1,447
Lytle Creek	701	606	6	7	23	0	25	34	98
Mentone	8,720	6,114	438	122	352	32	1,234	428	3,085
Morongo Valley	3,552	3,076	40	73	31	4	187	141	531
Mountain View Acres	3,130	1,748	215	48	98	17	861	143	1,647
Muscoy	10,644	4,459	454	125	101	16	4,992	497	8,824
Oak Glen	638	545	50	13	2	1	14	13	123
Oak Hills	8,879	6,796	266	100	226	28	1,166	297	2,719
Phelan	14,304	10,807	276	139	446	20	1,993	623	4,128
Piñon Hills	7,272	5,966	58	65	189	4	659	331	1,738
Running Springs	4,862	4,325	23	47	50	6	146	265	695
San Antonio Heights	3,371	2,765	67	24	284	15	115	101	612
Searles Valley	1,739	1,405	69	56	16	6	83	104	293
Silver Lakes	5,623	4,566	315	39	198	15	270	220	907
Spring Valley Lake	8,220	6,450	403	55	381	23	481	427	1,528
Wrightwood	4,525	4,126	38	28	51	7	112	163	538
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)	115,368	69,810	5,951	1,738	2,997	366	29,149	5,357	61,233

2000

As of the census^[58] of 2000, there were 1,709,434 people, 528,594 households, and 404,374 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 inhabitants per square mile (33/km²). There were 601,369 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 58.9% White, 9.1% African American, 1.2% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 20.8% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. 39.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 8.3% were of German, 5.5% English and 5.1% Irish ancestry. 66.1% spoke English, 27.7% Spanish and 1.1% Tagalog as their first language.

There were 528,594 households, out of which 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone 65 years of age or older living alone. The average household size was 3.2 people, and the average family size was 3.6 people.

The number of homeless in San Bernardino County grew from 5,270 in 2002 to 7,331 in 2007, a 39% increase.^[59]

In the county, the population was spread out—with 32.3% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,066, and the median income for a family was $46,574. Males had a median income of $37,025 versus $27,993 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,856. About 12.6% of families and 15.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government and policing

County government

As of 2021, the Board of Supervisors oversees a $7.9 billion annual budget ^[60] and 25,430 employees.

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has 5 members elected from their districts:^[61]

• Paul Cook (First District),
• Janice Rutherford (Second District),
• Dawn Rowe (Third District),
• Chairman Curt Hagman (Fourth District), and
• Joe Baca Jr. (Fifth District)

Other County of San Bernardino Elected Officials ^[62]

• Ensen Mason (Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector)
• Chris Wilhite (Assessor/Recorder)^[63]
• Theodore Alejandre (County Superintendent of Schools)
• Jason Anderson (District Attorney)
• Shannon Dicus (Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator)

State and federal representation

In the United States House of Representatives, San Bernardino County is split among 6 congressional districts:^[64]

• California's 23rd congressional district, represented by Republican Jay Obernolte,
• California's 25th congressional district, represented by Democrat Raul Ruiz,
• California's 28th congressional district, represented by Democrat Judy Chu,
• California's 33rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Pete Aguilar,
• California's 35th congressional district, represented by Democrat Norma Torres, and
• California's 40th congressional district, represented by Republican Young Kim.

In the California State Assembly, San Bernardino County is split among 8 assembly districts:^[65]

• the 33rd Assembly District, represented by Republican Devon Mathis,
• the 36th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Eduardo Garcia,
• the 39th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Juan Carrillo,
• the 40th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Pilar Schiavo,
• the 41st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Chris Holden,
• the 47th Assembly District, represented by Republican Greg Wallis,
• the 52nd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Wendy Carrillo, and
• the 55th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Isaac Bryan.

In the California State Senate, San Bernardino County is split among 5 districts:^[66]

• the 19th Senate District, represented by Democrat Monique Limón,
• the 22nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Susan Rubio,
• the 23rd Senate District, represented by Republican Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh,
• the 25th Senate District, represented by Democrat Anthony Portantino, and
• the 29th Senate District, represented by Democrat Josh Newman.

Safety

Fire

 

Department logo

The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCoFD) or the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the unincorporated parts of the county and 24 incorporated cities.^[67][68] The department annexed the Crest Forest Fire Protection District on July 1, 2015;^[69][70][71] the San Bernardino City and Twentynine Palms Fire Departments on July 1, 2016;^{[72][73][74][75]} and the Upland Fire Department in July 2017.^[76] As of April 2019 the City of Victorville declined to renew their contract with The San Bernardino County Fire Department.^[77]

Sheriff

The San Bernardino County Sheriff provides court protection, jail administration, and coroner services for all of San Bernardino County. It provides police patrol, detective, and marshal services for the unincorporated areas of the county.

Municipal police

Municipal police departments in the county are: Fontana, San Bernardino, Rialto, Ontario, Upland, Montclair, Chino, Redlands, Colton, and Barstow. The San Bernardino County Sheriff provides contract law enforcement services to 14 incorporated cities and towns: Adelanto, Apple Valley, Big Bear, Chino Hills, Grand Terrace, Hesperia, Highland, Loma Linda, Needles, Rancho Cucamonga, Twentynine Palms, Victorville, Yucaipa, and Yucca Valley. Also for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. The Sheriff's Commanders assigned to these stations acts as each municipality's Chief of Police.^{[citation needed]}

Politics

Voter registration

Population and registered voters
Total population^[50]	2,023,452
Registered voters^[78]^[note 3]	869,637	43.0%
Democratic^[78]	339,603	39.1%
Republican^[78]	307,945	35.4%
Democratic–Republican spread^[78]	+31,658	+3.7%
Independent^[78]	31,121	3.6%
Green^[78]	3,174	0.4%
Libertarian^[78]	5,121	0.6%
Peace and Freedom^[78]	3,204	0.4%
Americans Elect^[78]	68	0.0%
Other^[78]	1,941	0.2%
No party preference^[78]	177,460	20.4%

Cities by population and voter registration

City	Population^[50]	Registered voters^[78] ^[note 3]	Democratic^[78]	Republican^[78]	D–R spread^[78]	Other^[78]	No party preference^[78]
Adelanto	30,670	29.8%	48.8%	21.7%	+27.1%	11.1%	23.2%
Apple Valley	68,316	52.3%	29.1%	46.1%	-17.0%	11.5%	18.4%
Barstow	22,913	37.2%	41.5%	29.0%	+12.5%	11.0%	23.3%
Big Bear Lake	5,109	56.7%	23.9%	51.6%	-27.7%	10.8%	17.9%
Chino	78,050	42.0%	39.2%	36.9%	+2.3%	7.1%	19.8%
Chino Hills	74,765	52.6%	31.8%	40.6%	-8.8%	6.9%	23.4%
Colton	52,283	38.9%	49.9%	25.4%	+24.5%	7.5%	20.2%
Fontana	192,779	38.2%	48.6%	24.7%	+23.9%	7.0%	22.5%
Grand Terrace	12,132	54.9%	37.0%	39.3%	-2.3%	8.1%	18.9%
Hesperia	88,247	41.7%	34.3%	38.2%	-3.9%	10.9%	21.2%
Highland	52,777	45.5%	38.4%	37.4%	+1.0%	8.0%	19.5%
Loma Linda	23,081	46.2%	32.9%	36.3%	-3.4%	8.5%	25.8%
Montclair	36,802	35.8%	50.2%	23.5%	+26.7%	7.1%	21.8%
Needles	4,910	39.1%	40.8%	28.7%	+12.1%	13.8%	22.8%
Ontario	165,120	36.7%	46.9%	28.5%	+18.4%	7.1%	20.3%
Rancho Cucamonga	163,151	53.8%	35.6%	39.5%	-3.9%	8.0%	20.3%
Redlands	68,995	56.1%	33.9%	42.4%	-8.5%	8.9%	18.4%
Rialto	99,501	39.6%	52.0%	23.7%	+28.3%	6.9%	20.1%
San Bernardino	210,100	36.8%	46.5%	29.5%	+17.0%	7.7%	19.4%
Twentynine Palms	25,786	22.1%	27.5%	41.1%	-13.6%	11.1%	24.9%
Upland	74,021	52.0%	35.4%	40.7%	-5.3%	7.6%	19.3%
Victorville	111,704	38.4%	43.5%	29.6%	+13.9%	10.0%	21.1%
Yucaipa	50,862	54.1%	27.5%	48.9%	-21.4%	10.4%	17.5%
Yucca Valley	20,508	48.0%	28.1%	45.3%	-17.2%	11.4%	20.1%

Overview

United States presidential election results for San Bernardino County, California^[79]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	366,257	43.54%	455,859	54.20%	19,014	2.26%
2016	271,240	41.48%	340,833	52.12%	41,910	6.41%
2012	262,358	45.01%	305,109	52.34%	15,463	2.65%
2008	277,408	45.75%	315,720	52.07%	13,206	2.18%
2004	289,306	55.29%	227,789	43.53%	6,181	1.18%
2000	221,757	48.75%	214,749	47.21%	18,387	4.04%
1996	180,135	43.58%	183,372	44.36%	49,848	12.06%
1992	176,563	37.24%	183,634	38.74%	113,873	24.02%
1988	235,167	59.99%	151,118	38.55%	5,723	1.46%
1984	222,071	64.80%	116,454	33.98%	4,180	1.22%
1980	172,957	59.68%	91,790	31.67%	25,065	8.65%
1976	113,265	49.49%	109,636	47.90%	5,984	2.61%
1972	144,689	59.73%	85,986	35.49%	11,581	4.78%
1968	111,974	50.07%	89,418	39.99%	22,224	9.94%
1964	92,145	42.78%	123,012	57.11%	243	0.11%
1960	99,481	52.00%	90,888	47.51%	944	0.49%
1956	86,263	56.88%	64,946	42.83%	443	0.29%
1952	77,718	57.34%	56,663	41.81%	1,153	0.85%
1948	46,570	48.59%	45,691	47.68%	3,577	3.73%
1944	34,084	46.52%	38,530	52.59%	646	0.88%
1940	30,511	44.30%	37,520	54.47%	847	1.23%
1936	22,219	38.97%	33,955	59.55%	842	1.48%
1932	22,094	44.59%	24,889	50.23%	2,565	5.18%
1928	29,229	74.73%	9,436	24.13%	447	1.14%
1924	15,974	56.93%	2,634	9.39%	9,453	33.69%
1920	12,518	62.84%	5,620	28.21%	1,783	8.95%
1916	11,932	50.68%	9,398	39.92%	2,215	9.41%
1912	172	1.12%	5,835	38.03%	9,336	60.85%
1908	4,729	52.90%	2,685	30.03%	1,526	17.07%
1904	3,884	58.23%	1,573	23.58%	1,213	18.19%
1900	3,135	52.15%	2,347	39.05%	529	8.80%
1896	2,818	48.54%	2,740	47.20%	247	4.25%
1892	3,686	48.71%	2,546	33.65%	1,335	17.64%
1888	3,059	53.50%	2,388	41.76%	271	4.74%
1884	1,617	54.37%	1,288	43.31%	69	2.32%
1880	730	49.09%	711	47.81%	46	3.09%

San Bernardino County is a county in which candidates from both major political parties have won in recent elections. Democrat Hillary Clinton carried the county by a majority and by double digits in 2016. The Democratic Party also carried the county in 2008 and 2012, when Barack Obama won majorities of the county's votes, and in 1992 and 1996, when Bill Clinton won pluralities. Republican George W. Bush took the county in 2000 by a plurality and in 2004 by a majority. The county is split between heavily Latino, middle-class, and Democratic areas and more wealthy conservative areas. The heavily Latino cities of Ontario and San Bernardino went for John Kerry in 2004, but with a relatively low voter turnout. In 2006, San Bernardino's population exceeded 201,000, and in 2004, only 42,520 votes were cast in the city; in 2006, strongly Republican Rancho Cucamonga had over 145,000 residents, of whom 53,054 voted.

According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 2020, there were 1,016,190 registered voters in San Bernardino County. Of those, 410,197 (40.37%) were registered Democrats, 298,234 (29.35%) were registered Republicans, with the remainder belonging to minor political parties or declining to state.^[80]

On November 4, 2008, San Bernardino County voted 67% for Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.^[81]

Public safety

Law enforcement

 

SBC Sheriff's department operates a sizable fleet of helicopters. Shown here are a Bell 212 (foreground) and a Sikorsky S-61 at the air unit's Rialto Airport headquarters.

The current district attorney is Jason Anderson, who was elected in March 2018 and took office on January 1, 2019.

The county's primary law enforcement agency is the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. The department provides law enforcement services in the unincorporated areas of the county and in 14 contract cities, operates the county jail system, provides marshal services in the county superior courts, and has numerous other divisions to serve the residents of the county.

Fire rescue

The county operates the San Bernardino County Consolidated Fire District (commonly known as the San Bernardino County Fire Department). The department provides "all-risk" fire, rescue, and emergency medical services to all unincorporated areas in the county except for several areas served by independent fire protection districts, and several cities that chose to contract with the department.

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^[50]	2,023,452
Violent crime^[82]	10,038	4.96
Homicide^[82]	121	0.06
Forcible rape^[82]	500	0.25
Robbery^[82]	3,017	1.49
Aggravated assault^[82]	6,400	3.16
Property crime^[82]	35,314	17.45
Burglary^[82]	15,178	7.50
Larceny-theft^[82]^[note 4]	31,697	15.66
Motor vehicle theft^[82]	9,730	4.81
Arson^[82]	512	0.25

On December 2, 2015, in the city of San Bernardino, terrorists attacked a staff meeting being held in the Inland Regional Center, murdering 14 people and wounding 22.

Cities by population and crime rates

Cities by population and crime rates
City	Population^[83]	Violent crimes^[83]	Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons	Property crimes^[83]	Property crime rate per 1,000 persons
Adelanto	32,520	199	6.12	924	28.41
Apple Valley	70,823	221	3.12	1,874	26.46
Barstow	23,188	207	8.93	843	36.36
Big Bear Lake	5,141	42	8.17	313	60.88
Chino	79,792	291	3.65	2,116	26.52
Chino Hills	76,632	64	0.84	956	12.48
Colton	53,431	189	3.54	1,907	35.69
Fontana	200,874	850	4.23	4,494	22.37
Grand Terrace	12,333	29	2.35	285	23.11
Hesperia	92,383	402	4.35	2,502	27.08
Highland	54,403	296	5.44	1,616	29.70
Loma Linda	23,819	43	1.81	626	26.28
Montclair	37,556	197	5.25	1,703	45.35
Needles	4,963	23	4.63	213	42.92
Ontario	167,933	534	3.18	5,056	30.11
Rancho Cucamonga	169,276	321	1.90	4,362	25.77
Redlands	70,399	221	3.14	2,992	42.50
Rialto	101,595	509	5.01	3,571	35.15
San Bernardino	214,987	2,022	9.41	10,510	48.89
Twentynine Palms	25,612	81	3.16	463	18.08
Upland	75,531	148	1.96	2,328	30.82
Victorville	118,687	676	5.70	4,465	37.62
Yucaipa	52,622	119	2.26	944	17.94
Yucca Valley	21,204	90	4.24	560	26.41

Education

Colleges and universities

• Barstow Community College
• Brandman University (Ontario campus)
• California State University, San Bernardino
• California University of Science and Medicine
• Calvary Chapel Bible College In Twin Peaks, California
• Chaffey College
• Copper Mountain College
• Crafton Hills College
• Loma Linda University
• National University (campuses in Ontario and San Bernardino)
• Palo Verde Community College (Needles campus)
• San Bernardino Valley College
• University of Redlands (Main Campus)
• Victor Valley College

K-12 education

School districts are:^[84]

Unified:

• Apple Valley Unified School District
• Baker Valley Unified School District
• Barstow Unified School District
• Bear Valley Unified School District
• Beaumont Unified School District
• Chino Valley Unified School District
• Colton Joint Unified School District
• Fontana Unified School District
• Hesperia Unified School District
• Lucerne Valley Unified School District
• Morongo Unified School District
• Muroc Joint Unified School District
• Needles Unified School District
• Redlands Unified School District
• Rialto Unified School District
• Rim of the World Unified School District
• San Bernardino City Unified School District
• Sierra Sands Unified School District
• Silver Valley Unified School District
• Snowline Joint Unified School District
• Trona Joint Unified School District
• Upland Unified School District
• Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District

Secondary:

• Chaffey Joint Union High School District
• Victor Valley Union High School District

Elementary:

• Adelanto Elementary School District
• Alta Loma Elementary School District
• Central Elementary School District
• Cucamonga Elementary School District
• Etiwanda Elementary School District
• Helendale Elementary School District
• Mountain View Elementary School District
• Mount Baldy Joint Elementary School District
• Ontario-Montclair School District
• Oro Grande Elementary School District
• Victor Elementary School District

Libraries

The San Bernardino County Library System consists of 32 branches across the county.^[85] Library services offered vary from branch to branch, but include internet access, children's story times, adult literacy services, book clubs, classes, and special events.^[86] The library system also offers e-books, digital music and movie downloads, free access to online learning through Lynda.com, and many other digital services.^[87]

City-sponsored public libraries also exist in San Bernardino County, including A. K. Smiley Public Library in Redlands, California, which was built in 1898.^[88] Other public libraries in the County include: The San Bernardino City Public Library System, Rancho Cucamonga Public Library, Upland Public Library, Colton City Library, and the Ontario City Library.^[89] These libraries are separate from the county system and do not share circulation privileges.

Transportation

Major highways

•   I-10
•   I-15
•   I-15 BL
•   I-40
•   I-215
•   US 95
•   US 395
•   SR 2
•   SR 18
•   SR 38
•   SR 58
•   SR 60
•   SR 62
•   SR 66
•   SR 71
•   SR 83
•   SR 127
•   SR 138
•   SR 142
•   SR 173
•   SR 178
•   SR 189
•   SR 210
•   SR 247
•   SR 259
•   SR 330
•   CR 66

Public transportation

• Morongo Basin Transit Authority provides bus service in Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms (including the Marine base). Limited service is also provided to Palm Springs.
• Mountain Transit covers the Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear regions. Limited service is also provided to Downtown San Bernardino.
• Needles Area Transit serves Needles and the surrounding county area.
• Omnitrans provides transit service in the urbanized portion of San Bernardino County, serving the City of San Bernardino, as well as the area between Montclair and Yucaipa.
• Victor Valley Transit Authority operates buses in Victorville, Hesperia, Adelanto, Apple Valley and the surrounding county area.
• Foothill Transit connects the Inland Empire area to the San Gabriel Valley and downtown Los Angeles.
• RTA connects Montclair, and Anaheim to Riverside County.
• SunLine Transit Agency connects Cal State San Bernardino to Palm Springs
• Beaumont Transit Connects Downtown San Bernardino to the city of Beaumont and Banning
• San Bernardino County is also served by Greyhound buses and Amtrak trains. Metrolink commuter trains connect the urbanized portion of the county with Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.

Airports

• Commercial domestic and international passenger flights are available at San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) and Ontario International Airport (ONT). SBD can be accessed from I-215 via Mill Street, I-10 via Tippecanoe Avenue, and I-210 via 3rd Street. Terminal construction recently finished^[when?], and commercial flights began in 2022. There is also a logistics center for Amazon's Amazon Air service that has recently completed construction on the airport grounds.
• Southern California Logistics Airport (Victorville) is a major airplane graveyard, general aviation airport, and a Partial Air Force Installation.
• The County of San Bernardino owns six general aviation airports: Apple Valley Airport, Baker Airport, Barstow-Daggett Airport, Chino Airport, Needles Airport, and Twentynine Palms Airport.
• Other general aviation airports in the county include: Big Bear City Airport, Cable Airport (Upland), Hesperia Airport (not listed in NPIAS),^[90] and Redlands Municipal Airport

Environmental quality

California Attorney General Jerry Brown sued the county in April 2007 under the state's environmental quality act for failing to account for the impact of global warming in the county's 25-year growth plan, approved in March. The Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club and the Audubon Society also sued in a separate case. According to Brendan Cummings, a senior attorney for the plaintiffs: "San Bernardino has never seen a project it didn't like. They rubber-stamp development. It's very much of a frontier mentality." The plaintiffs want the county to rewrite its growth plan's environmental impact statement to include methods to measure greenhouse gases and take steps to reduce them.^[91]

According to county spokesman David Wert, only 15% of the county is controlled by the county^{[clarification needed]}; the rest is cities and federal and state land. However, the county says it will make sure employment centers and housing are near transportation corridors to reduce traffic and do more to promote compact development and mass transit. The county budgeted $325,000 to fight the lawsuit.^[91]

The state and the county reached a settlement in August 2007.^[92] The county agreed to amend its general plan to include a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan, including an emission inventory and reduction targets. According to the LA Times in 2015, San Bernardino County had the highest levels of ozone in the United States, averaging 102 parts per billion.^[93]

Communities

Cities

City	Year incorporated	Population, 2018^[94]	Median income, 2019^[95]	Land area sq mi (km^2)
Adelanto	1970	34,160	$45,380	56.009 (145.062)
Apple Valley	1988	73,508	$51,314	73.193 (189.57)
Barstow	1947	23,972	$40,633	41.385 (107.186)
Big Bear Lake	1981	5,281	$51,060	6.346 (16.435)
Chino	1910	91,583	$87,090	29.639 (76.766)
Chino Hills	1991	83,447	$103,473	44.681 (115.723)
Colton	1887	54,741	$53,838	15.324 (39.689)
Fontana	1952	213,739	$80,800	42.432 (109.899)
Grand Terrace	1978	12,584	$71,788	3.502 (9.07)
Hesperia	1988	95,274	$50,271	73.096 (189.316)
Highland	1987	55,406	$64,868	18.755 (48.575)
Loma Linda	1970	24,382	$55,607	7.516 (19.467)
Montclair	1956	39,437	$62,024	5.517 (14.289)
Needles	1913	4,982	$33,717	30.808 (79.793)
Ontario	1891	181,107	$75,266	49.941 (129.345)
Rancho Cucamonga	1977	177,751	$92,773	39.851 (103.212)
Redlands	1888	71,586	$72,410	36.126 (93.565)
Rialto	1911	103,440	$70,188	22.351 (57.889)
San Bernardino	1854	215,941	$49,721	59.201 (153.33)
Twentynine Palms	1987	26,418	$44,226	59.143 (153.179)
Upland	1906	77,000	$82,426	15.617 (40.448)
Victorville	1962	122,312	$60,391	73.178 (189.529)
Yucaipa	1989	53,682	$69,104	27.888 (72.231)
Yucca Valley	1991	21,726	$44,757	40.015 (103.639)

Census-designated places

• Baker
• Big Bear City
• Big River
• Bloomington
• Bluewater
• Crestline
• Fort Irwin
• Homestead Valley
• Joshua Tree
• Lake Arrowhead
• Lenwood
• Lucerne Valley
• Lytle Creek
• Mentone
• Morongo Valley
• Mountain View Acres
• Muscoy
• Oak Glen
• Oak Hills
• Phelan
• Piñon Hills
• Running Springs
• San Antonio Heights
• Searles Valley
• Silver Lakes
• Spring Valley Lake
• Wrightwood
• Yermo

Unincorporated communities

• Amboy
• Angelus Oaks
• Argus
• Arrowbear Lake
• Arrowhead Farms
• Arrowhead Highlands
• Arrowhead Junction
• Baldwin Lake
• Baldy Mesa
• Bell Mountain
• Blue Jay
• Bryman
• Cadiz
• Cajon Junction
• Cedar Glen
• Cedarpines Park
• Cima
• Crafton
• Crest Park
• Cushenbury
• Daggett
• Danby
• Earp
• El Mirage
• Essex
• Fawnskin
• Fenner
• Forest Falls
• Goffs
• Green Valley Lake
• Halloran Springs
• Havasu Lake
• Helendale
• Hinkley
• Hodge
• Johnson Valley
• Kingston
• Kramer
• Kramer Hills
• La Delta
• Landers
• Ludlow
• Mars
• Midway
• Mojave Heights
• Mount Baldy
• Mountain Home Village
• Mountain Pass
• Newberry Springs
• Nipton
• Oro Grande
• Parker Dam
• Patton
• Pioneer Point
• Pioneertown
• Red Mountain
• Rimforest
• Skyforest
• Sugarloaf
• Sunfair
• Sunfair Heights
• Trona
• Twentynine Palms Base
• Twin Peaks
• Venus
• Vidal
• Vidal Junction
• Wonder Valley
• Zzyzx

Indian reservations

• Chemehuevi Indian Reservation
• Colorado River Indian Reservation (partially in Riverside County, and La Paz County, Arizona)
• Fort Mojave Indian Reservation (partially in Mohave County, Arizona, and Clark County, Nevada)
• San Manuel Indian Reservation
• Twenty-Nine Palms Indian Reservation (partially in Riverside County)

Ghost towns

• Afton
• Rice
• Siberia
• Calico
• Amboy
• Ash Hill
• Ludlow
• Cadiz
• Klondike
• Ivanpah
• Keenbrook
• Cosy Dell

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of San Bernardino County.^[96]

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2020 Census)
1	† San Bernardino	City	222,101
2	Fontana	City	208,393
3	Ontario	City	175,265
4	Rancho Cucamonga	City	174,453
5	Victorville	City	134,810
6	Rialto	City	104,026
7	Hesperia	City	99,818
8	Chino	City	91,403
9	Upland	City	79,040
10	Chino Hills	City	78,411
11	Apple Valley	Town	75,791
12	Redlands	City	73,168
13	Highland	City	56,999
14	Yucaipa	City	54,542
15	Colton	City	53,909
16	Adelanto	City	38,046
17	Montclair	City	37,865
18	Twentynine Palms	City	28,065
19	Barstow	City	25,415
20	Loma Linda	City	24,791
21	Bloomington	CDP	24,339
22	Yucca Valley	Town	21,738
23	Phelan	CDP	13,859
24	Grand Terrace	City	13,150
25	Big Bear City	CDP	12,738
26	Lake Arrowhead	CDP	12,401
27	Crestline	CDP	11,650
28	Muscoy	CDP	10,719
29	Spring Valley Lake	CDP	9,598
30	Mentone	CDP	9,557
31	Oak Hills	CDP	9,450
32	Fort Irwin	CDP	8,096
33	Piñon Hills	CDP	7,258
34	Joshua Tree	CDP	6,489
35	Silver Lakes	CDP	6,317
36	Lucerne Valley	CDP	5,331
37	Running Springs	CDP	5,268
38	Big Bear Lake	City	5,046
39	Needles	City	4,931
40	Wrightwood	CDP	4,720
41	Lenwood	CDP	3,623
42	Morongo Valley	CDP	3,514
43	San Antonio Heights	CDP	3,441
44	Mountain View Acres	CDP	3,337
45	Homestead Valley	CDP	2,789
46	Searles Valley	CDP	1,565
47	Colorado River Indian Reservation^[97]	AIAN	1,395
48	Big River	CDP	1,084
49	Lytle Creek	CDP	725
50	Oak Glen	CDP	602
51	Baker	CDP	442
52	Chemehuevi Reservation^[98]	AIAN	464
53	Fort Mojave Indian Reservation^[99]	AIAN	253
54	San Manuel Reservation^[100]	AIAN	137
55	Bluewater	CDP	116
56	Twenty-Nine Palms Reservation^[101]	AIAN	5

Places of interest

• Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California
• Calico Ghost Town — northeast of Barstow via Interstate 15
• Zzyzx — a small desert settlement that used to be a health spa and is now the Desert Studies Center
• Downtown San Bernardino
• Mojave Narrows Park
• Mojave National Preserve
• Mojave Trails National Monument
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Castle Mountains National Monument
• Sand to Snow National Monument
• San Bernardino National Forest — home to Big Bear Lake outdoor activities
• Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex
• Mitchell Caverns
• Snow Summit, Bear Mountain (Ski Area), and Snow Valley Mountain Resort are home to Southern California's premier winter ski resorts. Mountain High, although technically located in Los Angeles County, is also an alternative to Snow Summit and Bear Mountain because of its proximity to San Bernardino County.
• The Pacific Crest Trail, officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT), passes through San Bernardino County.^[102]

See also

•  Greater Los Angeles portal

• List of California counties
• List of cemeteries in San Bernardino County
• List of museums in the Inland Empire (California)
• List of school districts in San Bernardino County, California
• National Register of Historic Places listings in San Bernardino County, California

Newspapers, past and present

• Chino Champion, Chino
• Daily Press, Victorville
• The Daily Report, Ontario
• Desert Dispatch, Barstow
• Desert Star, Needles
• The Desert Trail, Twentynine Palms
• Hi-Desert Star, Yucca Valley
• Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Rancho Cucamonga
• News Mirror, Yucaipa
• Redlands Daily Facts, Redlands
• The San Bernardino Sun, San Bernardino
• Big Bear Grizzly, Big Bear Lake
• Upland News, Upland

Notes

1. Other = Some other race + Two or more races
2. Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native
3. Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.
4. Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.

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External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to San Bernardino County, California.

• Official website  
• San Bernardino County Museum website
• San Bernardino County Museum at Google Cultural Institute
• San Bernardino County Library website

34°50′N 116°11′W / 34.83°N 116.19°W / 34.83; -116.19