San Bernardino County (), officially the County of San Bernardino, is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the southern portion of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, and is located 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 citie ...

area. As of the

2020 U.S. Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, the population was 2,181,654, making it the fifth-most populous county in California and the 14th-most populous in the United States. 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 ...

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 ...

. While included within 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 Co ...

area, San Bernardino County is included in the Riverside–

–

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

, as well as the

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 ...

–

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporat ...

combined statistical area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and ...

. With an area of , San Bernardino County is the largest county in the

contiguous United States The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...

by area, although some of Alaska's boroughs and census areas are larger. The county is close to the size of

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

. This vast county stretches from where the bulk of the county population resides in three Census County Divisions (Fontana, San Bernardino, and Victorville-Hesperia), counting 1,793,186 people as of the 2010 Census, covering 1,730 square miles (4,480 km²), across the thinly populated deserts and mountains. It spans an area from south of the San Bernardino Mountains in

San Bernardino Valley The San Bernardino Valley ( es, Valle de San Bernardino) is a valley in Southern California located at the south base of the Transverse Ranges. It is bordered on the north by the eastern San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernardino Mountains; ...

, to the

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

border and the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

. With a population that is 53.7% Hispanic as of 2020, it is California's most populous majority-Hispanic county and the second-largest nationwide.

History

Indigenous

Captain of the Agua Caliente Indians, ca

The

indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

that resided in what is now San Bernardino County were primarily the Taaqtam (Serrano) and ʔívil̃uqaletem (Cahuilla) peoples who lived in the

and the

San Bernardino Mountains The San Bernardino Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in Southern California in the United States. Situated north and northeast of San Bernardino and spanning two California counties, the range tops out at at San Gorgonio Mountain ...

; the

Chemehuevi The Chemehuevi are an indigenous people of the Great Basin. They are the southernmost branch of Southern Paiute.

and the

Kawaiisu The Kawaiisu (pronounced: ″ka-wai-ah-soo″) are a Native Californian ethnic group in the United States who live in the Tehachapi Valley and to the north across the Tehachapi Pass in the southern Sierra Nevada, toward Lake Isabella and Walker ...

peoples who lived in the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily ...

region; and the 'Aha Makhav (Mohave) and the Piipaash (Maricopa) peoples who lived along the

. These groups established various villages and settlements throughout the region that were interconnected by a series of extensive trails.

Wa’aachnga Kaawchama ('' Hispanicized'' to Guachama), alternatively referred to as Wa’aachnga ("plenty to eat"), was a significant Tongva village in the San Bernardino Valley located in what is now west Redlands, California. The village became referred to ...

was a major

Tongva The Tongva ( ) are an Indigenous people of California from the Los Angeles Basin and the Southern Channel Islands, an area covering approximately . Some descendants of the people prefer Kizh as an endonym that, they argue, is more historically ...

village site, also occupied by the Serrano and

Cahuilla The Cahuilla , also known as ʔívil̃uqaletem or Ivilyuqaletem, are a Native American people of the various tribes of the Cahuilla Nation, living in the inland areas of southern California.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 ...

. The village was part of an extensive trade network along the

Mohave Trail The Mohave Trail was a Native American trade route between Mohave Indian villages on the Colorado River and settlements in coastal Southern California. History Starting from Mohave villages along the Colorado River in the upper Mohave Valley, t ...

that connected villages in San Bernardino County from the

to the

Los Angeles Basin The Los Angeles Basin is a sedimentary basin located in Southern California, in a region known as the Peninsular Ranges. The basin is also connected to an anomalous group of east-west trending chains of mountains collectively known as the ...

. Wá’peat was a Desert Serrano village located near what is now the city of Hesperia. It was part of a series of villages located along the

Mojave River The Mojave River is an intermittent river in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains and the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Most of its flow is underground, while its surface channels remain dry most of the time, ...

. By the late 1700s, villages in the area were being increasingly encroached upon by

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 ...

soldiers and missionaries, who were coming into the region from Mission San Gabriel.

Colonial period

Spanish Missionaries from

Mission San Gabriel Arcángel Mission San Gabriel Arcángel ( es, Misión de San Gabriel Arcángel) is a Californian mission and historic landmark in San Gabriel, California. It was founded by Spaniards of the Franciscan order on "The Feast of the Birth of Mary," September ...

established a church at the village of

, which would be renamed Politania in 1810. Father

Francisco Dumetz Francisco Dumetz (died 14 January 1811) was a Spanish Franciscan missionary. He gave the San Bernardino Valley in California its name, in 1810. Life He was a native of Majorca, Spain, where he entered the Franciscan Order. In May, 1770, he went t ...

named the church San Bernardino on May 20, 1810, after the feast day of

St. Bernardino of Siena Bernardino of Siena, OFM (8 September 138020 May 1444), also known as Bernardine, was an Italian priest and Franciscan missionary preacher in Italy. He was a systematizer of Scholastic economics. His preaching, his book burnings, and his " b ...

. The

Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

also gave the name San Bernardino to the snowcapped peak in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and 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 populous urban ...

, in honor of the saint and it is from him that the county derives its name. In 1819, they established the

San Bernardino de Sena Estancia The San Bernardino de Sena Estancia (also known as the San Bernardino Rancho or Asistencia) was a ranch outpost of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in what is now in Redlands, California, United States. It was built to graze cattle, and for Indian ...

, a mission farm in what is now Redlands. Following Mexican independence from Spain in 1821, Mexican citizens were granted land grants to establish ranchos in the area of the county.

Rancho Jurupa Rancho Jurupa was a Mexican land grant in California, United States, that is divided by the present-day counties of Riverside and San Bernardino. The land was granted to Juan Bandini by Governor Juan B. Alvarado in 1838. Located along both ba ...

in 1838,

Rancho Cucamonga Rancho Cucamonga was a Mexican land grant in present-day San Bernardino County, California, given in 1839 to the dedicated soldier, smuggler and politician Tiburcio Tapia by Mexican governor Juan Bautista Alvarado. The grant formed parts of p ...

and El Rincon in 1839,

Rancho Santa Ana del Chino Rancho Santa Ana del Chino was a Mexican land grant in the Chino Hills and southwestern Pomona Valley, in present-day San Bernardino County, California. It was granted to Antonio Maria Lugo in 1841 by Mexican Alta California Governor Juan Bauti ...

in 1841, Rancho San Bernardino in 1842 and Rancho Muscupiabe in 1844.

Agua Mansa Agua Mansa ("gentle water") is a former settlement in an unincorporated area of San Bernardino County, near Colton, California, United States. Once the largest settlement in San Bernardino County, it is now a ghost town. Only the cemetery remain ...

was the first town in what became San Bernardino County, settled by immigrants from

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

on land donated from the

in 1841.

Establishment

World's Columbian Exposition- Horticultural Building, Chicago, United States, 1893

Following the purchase of Rancho San Bernardino, and the establishment of the town of

in 1851 by

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into se ...

colonists, San Bernardino County was formed in 1853 from parts of

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...

. Some of the southern parts of the county's territory were given to

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 Uni ...

in 1893. In the 1980s, Northern San Bernardino County proposed to create Mojave County due to the abysmal service levels the county provided. Ultimately, the vote for county secession failed. The proposed county was from the Cajon Pass to the city of Needles. In 1998, County administrator James Hlawek resigned after being subject to an FBI investigation for bribery. only after Harry Mays, county Treasurer-Tax Collector Thomas O’Donnell, County Investment Officer Sol Levin and three businessmen had agreed to plead guilty to federal bribery charges. In 2004, County Supervisor Geral Eaves Pleaded guilty to bribery for accepting gifts from businesses for allowing billboards on county land. In 2004, the county was embroiled in a corruption scandal, that lasted until 2016, over the colonies housing development with real estate developer Jeff Burum in upland. The scandal resulted in 102 million being paid to Jeff Burums real estate company. Supervisor Bill Postmus pleaded guilty to 10 felonies in regard to his previous post as county assessor. in 2020, Jeff Burum sued the county again and the county reached for a 69 million dollar settlement. 2022, the county's insurance company, Ironside, balked at paying the settlement, claiming that the county willfully "retaliate against the Colonies II Plaintiffs as part of a decades-long dispute over land and water rights in Upland, California, culminating in a malicious prosecution of Burum.” In 2020, voters approved Measure K, which limited county supervisors to one term instead of three, while reducing pay from 250 thousand dollars to 60 thousand dollars. County Supervisors appealed the decision, only to lose in the state's appeals court. In 2022, The Board of supervisors were pushed by a major supervisor campaign contributor Jeff Burum to vote for secession from the State of California to form the state of Empire.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water. It is the largest county by area in California and the largest in the United States (excluding boroughs in Alaska). (See
Download the Database
" for an explanation of this data set.) It is slightly larger than the states of

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

and

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

combined, and is also slightly larger than

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. It borders both

and

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. The bulk of the population, nearly two million, live in the roughly 480 square miles south of the San Bernardino Mountains adjacent to Riverside and in the

in the southwestern portion of the county. About 390,000 residents live just north of the San Bernardino Mountains, in and around the roughly 280 square-mile area that includes the

Victor Valley The Victor Valley is a valley in the Mojave Desert and subregion of the Inland Empire, in San Bernardino County in Southern California. It is located east of the Mojave's Antelope Valley, north of the Cajon Pass and the San Bernardino Valle ...

. Roughly another 100,000 people live scattered across the rest of the sprawling county. The

Mojave National Preserve Mojave National Preserve is a United States National Preserve located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, USA, between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The preserve was established October 31, 1994, with the passage of ...

covers some of the eastern desert, especially between

Interstate 15 Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexican border in San Diego County and stretches north to Alberta, Cana ...

and

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

. The desert portion also includes the cities of Needles next to the

and Barstow at the junction of

and

Trona Trona (trisodium hydrogendicarbonate dihydrate, also sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate, Na2CO3•2NaHCO3•3H2O) is a non- marine evaporite mineral. It is mined as the primary source of sodium carbonate in the United States, where it has repla ...

is at the northwestern part of the county, west of

Death Valley Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. During summer, it is the hottest place on Earth. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the point of lowest elevation in Nort ...

. This national park, mostly within

Inyo County Inyo County () is a county in the eastern central part of the U.S. state of California, located between the Sierra Nevada and the state of Nevada. In the 2020 census, the population was 19,016. The county seat is Independence. Inyo County ...

, also has a small portion of land within San Bernardino County. The largest metropolitan area in the

part of the county is the

, with the incorporated localities of

Adelanto Adelanto (Spanish for "Advance") is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is approximately northwest of Victorville in the Victor Valley area of the Mojave Desert, in the northern region of the Inland Empire.Lint ...

, Apple Valley, Hesperia, and

Victorville Victorville is a city in Victor Valley in San Bernardino County, California. Its population as of the 2020 census was 134,810. History In 1858, Aaron G. Lane came to what is now known as Victorville and founded a waystation called "Lane's Cro ...

. Further south, a portion of

Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree National Park is an American national park in southeastern California, east of San Bernardino and Los Angeles and north of Palm Springs. It is named after the Joshua trees (''Yucca brevifolia'') native to the Mojave Desert. Origin ...

overlaps the county near the High Desert area, in the vicinity of

Twentynine Palms Twentynine Palms (also known as 29 Palms) is a city in San Bernardino County, California. Twentynine Palms serves as one of the entry points to Joshua Tree National Park. History Twentynine Palms was named for the palm trees found there in ...

. The remaining towns make up the remainder of the High Desert: Pioneertown,

Yucca Valley Yucca Valley is an incorporated town in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 20,700 as of the 2010 census. Yucca Valley lies west of Twentynine Palms, north of Palm Springs, south of Barstow via State Route ...

Joshua Tree ''Yucca brevifolia'' is a plant species belonging to the genus ''Yucca''. It is tree-like in habit, which is reflected in its common names: Joshua tree, yucca palm, tree yucca, and palm tree yucca. This monocotyledonous tree is native to the ar ...

Landers Landers may refer to: People * Landers (surname), a list of people surnamed Landers (including fictional people) Places * Landers, California, United States * Landers Peaks, group of peaks in the northern portion of Alexander Island, Antarct ...

, and

Morongo Valley Morongo Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) on State Route 62 in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 3,552 at the 2010 census, up from 1,929 at the 2000 census. The town is bordered by Yucca Valley, Californ ...

. The mountains are home to the

San Bernardino National Forest The San Bernardino National Forest is a United States National Forest in Southern California encompassing of which are federal. The forest is made up of two main divisions, the eastern portion of the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernard ...

, and include the communities of Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, Running Springs, Big Bear City,

Forest Falls A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

, and

Big Bear Lake Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the San Bernardino Mountains, in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is a snow and rain fed lake, having no other means of tributaries or mechanical replenishment. At a surface elevation of , it ...

. The

is at the eastern end of the

San Gabriel Valley The San Gabriel Valley ( es, Valle de San Gabriel) is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, lying immediately to the east of the eastern city limits of the city of Los Angeles, and occupying the vast majority of the eastern part ...

. The San Bernardino Valley includes the cities of

, Chino,

Chino Hills The Chino Hills are a mountain range on the border of Orange, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino counties, California, with a small portion in Riverside County. The Chino Hills State Park preserves open space and habitat in them. Geography The ...

, Upland,

Fontana Fontana may refer to: Places Italy *Fontana Liri, comune in the Province of Frosinone *Fontanafredda, comune in the Province of Pordenone *Fontanarosa, comune in the Province of Avellino *Francavilla Fontana, comune in the Province of Brindisi * ...

Rialto The Rialto is a central area of Venice, Italy, in the ''sestiere'' of San Polo. It is, and has been for many centuries, the financial and commercial heart of the city. Rialto is known for its prominent markets as well as for the monumental Ria ...

, Colton,

Grand Terrace Grand Terrace is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 12,040 at the 2010 census, up from 11,626 at the 2000 census. Grand Terrace is located between Highgrove and Colton, along the I-215 and Agua Man ...

, Montclair,

Loma Linda Loma Linda (Spanish for "Beautiful Hill") is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States, that was incorporated in 1970. The population was 24,791 at the 2020 census, up from 23,261 at the 2010 census. The central area of the ...

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

, Redlands, and Yucaipa.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Angeles National Forest The Angeles National Forest (ANF) of the U.S. Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains and Sierra Pelona Mountains, primarily within Los Angeles County in southern California. The ANF manages a majority of the San Gabriel Mountai ...

(part) *

Death Valley National Park Death Valley National Park is an American national park that straddles the California–Nevada border, east of the Sierra Nevada. The park boundaries include Death Valley, the northern section of Panamint Valley, the southern section of Eurek ...

(part) *

Havasu National Wildlife Refuge Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge on the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California. It preserves habitat for desert bighorn sheep, the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher, and other animals. The refu ...

(part) *

Sand to Snow National Monument Sand to Snow National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located in San Bernardino County and northern Riverside County, Southern California. It protects diverse montane and desert habitats of the San Bernardino Mountains, southern Mojave D ...

(part) More than 80% of the county's land is owned by the federal government. There are at least 35 official

wilderness area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

s in the county that are part of the

National Wilderness Preservation System The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the Na ...

. This is the largest number of any county in the United States (although not the largest in total area). The majority are managed by the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's ...

, but some are integral components of the above listed national protected areas. Most of these wilderness areas lie entirely within the county, but a few are shared with neighboring counties (and two of these are shared with the neighboring states of Arizona and Nevada). Except as noted, these wilderness areas are managed solely by the

and lie within San Bernardino County: * Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness *Bighorn Mountain Wilderness (part) *Black Mountain Wilderness *Bristol Mountains Wilderness *Cadiz Dunes Wilderness *

Chemehuevi Mountains Wilderness The Chemehuevi Mountains are found at the southeast border of San Bernardino County in southeastern California adjacent the Colorado River. Located south of Needles, California and northwest of the Whipple Mountains, the mountains lie in a north� ...

Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness The Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness is a wilderness area in the southern Mojave Desert. It is located northeast of Twentynine Palms, California, and north of Joshua Tree National Park. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Named for the ...

* Clipper Mountain Wilderness *

Cucamonga Wilderness The Cucamonga Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, in San Bernardino County, Southern California. The wilderness is managed by the United States Forest Service in Angeles National Fo ...

*Dead Mountains Wilderness *

Death Valley Wilderness Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

(part) *Golden Valley Wilderness *Grass Valley Wilderness * Havasu Wilderness (part) *Hollow Hills Wilderness *Joshua Tree Wilderness (part) *Kelso Dunes Wilderness *Kingston Range Wilderness *Mesquite Wilderness *Mojave Wilderness *Newberry Mountains Wilderness *North Mesquite Mountains Wilderness * Old Woman Mountains Wilderness * Pahrump Valley Wilderness (part) *Piute Mountains Wilderness *Rodman Mountains Wilderness *

Saddle Peak Hills Wilderness Saddle Peak Hills Wilderness is the smallest designated wilderness area created by the California Desert Protection Act of 1994. History A 1980 Bureau of Land Management report recommended the area as unsuitable for wilderness designation, as th ...

(part) *

San Gorgonio Wilderness The San Gorgonio Wilderness is located in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains, in San Bernardino County and into northern Riverside County, Southern California. It begins north of San Gorgonio Pass, approximately west of Morongo Valley and n ...

(part) *

Sheep Mountain Wilderness Sheep Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area of within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and managed by the Angeles National Forest. It is within Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County, southern California. The U.S. Congress ...

(part) *

Sheephole Valley Wilderness The Sheep Hole Mountains are a mountain range in the Mojave Desert, to the north of Joshua Tree National Park, in San Bernardino County, California. The mountains were once Chemehuevi hunting grounds. The mountain range lies between the Bullion ...

Stateline Wilderness The Stateline Wilderness is a wilderness area located in San Bernardino County, California, approximately three miles northwest of Primm, Nevada, Primm, Nevada and I-15. Having an area of approximately , it contains the eastern terminus of the C ...

Stepladder Mountains Wilderness The Stepladder Mountains are located in southeastern California in the United States. The range, found in San Bernardino County, is home to the 84,199-acre (approximate) Stepladder Mountains Wilderness, which protects the Desert tortoise, Califo ...

*Trilobite Wilderness * Turtle Mountains Wilderness * Whipple Mountains Wilderness

Demographics

2010

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

2011

Places by population, race, and income

2010 Census

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 serving ...

reported that San Bernardino County had a population of 2,035,210. The racial makeup of San Bernardino County was 1,153,161 (56.7%)

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 ...

, 181,862 (8.9%)

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 ...

, 22,689 (1.1%) Native American, 128,603 (6.3%) Asian, 6,870 (0.3%)

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 ...

, 439,661 (21.6%) 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 102,364 (5.0%) 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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 1,001,145 persons (49.2%).

2000

As of the

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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 1,709,434 people, 528,594 households, and 404,374 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 601,369 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 58.9%

, 9.1%

, 1.2% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 0.3%

, 20.8% from

, and 5.0% from two or more races. 39.2% of the population were

or Latino of any race. 8.3% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 5.5%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

and 5.1%

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 ...

ancestry. 66.1% spoke

, 27.7%

and 1.1%

Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Taga ...

as their first language. There were 528,594 households, out of which 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone 65 years of age or older living alone. The average household size was 3.2 people, and the average family size was 3.6 people. The number of homeless in San Bernardino County grew from 5,270 in 2002 to 7,331 in 2007, a 39% increase. In the county, the population was spread out—with 32.3% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males. The median income for a household in the county was $42,066, and the median income for a family was $46,574. Males had a median income of $37,025 versus $27,993 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 county was $16,856. About 12.6% of families and 15.80% 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 ...

, including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government and policing

County government

As of 2021, the Board of Supervisors oversees a $7.9 billion annual budget and 25,430 employees. The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has 5 members elected from their districts: *

Paul Cook Paul Thomas Cook (born 20 July 1956) is an English drummer and member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols. He was also called "Cookie" by his friends on the punk music scene. Early life and career Cook was raised in Hammersmith and atte ...

(First District), * Janice Rutherford (Second District), * Dawn Rowe (Third District), * Chairman

Curt Hagman Curt Hagman (born January 2, 1965) is a former Republican member of the California State Assembly, representing the 55th district. Prior to serving as state assemblyman, Hagman was the Mayor of Chino Hills and also owner of Apex Bail Bonds. Ed ...

(Fourth District), and * Joe Baca Jr. (Fifth District) Other County of San Bernardino Elected Officials
Ensen Mason (Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector)Bob Dutton (Assessor/Recorder)
* Theodore Alejandre (County Superintendent of Schools) * Jason Anderson (District Attorney)
Shannon Dicus (Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator)

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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, San Bernardino County is split among 5 congressional districts: * , * , * , * , and * . In the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The ...

, San Bernardino County is split among 8 assembly districts: * , * , * , * , * the 42nd Assembly District, represented by

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

Chad Mayes Chad Jeffrey Mayes (born April 23, 1977) is an American politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. He is an independent representing the 42nd district, encompassing parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Prior to b ...

, * , * , and * . In the

California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. D ...

, San Bernardino County is split among 6 districts: * , * , * , * , * , and * .

Policing

Sheriff

The San Bernardino County Sheriff provides court protection, jail administration, and coroner services for all of San Bernardino County. It provides police patrol, detective, and marshal services for the unincorporated areas of the county.

Municipal police

Municipal police departments in the county are: Fontana, San Bernardino, Rialto, Ontario, Upland, Montclair, Chino, Redlands, Colton, and Barstow. The San Bernardino County Sheriff provides contract law enforcement services to 14 incorporated cities and towns: Adelanto, Apple Valley, Big Bear, Chino Hills, Grand Terrace, Hesperia, Highland, Loma Linda, Needles, Rancho Cucamonga, Twentynine Palms, Victorville, Yucaipa, and Yucca Valley. Also for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. The Sheriff's Commanders assigned to these stations acts as each municipality's Chief of Police.

Politics

Voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration

Overview

San Bernardino County is a county in which candidates from both major political parties have won in recent elections. Democrat

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

carried the county by a majority and by double digits in

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

. The Democratic Party also carried the county in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

and

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, when

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

won majorities of the county's votes, and in

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment building in Amsterdam after two of its engin ...

and

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone o ...

, when

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

won pluralities. Republican George W. Bush took the county in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

by a plurality and in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...

by a majority. The county is split between heavily Latino, middle-class, and Democratic areas and more wealthy conservative areas. The heavily Latino cities of Ontario and San Bernardino went for John Kerry in 2004, but with a relatively low voter turnout. In 2006, San Bernardino's population exceeded 201,000, and in 2004, only 42,520 votes were cast in the city; in 2006, strongly Republican Rancho Cucamonga had over 145,000 residents, of whom 53,054 voted. According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 2020, there were 1,016,190 registered voters in San Bernardino County. Of those, 410,197 (40.37%) were registered Democrats, 298,234 (29.35%) were registered Republicans, with the remainder belonging to minor political parties or declining to state. On November 4, 2008, San Bernardino County voted 67% for

Proposition 8 Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in cou ...

, which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.

Public safety

Law enforcement

The current district attorney is Jason Anderson, who was elected in March 2018 and took office on January 1, 2019. The county's primary law enforcement agency is the

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner's Department (SBSD) serves San Bernardino County, California, which is geographically the largest county in the United States (excluding Alaska's boroughs) and is headquartered in San Bernardino city. ...

. The department provides law enforcement services in the unincorporated areas of the county and in 14 contract cities, operates the county jail system, provides marshal services in the county superior courts, and has numerous other divisions to serve the residents of the county.

Fire rescue

The county operates the San Bernardino County Consolidated Fire District (commonly known as the San Bernardino County Fire Department). The department provides "all-risk" fire, rescue, and emergency medical services to all unincorporated areas in the county except for several areas served by independent fire protection districts, and several cities that chose to contract with the department.

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense. On December 2, 2015, in the city of San Bernardino, terrorists attacked a staff meeting being held in the Inland Regional Center, murdering 14 people and wounding 22.

Cities by population and crime rates

Education

Colleges and universities

Barstow Community College Barstow Community College is a public community college in Barstow, California. It is an open-admission college serving more than 3,700 students in degree and certificate programs with approximately 120 faculty. It provides the first two years o ...

Brandman University University of Massachusetts Global (UMass Global), formerly Brandman University, is a private university with 25 campuses throughout California and Washington and a virtual campus. The university offers more than 90 degree, certificate, cre ...

(Ontario campus) *

California State University, San Bernardino California State University, San Bernardino (Cal State San Bernardino or CSUSB) is a public research university in San Bernardino, California. Founded in 1965, it is one of the 23 general campuses of the California State University system. The m ...

Chaffey College Chaffey College is a public community college in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The college serves students in Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Upland. It is the oldest community college in California. History ...

Copper Mountain College Copper Mountain College (CMC) is a public community college in Joshua Tree, California. It was accredited in 2001 as the 108th such institution in the state. CMC offers a total of 24 different certificates and degrees. History CMC was origin ...

* Crafton Hills College *

Loma Linda University Loma Linda University (LLU) is a private Seventh-day Adventist health sciences university in Loma Linda, California. , the university comprises eight schools and a Faculty of Graduate Studies. It is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist educat ...

National University A national university is mainly a university created or managed by a government, but which may also at the same time operate autonomously without direct control by the state. Some national universities are associated with national cultural or po ...

(campuses in Ontario and San Bernardino) *

Palo Verde Community College Palo Verde College, formerly Palo Verde Junior College, is a public community college in Blythe, California. Main Campus Palo Verde College is located along the Colorado River in the fertile Palo Verde Valley, west of Phoenix, east of Palm Sp ...

(Needles campus) *

San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino Valley College is a public community college in San Bernardino, California. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The college has an enrollment of 17,044 students and covers . Valley College is also a ...

University of Redlands The University of Redlands is a private university headquartered in Redlands, California. The university's main, residential campus is situated on 160 acres (65 ha) near downtown Redlands. An additional eight regional locations throughout Califo ...

Victor Valley College Victor Valley College is a public community college in the southeast corner of Victorville, California. It is part of the California Community College System. The Victor Valley Community College district includes Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Val ...

K-12 education

School districts are: Unified: *

Apple Valley Unified School District Apple Valley Unified School District is a school district in San Bernardino County, California San Bernardino County (), officially the County of San Bernardino, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, a ...

Baker Valley Unified School District Baker Valley Unified School District is a public school district based in San Bernardino County, California, United States. References External links * School districts in San Bernardino County, California {{California-school-stub ...

* Barstow Unified School District *

Bear Valley Unified School District Bear Valley Unified School District is a school district in San Bernardino County, California, supporting the towns of the Big Bear area such as Boulder Bay, Fawnskin, Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Surgarloaf, etc. The district serves seven ...

Beaumont Unified School District Beaumont Unified School District is located in the central part of Riverside County in California. The district services the city of Beaumont, California Beaumont is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, located at the summi ...

* Chino Valley Unified School District *

Colton Joint Unified School District The Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD) in San Bernardino County, California serves the communities of Colton, Bloomington, and Grand Terrace and small portions of Fontana, Rialto and San Bernardino. The District opened in 1872. High ...

Fontana Unified School District Fontana Unified School District is located in and serves most of the city of Fontana, California, a community in San Bernardino County about 50 miles east of Los Angeles. The district contains 45 schools, which serve students from K-12 to adult e ...

* Hesperia Unified School District *

Lucerne Valley Unified School District Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label= Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital o ...

* Morongo Unified School District * Muroc Joint Unified School District *

Needles Unified School District Needles is part of San Bernardino County in California, but is on the borders of the states of Arizona and Nevada. Needles has been a regular stop for the Santa Fe railway since the 19th century. Route 66 also runs through the town. Schools in t ...

Redlands Unified School District The Redlands Unified School District serves the cities of Redlands and Loma Linda, the unincorporated community of Mentone, the eastern half of Highland and a small section of San Bernardino in San Bernardino County. Total enrollment was 21,1 ...

* Rialto Unified School District * Rim of the World Unified School District *

San Bernardino City Unified School District San Bernardino City Unified School District is a public school district in San Bernardino County, California that serves most of the city of San Bernardino and the western portion of Highland. The district has an enrollment of approximately 57, ...

Sierra Sands Unified School District The Sierra Sands Unified School District is located in the Indian Wells Valley of California. It was established in 1960. It serves all of Indian Wells Valley, including the cities of Ridgecrest, Inyokern, China Lake, Johannesburg and Kernv ...

Silver Valley Unified School District Silver Valley Unified School District is located in the High Desert of Southern California, between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The district covers an area of approximately , equivalent in size to the combined states of Rhode Island and Delawar ...

Snowline Joint Unified School District The Snowline Joint Unified School District (SJUSD) is the school district for part of the Victor Valley in the Mojave Desert and northeastern San Gabriel Mountains, located within San Bernardino County, California. The district extends into L ...

Trona Joint Unified School District Trona (trisodium hydrogendicarbonate di hydrate, also sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate, Na2CO3•2NaHCO3•3H2O) is a non-marine evaporite mineral. It is mined as the primary source of sodium carbonate in the United States, where it has repla ...

Upland Unified School District Upland Unified School District is a school district located in San Bernardino County, California that serves the community of Upland, California. It has a total population of approximately 63,800 and covers a total area of 24 square miles. Hi ...

Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District is a school district serving Yucaipa, California, Yucaipa (an incorporated area of San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino County) and Calimesa, California, Calimesa (an incorporated area o ...

Secondary: *

Chaffey Joint Union High School District Chaffey Joint Union High School District is a 9-12 school district located in San Bernardino County, California, United States that serves the communities of Ontario, Montclair, Rancho Cucamonga, and portions of Fontana, Upland, Chino, and M ...

Victor Valley Union High School District Victor Valley Union High School District (VVUHSD) is a school district in the Victor Valley of San Bernardino County, southern California. It serves grades 7-12 in the Victor Valley region of the Mojave Desert, including the towns of Victorvill ...

Elementary: *

Adelanto Elementary School District Adelanto Elementary School District (AESD) is an elementary and middle school-only school district in San Bernardino County, California. It is headquartered in Adelanto. It serves Adelanto and portions of Victorville. Students at the high scho ...

* Alta Loma Elementary School District * Central Elementary School District *

Cucamonga Elementary School District Rancho Cucamonga ( ) is a city located just south of the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest in San Bernardino County, California, United States. About east of Downtown Los Angeles, Rancho Cucamonga is the 28th ...

* Etiwanda Elementary School District *

Helendale Elementary School District Helendale or Silver Lakes is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and census-designated place located in the Victor Valley of the Mojave Desert, within San Bernardino County, California. It is on historic U.S. Route 66 (California) ...

* Mountain View Elementary School District *

Mount Baldy Joint Elementary School District Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, ...

* Ontario-Montclair School District * Oro Grande Elementary School District *

Victor Elementary School District Victor Elementary School District (VESD) is a school district headquartered in Victorville, California.Home
Victor Elementary School District. Retrieved ...

Libraries

The San Bernardino County Library System consists of 32 branches across the county. Library services offered vary from branch to branch, but include internet access, children's story times, adult literacy services, book clubs, classes, and special events. The library system also offers e-books, digital music and movie downloads, free access to online learning through

Lynda.com LinkedIn Learning is an American online learning provider. It provides video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills. It is a subsidiary of LinkedIn. All the courses on LinkedIn fall into four categories: Bus ...

, and many other digital services. City-sponsored public libraries also exist in San Bernardino County, including A. K. Smiley Public Library in

Redlands, California Redlands ( ) is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 73,168, up from 68,747 at the 2010 census. The city is located approximately west of Palm Springs and east of ...

, which was built in 1898. Other public libraries in the County include: The San Bernardino City Public Library System, Rancho Cucamonga Public Library, Upland Public Library, Colton City Library, and the Ontario City Library. These libraries are separate from the county system and do not share circulation privileges.

Transportation

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Public transportation

Morongo Basin Transit Authority Basin Transit, formally Morongo Basin Transit Authority (MBTA) is the transit agency that serves the Morongo Basin in San Bernardino County, California. It is a joint powers authority between Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms, and San Bernardino ...

provides bus service in Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms (including the Marine base). Limited service is also provided to Palm Springs. *

Mountain Transit Mountain Transit (legally the Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority) is the third largest regional transit agency in San Bernardino County, California. Mountain Transit serves the San Bernardino Mountain communities of Crestline, Lake Arrowhe ...

covers the Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear regions. Limited service is also provided to

Downtown San Bernardino Downtown San Bernardino is a district in the city of San Bernardino, California, in San Bernardino County, United States. It is home to city and county government buildings, and to the city's central business district. The downtown area of San B ...

. *

Needles Area Transit Needles Area Transit (NAT) is the public transportation system, including a Dial-a-Ride program for seniors and persons with disabilities, serving residents of the Needles, California, City of Needles in San Bernardino County, California, San Berna ...

serves Needles and the surrounding county area. *

Omnitrans Omnitrans, stylized as "OmniTrans," is a public transportation agency in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The largest transit operator within San Bernardino County, it serves the San Bernardino Valley. The agency was established ...

provides transit service in the urbanized portion of San Bernardino County, serving the City of San Bernardino, as well as the area between Montclair and Yucaipa. *

Victor Valley Transit Authority Victor Valley Transit Authority (VVTA), the second largest transit operator in San Bernardino County (with over 1,020,119 passengers a year), is a transit agency providing bus service in the Victor Valley, California area. In , the system had a r ...

operates buses in Victorville, Hesperia, Adelanto, Apple Valley and the surrounding county area. *

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 ...

connects the Inland Empire area to the San Gabriel Valley and downtown Los Angeles. *

RTA RTA may refer to: Media * Radio and Television Arts, program at Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada * Radio Television Afghanistan ** RTA TV, an Afghan channel * Radiodiffusion Télévision Algérienne * Real time attack, a game speedrun Scienc ...

connects Montclair, and Anaheim to Riverside County. *

SunLine Transit Agency SunLine Transit Agency, a transit operator in Riverside County, California (with over 3.5 million passengers a year), is a transit agency providing bus service in the Palm Springs Area, with service extending into San Bernardino Transit Center du ...

connects Cal State San Bernardino to palm springs * Beaumont Transit Connects Downtown San Bernardino to the city of Beaumont and Banning *San Bernardino County is also served by

Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurgenc ...

buses and

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. ...

trains. Metrolink commuter trains connect the urbanized portion of the county with Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.

Airports

* Commercial domestic and international passenger flights are available at San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) and

Ontario International Airport Ontario International Airport is an international airport two miles east of downtown Ontario, in San Bernardino County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino. It is owned and operat ...

(ONT). SBD can be accessed from I-215 via Mill Street,

I-10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally p ...

via Tippecanoe Avenue, and I-210 via 3rd Street. Terminal construction recently finished, and commercial flights began in 2022. There is also a logistics center for

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

Amazon Air Amazon Air, operating under the callsign Prime Air, is a cargo airline operating exclusively to transport Amazon packages. In 2017, it changed its name from Amazon Prime Air to Amazon Air to differentiate themselves from their autonomous drone ...

service that has recently completed construction on the airport grounds. * Southern California Logistics Airport (Victorville) is a major airplane graveyard, general aviation airport, and a Partial Air Force Installation. * The County of San Bernardino owns six general aviation airports: Apple Valley Airport,

Baker Airport Baker Airport is a public airport located two miles (3 km) northwest of the central business district of Baker, in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is owned by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Managem ...

Barstow-Daggett Airport Barstow-Daggett Airport is a county-owned public airport in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is five miles (7 km) east of Daggett and 14 miles east of Barstow. Built in 1933, it is the oldest of the six airports opera ...

Chino Airport Chino Airport is a county-owned airport about three miles southeast of Chino, in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The Federal Aviation Administration's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2007–2011 classified it ...

Needles Airport Needles Airport is a county-owned public airport in San Bernardino County, California, United States, five miles (9 km) south of Needles. It opened in May 1941. During World War II the airfield was known as Needles Army Airfield at coordi ...

, and

Twentynine Palms Airport Twentynine Palms Airport is a public use airport located six nautical miles (11 km) east of the central business district of Twentynine Palms, a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is owned by the County of San Be ...

. * Other general aviation airports in the county include:

Big Bear City Airport Big Bear City Airport is a high-elevation public airport, operated by the Big Bear Airport District, located in the San Bernardino Mountains in Big Bear City, California, United States. Facilities and aircraft Big Bear City Airport covers an ...

Cable Airport Cable Airport is a non-towered public-use airport located two miles (3 km) northwest of the central business district of Upland, a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is privately owned by the Cable Land Company. ...

(Upland), Hesperia Airport (not listed in NPIAS), and

Redlands Municipal Airport Redlands Municipal Airport is two miles (3.2 km) northeast of downtown Redlands, serving San Bernardino County, California, United States. This general aviation airport covers and has one runway. History The Redlands area witnessed some o ...

Environmental quality

California Attorney General

Jerry Brown Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of S ...

sued the county in April 2007 under the state's environmental quality act for failing to account for the impact of

global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

in the county's 25-year growth plan, approved in March. The

Center for Biological Diversity The Center for Biological Diversity is a nonprofit membership organization known for its work protecting endangered species through legal action, scientific petitions, creative media and grassroots activism. It was founded in 1989 by Kieran Suckl ...

, the

Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who b ...

and the

Audubon Society The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such orga ...

also sued in a separate case. According to Brendan Cummings, a senior attorney for the

plaintiff A plaintiff ( Π in legal shorthand) is the party who initiates a lawsuit (also known as an ''action'') before a court. By doing so, the plaintiff seeks a legal remedy. If this search is successful, the court will issue judgment in favor of t ...

s: "San Bernardino has never seen a project it didn't like. They rubber-stamp development. It's very much of a frontier mentality." The plaintiffs want the county to rewrite its growth plan's environmental impact statement to include methods to measure

greenhouse gases A greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG) is a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor (), carbon dioxide (), methane ...

and take steps to reduce them. According to county spokesman David Wert, only 15% of the county is controlled by the county; the rest is cities and federal and state land. However, the county says it will make sure employment centers and housing are near transportation corridors to reduce traffic and do more to promote compact development and mass transit. The county budgeted $325,000 to fight the lawsuit. The state and the county reached a settlement in August 2007. The county agreed to amend its general plan to include a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan, including an

emission inventory An emission inventory (or emissions inventory) is an accounting of the amount of pollutants discharged into the atmosphere. An emission inventory usually contains the total emissions for one or more specific greenhouse gases or air pollutants, ori ...

and reduction targets.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Baker A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Si ...

* Big Bear City * Big River * Bloomington * Bluewater * Crestline *

Fort Irwin Fort Irwin National Training Center (Fort Irwin NTC) is a major training area for the United States military in the Mojave Desert in northern San Bernardino County, California. Fort Irwin is at an average elevation of . It is located northeast o ...

* Homestead Valley *

* Lake Arrowhead * Lenwood *

Lucerne Valley Lucerne Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) and valley landform in the southern Mojave Desert, in western San Bernardino County, California. Geography The geographic valley is defined by the surrounding Granite Mountains, Ord Mountains, ...

* Lytle Creek * Mentone *

* Mountain View Acres * Muscoy * Oak Glen * Oak Hills * Phelan * Piñon Hills * Running Springs *

San Antonio Heights San Antonio Heights is a census-designated place (CDP) in the San Bernardino County, California. It is in the northern Pomona Valley and the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population was 3,371 at the 2010 census, up from 3,122 at the ...

Searles Valley Searles Valley is a valley in the northern Mojave Desert of California, with the northern half in Inyo County and the southern half in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Searles Valley is located between the Argus Range to the wes ...

* Silver Lakes * Spring Valley Lake * Wrightwood * Yermo

Unincorporated communities

* Amboy * Angelus Oaks * Argus * Arrowbear Lake * Arrowhead Farms * Arrowhead Highlands *Arrowhead Junction * Baldwin Lake * Baldy Mesa * Bell Mountain *Blue Jay, California, Blue Jay *Bryman, California, Bryman *Cadiz, California, Cadiz *Cajon Junction, California, Cajon Junction *Cedar Glen, California, Cedar Glen *Cedarpines Park, California, Cedarpines Park *Cima, California, Cima *Crafton, California, Crafton *Crest Park, California, Crest Park *Cushenbury, California, Cushenbury *Daggett, California, Daggett *Danby, California, Danby *Earp, California, Earp *El Mirage, California, El Mirage *Essex, San Bernardino County, California, Essex *Fawnskin, California, Fawnskin *Fenner, California, Fenner *

*Goffs, California, Goffs *Green Valley Lake, California, Green Valley Lake *Halloran Springs, California, Halloran Springs *Havasu Lake, California, Havasu Lake *Helendale, California, Helendale *Hinkley, California, Hinkley *Hodge, California, Hodge *Johnson Valley, California, Johnson Valley *Kingston, California, Kingston *Kramer, California, Kramer *Kramer Hills, California, Kramer Hills *La Delta, California, La Delta *

*Ludlow, California, Ludlow *Mars, California, Mars *Midway *Mojave Heights, California, Mojave Heights *Mount Baldy, California, Mount Baldy *Mountain Home Village, California, Mountain Home Village *Mountain Pass, California, Mountain Pass *Newberry Springs, California, Newberry Springs *Nipton, California, Nipton *Oro Grande, California, Oro Grande *Parker Dam, California, Parker Dam *Patton, California, Patton *Pioneer Point, California, Pioneer Point *Pioneertown, California, Pioneertown *Red Mountain, California, Red Mountain *Rimforest, California, Rimforest *Skyforest, California, Skyforest *Sugarloaf, California, Sugarloaf *Sunfair, California, Sunfair *Sunfair Heights, California, Sunfair Heights *

*Twentynine Palms Base, California, Twentynine Palms Base *Twin Peaks, California, Twin Peaks *Venus, California, Venus *Vidal, California, Vidal *Vidal Junction, California, Vidal Junction *Wonder Valley, California, Wonder Valley *Zzyzx, California, Zzyzx

Indian reservations

*Chemehuevi Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation, Chemehuevi Indian Reservation *Colorado River Indian Tribes, Colorado River Indian Reservation (partially in

, and La Paz County, Arizona) *Fort Mojave Indian Reservation (partially in Mohave County, Arizona, and Clark County, Nevada) *San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, San Manuel Indian Reservation *Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians of California, Twenty-Nine Palms Indian Reservation (partially in

)

Ghost towns

*Afton, San Bernardino County, California, Afton *Rice, California, Rice *Siberia, California, Siberia *Calico, San Bernardino County, California, Calico * Amboy *Ash Hill, California, Ash Hill *Ludlow, California, Ludlow *Cadiz, California, Cadiz *Klondike *Ivanpah (ghost town), California, Ivanpah *Keenbrook *Cosy Dell

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 United States census, 2020 census of San Bernardino County. † ''county seat''

Places of interest

*California Speedway, Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California *Calico, San Bernardino County, California, Calico Ghost Town — northeast of Barstow via Interstate 15 (California), Interstate 15 *Zzyzx, California, Zzyzx — a small desert settlement that used to be a health spa and is now the Desert Studies Center *

*Mojave Narrows Park *

*Mojave Trails National Monument *

* Castle Mountains National Monument *

— home to

outdoor activities *Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex *Mitchell Caverns *Snow Summit, Bear Mountain (Ski Area), and Snow Valley Mountain Resort are home to Southern California's premier winter ski resorts. Mountain High, although technically located in Los Angeles County, is also an alternative to Snow Summit and Bear Mountain because of its proximity to San Bernardino County. *The Pacific Crest Trail, officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT), passes through San Bernardino County.

Notes

References

External links

*
San Bernardino County Museum website

San Bernardino County Museum at Google Cultural Institute

San Bernardino County Library website
{{Coord, 34.83, -116.19, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-CA_source:UScensus1990 San Bernardino County, California, California counties Counties in Southern California Greater Los Angeles Inland Empire 1853 establishments in California Populated places established in 1853 Majority-minority counties in California

History

Indigenous

Colonial period

Establishment

Geography

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

2010

2020 census

2011

Places by population, race, and income

2010 Census

2000

Government and policing

County government

State and federal representation

Policing

Sheriff

Municipal police

Politics

Voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration

Overview

Public safety

Law enforcement

Fire rescue

Crime

Cities by population and crime rates

Education

Colleges and universities

K-12 education

Libraries

Transportation

Major highways

Public transportation

Airports

Environmental quality

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Indian reservations

Ghost towns

Population ranking

Places of interest

See also

Newspapers, past and present

Notes

References

External links