San Bernardino, California
Located in the San Bernardino Valley, the city of San Bernardino, California is the 18th-largest city in California, with a population of 198,580 (by 2006 estimate). The city is the county seat of San Bernardino County and is a major transportation and logistics center for the region. San Bernardino is also one of the oldest settlements in California, celebrating 200 years of history in 2010. Although it is located only 65 miles from Los Angeles, the city is a prominent urban center and an excellent place for anyone moving to San Bernardino.
Economy:
Established as a center for agriculture and ranching, San Bernardino has now moved toward an economy based on government and service industries. The main employment areas are city and county government, retail and education, while the shipping, logistics and transportation industries contribute strongly as well. The employers with the largest numbers of workers in San Bernardino include the California State University at San Bernardino, Caltrans District 8, the City of San Bernardino, the Community Hospital and the San Bernardino Unified School District. Transportation and logistics have grown, especially in recent years, due to the city’s favorable position at the junction of Interstates 10 and 215 and California Route 210. The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway has a major freight transit center there, as do several major trucking lines. Warehouse distribution centers for such retail establishments as Kohl’s, Mattel and Stater Brothers also do business in San Bernardino.
History:
San Bernardino was founded by a Spanish missionary, Father Francisco Dumetz, on May 20, 1810. Father Dumetz’s altar to Saint Bernardino of Siena (the patron saint of the founding day) was replaced by a permanent mission, Rancho San Bernardino, in 1819. A trading post followed the mission at the site, supplying travelers on the Spanish Trail. In 1851, a group of 500 Mormons arrived and established a farming community on land purchased from the Rancho. The population of the central settlement grew, leading to the incorporation of the City of San Bernardino (population 1200) in 1854. San Bernardino experienced modest growth through agriculture and nearby gold rushes, but the biggest population boom had to wait for the arrival of the railroads at the end of the 19th century. The Santa Fe Railway completed its transcontinental route in 1886. With San Bernardino serving as the southern Californian hub for rail transit, the city grew rapidly, doubling its population between 1900 (6150) and 1910 (12,779). Today, San Bernardino moving companies are very busy bustling in new residents.
Tourism:
Although San Bernardino was known historically as a spa destination (the surrounding hills offer both hot and cold mineral springs), the city today serves as a major destination for museums, music and theater. San Bernardino’s museums include the Robert V. Fullerton Art Museum (with the finest collection of ancient Egyptian art west of the Mississippi), the McDonald’s Museum (tracing the history of the famous fast-food chain) and Heritage House (a Victorian home). Music lovers can enjoy year-round performances from the San Bernardino Civic Light Opera Association, the San Bernardino Valley Community Concert Association, the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia Mexicana. Theaters and performance centers in the city include the California Theatre of Performing Arts, the San Bernardino Musical Theater and the Sturges Center for the Fine Arts. The closest commercial airport to the city is the LA/Ontario International Airport, while local transit is provided by Metrolink (light rail service from Los Angeles), Omnitrans (local buses) and the Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority (local and regional buses).
Colleges/Universities:
• California State University-San Bernardino
• San Bernardino Community College
• The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire
• American Sports University
Interesting Facts:
• A large arrowhead figure can be seen on a mountainside just above San Bernardino. This large feature, once thought to be an Indian spring marker, is geological in origin visible from a long distance. The Arrowhead Springs bottled water company, founded in 1905, takes its name (and some of its water) from the feature.
• In 1948, two brothers by the name of McDonald opened a hamburger restaurant in San Bernardino. This restaurant was the originator of the McDonald’s fast-food restaurant chain.
• Colonel Henry Washington, a U.S. deputy surveyor, erected a monument atop Mount San Bernardino in 1852. A base line running through that monument is still used for land surveys of southern California.
Helpful Links:
• San Bernardino County
• San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau
• San Bernardino Moving Guide
• San Bernardino Insurance