San Bernardino

Sister cities

• Goyang
• Roxas City
• Yushu
• Tachikawa
• Villahermosa
• Tauranga
• Ile Ife
• Herzliya
• Zavolzhye

History

The city of San Bernardino, California, occupies much of the San Bernardino Valley, a valley long inhabited by the Tongva. Several of their villages dotted the San Bernardino valley prior to the arrival of Europeans in the valley. Kaawchama was perhaps the most significant in the region, being a regional center for trade that was connected to villages in Southern California and the Colorado River through the Mohave Trail, that was used by the Mohave, Serrano, Cahuilla, Payomkawichum, and others. The village was located in the eastern expanse of Tovaangar, and was established along the Santa Ana River. With the establishment of Mission San Gabriel in 1771, Spanish missionaries traveling through the area expressed a desire to establish a supply station in the area, which became the Guachama Rancheria. The area was not largely settled until 1851, following the American Conquest of California. The first Anglo-American colony was established by pioneers associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1851. San Bernardino County was formed in 1853 from parts of Los Angeles County. Mormons laid out the town based on the "City of Zion" plan which was typical of Mormon urban planning. Mormon colonists developed irrigated, commercial farming and lumbering, supplying agricultural produce and lumber throughout Southern California. The city was officially incorporated in 1857. Later that year, most of the colonists were recalled by Brigham Young in 1857 due to the Utah War. Some Mormons would stay in San Bernardino and some later returned from Utah, but a real estate consortium from El Monte and Los Angeles bought most of the lands of the old rancho and of the departing colonists. They sold these lands to new settlers who came to dominate the culture and…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.53%, is water. Its name comes from the Indigenous Serrano meaning "place of little pines" due to its location near the Cajon mountain pass' pine trees. Muscupiabe borders three California freeways, California State Route 210, California State Route 259 and I-215, hence the neighborhood's nickname, the Triangle. Muscupiabe is primarily home to single family homes with large lots, mature leafy willows, and tall pines. In the winter, snow flurries occur upon occasion. San Bernardino gets an average of of rain, hail, or light snow showers each year. Arrowhead Springs, San Bernardino's northernmost neighborhood gets snow, heavily at times, due to its elevation of about above sea level. The seasonal Santa Ana winds are felt particularly strongly in the San Bernardino area as warm and dry air is channeled through nearby Cajon Pass at times during the autumn months. In extreme cases, the winds approach speeds of , downing power lines and causing property damage. The winds, along with the cycle of cold wet winters and hot dry summers, markedly increase the danger of wildfire in the foothill, canyon and mountain communities.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  14,614
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  10,930
• Lesser Goldfinch

  Spinus psaltria (Say, 1822) · Aves
  10,816
• California Towhee

  Melozone crissalis (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  9,635
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  8,924
• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  8,876
• Acorn Woodpecker

  Melanerpes formicivorus (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  8,565
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,445

Largest nearby schools

• Rialto High
  High · Rialto · 2,886 students · 24.5:1 ratio
• Arroyo Valley High
  High · San Bernardino · 2,785 students · 24.2:1 ratio
• Cajon High
  High · San Bernardino · 2,750 students · 24.8:1 ratio
• Summit High
  High · Fontana · 2,539 students · 22.1:1 ratio
• Fontana High
  High · Fontana · 2,459 students · 19.7:1 ratio
• Redlands Senior High
  High · Redlands · 2,232 students · 21.7:1 ratio
• Wilmer Amina Carter High
  High · Rialto · 2,212 students · 23.8:1 ratio
• Eisenhower High
  High · Rialto · 2,207 students · 22.1:1 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 2.63 — 2026-09-23
  9 km WNW of Anza, CA