Why Fontana
Fontana is a major city situated in the Inland Empire region of San Bernardino County, California, roughly 46 miles east of Los Angeles. Traversed by key transit routes including Interstate 10, State Route 210, and Interstate 15, the municipality functions as a prominent regional logistics and trucking center. The city occupies a sloping landscape in close proximity to the Santa Ana River to the east.
Geographically, much of the area rests upon a gently southward-sloping alluvial fan created by Lytle Creek, supplemented by Etiwanda Creek deposits on its western edge. Elevational terrain ranges from 840 feet in the southwest corner to approximately 2,600 feet in the northern foothills, with downtown City Hall sitting at 1,237 feet. Fontana is bordered by the San Gabriel Mountains to the north—dominated by the 8,859-foot Cucamonga Peak—and the Jurupa Mountains to the south. The climate features exceptionally hot summers that often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while hot, dry Santa Ana winds frequently blow through the adjacent Cajon Pass from the Mojave Desert.
Originally inhabited by Native Americans, the locality was known as Rosena prior to being founded as Fontana by Azariel Blanchard Miller. Its name stems from the Italian word for fountain or water source. The settlement initially grew as an agricultural hub filled with citrus orchards, vineyards, and chicken ranches along U.S. Route 66. World War II radically transformed the area when Henry J. Kaiser constructed a large steel mill, alongside a medical facility created for plant workers. During the 1950s and 1960s, Fontana also developed a legacy in motorsports as the home of famous drag racing strips on the NHRA circuit.
Cultural and historic attractions are scattered throughout the community. Located along the Pacific Electric Trail in Helen Putnam Historical Plaza, the Art Depot occupies a restored 1915 railway freight depot, offering art classes and creative events. In the city center, a renovated 1937 Art Deco venue originally designed by C. H. Boller operates as Stage Red, hosting live entertainment. Fontana is also home to the Lewis Library and Technology Center, the largest facility in the county library system.
For outdoor recreation, the 861-acre Martin Tudor Jurupa Hills Regional Park contains a splash park, a five-acre Native American historical site, and the Mary Vagle Museum & Nature Center. Fontana Park serves as another major complex, featuring an aquatic center, skate park, dog park, and the Jessie Turner Health and Fitness Community Center. Additional recreational areas include Southridge Park, which provides mountain bike trails, sports courts, and fields.
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