Moreno Valley

History

The Moreno Valley area was first inhabited 2,300 years ago. There are at least 200 prehistoric archaeological locations within the city. The majority of the sites are milling stations – where chaparral seed was the dominant milling activity. Rock art, consisting of pictographs, and petroglyphs are present – though most of the petroglyphs in Moreno Valley consist of boulders with "cupules", or cup-shaped holes pecked into them. Spanish scouts initially came across descendants of the Shoshone and Luiseño tribes, although other groups, such as the Serrano and Cahuilla, were in the area. The late prehistoric Luiseño and Cahuilla were semisedentary, meaning that they wintered in villages, then spread out in family groups during the spring and summer months to harvest seeds and acorns. Spanish scouts blazed a number of trails in the area, including the Anza Trail, which runs through the Edgemont area of present-day Moreno Valley. When California was admitted to the United States as a state in 1850, Americans began to move into the area. The Tucson-to-San Francisco route of John Butterfield's Overland Mail Company passed through it. Some farmers began to occupy the area, relying upon water from Frank E. Brown's Bear Valley Land and Water Company. Beginning in 1883, the company collected and pumped water from Bear Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains to the north. The area first acquired its current name, Moreno Valley, at this time, referring to Frank Brown (moreno is Spanish for "brown" or "brunet"). In 1899, the city of Redlands won a lawsuit in which the city claimed eminent domain over the Bear Valley water. The resulting loss of service forced most of the area's inhabitants to move. By 1984, the population was 49,702 (compared to 18,871 residents in 1970). The…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Moreno Valley is located at a geographic crossroad. To the east lies the San Gorgonio Pass and Coachella Valley; to the south are Lake Perris, Perris, and the San Jacinto Mountains; to the north are the San Bernardino Valley and San Bernardino Mountains. To the west lies neighboring Riverside. It is relatively close to Ontario International Airport. One of the most visible geographical features in Moreno Valley is Box Springs Mountain. This mountain at the northwest end of the city rises over the city, providing a concrete landmark. The section of the mountain that faces the city has a large letter "M" constructed upon it. This was built privately at the encouragement of the city council, which argued it would foster unity. The letter is located on public land and is maintained entirely by charity. The letter had lights installed on December 3, 2005, to celebrate Moreno Valley's 21st anniversary of its incorporation. The completion of the repairs of heavy damage to the letter, due to extreme rain the year before. The mayor at that time, Bonnie Flickinger, has said that the citizens liked it that way and that the council would try to get it to light up regularly. Between December 2, 2009, and December 6, 2009, Moreno Valley, along with Edison lit up the letter in celebration of the city's 25th anniversary. Several Eagle Scout projects have been dedicated to maintaining the "M". Moreno Valley has a mild semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), with Mediterranean characteristics. The summer temperatures average in the high 90s, though many days reach well above 100°. * On average, the warmest month is August. * The highest recorded temperature was in July…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  21,685
• California Towhee

  Melozone crissalis (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  16,525
• Lesser Goldfinch

  Spinus psaltria (Say, 1822) · Aves
  16,418
• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  16,107
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  15,877
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  15,575
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  14,465
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  13,715

Largest nearby schools

• Martin Luther King Jr. High
  High · Riverside · 2,901 students · 25.4:1 ratio
• Valley View High
  High · Moreno Valley · 2,843 students · 22.9:1 ratio
• Polytechnic High
  High · Riverside · 2,660 students · 25.8:1 ratio
• Canyon Springs High
  High · Moreno Valley · 2,266 students · 22.2:1 ratio
• Perris High
  High · Perris · 2,243 students · 24.4:1 ratio
• Moreno Valley High
  High · Moreno Valley · 2,232 students · 21.1:1 ratio
• John W. North High
  High · Riverside · 2,173 students · 23.9:1 ratio
• Vista del Lago High
  High · Moreno Valley · 2,093 students · 21.8:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.77 — 2026-10-15
  3 km NNW of San Jacinto, CA
• M 2.71 — 2026-10-11
  4 km E of San Jacinto, CA
• M 3.16 — 2026-10-09
  2 km SW of Signal Hill, CA
• M 2.7 — 2026-10-08
  2 km WNW of Fontana, CA
• M 2.6 — 2026-10-06
  4 km NNW of Big Bear City, CA
• M 2.51 — 2026-10-05
  31 km SW of Dana Point, CA