Pomona is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 151,713. The main campus of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, also known as Cal Poly Pomona, lies partially within Pomona's city limits, with the rest being located in the neigboring unincorporated community of

Ramona ''Ramona'' is a 1884 American novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. Set in Southern California after the Mexican–American War, it portrays the life of a mixed-race Scottish– Native American orphan girl, who suffers racial discrimination and ...

History

Beginnings to 1880

The area was originally occupied by the Tongva Native Americans. The city is named after Pomona, the ancient Roman goddess of fruit. For horticulturist Solomon Gates, "Pomona" was the winning entry in a contest to name the city in 1875, before anyone had ever planted a fruit tree there.A Brief History of Pomona
The city was first settled by Ricardo Véjar and Ygnacio Palomares in the 1830s, when California and much of the now-American Southwest were part of Mexico. The first Anglo-Americans arrived prior to 1848 when the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo resulted in California becoming part of the United States. In 1864, the widow of Ygnacio Palomares of Rancho San José sold to Louis Phillips, a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Prussian Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

immigrant, who would shortly be known as "the richest man in Los Angeles County." He built the largest commercial building in Los Angeles central business district at the time, the

Phillips Block The late- Victorian-era Downtown of Los Angeles grew year by year, around 1880 centered at the southern end of the Los Angeles Plaza area, and over the next two decades, extending south and west along Main Street, Spring Street, and Broadway t ...

, which would eventually house Hamburger's, the then-largest department store in the

Western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the We ...

Spadra

Phillips sold a parcel of his land to William "Uncle Billy" Rubottom, in 1866 who founded a new town there and named it Spadra after his hometown, now part of Clarksville, Arkansas. The site of Spadra is west of the Pomona Station along Pomona Blvd. just east of the 57 (Orange) Freeway. Spadra became a stagecoach stop, Rubottom built the Spadra Hotel and Tavern to serve travelers, and by 1870, Spadra had 400–500 residents, three stores, a school, and a post office. In 1873, Phillips convinced the Southern Pacific Railroad to build a line to Spadra. Phillips thought Spadra would become a great town, and built his Phillips Mansion there in 1875, which together with the Spadra Cemetery are the only two remnants of the town that still exist today. Fullerton's Main north–south road was named Spadra Road for its first 75 years, as long before the 57 Freeway it was the road through

Brea Canyon Brea may refer to: Mythology * Brea (mythology), an Irish mythological god People * Anthony José Brea Salazar, a Venezuelan professional racing cyclist * Armando Bréa, a Brazilian middle-distance runner * Benjamín Brea, a Venezuelan mus ...

to Spadra, and was later renamed Harbor Boulevard. The Southern Pacific Railroad had a terminus at Spadra, but the line was extended east to Colton, and Spadra lost momentum. In 1964, the area was annexed by Pomona.

1880-present

By the 1880s, the arrival of Coachella Valley water which, together with railroad access, made it the western anchor of the

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

-growing region. Pomona was officially incorporated on January 6, 1888. In the 1920s Pomona was known as the "Queen of the Citrus Belt", with one of the highest per-capita levels of income in the United States. In the 1940s it was used as a movie-previewing location for major motion picture studios to see how their films would play to modally middle-class audiences around the country (for which Pomona was at that time viewed as an idealized example). Religious institutions are deeply embedded in the history of Pomona. There are now more than 120 churches, representing most religions in today's society. The historical architectural styles of these churches provide glimpses of European church design and architecture from other eras.

Pomona Mall Pomona Mall was a pedestrian mall in Downtown Pomona, California, recognized by the Los Angeles Conservancy as an outstanding example of Mid-century modern and modern architecture and design. It was completed in 1962 and designed by Millard Sheets ...

was a downtown pedestrian mall, recognized by the Los Angeles Conservancy as an outstanding example of Mid-century modern and

modern architecture Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that for ...

and design. It was completed in 1962, one element in a larger plan of civic improvements covering the whole city. The eastern end is now part of the

Western University of Health Sciences Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) is a private medical school and health sciences university with its main campus in Pomona, California, with an additional osteopathic medical school in Lebanon, Oregon. With an enrollment of 3,8 ...

campus, while the western end now houses numerous art galleries, art studios and restaurants. In 2005, Pomona citizens elected Norma Torres, the first woman of Guatemalan heritage to be elected to a mayoral post outside of Guatemala. Later, she would become a U.S. congresswoman representing California's 35th congressional district in 2015.

Geography

Pomona is east of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

in the Pomona Valley, located at (34.060760, -117.755886). 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 t ...

, the city has a total area of , over 99% of it land. Pomona is approximately east of downtown Los Angeles, north of Santa Ana, west of Riverside, and west of

San Bernardino San Bernardino (; Spanish for "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 population of 222,101 in the 2020 cen ...

. Pomona is bordered by the cities of San Dimas on the northwest, La Verne and Claremont on the north, Montclair and Chino on the east, Chino Hills and

Diamond Bar Diamond Bar is a city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2010 census it had a population of 55,544, and in 2019 the population was estimated to be 55,720. It is named after the "diamond over a bar" branding iron re ...

on the south,

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 ...

, South San Jose Hills, and

Industry Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...

on the southwest, and the unincorporated community of

on the west. The Los Angeles/San Bernardino county line forms most of the city's southern and eastern boundaries.

Climate

Pomona has a

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 ...

(

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 ...

''Csa'') with hot, dry summers and mild, damp winters and a large amount of sunshine year-round. August is the warmest month with an average daytime high temperature of . Summers are characterized by sunny days and very little rainfall during the months of June through September. Fall brings cooler temperatures and occasional showers, as well as seasonal

Santa Ana winds The Santa Ana winds (sometimes devil winds) "Scholars who have looked into the name's origins generally agree that it derives from Santa Ana Canyon, the portal where the Santa Ana River -- as well as a congested Riverside (CA-91) Freeway -- leav ...

originating from the northeast. December is the coolest month with an average high temperature of . Winter also brings the majority of annual precipitation. Snowfall is virtually unheard of, but frost can occur once or twice a year. Annual precipitation averages .

Architecture

The following structures in Pomona are noted by the Los Angeles Conservancy: * Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design (1971,

Carl Maston Carl L. Maston (born Carl Mastopietro, June 17, 1915 – May 31, 1992) was an influential Los Angeles mid-century modern architect. __TOC__ Biography Maston was born to an Italian father and English mother. Ultimately choosing the architec ...

) *The Downtown Center / Lytton Savings (1964,

Kurt Meyer Kurt Meyer (23 December 1910 – 23 December 1961) was an SS commander and convicted war criminal of Nazi Germany. He served in the Waffen-SS (the combat branch of the SS) and participated in the Battle of France, Operation Barbarossa, and ot ...

& Associates) * Fox Theater Pomona (1931, Balch & Stanbery) *

(1962, Millard Sheets) *Pomona Civic Center (1969, Welton Becket & Associates) File:Cal poly pomona building 7 maston.jpg, Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design File:Downtown Pomona 01 - panoramio.jpg, Fox Theater Pomona

Demographics

The most common ancestries in Pomona are German, English,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

and French.

2010

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 servi ...

reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was . The racial makeup of Pomona was 71,564 (48.0%)

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 o ...

(12.5% Non-Hispanic White), 10,924 (7.3%)

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 ...

, 1,763 (1.2%) Native American, 12,688 (8.5%) Asian of which is Chinese 2,217 1.48% Filipino 2,938 1.97% Japanese 443 0.3% Korean 633 0.42% Vietnamese 1643 1.1% , 282 (0.2%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 45,171 (30.3%) 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 6,666 (4.5%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race were 105,135 persons (70.5%). The Census reported that 144,920 people (97.2% of the population) lived in households, 2,782 (1.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,356 (0.9%) were institutionalized. There were 38,477 households, out of which 19,690 (51.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 19,986 (51.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 6,960 (18.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3,313 (8.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,823 (7.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 299 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 5,810 households (15.1%) were made up of individuals, and 2,010 (5.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.77. There were 30,259 families (78.6% of all households); the average family size was 4.15. The population was spread out, with 43,853 people (29.4%) under the age of 18, 20,155 people (13.5%) aged 18 to 24, 42,311 people (28.4%) aged 25 to 44, 31,369 people (21.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 11,370 people (7.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.5 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males. There were 39,620 housing units at an average density of , of which 21,197 (55.1%) were owner-occupied, and 17,280 (44.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%. 80,968 people (54.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 63,952 people (42.9%) lived in rental housing units During 2009–2013, Pomona had a median household income of $49,474, with 21.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Economy

Since the 1980s, Pomona's newest neighborhood Phillips Ranch, experienced rapid growth with homes still being built in the hilly area between Downtown and

. Today, Phillips Ranch is nearly all residential. Northern Pomona has seen some gentrification with additional housing units added and revamped streetscapes. Pomona Electronics was originally based in the city. Pomona had two malls, the pedestrian

downtown and the

Indian Hill Mall Indian Hill Village is a former shopping mall in Pomona, California. It has been redeveloped into a multi-use retail, commercial and educational facility and is now known as The Village @ Indian Hill, comprising on . History The original, open-ai ...

, both now defunct as malls per se, but still dedicated to retail and other uses. According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city and number of employees are Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (3,230), Pomona Unified School District (3,034), California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (2,440),

Fairplex Fairplex has been the home of the L.A. County Fair since 1922. Known prior to 1984 as the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, it is located in the city of Pomona, California. The L.A. County Fair is held during the month of May since 2022, but the fa ...

(1,071)
Casa Colina Rehabilitation Center
(1,020)
City of Pomona
(661), and

County of Los Angeles Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is th ...

Department of Social Services (350).

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events

The city is the site of the

, which hosts the

L.A. County Fair The Los Angeles County Fair is an annual county fair. It was first held on October 17, 1922, and ran for five days through October 21, 1922, in a former beet field in Pomona, California. Highlights of the fair's first year were harness racing, ...

and the Pomona Swap Meet & Classic Car Show. The

swap meet A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously-owned (second-hand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal' ...

(for car parts and accessories) is part of the car show, which is a single-day event held seven times throughout the year. The city is also home to the NHRA

Auto Club Raceway at Pomona The Pomona Raceway (known as In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip for commercial reasons, previously Auto Club Raceway at Pomona), is a racing facility located in Pomona, California that features a quarter-mile dragstrip. Since its opening in 1961, th ...

(formerly the Pomona Raceway), which hosts Winternationals drag racing competition.

Museums and other points of interest

* dA Center for the Art *

, annual Los Angeles County Fair *

(Pomona Raceway) * Ygnacio Palomares Adobe, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California * La Casa Primera de Rancho San Jose, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California - Pomona * Pomona Envisions the Future mural in the Arts District of Pomona * The Glass House * Pomona Fox Theater * Phillips Mansion *

Cal Poly Pomona California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona, CPP, or Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo. See the ''name'' section of this article for more infor ...

* American Museum of Ceramic Art * RailGiants Train Museum *Pomona Ebell Museum of History *Spadra Cemetery

Government

Municipal government

Pomona was incorporated on January 6, 1888, and adopted a charter in 1911, making it a charter city. The city is governed by a seven-member city council. Regular municipal elections are held on a Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years. Councilmembers serve four-year terms, and the mayor is the presiding councilmember, elected at-large. The other six members are elected by districts. Every eight months, the council appoints a new vice mayor from among its members.

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

: Tim Sandoval

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

members: *John Nolte (District One) *Victor Preciado (District Two) *Nora Garcia (District Three) *Elizabeth Ontiveros-Cole (District Four) *Steve Lustro (District Five) *Robert Torres (District Six) City manager: James Makshanoff

City Commissions

Financial report

According to the city's most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $220.3 million in revenues, $225.5 million in expenditures, $818.3 million in total assets, $520 million in total liabilities, and $80.6 million in cash and investments.

County representation

In the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Pomona is in the 1st District, represented by Democrat

Hilda Solis Hilda Lucia Solis (; born October 20, 1957) is an American politician and a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 1st district. Solis previously served as the 25th United States Secretary of Labor from 2009 to 2013, as par ...

. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Pomona Health Center in Pomona. The

Los Angeles County Fire Department The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) provides firefighting services as well as technical rescue services, hazardous materials response services and emergency medical response services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County ...

provides fire department services for Pomona on a contract basis.

State and federal representation

In the California State Legislature, Pomona 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Pomona is in .

Education

Public and private schools

Most of Pomona and some of the surrounding area are served by the Pomona Unified School District. Pomona High School,

Diamond Ranch High School Diamond Ranch High School (or DRHS) is a high school that serves students from Diamond Bar and Phillips Ranch, California, United States, and is operated by the Pomona Unified School District (PUSD) in Pomona, California. Diamond Ranch's athletic ...

, Ganesha High School, Garey High School, Fremont Academy, Palomares Academy, and Village Academy are PUSD's seven high schools. The Claremont Unified School District serves a small section of northern Pomona. Residents there are zoned to Sumner Elementary School, El Roble Intermediate School, and Claremont High School. The School of Arts and Enterprise, a charter high school, is also located in the city. There are four parochial schools of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles The Archdiocese of Los Angeles ( la, Archidiœcesis Angelorum in California, es, Arquidiócesis de Los Ángeles) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in th ...

located in Pomona: St. Madeleine Catholic School (K-5), St. Joseph Elementary School (K–5), Pomona Catholic Middle School and High School and St. Christopher-Joseph-Aquinas Academic Academy (2 locations). There are also three Islamic schools: New Dimensions School (K-8), ICC Community School (K-8) and City of Knowledge (K-12).

Colleges and universities

* California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) is located southwest of the junction of the 10 and 57 freeways. The university was established on the site of breakfast cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg's ranch located on the city's western corner. The university has over 24,000 students and covers an area of over . The university is known for its agricultural, hospitality,

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

and architectural programs. Some campus areas are also located in

, and the unincorporated community of

. *

, (formerly known as College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific) is located south of Highway 10 off Towne Avenue. It is one of the largest health sciences universities in California. *Laguna Technical College is also located in down town Pomona

Nearby

Pomona College Pomona College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who wanted to recreate a "college of the New England type" in Southern California. In 1925, it became t ...

was founded in Pomona in 1887, but moved to neighboring Claremont, California in 1889. It is now part of the

Claremont Colleges The Claremont Colleges (known colloquially as the 7Cs) are a consortium of seven private institutions of higher education located in Claremont, California, United States. They comprise five undergraduate colleges (the 5Cs)— Pomona College, Sc ...

. * Mt. San Antonio College, located in

Walnut, California Walnut is a city in the eastern part of Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 29,172, and in 2019 the population was estimated at 29,685. The greater Walnut Valley is located betw ...

, is adjacent to Cal Poly Pomona, west of the 57 Freeway.

Media

A&E's hit show “Live PD” follows the Police Department in Pomona on Friday and Saturday nights. The major daily newspaper in the area is '' Inland Valley Daily Bulletin''. ''

La Opinión ''La Opinión'' is a Spanish-language daily newspaper and website based in Los Angeles, California. It is the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the United States and the second-most read newspaper in Los Angeles (after ''The Los Angeles Time ...

'' is the city's major

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, Can ...

-language paper. There are also a wide variety of smaller regional newspapers, alternative weeklies and magazines, including: * ''

Claremont Courier The ''Claremont Courier'' is a community newspaper based in Claremont, California, United States. It is widely regarded as the city's newspaper of record, and is often cited by other news outlets covering the city. In 2018, the ''Courier'' was na ...

'' * '' San Gabriel Valley Tribune'' * Proud Digital Media (aka Pomona Proud) with a local audience 60,000+

Infrastructure

Rail

Pomona is connected to downtown Los Angeles and to

downtown Riverside Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire and i ...

via Metrolink and is connected by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

via the Sunset Limited and the

Texas Eagle The ''Texas Eagle'' is a daily passenger train route operated by Amtrak between Chicago and San Antonio in the central and western United States. Prior to 1988, the train was known as the ''Eagle''. Trains #21 (southbound) and 22 (northbound) ...

. In addition, Pomona will be connected to Los Angeles and eastern Los Angeles county via light rail when the Gold Line Foothill Extension is completed in 2026. When it opens, the rail line will be renamed the A Line per Metro's new naming convention, and it will connect with the former Blue Line via the new Regional Connector in downtown

Metrolink stations

*: Pomona—Downtown *: Pomona—North

Freeways and highways

San Bernardino Freeway * California 57

Orange Freeway 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 * ...

Pomona Freeway Pomona may refer to: Places Argentina * Pomona, Río Negro Australia * Pomona, Queensland, Australia, a town in the Shire of Noosa * Pomona, New South Wales, Australia Belize * Pomona, Belize, a municipality in Stann Creek District Mexico * ...

Foothill Boulevard * California 71

Chino Valley Freeway

Airports

Pomona is serviced by: * Ontario Airport (ONT), located away * John Wayne Airport (SNA), formerly called the Orange County Airport, located away *

Long Beach Airport Long Beach Airport is a public airport three miles northeast of downtown Long Beach, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is also called Daugherty Field, named after local aviator Earl Daugherty. The airport was an operating base ...

(LGB), located away * San Bernardino International Airport (SBD), located away *

Hollywood Burbank Airport Hollywood Burbank Airport, legally and formerly marketed as Bob Hope Airport after entertainer Bob Hope , is a public airport northwest of downtown Burbank, in Los Angeles County, California, United States.. Federal Aviation Administration. ef ...

(BUR), located in Burbank, away * Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), located away

Buses

Pomona is served by

Foothill Transit Foothill Transit is a public transit agency that is government funded by 22 member cities in the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys. It operates a fixed-route bus public transit service in the San Gabriel Valley region of eastern Los Angeles Cou ...

. The ''Silver Streak'' is Foothill Transit's bus rapid transit line operating between eastbound to Montclair and westbound to Downtown

. Omnitrans bus line 61 runs throughout downtown Pomona. The service runs much more frequently than other area mass transit, and operates around the clock. 60-foot NABI articulated buses are used on this route, similar to those used on the Metro G Line, Metro Local, and Metro Rapid.

Notable people

* Above the Law, rap group, formed in Pomona *

Jessica Alba Jessica Marie Alba ( ; born April 28, 1981) is an American actress and businesswoman. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in '' Camp Nowhere'' and '' The Secret World of Alex Mack'' (1994), and rose to prominence at age 19 ...

, actress and entrepreneur, born in Pomona * Richard Armour, author, grew up in Pomona and attended Pomona College * Milton L. Banks, basketball player for the Harlem Globetrotters, raised in Pomona * Guy Vernon Bennett, politician, was superintendent of schools in Pomona in 1914 *

Jeanne Black Gloria Jeanne Black (October 25, 1937 – October 23, 2014) was an American country music singer. Life and career Gloria Jeanne Black was born on October 25, 1937, in Pomona, California. She first gained wide exposure singing on Cliffie Stone ...

, country singer, born in Pomona *

Ron Burkle Ronald Wayne Burkle (born November 12, 1952) is an American businessman. He is the co-founder and managing partner of The Yucaipa Companies, LLC, a private investment firm that specializes in U.S. companies in the distribution, logistics, food, ...

Buckethead Brian Patrick Carroll (born May 13, 1969), known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has received critical acclaim for his innovative electric guitar playing. His music spans severa ...

, musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist * Jim Chandler, author, spent time in Pomona during his youth * Dan Cortes, professional baseball player * Alberto Davila, boxer * Gabriel P. Disosway, United States Air Force General * Michael Efevberha, basketball player for the

Nigeria national basketball team The Nigeria national basketball team represents Nigeria in men's international basketball and it is overseen by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF). In March 2021, the global governing body FIBA ranked Nigeria as Africa's top men's basket ...

* Ron English, football coach * Al Ferguson, actor * Todd Field, actor and film director * Mike Frank, baseball player *

Suga Free Suga may refer to: * Suga, Iran, a village in Qazvin Province, Iran * Suga language, a language of Cameroon * Suga (rapper) (born 1993), South Korean rapper, songwriter, and record producer * ''Suga'' (EP), 2020 EP by Megan Thee Stallion * ''Sug ...

, rapper * Britney Gallivan, best known for debunking a myth about paper folding *

Ben Harper Benjamin Chase Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live perfo ...

, singer-songwriter, born in Pomona * Donnie Hill, professional baseball player * Bruce Hines, baseball coach * Jim Keith, author * Will Keith Kellogg, industrialist * Jill Kelly, pornographic actress *

Kokane Jerry Buddy Long Jr. (born March 10, 1969), better known by his stage name Kokane, is an American recording artist best known for his distinctive vocal style and numerous guest appearances, such as on Snoop Dogg's ''Tha Last Meal''. Early life ...

, rapper, actor * Dan McGwire, football player *

Mark McGwire Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963), nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Card ...

, Major League Baseball player and coachPeople From Pomona, California
* Daniel Keys Moran, science fiction author * Cameron Morrah, football player * "Sugar" Shane Mosley, professional boxer *

Ed Nelson Edwin Stafford Nelson (December 21, 1928 – August 9, 2014) was an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Michael Rossi in the television series '' Peyton Place''. Nelson appeared in episodes of many TV programs, more than 50 mov ...

, actor * Kem Nunn, author, surfer *

Ryan O'Donohue Ryan Sean O'Donohue (born April 26, 1984) is an American actor. He is most notable for his performances as a voice actor in many Disney projects especially as Demyx in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' video game franchise. As a live-action actor, he was ...

, voice actor * Moriah Peters, Christian musician *

Orlando Perez Orlando Perez (born July 12, 1977 in Pomona, California) is an American soccer defender, who played eight seasons in Major League Soccer. Perez never played college soccer, but he was drafted twice in MLS, both times by coach Octavio Zambran ...

, Major League Soccer player * Louis Phillips (rancher) original owner of much of the land that is now Pomona and the richest man in Los Angeles County * Kenneth Pitzer, chemist, Stanford University president * Russell K. Pitzer, philanthropist, founder of Pitzer College * Dave Rice, basketball player and head coach, UNLV * Frank "Cannonball" Richards, carnival and vaudeville performer, buried at the Pomona Cemetery *

Richie Sandoval Richard Sandoval (born 18 October 1960) is an American retired professional boxer and former Lineal and WBA Bantamweight Champion. Sandoval was a silver medalist at the 1979 Pan American Games in Puerto Rico and was a U.S. Olympian during his ...

, boxer * Bob Seagren, pole vaulter, Olympic gold and silver medalist, started vaulting as a teenager in Pomona * Millard Sheets, artist and Scripps College professor * Bill Singer, Major League Baseball pitcher * Keith Smith, fullback for the Atlanta Falcons * Noah Song, professional baseball player * Randy Stein, baseball player * Brian Stokes, baseball pitcher * James Tarjan, Chess Grandmaster *

Robert Tarjan Robert Endre Tarjan (born April 30, 1948) is an American computer scientist and mathematician. He is the discoverer of several graph algorithms, including Tarjan's off-line lowest common ancestors algorithm, and co-inventor of both splay trees ...

, computer scientist, born in Pomona * Steve Thomas, author, television personality * Pat Toomay, former football player * Norma Torres, congresswoman and mayor of Pomona * Rik Van Nutter, actor *

Jimmy Verdon Jimmy Verdon (born November 4, 1981) is an American football defensive end who was most recently a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was originally drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played ...

, football player and coach * Edward Ulloa, attorney and former prosecutor * Tom Waits, singer-songwriter, composer, and actor * Delanie Walker, professional football player *

Frank Wilcox Frank Reppy Wilcox (March 13, 1907 – March 3, 1974) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films and television series, as well as Broadway plays. Background Wilcox was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roger V. Wilcox. He was born in De Soto ...

, actor, lived in Pomona in the 1930s and worked in lemon groves * Rozz Williams, gothic rock musician, born in Pomona * Larry Wilmore, comedian and comedy writer, host of The Nightly Show * Trevor Wright, actor *

Rich Yett Richard Martin Yett (born October 6, 1962) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1990. Yett was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1980, but Yett only played one game ...

, professional baseball player, born in Pomona *The

Hughes Brothers Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes (born April 1, 1972), known together professionally as the Hughes brothers, are American film directors and producers. The pair, who are twins, are known for co-directing visceral, and often violent, movies, inclu ...

, film directors known for '' Menace II Society'', ''Dead Presidents'' and ''The Book of Eli'' * Alejandro Aranda, singer and songwriter, runner-up on the seventeenth season of ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

, ''born in Pomona''. *

Sinqua Walls Sinqua Walls (born April 6, 1985) is an American actor known for appearing in ''Friday Night Lights'', ''The Secret Life of the American Teenager'', and '' American Soul''.Sinqua WallsUSF Guard Bio/ref> Early life and education Originally fro ...

, basketball player for Cal Poly Pomona * Ryan Perry, baseball pitcher * Chris Miller, football coach * Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, basketball player born in Pomona * Jerry Green, basketball player *

Marty Keough Richard Martin Keough (born April 14, 1934) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox (1956–60), Cleveland Indians (1960), Washington Senators (1961), Cincinn ...

, baseball player * Dedrique Taylor, basketball head coach

In popular culture

* It was rumored that

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

originally planned on having Disneyland built in Pomona, but the city council declined his offer, fearing that the park would not succeed and would cause the city to go into debt. According to a reporter for the '' Inland Valley Daily Bulletin'', David Allen, his former colleague, Matthew Tresaugue had reported, in a 1997 story, that Pomona was merely one of 71 considered cities, but was ruled out due to temperature extremes, i.e. too hot in the summer and too cold at night. Author James Ellroy used Pomona as the setting for the fictional amusement park Dream-a-Dreamland in his novel '' L.A. Confidential''. Dream-a-Dreamland and its fictional owner, the cartoon magnate Ray Dieterling, were based very closely on Disneyland and Walt Disney. * In an episode of '' I Love Lucy'', the main characters of the show "go out to the country" on a day trip to Pomona. This is now seen as odd due to Pomona having since become quite urban. In 1940, Lucille Ball and

Desi Arnaz Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', in which he c ...

spent their honeymoon in downtown Pomona. * The Fox Theater in Pomona was frequently used by Hollywood during the Golden Age for test screenings. In '' Sunset Blvd.'' (

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Hol ...

, 1950) when Norma Desmond, played by

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

, reads a script to Joe Gillis (

William Holden William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...

), Gillis comments: "They'll love it in Pomona". * The 1979 Steven Spielberg film '' 1941'' is partly set in Pomona. * The 2003 film adaptation of '' The Cat in the Hat'', starring

Mike Myers Michael John Myers OC (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. His accolades include seven MTV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollywoo ...

, transforms Pomona's Antique Row into a scene straight from the imagination of

Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
'' The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

, '' Treehouse of Horror XVI'', characters Kang and Kodos try to speed up the 2005 World Series as the broadcast announcer features "Pomona" as an American teen drama television show spin-off of ''

The O.C. ''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. "O.C." is an initiali ...

'' and was advertised as being "even hotter away from the beach."

References

External links

*
Pomona Unified School DistrictPomona Local NewsPomona Chamber of Commerce
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Pomona {{authority control Cities in Los Angeles County, California Incorporated cities and towns in California Populated places established in the 1830s 1888 establishments in California Chicano and Mexican neighborhoods in California