Menifee, California

Menifee is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and is part of the Inland Empire. Named after a local miner, Luther Menifee Wilson, it was settled in the 19th century, and incorporated as a city in 2008. Since then, Menifee has become one of the fastest growing cities in California and the United States.

The city is centrally located in Southern California in the Menifee Valley. It is almost north of Temecula and just north of Murrieta. Menifee is roughly in size and has an elevation of . The incorporated City of Menifee includes the communities of Sun City, Quail Valley, and Romoland.

History

The area are the traditional lands of the Luiseño people, specifically the Pechanga band. In the 18th century, the area fell under Spanish rule and was ceded by Mexico to the United States in 1848 as a result of the Mexican–American War.

Farming, which began in the mid-19th century, was concentrated in the Menifee area. Mining began in the early 1880s with the discovery of a significant quartz lode by miner Luther Menifee Wilson, from whom Menifee derived its name. Wilson discovered a gold-bearing quartz ledge near present-day Holland and Murrieta roads in 1883, and filed a claim with the San Diego County Recorder's office for this new "Menifee" mine. At the time, the area was referred to as the Menifee Valley.

Early development of the Menifee area began with Sun City in the early 1960s, conceptualized as an active retirement community by Del Webb, a building contractor from Phoenix, Arizona. Webb also developed Sun City, Arizona, under the same concept. Sun City is located in the northwestern part of Menifee and features a mix of residential and commercial activity.

The Menifee area later grew during the late 1980s and early 1990s as a master-planned community. However, a lack of resources such as industry-oriented occupations and high-density retail and commercial businesses caused many residents to drive to cities such as Temecula or Murrieta to shop, dine, or work. In recent years, however, there has been substantial growth in Menifee, attracting many new residents from all areas of Southern California such as San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles, as well as other parts of the Inland Empire.

On June 3, 2008, the residents of the communities encompassing the Menifee area voted to incorporate together to form Riverside County's 26th city. The City of Menifee was officially established on October 1, 2008.

Geography

The city of Menifee is bordered on the north, west, south and east by the cities of Perris, Canyon Lake, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Murrieta, and the community of Winchester. The city center of Menifee lies at the intersection of Newport Road and Interstate 215.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 46.6 square miles (120.7 km²), 99.70% of it land, and 0.30% of it water.

The Menifee Hills are a ridge approximately 2 miles long and 1.5 miles wide, with a high point of 2,141 ft. Bell Mountain is a 1,848 ft mountain located in Menifee.

Climate

Menifee has mild winters and hot dry summers.
* On average, the warmest month is August with an average high temperature of 99.1°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in California.
* The highest recorded temperature was on June 20, 2016.
* On average, the coldest month is December.
* The lowest recorded temperature was on January 1, 1976.
* The maximum average precipitation occurs in February.

Menifee has a Mediterranean climate or Dry-Summer Subtropical (Köppen climate classification ''Csa''). Menifee enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 263 sunshine days and only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually of 12.51 inches of rainfall.

The period of April through October is hot and dry with average high temperatures of and lows of , though in the summer, temperatures can easily exceed 105 °F. The period of November through March is somewhat rainy, as shown in the adjacent table. At times, during the winter, large dust storms may form due to the large mass of humidity and low, flat land.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census reported that Menifee had a population of 102,527. The population density was . The racial makeup of Menifee was 52.2% White, 6.8% African American, 1.3% Native American, 6.5% Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islander, 16.5% from other races, and 16.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.8% of the population.

The census reported that 99.8% of the population lived in households, 115 people (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 49 people (0.0%) were institutionalized.

There were 34,706 households, out of which 34.8% included children under the age of 18, 56.1% were married-couple households, 5.7% were cohabiting couple households, 24.8% had a female householder with no partner present, and 13.4% had a male householder with no partner present. 20.8% of households were one person, and 13.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.95. There were 25,713 families (74.1% of all households).

The age distribution was 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.9% aged 18 to 24, 24.9% aged 25 to 44, 24.1% aged 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 39.6years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males.

There were 36,526 housing units at an average density of , of which 34,706 (95.0%) were occupied. Of these, 77.4% were owner-occupied, and 22.6% were occupied by renters.

During 20192023, Menifee had a median household income of $89,183, with 9.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Economy

Top employers

According to the city's 2024 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the ten largest employers in the city are:

Parks and recreation

As of 2025, Menifee has 48 public parks, of which 22 are city-owned and 26 are Valley-wide owned parks.

The Action Sports Park in Menifee is the largest extreme bike park in Southern California.

As of February 2025, an amphitheater is being constructed in Menifee's Central Park. It will serve as an entertainment venue for performers; the project will cost the city an estimated $6.1 million.

Government and politics

As of 2025, Menifee is a part of California's 41st congressional district, with Republican Ken Calvert serving as its representative. In the California State Assembly, Menifee lies within the 63rd district and is represented by Republican Bill Essayli. In the California State Senate, it is part of the 32nd district and represented by Republican Kelly Seyarto.

Politically, Menifee is a Republican-leaning city. It has voted Republican in the past four presidential elections ( Romney in 2012 and Trump in 2016, 2020, & 2024).

City government

On June 3, 2008, voters elected to incorporate Menifee as a general law city. The new City of Menifee was officially established on October 1, 2008, and is the 26th city located within Riverside County. It was first governed by a five-member city council, with Wallace Edgerton as the mayor. Edgerton was re-appointed mayor for a second term in 2009, and for a third term in 2010.

In 2011, John Denver was appointed mayor by city council, after the city's people requested a change in leadership at city council meetings.

In November 2012, Scott Mann was elected mayor; he was re-elected in November 2014.

In 2016, Neil Winter was elected mayor, defeating Mann, who unsuccessfully ran for a third term. Mann's FPPC violation of using campaign funding for personal funding was believed to have helped Winter to win the election. Mann resigned office early after being formally censured by city council, and Greg August served as acting mayor for 20 days until Winter was sworn in. During the 2016 election, voters also approved a measure to increase mayoral terms from two to four years.

On May 19, 2018, Mayor Winter unexpectedly died in office, due to an apparent heart attack. Councilwoman Lesa Sobek took up mayoral responsibilities as mayor pro tempore following Winter's death. After 60 days, Bill Zimmerman was elected Mayor of Menifee in a 3-1 decision by the city council, on July 18, 2018. In November 2020, Zimmerman was re-elected to serve a four-year term as Mayor. In November 2024, Ricky Estrada was elected mayor; and was sworn in on December 17.

Public Safety

In 2024, Menifee was ranked among the 20 safest cities in California. For 2024, Menifee's violent crime rate averaged 2.4 per 1,000 people (compared to 4.2 state average and a 4.0 national average); while its property crime rate averaged 14.0 per 1,000 people (25.3 state average and 20.7 national average).

In June 2019, the City of Menifee voted to end its contract with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and create its own police department. The Menifee Police Department officially launched in July 2020. In the 2023–2024 fiscal year, the Menifee Police Department accounted for 23.3% of the city's budget ($27.5 million).

The City of Menifee contracts for fire and paramedic services with the Riverside County Fire Department through a cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE. There are four fire stations in Menifee and each station has a paramedic engine company, and there is one medic patrol unit out of Fire Station #7 to assist with call volumes, as Station #7 is the 10th-busiest station in the nation. The Menifee Lakes station also has a truck company located there with specialized equipment for large structural fires.

Paramedic services are provided by American Medical Response, whose South Riverside Headquarters are located in Menifee.

Education

Elementary and middle school level education in Menifee is provided by the Menifee Union School District and Romoland School District in separate sections; the former serves much of Menifee as well as parts of Lake Elsinore, Wildomar and Murrieta, and the unincorporated community of French Valley. High school students attend school in the Perris Union High School District for grades 9–12,
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Menifee is also home to the Menifee Valley Campus of Mt. San Jacinto College, which serves the Temecula, Murrieta and Menifee areas and is known as the fastest-growing community college in California. There, students can take the classes necessary in order to transfer to four-year college institutions. The community college also has an award-winning nursing program for those wanting to become Registered Nurses. The MSJC Nursing Department has pathways from MSJC directly to Loma Linda Medical Center, Menifee Valley Medical Center, Temecula Valley Hospital, and Inland Valley Medical Center. University of Massachusetts Global has opened on the MSJC campus to offer Menifee its first four-year college.

K-12 schools

* Boulder Ridge Elementary
* Callie Kirkpatrick Elementary School
* Chester W. Morrison Elementary School
* Evans Ranch Elementary School
* Freedom Crest Elementary School
* Harvest Hill STEAM Academy
* Harvest Valley Elementary
* Herk Bouris Elementary School
* Mesa View Elementary
* Oak Meadows Elementary School
* Quail Valley Elementary School
* Ridgemoor Elementary School
* Romoland Elementary
* Southshore Elementary School
* Táawila Elementary School
* Bell Mountain Middle School
* Ethan A. Chase Middle School
* Hans Middle School
* Kathryn Newport Middle School
* Menifee Valley Middle School
* Paloma Valley High School
* Heritage High School
* Liberty High School
* Santa Rosa Academy
* Bear River Student Center

Universities and colleges

* Mt. San Jacinto College

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads and highways

The primary routes in Menifee are Interstate 215 and Newport Road/Dominegoni Parkway. Scott Road, McCall Boulevard and Ethanac Road are also primary east–west travel streets in addition to State Route 74, which runs through the northern part of the city; Murrieta, Bradley, Haun, Antelope, and Menifee Roads are the main north–south thoroughfares. Improvements to the interchange at I-215 and Scott Road were completed in 2020. Other road improvements, such as a new interchange at Garbani Road, are anticipated in the coming years.

Public transportation

Menifee has bus routes and Dial-A-Ride stops throughout the city to enhance mobility. RTA Routes 27, 40, 61, and 74 directly serve the Menifee area, linking it to other nearby cities including Temecula, Lake Elsinore, Hemet, and San Jacinto. Metrolink serves the area via the 91/Perris Valley Line, which ends at the South Perris Station, just north of the Menifee city limits. Metrolink has proposed an extension along existing railroad tracks through the northeastern corner of the city to Hemet, though it is unknown whether there will be a station in Menifee.

Health care

Emergency medical services in Menifee are provided by the 84-bed Menifee Global Medical Center, which is a licensed acute care hospital. It opened in 1989 and is located on McCall Boulevard in the northeastern part of the city.

Water

The city is provided water by the Eastern Municipal Water District. A desalination plant in the city treats underground water to produce drinking water.

Notable people

* Tony Burton - Actor
* Larry Fortensky - Construction worker and seventh husband of Elizabeth Taylor
* Fernando Gonzalez - MMA fighter
* Steve Lamson - Motocross racer
* Phyllis Love - Actress
* Benny Mardones - Singer
* Mike Metzger - Motocross rider
* Jamal Morrow - Football player
* Audie Murphy - Soldier, actor, and songwriter
* Matthew Orzech - Football player
* Nia Sanchez - Model and Miss USA 2014

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Menifree, California

Cities in Riverside County, California
Populated places established in 2008
Incorporated cities and towns in California
2008 establishments in California