Riverside is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a County (United States), county located in the Southern California, southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most ...
, United States. It is named for its location beside the
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river entirely within Southern California in the United States. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows for most of its length through San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino and Riversid ...
. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998.
It is the most populous city in the
Inland Empire and Riverside County, the
12th-most populous city in California, and the
61st-most populous city in the United States. Alongside
San Bernardino, Riverside is a principal city in the nation's 13th-largest
metropolitan statistical area; the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario had 4.6 million residents in 2020. Riverside is about southeast of downtown
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and is also part of the
Greater Los Angeles area.
Riverside was founded in the early 1870s. It is the birthplace of the California
citrus industry and home of the
Mission Inn, the nation's largest
Mission Revival Style building. It is also home to the
Riverside National Cemetery and the Eastern Division of the Federal District Court for the Central District of California.
The
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Riverside, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of Cali ...
, is in the northeastern part of the city. The university hosts the
Riverside Sports Complex. Other attractions in Riverside include the
Fox Performing Arts Center,
Museum of Riverside, which houses exhibits and artifacts of local history, the
California Museum of Photography, the
California Citrus State Historic Park
California Citrus State Historic Park is an open-air museum in the city of Riverside, California, United States. As part of the state park system of California, it interprets the historic cultural landscape of the citrus production, citrus indu ...
,
Castle Park, and the
Parent Washington Navel Orange Tree, the last of California's two original navel orange trees.
History
In the late 18th century and the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by
Cahuilla and the
Serrano people.
Californios such as
Bernardo Yorba and
Juan Bandini established ranches during the first half of the 19th century.
In the 1860s, Louis Prevost launched the
California Silk Center Association, a short-lived experiment in
sericulture. In the wake of its failure,
John W. North purchased some of its land and formed the Southern California Colony Association to promote the area's development. In March 1870, North distributed posters announcing the formation of a colony in California. North, a staunch temperance-minded
abolitionist
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world.
The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...
from
New York State
New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...
, had formerly founded
Northfield, Minnesota. Riverside was
temperance-minded, and
Republican. There were four saloons in Riverside when it was founded. The license fees were raised until the saloons moved out of Riverside. Investors from England and Canada transplanted traditions and activities adopted by prosperous citizens. As a result, the first golf course and
polo field in southern California were built in Riverside.
The first
orange trees were planted in 1871, with the citrus industry Riverside is famous for beginning three years later (1874)
[Brown and Boyd, Vol 1, p. 429] when
Eliza Tibbets received three
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
ian
navel orange trees sent to her by a personal friend,
William Saunders, a horticulturist at the
United States Department of Agriculture in
Washington, D.C. The trees came from
Bahia, Brazil. The Bahia orange did not thrive in
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, but its success in southern California was phenomenal.
The three trees were planted on the Tibbets' property. One of them died after it was trampled by a cow during the first year it was planted. After the trampling, the two remaining trees were transplanted to property belonging to Sam McCoy to receive better care than L.C. Tibbets, Eliza's husband, could provide. Later, the trees were again transplanted, one at the Mission Inn property in 1903 by President
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
(this tree died in 1922), and the other at the intersection of Magnolia and Arlington avenues.
Eliza Tibbets was honored with a stone marker placed with the last tree. That tree still stands to this day inside a protective fence abutting what is now a major intersection.
The trees thrived in the southern California climate and the navel orange industry grew rapidly. Many growers purchased bud wood and then grafted the cuttings to root stock. Within a few years, the successful cultivation of many thousands of the newly discovered Brazilian navel orange trees led to a California
Gold Rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, ...
of a different kind: the establishment of the citrus industry, which is commemorated in the landscapes and exhibits of the
California Citrus State Historic Park
California Citrus State Historic Park is an open-air museum in the city of Riverside, California, United States. As part of the state park system of California, it interprets the historic cultural landscape of the citrus production, citrus indu ...
and the restored packing houses in the downtown's Marketplace district. By 1882, there were more than half a million citrus trees in California, almost half of which were in Riverside. The development of refrigerated
railroad car
A railroad car, railcar (American English, American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and International Union of Railways, UIC), also called a tra ...
s and innovative irrigation systems established Riverside as the richest city in the United States (in terms of income per capita) by 1895.
Geography
Riverside is the
59th-most populous city in the United States, the 12th-most populous city in California, and the largest city in California's
Inland Empire metro area. 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 city has an area of , of which is land and (0.37%) is water. The elevation of downtown Riverside is . Hills within the city limits include
Mount Rubidoux, a city landmark and tourist attraction. Riverside is surrounded by small and large mountains, some of which get a dusting of winter snow. Many residents also enjoy the many beaches of Southern California. Riverside is about a drive to the Pacific Ocean and is close to Orange County and Los Angeles County.
Cityscape
Landmarks

Riverside is home to the historic
Mission Inn, the
Beaux-Arts style Riverside County Historic Courthouse (based on the
Petit Palais in Paris, France), and the
Riverside Fox Theater, where the first showing of the 1939 film ''
Gone with the Wind'' took place. The theater was purchased by the city and refurbished as part of the Riverside Renaissance Initiative. The Fox Theater underwent extensive renovation and restoration, which was completed in 2009, to turn the old cinema into a performing arts theater. The building was expanded to hold 1,600 seats and the stage was enlarged to accommodate Broadway-style performances. In January 2010, singer
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is noted for her Optimism, optimistic and Idealism, idealistic subject matter, and incorporation of genres including Rock music, rock, Po ...
opened the newly remodeled Fox Theater in a nearly sold-out show.

Riverside is the home of the "World's Largest Paper Cup" (actually made of concrete), which is over three stories ( ) tall. The "
Dixie Cup" landmark is on Iowa Street just north of Palmyrita, in front of what was once the Dixie Corporation's manufacturing plant (now closed down).
Three notable hills are in Riverside's scenic landscape:
Box Springs Mountain, Evans (Jurupa) Hill and Tecolote Hill; all of which are preserved open spaces. South of Riverside is
Lake Mathews. There is also the well-known landmark/foothill
Mount Rubidoux, which is next to the Santa Ana River and one of the most noticeable landmarks in the downtown area. This foothill is the dividing line between the town of
Rubidoux and the city of Riverside.
March Joint Air Reserve Base borders Riverside on the east serving as a divider between the city and
Moreno Valley. March ARB, founded in 1918, is the oldest operating Air Force base west of the Mississippi River.
At the entrance to Riverside from the
60 freeway sits
Fairmount Park. This extensive urban oasis was designed by the firm founded by
Frederick Law Olmsted, which had designed New York's Central Park. It includes a stocked pond that is home to many species of birds. On nearby private land is the former site of Spring Rancheria, a
Cahuilla village.
Neighborhoods

The city of Riverside has 28 designated "neighborhoods" within the city limits. These include Airport, Alessandro Heights, Arlanza,
Arlington, Arlington Heights, Arlington South,
Canyon Crest,
Casa Blanca, Downtown
Eastside Grand, Hawarden Hills, Hillside Hunter Industrial Park, La Sierra, La Sierra Acres, La Sierra Hills, La Sierra South, Magnolia Center, Mission Grove, Northside, Orangecrest, Presidential Park, Ramona, Sycamore Canyon Park, Sycamore Canyon Springs, University, Victoria and Wood Streets.
East of downtown is the originally named "Eastside". which grew out of a ''colonia'' inhabited by Mexican immigrant workers in the orange groves, other orchards and produce fields. The area these people lived in was originally a settlement called
La Placita that predated the city, being founded in 1843. Mexican communities were also formed in the barrio of Casa Blanca during the early 20th century.
Annexations
The city council has proposed many
annexations of nearby unincorporated communities that would increase Riverside's population and land area significantly. Most notable is the Lake Hills/Victoria Grove area, which would extend the city's southwestern borders to Lake Mathews.
Current proposals
* 97 Berry Road
* 103 Barton/Gem
* 104 I-215 Corridor
* 105 Sycamore/Central
* 106 East Blaine
* 107 Alta Cresta Remainder
* 108 Lake Hills/Victoria Grove
* 111 University City
* 112 Kaliber
* 113 Barton/Station
Potential annexations
* A Center Street
* B Highgrove
* C Spring Mountain Ranch (92)
* D Canyon Ridge
* E Woodcrest
* F Gateway
Features

Riverside is home to the
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Riverside, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of Cali ...
. The
UCR Botanical Gardens contains of unusual plants, with of walking trails.
Another notable university in the city is La Sierra University, whose 150-acre (61 ha) campus is located in Riverside’s La Sierra neighborhood. The university is home to the World Museum of Natural History, which showcases systematic displays of amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles. The specimens are presented through sculpture and freeze-dry taxidermy exhibits.
The city prides itself on its historic connection to the navel orange, which was introduced to North America from Brazil in 1874. Riverside is home to the one surviving Parent Navel Orange Tree, from which all American West Coast navel orange trees are descended.
There are three hospitals in Riverside.
* Riverside Community Hospital is a General Acute Care
Hospital
A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...
with Basic Emergency Services and a Level I
Trauma Center as of 2020.
* Parkview Community Hospital Medical Center is a General Acute Care Hospital with Basic Emergency Services as of 2006.
* Kaiser Foundation Hospital – Riverside is a General Acute Care Hospital with Basic Emergency Services as of 2006.
Riverside is also home to the
Riverside Public Library system. Branches include: Arlanza, Arlington, La Sierra, Marcy, Main, Orange Terrace, Eastside Cybrary, and Casa Blanca.
Convention facilities are available at several locations. The
Riverside Convention Center, remodeled in 2014, offers indoors and of outdoor space. Also available is the Riverside
Marriott with indoors, and the
Mission Inn with indoors and outdoors. All three facilities are located within walking distance of one another in downtown Riverside. Meetings with an academic focus are also held at the University of California, Riverside.
Cemeteries
Cemeteries in Riverside include:
* Crestlawn Memorial Park; notable burials include
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
recipient
George Alan Ingalls, baseball player
Mike Darr, actor
Roland Harrah III, and actor
Darwood Kaye.
*
Evergreen Cemetery; notable burials include
Marcella Craft,
Frank Augustus Miller,
John W. North,
Eliza Tibbets, and
Al Wilson.
* Olivewood Memorial Park; notable burials include
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
recipient
Jesus S. Duran,
Travis Alexander,
Dorothy Burgess, Mayor
Ben H. Lewis,
Del Lord
Delmer "Del" Lord (October 7, 1894March 23, 1970) was a Canadians, Canadian film director and actor best known as a director of Three Stooges films.
Career
Delmer Lord was born in the small town of Grimsby, Ontario, Canada. Interested in the the ...
,
Gloria Ramirez, and
Eric Show.
*
Riverside National Cemetery, established in 1976, is the largest cemetery managed by the
National Cemetery Administration, and since 2000 has been the most active in the system based on the number of interments.
*
Sherman Indian High School Cemetery,
Home Gardens
Climate
Riverside experiences a
semi-arid climate
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''BSh'') bordering on an
arid climate (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''BWh'') with hot, dry summers and mild, relatively wet winters. Normal monthly mean temperatures range from in December to in August.
On average, temperatures reach the freezing mark and on 3.5 and 21.6 days annually, respectively.
Record temperatures range from on January 15, 1911, up to on July 17, 1925, June 16, 1917, and July 6, 2018.
On average, Riverside receives of precipitation annually, with measurable precipitation occurring on 35 days, with almost all of it between November and April, with February the wettest month.
The wettest "rain year" was from July 1940 to June 1941 with and the driest from July 1960 to June 1961 with only .
Environment
The Riverside area faces issues of
smog
Smog, or smoke fog, is a type of intense air pollution. The word "smog" was coined in the early 20th century, and is a portmanteau of the words ''smoke'' and ''fog'' to refer to smoky fog due to its opacity, and odour. The word was then inte ...
and above-average levels of
air pollution
Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...
. Southern California is the only extreme nonattainment area for ozone and is one of only three severe nonattainment areas for particulate matter. In a comparison by the National Campaign Against Dirty Air Power (2003), the Riverside-
San Bernardino-
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
area was found to be one of the most polluted regions based on year-round particle measurements when compared to other U.S. cities. The city made efforts to reduce pollution by incorporating additional means of
mass transit (
Metrolink) and equipping its entire fleet of buses with
natural gas
Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
. Smog decreased considerably over the next few years as local municipalities and counties worked with the
South Coast Air Quality Management District to implement measures to improve regional air quality. In 2020, the American Lung Association rated Riverside County one of the nation's worst counties for smog. Most of Riverside's smog problems are the result of the prevailing wind patterns that blow the smog from the
Los Angeles Basin and particulates generated by southern California's multitude of vehicles, and the
Port of Los Angeles and
Port of Long Beach into the
Inland Empire.
Demographics
2020
2010

The
2010 census reported that Riverside had a population of 303,871. The population density was . The racial makeup of Riverside was
* 171,669 (56.5%)
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 ...
,
* 21,421 (7.0%)
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 ...
,
* 3,467 (1.1%)
Native American,
* 22,566 (7.4%)
Asian (1.7% Filipino, 1.6% Chinese, 1.1% Korean, 1.0% Vietnamese, 1.0% Indonesian, 0.1% Japanese, 0.1% Pakistani),
* 1,219 (0.4%)
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 ...
,
* 68,111 (22.4%) from
other races, and 15,418 (5.1%) from two or more races.
* 148,953
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino residents, of any race (49.0%);
41.8% of Riverside's population was of Mexican descent, 1.1% Guatemalan, 1.0% Salvadoran, 0.7% Puerto Rican, 0.3% Cuban, 0.2% Nicaraguan, and 0.2% Colombian origin.
Non-Hispanic Whites were 34.0% of the population in 2010,
down from 82.1% in 1970.
The Census reported that 292,322 people (96.2% of the population) lived in households, 8,925 (2.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 2,624 (0.9%) were institutionalized.
There were 91,932 households, out of which 38,939 (42.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 45,398 (49.4%) were
opposite-sex married couples living together, 13,845 (15.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 6,372 (6.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,392 (7.0%)
unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 746 (0.8%)
same-sex married couples or partnerships. 18,284 households (19.9%) were made up of individuals, and 6,262 (6.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.18. There were 65,615
families (71.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.67.
There were 81,406 people (26.8%) under the age of 18, 47,126 (15.5%) aged 18 to 24, 82,482 (27.1%) aged 25 to 44, 66,615 (21.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 26,242 (8.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
There were 98,444 housing units at an average density of , of which 51,185 (55.7%) were owner-occupied, and 40,747 (44.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.4%. 168,888 people (55.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 123,434 people (40.6%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Riverside had a median household income of $56,403, with 17.5% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
2000
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 255,166 people, 82,005 households, and 58,141 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 85,974 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 59.3%
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 ...
, 7.4%
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 ...
, 1.1%
Native American, 5.68%
Asian, 0.4%
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 ...
, 21.0% from
other races, and 5.1% from two or more races. 38.1% of the population were
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race.
There were 82,005 households, out of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were
married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.54.
In the city, 30.1% of the population was under the age of 18, 12.9% was from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,646, and the median income for a family was $47,254. Males had a median income of $36,920 versus $28,328 for females. 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 ...
for the city was $17,882. 15.8% of the population and 11.7% of families 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 ...
. Out of the total population, 18.9% of those under the age of 18 and 8.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Religion
Riverside is largely Christian and is home to Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Protestant, and Universalist Unitarian churches, an Islamic mosque, Jewish synagogue, Hindu temple, and several Buddhist temples. Riverside is also home to the Inland Empire Atheists and Agnostics organization.
The city has a large population of
Seventh-day Adventists, due to the presence of
La Sierra University and proximity to
Loma Linda near
San Bernardino.
There is also a large
Mormon population, as well as in the San Bernardino area, as
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
has missions in Riverside and
Redlands near their
temple.
Several religious celebrations take place on top of the city's
Mount Rubidoux. One is an annual Easter
Sunrise service, which is the nation's oldest continual non-denominational outdoor Easter service The 100th anniversary of the event was held April 12, 2009. Each December, a 2½-mile (4 km) procession from Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine to the top of Mount Rubidoux promotes awareness of
Juan Diego's walk up
Tepeyac hill, in 1531, where he reportedly saw a
Marian apparition known as
Our Lady of Guadalupe.
In 2012, a controversy erupted regarding the cross atop Mount Rubidoux, which was on city-owned land and maintained by the city. Due to constitutional issues regarding separation of church and state, the Riverside City Council sold the cross and the land under it (0.43 acres; 1740.15 sq m) to a private entity for $10,500.
Economy

Riverside's economy consists largely of light-industry and generates a range of products including aircraft components, automotive parts, gas cylinders, electronic equipment, food products, and medical devices. Supporting the manufacturing sector are several industrial parks, including those in the Hunter Industrial Park, Sycamore Canyon Industrial Park and Airport Industrial Areas. As the county seat of Riverside County and the most populous city in the Inland Empire, Riverside also houses several legal, accounting, engineering, and banking firms. Citrus production and packing houses still exist within the city, but the industry is in decline.
American electronics company
Bourns is among the companies based in Riverside.
Citrus is in decline in many areas of the Inland Empire where urbanization and
water scarcity have made the industry uneconomic.
;Top employers
According to the city's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,
the top employers in the city are:
Film and television
Retail
Retail shopping centers include the open-air Riverside Plaza, and the
Galleria at Tyler mall. The
Main Street Pedestrian Mall in downtown is the site of several unique shops.
Arts and culture
Museums

*
California Citrus State Historic Park
California Citrus State Historic Park is an open-air museum in the city of Riverside, California, United States. As part of the state park system of California, it interprets the historic cultural landscape of the citrus production, citrus indu ...
Museum
*
The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture & Industry
*
Entomology Research Museum at the University of California, Riverside (not open to the public).
*
March Field Air Museum
*
Mission Inn Museum
*
Riverside Art Museum
*
Museum of Riverside
*
Sherman Indian Museum at the Sherman Indian High School
* Sweeney Art Gallery, an extension of the University of California, Riverside
* The Stahl Center Museum of Culture at the La Sierra University
*
University of California, Riverside California Museum of Photography
* World Museum of Natural History at the La Sierra University
Festivals and events
Several festivals occur throughout the year in Riverside, many focused on the downtown area.
Each year in February The Riverside Dickens Festival is held to "enhance a sense of community among citizens of Riverside County and Southern California by creating a series of literary events and to provide educational, family-oriented, literary entertainment and activities such as plays, musical performances, pageants, living history presentations, workshops, lectures, classroom study, exhibits and a street bazaar with free entertainment, vendors and costumed characters."
The Riverside Airshow takes place in March at the
Riverside Municipal Airport. The event attracts around 70,000 people and includes aerial performers, over of aircraft displays, a car show and military vehicle display, children's activities, food and refreshments, helicopter displays and community group exhibits.
The March Field Airfest, also known as Thunder Over the Empire, is a biennial air show held at
March Air Reserve Base. The air show is among the largest events in the Inland Empire and Riverside County. The show has featured such performers as the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, the
Air Combat Command demonstrations teams and many other military and civilian demonstrations. 2010 saw the Patriots Jet Team as the highlight demonstration team of the show. Attendance for the 2010 show was estimated at over 150,000.
The
Riverside International Film Festival (RIFF) takes place in April and features films from around the world. Sponsored by the city of Riverside, local universities, and many businesses, past festivals have featured over 175 films.
Old Riverside Foundation, a local nonprofit focused on historic preservation of the built environment, hosts an annual Vintage Home Tour in May that showcases private historic homes, open to the public for one day only.
In October, the California Riverside Ballet sponsors the Ghost Walk, which in 2013 celebrated its 22nd year. The event is a walk around some of the city's oldest and most historic buildings, with volunteers leading tours and telling ghost stories.
The Riverside Festival of Lights centers around
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, located downtown. Decoration of the Inn begins in October and a lighting ceremony that includes speakers, fireworks, and live musicians takes place the day after
Thanksgiving Day. Carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides, and ice skating all color the festival. Restaurants, cafes, and community groups all contribute to the festival. The festival runs through New Year's Day.
Also during the week of Thanksgiving, the
Festival of Trees is held at the
Riverside Convention Center. Held since 1990, the event seeks to raise money for the
Riverside County Regional Medical Center children's units including the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Child Abuse and Neglect Unit, and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Attracting 25,000 people per year, the event has raised over $5 million since its inception. At the Festival of Trees, many professionally decorated Christmas trees are judged, auctioned, and then displayed for public viewing.
Government
Local government
Riverside is a
charter city governed by a
mayor and city council. The mayor is elected in a citywide election. The city council has seven members, each elected from single member wards. A
city manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...
is responsible for ongoing city services.
In Riverside's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013, the city's government accounts were reported to have $244 million in revenues and $365 million in expenditures, with the deficiency made up by the issuance of long-term debt and transfers from the city-owned utilities (including electric and water). The report also indicates that over the prior nine years, the number of city employees increased by 23.6% to 2,686 FTE, outpacing the 12.5% increase in the number of residents.
In 2024, Riverside residents approved Measure L, which would create a city-appointed inspector-general position that would be charged with "investigating, auditing, inspecting and providing operational performance evaluations for city offices, special districts and joint powers authorities."
Federal and state representation
Under the electoral maps drawn by the
Citizens' Redistricting Commission, which were first used in the 2022 elections and will remain in effect through at least 2030, Riverside's state and federal legislative districts have changed substantially.
In the
California State Legislature, the City of Riverside is in . 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, Califor ...
, it is split between , and .
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 ...
, Riverside is in . In the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
, California is represented by Democrats
Adam Schiff and
Alex Padilla.
Courts
* Federal
**
United States District Court, Central District of California, Eastern Division
** United States Bankruptcy Court, 9th Circuit
Bankruptcy Appellate Panel
**
United States Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California
* State
**
California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Two
**
Superior Court of California, County of Riverside
Crime
Riverside's crime rate has shown a drop over the past several years. According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics database, from 2002 to 2014 violent crime fell to 1,384 from 2,026 events, and property crime to 9,864 from 13,135 events. During this time, the population of the city rose by 21%. To help reduce gang-related crime, the city developed Project Bridge, an anti-gang program under the city of Riverside's Park and Recreation Department. Gang activity has been reported to center in the Casa Blanca, Arlanda and Eastside neighborhoods.
Of the 60 largest U.S. police departments in 2015, the Riverside Police Department was the only department whose police did not kill anyone that year.
Education
Colleges and universities

Institutions of higher learning include:
*
California Baptist University
*
*
La Sierra University
*
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. In the United States, the term "national university" connotes the highe ...
(branch campus in Riverside)
*
Riverside City College
*Riverside Royals College
*
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Riverside, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of Cali ...
Vocational schools
*
Brightwood College
* UEI College
* Platt College
* American College of Healthcare
* Masters Vocational College
* US College
* Northwest College
Secondary schools
Public school districts and high schools
Riverside is served by two school districts:
*
Riverside Unified School District serves eastern Riverside.
** High schools include:
***
Arlington High School
***
Martin Luther King High School
***
John W. North High School
***
Riverside Polytechnic High School also known as Poly High School
***
Ramona High School
*** Riverside Virtual School
*** Riverside STEM High School
**
Continuation high schools include:
*** Abraham Lincoln High School (continuation)
*** Raincross High School (continuation)
*** Summit View High School (continuation)
*
Alvord Unified School District serves western Riverside.
[
** High schools include:
*** La Sierra High School
*** Norte Vista High School
*** Hillcrest High School
** Continuation high schools include:
*** Alvord High School (continuation)
A portion of eastern Riverside is in Moreno Valley Unified School District.][
]
=Other public secondary schools
=
Two notable institutions of learning, for specified student bodies, are also located in Riverside:
* California School for the Deaf, Riverside (CSDR) for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing from Preschool to 12th grade has been open since 1952.
* Sherman Indian High School of the Bureau of Indian Education, is for Native American tribal members from 9th to 12th grade; it has been open since 1878.
Private secondary schools
* Bethel Christian School
* Eastside Christian Academy
* Harvest Christian school
* La Sierra Academy (Seventh-day Adventist)
* Notre Dame High School (Roman Catholic)
* Riverside Christian High School
* Woodcrest Christian High School
* Islamic Academy of Riverside
*Carniege Schools Riverside
Initiative to raise college graduation rates
Riverside won a $3 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2010. As a result, the Completion Counts initiative was created as a joint partnership by the city of Riverside, Riverside City College, Alvord Unified School District, Riverside Unified School District, Riverside County Office of Education, UC Riverside, and the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce to double college graduation rates by 2020. Only Riverside, New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, and Mesa, Arizona
Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 504,258 at the 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Arizona, third-most populous city in Arizona, after Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, T ...
received such a grant.
The partnership is creating measures that help students across Riverside earn a degree. For example, RCC will now give 2012 graduates of AUSD and RUSD priority class registration, and a two-year guarantee to complete an associate degree or transfer to a four-year university. Completion Counts is also ensuring that AUSD, RUSD and RCC work together to create a seamless math and English curriculum to prepare students for college-level work. High school and college student counselors are meeting regularly to agree on the best ways to get students ready for college.
Media
Riverside is the home to the Fox Performing Arts Center. The theater is best known for being the first theater to screen the most successful film in box-office history when adjusted for inflation, the 1939 film ''Gone with the Wind''.
Transportation
Highways
Riverside is served by three major freeways: I-215, State Route 60, and State Route 91. These three freeways meet in northeastern Riverside at a multi-level interchange that was rebuilt in 2007.
Rail lines
The city contains three Metrolink commuter rail stations: , , and . The first two are both served by the 91/Perris Valley and Inland Empire-Orange County lines, and the Downtown station is served by the Riverside Line on weekdays, and the San Bernardino Line on weekends. The Hunter Park station is served by the 91/Perris Valley Line on weekdays only. Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's Southwest Chief, which runs from Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
to Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, also serves the city.
Bus lines
Local bus service is provided by the Riverside Transit Agency.Riverside Transit Agency
Intercity bus service is provided by Omnitrans Greyhound Lines, Amtrak California, and a handful of small operators serving the cross-border market into Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
.
Airports
The nearest airport for commercial airline service is Ontario International Airport in Ontario, California. The Riverside Municipal Airport is an airport within Riverside city limits, but it does not have commercial airline service. It is primarily used for private aviation and is also the location for the annual Riverside Air Show.
Notable people
Sister cities
The Sendai Committee is working on setting up a secure e-pal system whereby the residents of Sendai and Riverside can exchange emails in a fashion similar to pen pals. The aim is to promote grassroots cultural exchange between the two sister cities.
The city of Riverside established an economic partnership program with the state of Oaxaca
Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...
, Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, in the early 2000s.
See also
* California Riverside Ballet
* Largest cities in Southern California
* Ranchos of California
* Saint Andrew Orthodox Christian Church
* List of U.S. cities with large Hispanic populations
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
Citations and notes
Further reading
* Durian, Hal (2013). ''True Stories of Riverside and the Inland Empire''. Charleston, SC: The History Press. .
* Hall, Joan H. (2003). ''Cottages, Colonials and Community Places of Riverside, California''. Riverside, CA: Highgrove Press. .
* Klotz, Esther H.; Hall, Joan H. (2005). ''Adobes, Bungalows, and Mansions of Riverside, California''. Riverside, CA: Highgrove Press. .
* Klotz, Esther H. (1972). ''Riverside and the Day the Bank Broke''. Riverside, CA: Rubidoux Press.
*
External links
*
Riverside History
{{authority control
Cities in Riverside County, California
County seats in California
Populated places on the Santa Ana River
Incorporated cities and towns in California
Inland Empire
Populated places established in 1883
1883 establishments in California
Chicano and Mexican neighborhoods in California