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Big Bear City is an
unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
and
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
in
San Bernardino County, California San Bernardino County ( ), officially the County of San Bernardino and sometimes abbreviated as S.B. County, is a County (United States), county located in the Southern California, southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is locat ...
, United States along the east shore of
Big Bear Lake Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the Western United States, western United States, located in the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino County, California. It is a snow and rain-fed lake, having no other m ...
and surrounded by 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 Bernar ...
. It is northeast of the city of
San Bernardino San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the 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 census, making it the List of ...
, and immediately east of the
incorporated city Municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally owned ...
of
Big Bear Lake Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the Western United States, western United States, located in the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino County, California. It is a snow and rain-fed lake, having no other m ...
. Its population was 12,738 at the 2020 census, up from 12,304 at the 2010 census. Big Bear City is mostly residential, with smaller houses and cabins laid out in typical square block fashion. Big Bear is on the
Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...
.
Standard Air Lines Standard Air Lines was an airline founded by Jack Frye, Paul E. Richter and Walter A. Hamilton in . The three had founded Aero Corporation of California in 1926 in Los Angeles and Standard was made a subsidiary of Aero in 1927. History Stand ...
of Los Angeles began a regular airline service to the community in the summer of 1929. Its post office was founded as Van Duesen in 1927 but changed its name to Big Bear City six months later. The Big Bear City Post Office opened in 1928 and still operates. Despite the name, Big Bear City is not an incorporated city, and should not be confused with the adjacent incorporated city of
Big Bear Lake Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the Western United States, western United States, located in the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino County, California. It is a snow and rain-fed lake, having no other m ...
.


Etymology

Big Bear got its name due to the large number of grizzly bears that once roamed the area. Although grizzly bears were exterminated in the valley at the turn of the 20th century, there are still thousands of black bears found in Big Bear Valley.


History


Pre-colonial period

The first humans to inhabit Big Bear Valley were the Serrano Indians, who trace their beginnings to Bear Valley. Serrano means ''mountaineers'', or ''those of the Sierras''. The Serrano people that settled much of 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 ...
, called themselves Yuhaviatam, or: ''people of the pines''. It is estimated that the Serrano natives first settled in Big Bear between 1,500 and 2,000 years ago. The Serranos had both winter and summer settlements throughout the area. While their winter village was located in
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 ...
, they relocated to villages in the San Bernardino mountains during summer, as the altitude provided cooler temperatures. Villages were often located by rivers and lakes, however, mountain hunting camps were also established on higher elevations. Besides hunting, they also consumed pinyon nuts, mesquite beans, screw-beans, juniper berries and seeds. One of four major Serrano ethnographic sites was located in Big Bear City, called: Kayah-pia-t. Big Bear, and Lucerne Valley clans, both belonged to the same tribe: the ''Coyote Pervetum''. Settling here because of the region's many natural resources, they harvested acorns and herbs, but also hunted deer, rabbits, and other wildlife. A number of mortar holes can be seen in Big Bear City; these holes made by the Serranos, were utilized to ground acorns into meals. The oldest known remains of a human settlement in Big Bear Valley can be seen at the Indian Grinding Rocks in Big Bear City, called: The Eye of God, which is a sacred site to the Serrano people. The Serrano's creation narrative took place at ''The Eye of God'', which was known as Hatauva. The earliest known contact with European settlers in Big Bear occurred when Spanish Father
Francisco Garcés Francisco Hermenegildo Tomás Garcés (April 12, 1738 – July 18, 1781) was a Spanish Franciscan friar who served as a missionary and explorer in the colonial Viceroyalty of New Spain. He explored much of the southwestern region of North Amer ...
arrived during his 1774-1776 expedition. Another source states, that the first contact happened in 1845 during a punitive expedition against the Native-Americans.


Geography

For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Big Bear City as a
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
(CDP). According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the CDP has a total area of , 99.95% of it land, and 0.05% of it water. The nearby ski resorts consist of Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. Most of the town and the business district are centered on Big Bear Boulevard. Its limits are defined on the west by Division Road and on the east by the left turn at Highway 38, which goes to Redlands and Highway 18 which goes south to
San Bernardino San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the 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 census, making it the List of ...
and north to
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 ...
. Though its south boundary is loosely defined by the residential boundary, the north side is defined by North Shore Road. The east–west postal divider of Big Bear City is Green Way Drive. It is here that Highway 18 (Big Bear Boulevard) turns north and crosses over to North Shore Drive heading east toward Lucerne Valley, and Highway 38 coming from the east turns north to North Shore and heads west to Big Bear Dam in the city of
Big Bear Lake, California Big Bear Lake is a city in San Bernardino County, California, located in the San Bernardino Mountains along the south shore of Big Bear Lake, and surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. The city is about northeast of the city of San ...
.
Sugarloaf A sugarloaf was the usual form in which refined sugar was produced and sold until the late 19th century, when granulated and cube sugars were introduced. A tall cone with a rounded top was the end product of a process in which dark molasses, ...
is a large residential area that lies to the south of Big Bear City.


Demographics


2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Big Bear City had a population of 12,738. The population density was . The racial makeup of Big Bear City was 73.9%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.9%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.5% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.3%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 9.4% from other races, and 12.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.6% of the population. The census reported that 99.8% of the population lived in households, 0.2% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized. There were 5,523 households, out of which 22.3% included children under the age of 18, 43.5% were married-couple households, 7.6% were
cohabiting Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become incr ...
couple households, 25.9% had a female householder with no partner present, and 23.0% had a male householder with no partner present. 31.3% of households were one person, and 14.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.3. There were 3,363
families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(60.9% of all households). The age distribution was 18.8% under the age of 18, 6.5% aged 18 to 24, 22.7% aged 25 to 44, 29.3% aged 45 to 64, and 22.7% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 47.1years. For every 100 females, there were 101.9 males. There were 12,086 housing units at an average density of , of which 5,523 (45.7%) were occupied. Of these, 71.8% were owner-occupied, and 28.2% were occupied by renters.


2023 estimates

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 4.9% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 85.0% spoke only English at home, 10.4% spoke
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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
, 2.6% spoke other
Indo-European languages The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...
, 0.8% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 1.2% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 91.8% were high school graduates and 28.4% had a bachelor's degree. The median household income was $72,457, and the
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
was $38,030. About 11.0% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line.


Government

In the
California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...
, Big Bear City is in , and in . In the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
, Big Bear City is in .


Transportation

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 a ...
is a
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
airport in Big Bear City. There are no commercial air services to this airport, although at least two airlines, including
Trans World Airlines Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1930 until it was acquired by American Airlines in 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles ...
, have served Big Bear in the past. This airport may also be used for medical evacuations, and as a base for forest-fighting aircraft when there are fires close by. The airport is very popular with local
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
pilots.


Education

It is in the Bear Valley Unified School District.
Text list
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Wildlife

Mammals such as
squirrels Squirrels are members of the family (biology), family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and ...
, chipmunks,
raccoons The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the North American, northern or common raccoon (also spelled racoon) to distinguish it from Procyonina, other species of raccoon, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest ...
,
coyotes The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely relat ...
and
skunks Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or gin ...
are commonly sighted, while black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, gray foxes and
mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whit ...
are more rarely observed. Potentially dangerous animals include mountain lions, black bears and coyotes. A mountain lion responsible for eating a dog was killed by the sheriff in Big Bear City in 2010. Although
grizzly bears The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horr ...
were previously common, they became extinct from Big Bear Valley in 1906.Keller, Russell L. (2008). ''Big Bear (Postcard History)''. Arcadia Publishing. Page 9. .


See also

* The Eye of God * Gold Mountain Manor


References


Further reading

*


External links


KBHR Radio 93.3 FM for Big Bear news, weather and road conditions

Big Bear Airport

Big Bear Solar Observatory

Big Bear Grizzly, In depth Big Bear Valley news, sports and entertainment information

Big Bear City Magazine
{{authority control Census-designated places in San Bernardino County, California Big Bear Valley San Bernardino Mountains Census-designated places in California