Perris is an old railway city in
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a County (United States), county located in the southern California, southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most ...
, United States, located east-southeast of
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 north of
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 ...
. It is known for
Lake Perris
Lake Perris is an artificial lake completed in 1973. It is the southern terminus of the California State Water Project, situated in a mountain-rimmed valley between Moreno Valley and Perris, in what is now the Lake Perris State Recreation Area. T ...
, an artificial lake, skydiving, and its sunny dry climate. Perris is within the
Inland Empire
The Inland Empire (IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County to the west. It includes the cities o ...
metropolitan area of
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
. Perris had a population of 78,700 as of the 2020 census.
History
The coming of the
California Southern Railroad
The California Southern Railroad was a subsidiary railroad of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (Santa Fe) in Southern California. It was organized July 10, 1880, and chartered on October 23, 1880, to build a rail connection between wha ...
led to the founding of the city around the new depot, on the rail connection between the present-day cities of
Barstow and
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 ...
. The Perris Depot is included in the
Library of Congress’ Historic American Buildings Survey.
Due to a land title dispute at
Pinacate, most of its citizens moved two miles north on the railroad and established Perris in 1885. The city is named in honor of
Fred T. Perris Fred Thomas Perris (January 2, 1837 – May 12, 1916) was Chief Engineer of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, who oversaw the construction of the last leg of the 2nd Transcontinental Railroad from Barstow, California through Cajon Pass ...
, chief engineer of the
California Southern Railroad
The California Southern Railroad was a subsidiary railroad of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (Santa Fe) in Southern California. It was organized July 10, 1880, and chartered on October 23, 1880, to build a rail connection between wha ...
.The city of Perris was incorporated in 1911. It originally was within
San Diego County
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the fi ...
but, in 1892, it was transferred to the newly established
Riverside County
Riverside County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most populous county in California and the 10th-most populous in the Unit ...
.
In 2005, the
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...
opened the National Archives at Riverside, which is its regional branch for federal documents relating to the Pacific Region (Arizona, southern California, and Clark County, Nevada) in Perris.
Turpin family
In January 2018, authorities discovered 13 malnourished siblings held captive by their own parents, David Allen Turpin, 57, and Louise Anna Turpin, 49, in a home in Perris. Some of the siblings were adults, as old as 29. In April 2019, the couple was sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole for 25 years.
Geography
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, of it is land and of it (0.35%) is water.
Climate
Perris has a Mediterranean climate, with long, hot summers and short, mild winters. The climate in this area is described by the
Köppen Climate Classification System Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author an ...
as "dry-summer subtropical" often referred to as "Mediterranean" and abbreviated as ''Csa''.
Demographics
2010
At the
2010 census Perris had a population of 68,386. The population density was . The racial makeup of Perris was 28,937 (42.3%) White (11.0% Non-Hispanic White),
8,307 (12.1%) African American, 589 (0.9%) Native American, 2,461 (3.6%) Asian, 286 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 24,345 (35.6%) from other races, and 3,461 (5.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 49,079 persons (71.8%).
The census reported that 68,146 people (99.7% of the population) lived in households, 140 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 100 (0.1%) were institutionalized.
There were 16,365 households: 10,836 (66.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them; 9,778 (59.7%) were
opposite-sex married couples living together; 3,128 (19.1%) had a female householder with no husband present; 1,441 (8.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,314 (8.0%)
unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 120 (0.7%)
same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,442 households (8.8%) were one person and 383 (2.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 4.16. There were 14,347 families (87.7% of households); the average family size was 4.32.
The age distribution was 25,288 people (37.0%) under the age of 18, 7,951 people (11.6%) aged 18 to 24, 20,088 people (29.4%) aged 25 to 44, 11,711 people (17.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,348 people (4.9%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 25.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.
There were 17,906 housing units at an average density of 568.4 per square mile, of the occupied units 10,854 (66.3%) were owner-occupied and 5,511 (33.7%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%. 44,695 people (65.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 23,451 people (34.3%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Perris had a median household income of $46,435, with 28.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
2000
At the 2000
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
,
there were 36,189 people in 9,652 households, including 8,117 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 10,553 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was predominately Hispanic, with figures as follows: 22% White, 30.9% African American, 1.5% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 32.6% from other races, and 5.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 76.2% of the population.
The
median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...
was $35,522, and the median family income was $36,063. Males had a median income of $31,891 versus $24,634 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,425. About 18.1% of families and 20.4% 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 25.3% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.
Of the 9,652 households 56.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.9% were non-families. 12.2% of households were one person and 4.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.7 and the average family size was 4.0.
The age distribution was 39.6% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 13.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% 65 or older. The median age was 25 years. Perris' large, youthful demographics are a result of families moving into the city's new housing tracts. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
Economy
Top employers
According to Perris's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
Arts and culture
The
Southern California Railway Museum
The Southern California Railway Museum (SCRM, reporting mark OERX), formerly known as the Orange Empire Railway Museum, is a railroad museum in Perris, California, United States. It was founded in 1956 at Griffith Park in Los Angeles before moving ...
is the largest operating museum of its kind on the
West Coast of the United States
The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...
. The
Southern California Fair
The Southern California Fair is an annual fair held at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California, United States. The event features amusement rides, food concessions, competitive exhibits, carnival games, motorized events, live performance ...
has been held at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds since 1987.
The
Farmer Boys restaurant chain, which has many locations throughout the
Inland Empire
The Inland Empire (IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County to the west. It includes the cities o ...
, was started in Perris in 1981.
Rock Castle house is set on a hill above town.
Government
In 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 ...
, Perris is in , and in .
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 ...
, Perris is in .
Education
![Cesar E](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Cesar_E._Chavez_Library%2C_Perris%2C_CA_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The city is served by three school districts: the
Perris Elementary School District, the
Perris Union High School District
The Perris Union High School District is a school district serving Menifee, California, Menifee and Perris, California. It is the only high school-only district in Riverside County, California, Riverside County.
The Perris Union High School Distr ...
(which also serves
Menifee
Menifee (May 4, 1996 – June 13, 2019) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that competed in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1999. His rivalry with Triple Crown contender Charismatic was compared at times with the rivalry betw ...
), and the
Val Verde Unified School District
The Val Verde Unified School District is one of two public education governing bodies in Moreno Valley, California which stretches into Perris, California. It currently operates 21 schools and is the neighbor to its larger counterpart, the Moreno ...
, which also serves the southern part of
Moreno Valley
Moreno Valley is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and is part of the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Riverside County by population and one of the Inland Empire's po ...
. Perris High School of the Perris district is the city's first public (grades 9–12) school. Established in 1887, the school was relocated in 1961, and the school's western annex on I-215 and Nuevo Road became a Continuation High School in 1993. Now, there are more high schools in the area, including
Citrus Hill
Citrus Hill was a brand of orange juice introduced by Procter & Gamble in the United States market in 1982, later used for other fruit juices and beverages.
The launch of Citrus Hill occurred when P&G acquired Florida-based Ben Hill Griffin In ...
and Orange Vista of the Val Verde district.
Middle schools include Pinacate, Lakeside, Perris and Tomas Rivera. There are ten elementary (grades K–6) schools.
Infrastructure
Aviation
The nearby, privately owned,
Perris Valley Airport
Perris Valley Airport is a privately owned and operated airport open to public use and located one mile (1.6 km) southeast of Perris, California, Perris, serving Riverside County, California, Riverside County, California, United States. It h ...
(FAA designator: L65) has a runway. Perris has drawn a crowd of
skydivers
Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes.
F ...
, amateur and professional, to Perris Valley Skydiving. The area's sudden fame gave Perris the nickname: "the skydiving capital of America". On April 22, 1992, a
de Havilland Twin Otter
The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, which produced the aircraft from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then restarted ...
crashed during takeoff at Perris Valley after an engine lost power. The
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incid ...
determined that the accident was caused by contaminated fuel obtained from the improper handling of the airfield's fuel tanks and the pilot's improper actions after the power loss, as well as other factors. The aircraft never rose above 50 feet and 14 parachutists and the two pilots were killed.
Highways
Perris is served by
Interstate 215 which runs from
Murrieta
Murrieta is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The population of Murrieta was 110,949 as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Murrieta experienced a 133.7% population increase between 2000 and 2010, ma ...
to the south to
San Bernardino
San Bernardino (; Spanish language, Spanish for Bernardino of Siena, "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a ...
to the north, and by
State Route 74, which serves
Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore is a natural freshwater lake in Riverside County, California, located east of the Santa Ana Mountains and fed by the San Jacinto River. Originally named ''Laguna Grande'' by Spanish explorers, it was renamed for the town of Elsino ...
and
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 ...
to the west, and the
San Jacinto and
Coachella Coachella may refer to:
* Coachella, California
* Coachella Canal, in California
* Coachella (festival), an annual music and arts festival in California
* "Coachella – Woodstock in My Mind", a 2017 song by Lana del Rey
See also
* Coachell ...
valleys to the east.
Public safety
The
Riverside County Sheriff's Department
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department (RCSD or RSD), also known as the Riverside Sheriff's Office (RSO), is a law enforcement agency in Riverside County, in the U.S. state of California. Overseen by an elected sheriff-coroner, the department ...
provides police services to the entire Perris Valley area (including the nearby communities of Mead Valley and Glen Valley, and the cities of
Canyon Lake Canyon Lake, Lake Canyon, or lakes named "Cañon", may refer to:
Bodies of water
* Canyon Lake (Arizona)
* Canyon Lake (California)
* Canyon Lake (South Dakota)
* Canyon Lake (Texas)
* Canyon Lake (Michigan)
* Lake Canyon (Lakeland, Florida)
Place ...
and
Menifee
Menifee (May 4, 1996 – June 13, 2019) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that competed in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1999. His rivalry with Triple Crown contender Charismatic was compared at times with the rivalry betw ...
) from its regional station on 4th Street (in the former headquarters of the now-disbanded Perris Police Department).
The city of Perris contracts for fire and paramedic services with the Riverside County Fire Department through a cooperative agreement with
CAL FIRE
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is the fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency in the U.S. state of California. It is responsible for fire protection in various areas under state responsibi ...
. The CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department headquarters is located in Perris.
The
California State Parks
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, more commonly known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 279 separate park units on 1.4 million acres (570,000 hectares), with over 280 ...
have a
dispatch center
A dispatcher is a communications worker who receives and transmits information to coordinate operations of other personnel and vehicles carrying out a service. A number of organizations, including police and fire departments, emergency medical s ...
located in the city as well – Southern Communications Center (SURCOM). Communications Centers operate multi-frequency/channel radio systems, law enforcement telecommunications systems (
CLETS), computer terminals, and associated equipment to dispatch law enforcement/emergency response units and coordinate services with field personnel and other agencies.
Commuter Rail
In June 2016, the
91 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 ...
of the
Metrolink commuter rail system was extended from Riverside to Perris, connecting it to downtown Los Angeles and the rest of the
Greater Los Angeles
Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino Coun ...
megalopolis with two stations. Future expansion to
Hemet
Hemet is a city in the San Jacinto Valley in Riverside County, California. It covers a total area of , about half of the valley, which it shares with the neighboring city of San Jacinto. The population was 89,833 at the 2020 census.
The foundin ...
has also been discussed.
Cemetery
The Perris Valley Cemetery District maintains the Perris Valley Cemetery.
Notable people
*
Louis B. Mayer
Louis Burt Mayer (; born Lazar Meir; July 12, 1882 or 1884 or 1885 – October 29, 1957) was a Canadian-American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) in 1924. Under Mayer's management, MGM became the film industr ...
– Hollywood film mogul, owned a horse ranch in Perris
*
Alfred E. Green - film director, born in Perris
*
Danny Harris
Danny Lee Harris (born September 7, 1965) is an American former track and field athlete who specialized in the 400-meter hurdles (400 mH), in which he won silver medals at the Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres hurdl ...
– former Olympic hurdler, silver medalist in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and the 1987 World Championships in Rome. Grew up in Perris and alumnus of Perris High School.
See also
*
Perris Valley Historical and Museum Association
*
Lake Perris
Lake Perris is an artificial lake completed in 1973. It is the southern terminus of the California State Water Project, situated in a mountain-rimmed valley between Moreno Valley and Perris, in what is now the Lake Perris State Recreation Area. T ...
References
External links
*
*
{{authority control
Cities in Riverside County, California
Incorporated cities and towns in California
Populated places established in 1885
1885 establishments in California