Temecula

History

The area was inhabited by the Temecula Indians for hundreds of years before their contact with the Spanish missionaries (the people are now generally known as the Luiseños, after the nearby Mission San Luis Rey de Francia). Seven bands of Luiseño Indians inhabited the Temecula valley pre-contact: the Pechanga, La Jolla, Soboba, Pala, Rincon, Pauma, and San Luis Rey bands (presently, all of the bands except the San Luis Rey are federally recognized tribes). The Pechanga Band of Luiseño believe their ancestors have lived in the Temecula area for more than 10,000 years, though ethnologists think they arrived at a more recent date. In Pechanga history, life on Earth began in the Temecula Valley. They call it "'Éxva Temeéku", the place of the union of Sky-father, and Earth-mother ("Tuukumit'pi Tamaayowit"). The Temecula Indians ("Temeekuyam") lived at "Temeekunga", or "the place of the sun". Other popular interpretations of the name include "The sun that shines through the mist" or "Where the sun breaks through the mist". The first recorded Spanish visit occurred in October 1797, with a Franciscan padre, Father Juan Norberto de Santiago, and Captain Pedro Lisalde. Father Santiago kept a journal in which he noted seeing "Temecula ... an Indian village". The trip included the Lake Elsinore area and the Temecula Valley. Little is known about the early 1800s because Temecula records were destroyed in the fire that followed the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. In 1798, Spanish missionaries established the Mission of San Luis Rey de Francia and designated the Indians living in the region as "Sanluiseños", shortened to "Luiseños". In the 1820s, the nearby Mission San Antonio de Pala was built. In mid-1839, Pío Pico petitioned the governor of Mexican California to give him the…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.03%, is water. South of the city, Murrieta Creek and Temecula Creek join to form the Santa Margarita River. The city is located near the border between the counties of Riverside and San Diego, and is also around from Los Angeles, making it a popular tourist destination for San Diegans and Angelinos. Temecula has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh). August is typically the hottest month of the year with December being the coldest month. Most precipitation occurs from November to March with February being the wettest month. Winter storms generally bring moderate precipitation, but strong winter storms are not uncommon, especially during "El Niño" years. The driest month is June. Annual precipitation is . Morning marine layer is common during May and June. From July to September, Temecula experiences hot, dry weather with the occasional North American monsoonal flow that increases the humidity and brings isolated thunderstorms. Most of the storms tend to be short-lived with little rainfall. During late fall into winter, Temecula experiences strong, dry northeastern Santa Ana winds. Snowfall is rare, but Temecula has experienced traces of snowfall on occasion, some as recently as December 2014. A rare F1 tornado touched down in a Temecula neighborhood on February 19, 2005.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  8,945
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  7,903
• California Towhee

  Melozone crissalis (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  6,377
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  6,323
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,316
• Lesser Goldfinch

  Spinus psaltria (Say, 1822) · Aves
  6,207
• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  5,792
• California/Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

  Aphelocoma californica (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  4,904

Largest nearby schools

• River Springs Charter
  Other · Temecula · 6,886 students · 26.4:1 ratio
• Vista Murrieta High
  High · Murrieta · 3,493 students · 24.6:1 ratio
• Great Oak High
  High · Temecula · 3,043 students · 25.4:1 ratio
• Chaparral High
  High · Temecula · 3,030 students · 25.7:1 ratio
• Temecula Valley High
  High · Temecula · 2,864 students · 25.1:1 ratio
• Murrieta Valley High
  High · Murrieta · 2,230 students · 23.5:1 ratio
• Murrieta Mesa High
  High · Murrieta · 2,178 students · 22.9:1 ratio
• Thompson Middle
  Middle · Murrieta · 1,557 students · 27.3:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.31 — 2026-09-12
  26 km ESE of Avalon, CA
• M 2.95 — 2026-09-12
  26 km ESE of Avalon, CA
• M 2.54 — 2026-09-12
  26 km ESE of Avalon, CA
• M 3.2 — 2026-09-02
  6 km SE of Ontario, CA
• M 2.91 — 2026-08-31
  22 km SSW of La Quinta, CA
• M 3.64 — 2026-08-19
  14 km N of Warner Springs, CA