Fullerton ( ) is a city located in northern
Orange County, California
Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, a ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 143,617.
Fullerton was founded in 1887. It secured the land on behalf of the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...
. Historically it was a center of
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
, notably groves of Valencia
orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
s and other
citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...
crops;
petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
extraction; transportation; and manufacturing. It is home to numerous higher educational institutions, particularly
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...
and
Fullerton College
Fullerton College (FC) is a Public college, public community college in Fullerton, California. The college is part of the California Community Colleges System and the North Orange County Community College District. Established in 1913, it is the ...
. From the mid-1940s through the late 1990s, Fullerton was home to a large industrial base made up of
aerospace
Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astrona ...
contractors, canneries, paper products manufacturers, and is considered to be the birthplace of the
electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...
, due in large part to
Leo Fender
Clarence Leonidas Fender (August 10, 1909 – March 21, 1991) was an American inventor known for designing the Fender Stratocaster. He also founded the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In January 1965, he sold Fender to CBS, and later foun ...
. The headquarters of
Vons
Vons is a Southern California and Southern Nevada supermarket chain owned by Albertsons. It is headquartered in Fullerton, California, and operates stores under the Vons and Pavilions banners. It was owned by Safeway Inc. and headquartered in Ar ...
, which is owned by
Albertsons
Albertsons Companies, Inc. is an American grocery company founded and headquartered in Boise, Idaho.
With 2,253 stores as of the third quarter of fiscal year 2020 and 270,000 employees as of fiscal year 2019, the company is the second-large ...
, is located in Fullerton near the Fullerton–
Anaheim
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
line.
History
Early history
Evidence of prehistoric animal habitation, such as
saber-toothed cats Sabretooth or sabertooth may refer to:
Animals
* Saber-toothed cat, several prehistoric felines
** ''Smilodon'', a prehistoric genus of felidae
* Sabertooth fish, a deep-sea fish found in the tropics
** Sabre-toothed blenny, ''Aspidontus taenia ...
and
mammoths
A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus'', one of the many genera that make up the order of trunked mammals called proboscideans. The various species of mammoth were commonly equipped with long, curved tusks and, ...
, is present in
Ralph B. Clark Regional Park in the northwest of the city.
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
ans first passed through the area in 1769 when
Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar is a given and/or surname of French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish origin, cognate to Casper (given name) or Casper (surname).
It is a name of biblical origin, per Saint Gaspar, one of the wise men mentioned in the Bible.
Notable peo ...
led a
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
expedition north to
Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under both ...
. From the description recorded in the diary of Father
Juan Crespi
''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...
, it seems likely that the party camped on
July 29
Events Pre-1600
* 587 BC – The Neo-Babylonian Empire sacks Jerusalem and destroys the First Temple.
* 615 – Pakal ascends the throne of Palenque
Palenque (; Yucatec Maya language, Yucatec Maya: ), also anciently known in the ...
near present-day Laguna Lake, in the Sunny Hills area.
In 1837, the Fullerton area became part of
Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana
Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana was a Ranchos of California, Mexican land grant in present-day Orange County, California.
The grant was given in 1837 by Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado, Juan Alvarado to Juan Pacífico Ontiveros. The grant enc ...
, granted to Juan Pacifico Ontiveros, a Spanish soldier. Ontiveros began selling parcels of the Rancho to migrant Americans settling and developing California in the aftermath of the 1849
Gold Rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...
, including
Abel Stearns
Abel Stearns (February 9, 1798 – August 23, 1871) was an American trader who came to the Pueblo de Los Angeles, Alta California in 1829 and became a major landowner and cattle rancher and one of the area's wealthiest citizens.
Early life
Stea ...
. In the 1860s, Stearns sold in turn to Domingo Bastanchury, a
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
shepherd.
In 1886, while in the area on a duck hunting vacation, brothers George and Edward Amerige, heard rumors that the
California Central Railroad
The California Central Railroad (CCRR) was incorporated on April 21, 1857, to build a railroad from Folsom to Marysville, as an extension of the Sacramento Valley Railroad which terminated at Folsom. The first division of the CCRR was 18.5 mil ...
, a subsidiary of the
Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and S ...
, was looking for land. Sensing opportunity, they arranged to buy north of
Anaheim
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
for approximately $68,000. They then began negotiations with George H. Fullerton, president of the Pacific Land and Improvement Company, also a Santa Fe subsidiary. They offered free right-of-way and half interest in the land to the railroad if Fullerton's survey were revised to include the proposed town site, and on July 5, 1887, Edward Amerige formally staked his claim at what is now the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Commonwealth Avenue.
In 1894,
Charles Chapman purchased an orange orchard in eastern Fullerton. The Valencia variety of oranges he promoted from his Santa Ysabel Ranch, well suited to the local climate, proved a boon to producers; Fullerton boasted more orange groves than any other municipality in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Cultivation of
walnut
A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''.
Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...
s and
avocado
The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for i ...
s also flourished, and the Western railroad town became an agricultural center. Fullerton was incorporated in 1904, but not officially recognized until 1907, due to conflicts at that time.
Boom years
![Fullerton up depot (2383278131) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Fullerton_up_depot_%282383278131%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Drilling for
petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
began in 1880 with the discovery of the
Brea-Olinda Oil Field
The Brea-Olinda Oil Field is a large oil field in northern Orange County and Los Angeles County, California, along the southern edge of the Puente Hills, about four miles (6 km) northeast of Fullerton, and adjacent to the city of Brea. Di ...
and fueled the first real boom, peaking in the 1920s. Construction reflected the vogue for Spanish Colonial and
Italian Renaissance-inspired architecture, as in the historic
Fox Fullerton Theatre (erected 1925); the
Muckenthaler House, designed by
Frank K. Benchley (erected 1924); and the city's chief landmark, the Plummer Auditorium and clock tower (erected 1930).
Fullerton College
Fullerton College (FC) is a Public college, public community college in Fullerton, California. The college is part of the California Community Colleges System and the North Orange County Community College District. Established in 1913, it is the ...
was established at its present location at Chapman Avenue and Lemon Street in 1913. Meanwhile, the city banned all overnight street parking in 1924 – a law enforced to the present day, unless an area is specifically exempted.
Significant public works projects from the interwar period were constructed during this period, including the conversion of a southwestern sewer farm into
Fullerton Municipal Airport
Fullerton Municipal Airport , owned and operated by the Fullerton, California, City of Fullerton, is a regional relief airport in Orange County, California.
The airport is in the southwestern corner of Fullerton on Commonwealth Avenue, northeast ...
at the behest of
Placentia ranchers and aviators William and Robert Dowling in 1927. Through the mid-1900s, the economy shifted toward
food processing
Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing includes many forms of processing foods, from grinding grain to make raw flour to home cooking to complex industr ...
rather than food production, as well as manufacturing; southeastern Fullerton became an industrial center.
Val Vita Food Products began operating a citrus juice plant in western Fullerton in 1932. By 1941, it had become the largest food processing company in the US. In 1934, A.W. Leo, Tom Yates and Ralph Harrison developed the first
Hawaiian Punch
Hawaiian Punch is a brand of fruit punch currently manufactured by Keurig Dr Pepper, originally invented in 1934 by A.W. Leo, Tom Yeats, and Ralph Harrison as a topping for ice cream. It was started from an original syrup flavor called Leo's Hawai ...
recipe in a converted garage in Fullerton. The city also became a producer of aerospace equipment, electrical and electronic components, navigation systems, and laboratory instruments.
In 1943, the Alex Bernal residence became the site of one of the first successful lawsuits against household
covenant laws in the country after Alex and Esther Bernal purchased a home in a Fullerton neighborhood that barred purchases from "Mexicans." After a
home invasion
A home invasion, also called a hot prowl burglary, is a sub-type of burglary (or in some jurisdictions, a separately defined crime) in which an offender unlawfully enters into a building residence while the occupants are inside. The overarching ...
that resulted in their belongings being thrown into the street and a petition signed by fifty neighborhood residents to have the Bernal's removed from the neighborhood, a lawsuit was issued against the Bernals on the basis that their presence caused "irreparable injury" to the neighborhood that could lead to "coming in contact with said other races, including Mexicans, in a social and neighborhood manner." Lawyer David C. Marcus represented the Bernals in ''Doss vs. Bernal'' and won the case, which received national attention.
In 1949,
Leo Fender
Clarence Leonidas Fender (August 10, 1909 – March 21, 1991) was an American inventor known for designing the Fender Stratocaster. He also founded the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In January 1965, he sold Fender to CBS, and later foun ...
developed and refined the world's first commercially successful solid-body electric guitar, the
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful Les Paul had built a prototype solid bo ...
.
Postwar suburbanization
![Val Vita Foods workers Fullerton, California 1940](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Val_Vita_Foods_workers_Fullerton%2C_California_1940.jpeg)
Although Fullerton, like other Southern California cities, had experienced an expansion of population due to housing development, this increased by an order of magnitude during the post war years. Fullerton's population soared after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
as American veterans migrated to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, bought housing in the land development which destroyed the surrounding farming and park areas, and in particular after the construction of
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Califor ...
and development in neighboring
Anaheim
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
.
To serve the growing population, the
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legisla ...
authorized
Orange County State College in 1957, which began operating out of Fullerton high schools in 1959. In 1963, it moved to its present campus on State College Boulevard, and later, after several name-changes, was finally redesignated
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...
. The Fullerton Arboretum, a 26-acre (105,000 m
2)
botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
, opened in 1979.
Manufacturing growth leveled off as ever-soaring property prices, increasing environmental regulation, traffic, and other pressures increased. By the late 20th century the city had lost much of its rural character in favor of
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
an housing tracts and shopping centers.
Recent history
In the 1990s, the downtown commercial district had become economically depressed, and was known mainly for being an area of sleepy antique stores and small shops. A symbol of downtown's problems was the
Fox Theatre, a local landmark, which had fallen into disrepair. As of November 2004, a fundraising drive had accumulated sufficient funds to buy the theater, but not yet enough money to restore it. By 2006, restoration was started.
During this same period, downtown Fullerton (DTF), especially in the south of Commonwealth area (SOCO), has become more of a busy entertainment district, described by the ''
OC Weekly
''OC Weekly'' was a free alternative weekly paper distributed in Orange County and Long Beach, California. OC Weekly was founded in September 1995 by Will Swaim, who acted as editor and publisher until 2007.
The paper was distributed at coffee ...
'' as "
Bourbon Street
Bourbon Street (french: Rue Bourbon, es, Calle de Borbón) is a historic street in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans. Extending thirteen blocks from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, Bourbon Street is famous for its many bars an ...
West." In less than five years, some 30 businesses that sell alcohol have opened, making the downtown area much more active at night. In 2008, City Manager Chris Meyer called together department head and the finance department and reported to the city council that the Restaurant Overlay District (established December 2002) was costing the city $935,000 over and above the sales taxes collected.
The
Hughes Aircraft Company
The Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded on February 14, 1934 by Howard Hughes in Glendale, California, as a division of Hughes Tool Company. The company was known for producing, among other produ ...
's Ground Systems Group campus in western Fullerton was redeveloped into a new residential and commercial district called ''Amerige Heights,'' in between 2001 and 2004.
Geography
Fullerton is located at (33.879914, -117.928749).
It is approximately southeast of downtown
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, and approximately north-northwest of
Santa Ana, the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
. The city has a mean elevation of and lies approximately northeast of the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
straight-line distance. It has a
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
climate, with a mean temperature of .
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , comprising 0.05%, is water.
It is bordered by
La Habra
La Habra (archaic spelling of ''La Abra'', ) is a city in the northwestern corner of Orange County, California, United States. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,239. A related city, La Habra Heights, is located to the north of ...
and
Brea on the north,
La Mirada
La Mirada (Spanish for "The Look") is a city in southeast Los Angeles County, California United States, and is one of the Gateway Cities. The population was 48,527 at the 2010 census, up from 46,783 at the 2000 census. The La Mirada Theatre for ...
on the northwest,
Buena Park
Buena Park (''Buena'', Spanish for "Good") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census its population was 84,034. It is the location of several tourist attractions, namely Knott's Berry Farm. It is about 12 mil ...
on the west,
Anaheim
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
on the south, and
Placentia on the east.
The flat downtown area is laid out in a
grid plan
In urban planning, the grid plan, grid street plan, or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid.
Two inherent characteristics of the grid plan, frequent intersections and orthogona ...
centered at the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Commonwealth Avenue. After recent renewal and beautification projects, it has attracted specialty stores, coffee shops, and restaurants, and has uncharacteristically retained much of its
downtown
''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...
character. Southeastern Fullerton is historically the industrial sector, and is home to small manufacturing, particularly east of Raymond Street and south of Commonwealth.
The northern and western reaches of Fullerton are dominated by the Coyote Hills, a low-lying mountain range divided into the
East Coyote Hills and
West Coyote Hills
The West Coyote Hills are a low mountain range in northern Orange County, California. It contains one of the last large open-space area in north Orange County. Parts of it lie within the city limits of La Habra, Buena Park, and La Mirada, with most ...
. The land south of West Coyote Hills is known as Sunny Hills. For most of the city's history these areas were groves of citrus trees, open
scrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, Herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or ...
, and oil fields. While
equestrian
The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse".
Horseback riding (or Riding in British English)
Examples of this are:
*Equestrian sports
*Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...
trails and many old estates endure along Bastanchury Road, the meandering roads through these areas today mostly connect a succession of housing tract subdivisions and commercial developments. In recent years, the City Council has tried to allow development in the remaining open land throughout the city. The most notable impending project, in West Coyote Hills, has been met with opposition by many of the citizens in the area.
Development of West Coyote Hills
West Coyote Hills
The West Coyote Hills are a low mountain range in northern Orange County, California. It contains one of the last large open-space area in north Orange County. Parts of it lie within the city limits of La Habra, Buena Park, and La Mirada, with most ...
is a ridge lying mostly in northern Fullerton, including owned by Pacific Coast Homes (a land development division of the
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened to Socal or CalSo), it is headquartered in S ...
) that are the largest remaining tract of undeveloped land in north Orange County. The current development agreement calls for building houses on some of the land while donating the remainder to the city as a nature preserve. A group that supports keeping the entire area as open space/nature preserve qualified a referendum for a November 2012 election. In the election, voters approved Measure W, which would prevent development in the area. Ongoing lawsuits between the City of Fullerton (pro-development) and local conservationists (anti-development) have resulted over the interpretation of the measure. In February 2019, the California State Supreme Court denied a petition to review a lower court pro-development decision against Measure W. The City of Fullerton and The Friends of Coyote Hills are currently in competing negotiations with Chevron over either purchasing the land for development or donating the land for conservation with Chevron receiving tax credits and conservation funds in exchange for the donation.
Climate
According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Fullerton has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
, abbreviated ''Csa'' on climate maps.
Parks
![ClarkParkInterpretiveCenterAcrossPond 2130](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/ClarkParkInterpretiveCenterAcrossPond_2130.jpg)
Fullerton maintains more than 50 city parks and is home to
Hillcrest Park
Hillcrest Park is located in the Riley Park-Little Mountain neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia. It is located immediately north of Queen Elizabeth Park and west of Riley Park.
Next to Hillcrest Park is the site containing Nat Bailey ...
, Chapman Park, and the Orange County Regional parks
Craig Regional Park and
Ralph B. Clark Regional Park (in neighboring
Buena Park
Buena Park (''Buena'', Spanish for "Good") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census its population was 84,034. It is the location of several tourist attractions, namely Knott's Berry Farm. It is about 12 mil ...
, although a small portion lies within Fullerton city limits). The
Fullerton Arboretum comprises (105,000 m
2) of sculpted gardens and unusual plants in northeastern Fullerton. Additionally, the city features approximately of recreational land in the Brea Dam Recreational Area, plus an equestrian center and trails, two golf courses, a sports complex located southeast of
St. Jude Medical Center Hospital and the
Janet Evans
Janet Beth Evans (born August 28, 1971) is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in distance freestyle events. Evans was a world champion and world record-holder, and won a total of four gold medals at the 1988 and the 1992 O ...
swim Complex.
The Fullerton city council voted on November 15, 2019 to proceed with work on a concept plan for a memorial to Korean War veterans at Hillcrest Park. The project will be funded and developed by The Orange County Korean War Memorial Committee.
Demographics
2000
![HetebrinkHouse01c](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/HetebrinkHouse01c.jpg)
In 2000, there were 44,771 housing units at an average density of . There were 43,609 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.37.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $57,345 (Orange County 2005), and the median income for a family was $75,700. Males had a median income of $40,674 versus $31,677 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $23,370. About 8.0% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
2010
![FullertonFirstMethodistEpiscopalChurch01c](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/FullertonFirstMethodistEpiscopalChurch01c.jpg)
The
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
reported that Fullerton had a population of 135,161. The population density was . The racial makeup of Fullerton was 72,845 (53.9%)
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 3,138 (2.3%)
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 842 (0.6%)
Native American, 30,788 (22.8%)
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 321 (0.2%)
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 21,439 (15.9%) from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 5,788 (4.3%) from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 46,501 persons (34.4%).
Non-Hispanic Whites
Non-Hispanic whites or Non-Latino whites are Americans who are classified as "white", and are not of Hispanic (also known as "Latino") heritage. The United States Census Bureau defines ''white'' to include European Americans, Middle Eastern Amer ...
were 38.2% of the population, down from 79.0% in 1980.
The Census reported that 132,084 people (97.7% of the population) lived in households, 2,318 (1.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 759 (0.6%) were institutionalized.
There were 45,391 households, out of which 16,155 (35.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 23,240 (51.2%) were
opposite-sex married couples living together, 5,502 (12.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,505 (5.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,366 (5.2%)
unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 290 (0.6%)
same-sex married couples or partnerships. 9,771 households (21.5%) were made up of individuals, and 3,342 (7.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91. There were 31,247
families
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...
(68.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.43.
The population was spread out, with 31,558 people (23.3%) under the age of 18, 17,522 people (13.0%) aged 18 to 24, 37,764 people (27.9%) aged 25 to 44, 32,465 people (24.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 15,852 people (11.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.
There were 47,869 housing units at an average density of , of which 24,600 (54.2%) were owner-occupied, and 20,791 (45.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%. 73,127 people (54.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 58,957 people (43.6%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Fullerton had a median household income of $67,617, with 14.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
Economy
![Fender's Radio Service](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Fender%27s_Radio_Service.jpg)
According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
Government
![Fullerton Post Office](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Fullerton_Post_Office.jpg)
Fullerton is a
General-law municipality
In the systems of local government in some U.S. states, a general-law municipality, general-law city, code city, with a
council-manager government system. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of five non-partisan members who serve four-year staggered terms, who elect a chair who serves as mayor. Elections are held every two years and are consolidated with the statewide general elections held in November of even numbered years. The city manager is responsible for day-to-day operations. Prior to 2016, all council seats were elected at large. In 2016 voters passed Measure II which changed at large representation to election for five districts.
State and federal representation
In the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
, Fullerton is in
California's 39th congressional district
California's 39th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California.
The district includes parts of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties, and includes Fullerton, La Habra, La Habra Heights, Brea, Bue ...
, which has a
Cook PVI
The Cook Partisan Voting Index, abbreviated Cook PVI, CPVI, or PVI, is a measurement of how strongly a United States congressional district or U.S. state leans toward the Democratic or Republican Party, compared to the nation as a whole, based ...
of EVEN and is represented by .
Emergency services
Fire protection and emergency medical services are provided by the
Fullerton Fire Department
The Fullerton Fire Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for Fullerton, California. The department is responsible for an area of approximately that has a population of just over 135,000 as of 2010 ...
with ambulance transport by
Care Ambulance Service
Care may refer to:
Organizations and projects
* CARE (New Zealand), Citizens Association for Racial Equality, a former New Zealand organisation
* CARE (relief agency), "Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere", an international aid and ...
. Fullerton has one full-service hospital with an emergency room, St.Jude Regional Medical Center. The
Fullerton Police Department
The Fullerton Police Department of Fullerton, California, was established in 1904 when the city incorporated. The Fullerton Police Department currently employs 153 sworn officers and 78 civilian employees. It has a budget of about $35 million. ...
provides law enforcement for the city, while the
California State University Police Department
The California State University police departments (CSUPD) in the California State University system are referred to as CAL State Police, or University Police, the police officers are duly sworn peace officers of the State of California, as est ...
provides services around the
Cal State Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...
campus.
;Allegations of police misconduct
In 2011, a major controversy arose in the city over misconduct by the Fullerton Police, involving sexual assault by an officer against women he arrested and the
killing of a mentally ill homeless man by police. This has led to the indictment of two officers and a recall campaign against McKinley, Bankhead, and Jones. Officer Manuel Ramos, 37, was charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, and Corporal Jay Patrick Cicinelli, 39, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony use of excessive force with regards to the death of Kelly Thomas. They pleaded not guilty.
On July 5, 2012, (one year after the beating death), the father of Kelly Thomas filed a lawsuit against the city and six officers, two of whom are facing criminal charges. The lawsuit also names former police chiefs Patrick McKinley and Michael Sellers. The suit alleges the violation of Kelly Thomas' federal and state civil rights; assault and battery; negligence and supervisor liability among others as causes of action. It seeks unspecified damages. Thomas' mother, Cathy, who is divorced from Ron Thomas, has already received a $1-million settlement from the city. On July 3, 2012, Officer Ramos's employment was terminated. Thomas' father eventually received a 5 million dollar settlement from the City of Fullerton. Both Ramos and Cicinelli were found not guilty of any criminal charges. Both were terminated by Fullerton.
Education
Public schools
The city of Fullerton is served by three elementary and junior high school districts, two unified school districts, and one high school exclusive school district:
*
La Habra City School District
The La Habra City Elementary School District is located in the northwestern part of Orange County, California, United States and covers a five-mile area that includes the city of La Habra and parts of La Habra Heights, Brea and Fullerton. The ...
*
Buena Park School District
Buena Park Elementary School District is a public school district based in Orange County, California, United States. The small school district exclusively serves the city of Buena Park.
Schools
The school district has had two middle schools and ...
*
Fullerton School District
The Fullerton School District is a school district in California, with its headquarters in Fullerton. The school district serves the city of Fullerton, as well as small portions of La Habra, Brea, and Buena Park. It has schools from grades Kinde ...
*
Brea Olinda Unified School District
Brea Olinda Unified School District is the school district serving the City of Brea in Orange County, California, United States. It also serves portions of the nearby cities of Fullerton, Yorba Linda and La Habra.
The school district consist ...
*
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) is a public school district that serves Placentia, Yorba Linda, and parts of Anaheim, Brea, and Fullerton located in northeast Orange County, California and is rapidly developing cou ...
*
Fullerton Joint Union High School District
Fullerton Joint Union High School District (FJUHSD), founded in 1893 is a school district in Orange County, California that serves a fifty-square-mile area which includes the cities of Fullerton, La Habra, and small sections of Anaheim, Buena Pa ...
Fullerton has four public high schools within the city limits, all part of the
Fullerton Joint Union High School District
Fullerton Joint Union High School District (FJUHSD), founded in 1893 is a school district in Orange County, California that serves a fifty-square-mile area which includes the cities of Fullerton, La Habra, and small sections of Anaheim, Buena Pa ...
:
*
Sunny Hills High School
Sunny Hills High School (SHHS) is a public high school located in Fullerton, California, United States. Established in 1959, it is part of the Fullerton Joint Union High School District.
The campus, consisting mostly of single-story open plan bui ...
.
*
Fullerton Union High School
Fullerton Union High School is a public high school located in the Orange County, California city of Fullerton, operated by the Fullerton Joint Union High School District.
History
In 1893 a special election was held to create Fullerton Union High ...
. The oldest high school in Orange County, it is the home of historic Plummer Auditorium and the Academy of the Arts magnet program.
*
Troy High School (which includes Troy Tech, a public magnet program).
*
La Vista High School and La Sierra High School (continuation schools, adjacent to Troy)
Other public schooling in Fullerton is provided by the
Fullerton School District
The Fullerton School District is a school district in California, with its headquarters in Fullerton. The school district serves the city of Fullerton, as well as small portions of La Habra, Brea, and Buena Park. It has schools from grades Kinde ...
. There are four public junior high schools, enrolling grades 7-8: Ladera Vista, Nicolas, Parks, and
D. Russell Parks Junior High School. Fullerton has only two public elementary K-8 schools: Beechwood and Robert C. Fisler. Fullerton has fifteen public elementary schools enrolling grades K-6: Acacia, Commonwealth, Fern Drive, Golden Hill, Hermosa Drive, Laguna Road, Maple, Orangethorpe, Pacific Drive, Raymond, Richman, Rolling Hills, Sunset Lane, Valencia Park, and Woodcrest.
Private schools
Fullerton's
Catholic school
Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syste ...
s are affiliated with the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange
The Diocese of Orange (Latin language, Latin: ''Dioecesis Arausicanae in California''; Spanish language, Spanish: Diócesis de Orange; Vietnamese language, Vietnamese: ''Giáo phận Quận Cam'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or dio ...
. They include: Annunciation Catholic School, Saint Justin School, Saint Juliana School, and
Rosary Academy.
Other private schools include the Arborland Montessori School, the IvyCrest Montessori School, Eastside Christian School, West Fullerton Christian School, and Berkeley School.
Postsecondary institutions
*
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...
, commonly known as Cal State Fullerton or CSUF, was first established in 1957 as Orange County State College. The twelfth member of the
California State University
The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a public university system in California. With 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers enrolling 485,550 students with 55,909 faculty and staff, CSU is the largest four-year public univers ...
system, it is currently composed of eight colleges, a community extended education program and several institutions and centers. The main campus is located on of former orange groves in northeast Fullerton near
State Route 57 and Nutwood Avenue. As of 2019, 39,868 students were enrolled in 55 undergraduate and 55 graduate degree programs (including doctorate in education and doctor in nursing practice programs), making it the largest university in the California State University system and the second largest university in the state of California in terms of enrollment.
*
Fullerton College
Fullerton College (FC) is a Public college, public community college in Fullerton, California. The college is part of the California Community Colleges System and the North Orange County Community College District. Established in 1913, it is the ...
is a two-year
community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...
, the oldest in continuous operation in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. Part of the
North Orange County Community College District
The North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD) is a community college district in Orange County, California that offers associate degrees and adult education certificates. It includes two colleges: Cypress College and Fullerton Colleg ...
, it is situated on a 63-acre (255,000 m
2) campus adjacent to Fullerton Union High School on Chapman Avenue and had 25,051 students enrolled as of 2019. The college offers 90 majors leading to A.A. or A.S. degrees in academic and vocational subjects, 68 programs leading to vocational certificates, and transfer programs specializing in preparing students to transfer into the
California State University
The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a public university system in California. With 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers enrolling 485,550 students with 55,909 faculty and staff, CSU is the largest four-year public univers ...
and
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...
systems.
*
Hope International University
Hope International University is a private Christian university in Fullerton, California. It enrolls around 1,140 students. While Hope is non-denominational, it has strong ties to the Restoration Movement and the Christian churches and churche ...
is a private Christian university
*
Marshall B. Ketchum University is a health sciences university.
Culture
![DewellaApartments01 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/DewellaApartments01_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Fullerton is home to a vibrant music scene. In the early 1990s, downtown featured several venues that featured bands such as Room to Roam and Trip the Spring.
It was a center for the
Orange County hardcore punk music scene, producing acts such as
The Adolescents
The Adolescents are an American punk rock band formed in Fullerton, California in 1980. Part of the hardcore punk movement in southern California in the early 1980s, they were one of the main punk acts to emerge from Orange County, along with ...
,
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant, one of the "tactical use" Rainbow Herbicides. It was used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. It ...
,
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness (lead vocals, lead guitar), Jonny Wickersham (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Brent Harding (bass, backing voca ...
,
D.I., the "fathers of hardcore punk" The Middle Class,
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...
, lead vocalist of the
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
group
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, they ...
, was a student at CSUF and the group performed there regularly. Other popular groups and musicians from the area include
Lit, 80s
synthpop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
acts
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
and
Stacey Q
Stacey Lynn Swain (born November 30, 1958), known by her stage name Stacey Q, is an American pop singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. Her best-known single, John Mitchell's " Two of Hearts", released in 1986, reached number one in Canada, n ...
, and
Mike Ness
Michael Daniel Ness (born April 3, 1962) is an American musician who is the lead guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the punk rock band Social Distortion, which was formed in 1978.
Early life
Ness was born in Lynn, Massachusetts on April ...
. The popular singer-songwriter
Jackson Browne
Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States.
Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...
attended Sunny Hills High School in the city. Singer-songwriter
Tim Buckley
Timothy Charles Buckley III (February 14, 1947 – June 29, 1975) was an American musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years. Buckley began his career based in folk music, but his subsequent albums experimented with ja ...
also attended
Fullerton College
Fullerton College (FC) is a Public college, public community college in Fullerton, California. The college is part of the California Community Colleges System and the North Orange County Community College District. Established in 1913, it is the ...
and dropped out after only a few weeks to focus on his music career. Fullerton is also home to one of the signature cities in the Make Music Day Alliance. Make Music Day is a global annual music celebration occurring on the summer solstice (June 21) each year in more than 1,000 cities in 120 countries across the globe. Starting in 2015, The Day of Music Fullerton began as a grass roots initiative by a team of volunteers to create a unique and free music festival in alliance with the internationally renowned ''Fête de la Musique.'' Each year on June 21 Fullerton comes alive from morning to night with musicians of all ages and musical persuasions performing in musical venues, shops, bars, restaurants, plazas, churches, parks and parking lots. From high school bands to established musicians/bands, Day of Music Fullerton is open to anyone who wants to perform and enjoyed by everyone who wants to attend for free. Since its inception, Day of Music Fullerton has grown into a popular and critical success, hosting over 150 performances in more than 40 venues around the city, including the Museum Plaza, Historic Fox Theatre, Hillcrest Park, Villa del Sol, and The Muckenthaler Cultural Center, among others.
![Back of Fender's Radio Service (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Back_of_Fender%27s_Radio_Service_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Contributing greatly to Fullerton's musical heritage was the
Fender musical instrument company, whose products such as the
Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously ...
and
Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful Les Paul had built a prototype solid bod ...
electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...
s,
Precision Bass
The Fender Precision Bass (often shortened to "P-Bass") is a model of electric bass guitar manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In its standard, post-1957 configuration, the Precision Bass is a solid body, four-stringed instrume ...
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
, and Twin Reverb
guitar amplifier
A guitar amplifier (or amp) is an electronic device or system that strengthens the electrical signal from a pickup on an electric guitar, bass guitar, or acoustic guitar so that it can produce sound through one or more loudspeakers, which a ...
revolutionized the music business and contributed greatly to the development of
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
.
Leo Fender
Clarence Leonidas Fender (August 10, 1909 – March 21, 1991) was an American inventor known for designing the Fender Stratocaster. He also founded the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In January 1965, he sold Fender to CBS, and later foun ...
sold the company to
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
in 1965; production continued in the Fullerton plant until 1985, when the company was sold to a group of private investors. In 1980, Leo Fender and his original partner
George Fullerton (relation to the Fullerton founder of the same name unknown) reunited and started a new company,
G&L (George and Leo) Guitars, which are built in what had been Leo Fender's CLF Research factory in Fullerton.
The
Muckenthaler Cultural Center on Malvern Avenue near Euclid Avenue houses art galleries and a theater group. The former estate of the Muckenthaler family, it was donated to the city by Harold Muckenthaler in 1965.
Fullerton Friends of Music, the oldest chamber music society in Orange County, perform five concerts a year at
Sunny Hills Performing Arts Center, a notable classical concert venue in the county.
![Fullerton fox theatre](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Fullerton_fox_theatre.JPG)
Fullerton is home to the
Fullerton Public Library. The Main Library is located on Commonwealth Avenue in Downtown Fullerton and adjacent to the City Hall. Formerly there was a branch library, called the Hunt Branch on Basque Avenue. The Hunt Branch was closed in 2013
There are several storefront theaters, including the Maverick Theater and Stages Theater. The Maverick Theatre is the host for the "World Famous Skipper Stand Up Show." Held six times a year, The Skipper Stand Up Show has, since 2006, showcased former and current skippers from
Disneyland
Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...
's famous attraction, the
Jungle Cruise
Jungle Cruise, formally named Jungle River Cruise, is a riverboat amusement ride located in the Adventureland themed section at various Disney theme parks worldwide. The attraction is a simulated riverboat cruise that travels along a waterway ...
.
Fullerton was also home to the
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in San Ramon, California, with teams located in the western United States, western Canada and northwest Mexico.
The GBL was not affiliated with Major League Baseball or the orga ...
's
Orange County Flyers
The Fullerton Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Fullerton, California, in the United States. They were an independent franchise, not affiliated with either Major League Baseball ''or'' Minor League Baseball. The team played from ...
(formerly known as the Fullerton Flyers), which disbanded in 2012. The team's home was
Goodwin Field
Goodwin Field is a 3,500-seat baseball park in the western United States, located in Fullerton, California. On the campus of California State University, Fullerton, it is primarily the home field of the four-time national champion CSUF Titans of ...
, home to the
Cal State Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...
Titans.
Media
From 1921 to 1984, Fullerton had the largest independent daily newspaper in Orange County, The
Fullerton Daily News Tribune. The Fullerton Daily News Tribune circulated 6 days a week, Monday thru Saturday, in all of Fullerton, Brea, Placentia, La Habra, Buena Park, Yorba Linda, and a northern section of Anaheim. At one point in the 1970s The Fullerton News Tribune reached a peak circulation of 30,000 daily subscribers. Formerly owned, for 30 years, by former Scripps newspaper executive Edgar F. Elfstrom, The Fullerton News Tribune was bought by
Scripps Howard
The E. W. Scripps Company is an American broadcasting company founded in 1878 as a chain of daily newspapers by Edward Willis "E. W." Scripps and his sister, Ellen Browning Scripps. It was also formerly a media conglomerate. The company is he ...
Newspapers in 1975. In 1984 the
Orange County Register
''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...
bought the Fullerton News Tribune and converted the daily newspaper to a once-weekly free distribution newspaper.
Fullerton is also one of the few Southern California municipalities to be served by an independent newspaper, the
Fullerton Observer. The ''Fullerton Observer Community Newspaper'' is an all-volunteer 40-year-old paper that is printed twice a month. It was founded in the late 1970s by Ralph Kennedy, a fair housing and civil rights activist who advocated saving Coyote Hills as an open space. In 2010, the city of Fullerton and the ''
Orange County Register
''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...
'' came out in court against the then 32-year-old ''Fullerton Observer'' in its request to adjudicate the paper. In response to the city of Fullerton and the Orange County Register's high-powered lawyers coming out against the newspaper, the not-for-profit Fullerton Observer dropped its court case to be adjudicated a newspaper.
Transportation
Rail
![Helicopter, Fullerton Municipal Airport](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Helicopter%2C_Fullerton_Municipal_Airport.jpg)
Fullerton was founded as a railroad town and is still bisected by the BNSF Railway.
The
Fullerton Transportation Center
The Fullerton Transportation Center is a passenger rail and bus station located in Fullerton, California, United States.
It is served by Amtrak's ''Pacific Surfliner'' and ''Southwest Chief'' trains, as well as Metrolink's 91 Line and Or ...
is home to train station serving
Metrolink and
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
and a major north Orange County bus terminal for the
Orange County Transportation Authority
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is the transportation planning commission for Orange County, California in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. OCTA is responsible for funding and implementing transit and capital projects for th ...
. The center is located at Harbor Blvd and Santa Fe Avenue. The bus terminal is located north of Santa Fe Avenue and serves routes 26, 43, 143, 543, and 213. The Fullerton Train Station is located south of Santa Fe Avenue.
The Southern California Metrolink commuter rail system serves the city of Fullerton from the
Orange County Line
The Orange County Line is a commuter rail line run by Metrolink from Los Angeles through Orange County to Oceanside in San Diego County, connecting with the Coaster commuter rail service to San Diego. The Orange County Line carries passengers ...
(
Union Station, Los Angeles to
Oceanside, California
Oceanside is a city on the South Coast (California), South Coast of California, located in San Diego County, California, San Diego County. The city had a population of 167,086 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. The city is a popular ...
) and the
91/Perris Valley Line
The 91/Perris Valley Line, formerly known as the 91 Line, is a commuter rail route operated by Metrolink that runs from Los Angeles to Perris in Southern California, paralleling State Route 91 between Riverside and Santa Fe Springs. Operating si ...
(Union Station, Los Angeles to
Perris Valley in Riverside County). Travel time on Metrolink or Amtrak from Fullerton to Los Angeles is approximately 45 minutes. The city is served by two
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
lines. The
Southwest Chief
The ''Southwest Chief'' (formerly the ''Southwest Limited'' and ''Super Chief'') is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a route between Chicago and Los Angeles through the Midwest and Southwest via Kansas City, Albuquerque, and Flagstaff ...
(running between
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
and
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
) and the
Pacific Surfliner
The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is a passenger train service serving the communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo.
The service carried 2,924,117 passengers during fiscal year 2016, a 3.4% increase from F ...
(running between
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
and
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo (; Spanish for " St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfwa ...
with major stops at
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and
Santa Barbara).
In addition to the Fullerton Transportation Center, the Orange County Transportation Authority has a park and ride transportation hub in Fullerton located on Orangethorpe Avenue at Magnolia Avenue which makes connections to OCTA routes 25, 26, 30, 33, 35, 529, and 721 (Downtown Los Angeles) and
Los Angeles Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), commonly branded as Metro, LA Metro, and L.A. Metro, is the state agency that plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the transportation system in Los Angele ...
460 (Downtown Los Angeles).
Roads
![NABI 40](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/NABI_40.09_LFW_bus_OCTA.jpg)
Fullerton is crossed by five state-maintained highways (all maintained by
Caltrans
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is an Executive (government), executive department of the U.S. state of California. The department is part of the Government of California#State agencies, cabinet-level California State Tran ...
' 12th district), three of which are
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
s.
State Route 91, the Riverside Freeway, runs east-to-west down the length of the city south of Orangethorpe Avenue. It intersects with
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Califor ...
, the
Santa Ana Freeway
The Santa Ana Freeway is one of the principal freeways in Southern California, connecting Los Angeles and its southeastern suburbs including the freeway's namesake, the city of Santa Ana. The freeway begins at its junction with the San Diego Free ...
, in the west near Magnolia Avenue and with
State Route 57, the Orange Freeway, in the east near State College Boulevard. Short portions of
State Route 39 (Beach Boulevard) and
State Route 90 (
Imperial Highway
The Imperial Highway is a west-east thoroughfare in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Imperial in California. The main portion of the existing route begins at Vista Del Mar in Los Angeles near the Los Angeles Inter ...
), also run through western and northern portions of the city, respectively.
The main road in Fullerton is
Harbor Boulevard
Harbor Boulevard (formerly Spadra Road) is a north–south road corridor in the counties of Los Angeles and Orange. One of the busiest routes in Orange County, the thoroughfare passes through some of the most densely populated areas in the region ...
(served by OCTA route 43/143/543), a 23-mile road running from
Costa Mesa
Costa may refer to:
Biology
* Rib (Latin: ''costa''), in vertebrate anatomy
* Costa (botany), the central strand of a plant leaf or thallus
* Costa (coral), a stony rib, part of the skeleton of a coral
* Costa (entomology), the leading edge of t ...
to
Rowland Heights
Rowland Heights is an unincorporated area in and below the Puente Hills in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 48,231 at the 2020 census. Rowland Heights is in the Los Angeles metropol ...
. Fullerton is composed of many main arterials. Other main south-to-north arterials include Magnolia Street, Brookhurst Street, Lemon Street, Placentia Avenue, Gilbert Street, Raymond Avenue, State College Boulevard (served by OCTA route 57/57X), Brea Boulevard (served by OCTA route 143), Euclid Street (served by OCTA route 37).
Rosecrans Avenue
Rosecrans Avenue is a major west-east thoroughfare in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California, USA. It has a total length of 27.5 miles (44.3 km). The street is named after U.S. Union General William S. Rosecrans, who purchased of R ...
, Bastanchury Road (not served by OCTA), Chapman and Malvern Avenues (served by OCTA route 123), Commonwealth Avenue (served by OCTA route 26) and Orangethorpe Avenue (served by OCTA route 30) are the main west-to-east arterials. Yorba Linda Boulevard (served by OCTA route 26) runs along the east end of the city.
Minor arterials include Nutwood Avenue, Associated Road, Highland Avenue, Berkeley Avenue, Parks Road/Castlewood Drive, Kimberly Avenue, Acacia Avenue, Valencia Drive, and Dale Street.
Airport
Fullerton Municipal Airport
Fullerton Municipal Airport , owned and operated by the Fullerton, California, City of Fullerton, is a regional relief airport in Orange County, California.
The airport is in the southwestern corner of Fullerton on Commonwealth Avenue, northeast ...
, the only general aviation airport remaining in
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
, located in the southwest of the city, is the last remnant of the Hughes Company in the area, which was prominent in the aerospace industry up until the 1970s. From the early 1970s through the early 1980s the airport was served by
Golden West Airlines
Golden West Airlines was a commuter airline that operated flights on a high volume schedule in California. It ceased operations in 1983.
History
The original Golden West Airlines, headquartered at Van Nuys, California, was founded in 1968 ...
, one of the larger commuter airlines of the period. The nearest airport with scheduled service is
John Wayne Airport
John Wayne Airport is a commercial and general aviation airport that serves Orange County, California, and the Greater Los Angeles area. The airport is located in an unincorporated area of Orange County, and it is owned and operated by the cou ...
(SNA) in Santa Ana.
Sister cities
*
Fukui
is a Japanese name meaning "fortunate" or sometimes "one who is from the Fukui prefecture". It may refer to:
Places
* Fukui Domain, a part of the Japanese han system during the Edo period
* Fukui Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in ...
, Japan
*
Morelia
Morelia (; from 1545 to 1828 known as Valladolid) is a city and municipal seat of the municipality of Morelia in the north-central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. The city is in the Guayangareo Valley and is the capital and larg ...
, Mexico (the city of Fullerton has a street named Morelia Avenue, named after their sister city)
*
Yongin
Yongin () is a city in the Seoul Capital Area, the largest in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. With a population over 1 million, the city has developed rapidly since the 21st century, recording the highest population growth of any city in the count ...
, South Korea
See also
*
List of people from Fullerton, California
References
External links
*
*
Downtown FullertonFullerton Chamber of CommerceFullerton HeritageFullerton ''Observer''Fullerton Transportation CenterFullerton Community CenterFullerton Library
{{authority control
1904 establishments in California
Cities in Orange County, California
Incorporated cities and towns in California
Populated places established in 1904