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Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the heart of the Inland Empire region of southern California, the City of Fontana is a fast-growing community known for its varied and colorful history, and for some of its important new local landmarks. Originally a rural town known for an abundance of chicken ranches, hog farms, and citrus and walnut orchards, over the past century Fontana has developed rapidly into a major commuter suburb for Los Angeles and other nearby cities, as well as a strategic regional hub of the trucking industry. This is arguably the result of Fontana's location at the meetingplace of several major regional thoroughfares: Interstate highways 10 and 210 both transect the city from east to west, and Interstate 15 passes diagonally through the northwestern part of the city. These highways have given rise to dozens of distribution centers in the city's industrial areas, where goods are brought by road and rail from the seaports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, then shipped throughout the continent. While Fontana is within driving distance of several of the mountain resorts, beaches, lakes and desert areas of Southern California, the city is also becoming a destination in its own right. It is home to several newly built landmarks, such as the largest of the San Bernardino County system libraries, a renovated historic theater, a huge new municipal park, and the Auto Club Speedway, a NASCAR racetrack located on the site of the historic Kaiser Steel Mill. Fontana is also home to the Fontana Days Half Marathon and 5K run. This race is on record as the fastest half marathon course in the world.[6] The U.S. federal Census estimates for 2006 placed Fontana's population at 170,099,[7] but the California State Department of Finance estimated the fast-growing city's 2008 population at 188,498.[8] This growth was primarily the result of the city's campaign to annex numerous unincorporated San Bernardino County "island" areas within its Sphere of Influence, as well as with continued suburban growth. HistoryFounded in 1913 by A.B.Miller [9], Fontana was originally an agricultural town of citrus orchards, vineyards and chicken ranches astride U.S. Route 66 (now known as Foothill Boulevard) and criss-crossed by numerous rail lines. Fontana was radically transformed during World War II. Henry J. Kaiser’s steel mill in Fontana was the only steel mill west of the Mississippi River. The routing of the San Bernardino Freeway through a section of the town was followed by explosive growth, with the area becoming a prominent industrial suburb of San Bernardino. The Hells Angels motorcycle gang was formed in Fontana in 1948. Ross and Violet Gesler immigrated to Fontana, Ross developed the Ross Gesler orchid in the greenhouses on his Arrow Blvd. home. Later his grandson David Eshleman became mayor of the city. In the 1950s and '60s Fontana was home to a famous drag racing strip that was a significant venue in the NHRA circuit. Known officially as Mickey Thompson’s Fontana International Dragway, it was also referred to as Fontana Drag City or just plain old Fontana Drag Strip. The original Fontana strip is long since defunct, but the owners of NASCAR’s new Auto Club Speedway will be opening a new NHRA-sanctioned drag strip in Fontana in mid-2006 to resurrect Fontana’s drag-racing heritage. Ro-Val's automobile museum, located on Foothill Blvd on the western outskirts between Fontana and Cucamonga, was for a while the home for many classic automobiles of the 1920s and '30s, including a huge vehicle once owned by screen actor Fatty Arbuckle. When the Ro-Val museum closed, the vehicles were sold to Bill Harrah, a Nevada casino owner and automobile collector, who placed them on display in the museum located at his casino. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 128,929, but the present population is now estimated to have reached 188,498 (2008). This rapid expansion had much to do with the numerous large, new residential developments in the almost totally undeveloped northern part of the city, as well as with the city's aggressive (and highly successful) campaign to annex several unincorporated, but developed, San Bernardino county island areas in 2006-2007. TopographyMost of the city of Fontana, like its eastern neighbors Rialto and San Bernardino, is built atop a relatively young, gently southward-sloping alluvial fan from nearby Lytle Creek, deposited mainly during the Holocene and late-Pleistocene epochs. There are also sedimentary deposits of similar age from Etiwanda Creek on the western edge of the city. However, the northern and southern edges of the city are formed by the much older San Gabriel and Jurupa mountain ranges, respectively. The Jurupa Mountains are composed primarily of Cretaceous and Paleozoic-era rocks, as are the San Gabriels, which also include even older, Proterozoic formations. [10][11] The most prominent of the San Gabriel Mountains visible from Fontana is Cucamonga Peak, elevation 8,859 feet (2,700m). Additionally, the Cucamonga Fault Zone, contiguous with the Sierra Madre Fault Zone, runs through the northern part of the city, along the base of the San Gabriels, notably through the Hunter's Ridge and Coyote Canyon planned communities. It is estimated to be capable of producing earthquakes approximately of Magnitudes 6.0 to 7.0. [12] The city's listed elevation, measured from the northeast corner of the intersection of Upland Avenue and Sierra Avenue, downtown by City Hall, is 1,237 feet (377 m). However, the highest elevation within the city limits is approximately 2,600 feet (792.48m), in the northernmost part of the Panorama neighborhood of Hunter's Ridge. The lowest point within the city limits is approximately 840 feet (256.03m), at the intersection of Etiwanda and Philadelphia avenues, the extreme southwestern corner of the city.[13] This difference in elevation is due to the southward slope of the Lytle Creek alluvial fan. ClimateThe city is frequently affected by the infamously strong, hot and dry Santa Ana Winds as they blow through the nearby Cajon Pass of the San Gabriel mountains, from the Mojave Desert. Lewis LibraryOne of the most prominent and well-known landmarks of the city is the brand-new Lewis Library and Technology Center, which opened in April 2008. At an estimated cost of over $60,000,000, this state-of-the-art facility was made possible through a mixture of private and public funds. It is the largest library in the San Bernardino County Library System. Located on Sierra Avenue, downtown, some features of the new Library include: - New book shelving, reading areas and a Children's Library, named in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- An expanded collection exceeding 142,000 items, including 7,850 reference, media, and periodical items.
- Electronic databases, software applications, remote access to online informational resources and Internet access.
- Homework clubs and a homework center.
- Spanish language and homework materials.
- A computer technology support and training center.
- A literacy center with tutoring programs.
- A career center.
- 203 public use computer work stations including 25 Spanish language computers.
- Community meeting rooms and a 330-seat auditorium for meetings, lectures and special presentations.
- A bookstore and coffee bar.
Mary Vagle CenterFontana is also home to the Mary Vagle Science and Nature Center. Situated at the base of Mount Jurupa in the southern part of the city, it offers an opportunity for a wide range of environmental education activities, including a reptile viewing area, displays, dioramas, and hands on programs. There is a one acre pond, three miles (5 km) of self guided hiking trails, and the ninth most significant petroglyph site in the state. Hawks, rabbits, deer, rattlesnakes, foxes, and bobcats thrive in this protected habitat. After school science adventures club and summer science adventures day camp are also available along with a Junior Ranger Program, Eagle Scout Program, Nature Discovery Walk & Native American Indian Presentation. Many dedicated individuals and community groups volunteer their efforts in working toward the beautification, preservation and maintenance of the Center. [16] Public SchoolsThe Fontana Unified School District operates these high schools: Most residents of the city attend schools within the Fontana Unified School District. The Northwest area of the city is served by the Etiwanda School District (K thru 8 only) and the Chaffey Joint Union High School District (High Schools only). The Southeast area of the city is served by the Colton Joint Unified School District EconomyFontana's current economy is driven largely by industrial uses, particularly distribution centers for such companies as Toyota, Target, Sears, Mercedes-Benz, Southern California Edison, Home Shopping Network, and Avery Dennison; and also, at least until such activities had been somewhat hampered by the Subprime mortgage crisis, by the planning, developing and construction of new housing tracts. The city also has numerous local shopping centers, such as the Summit Heights Gateway/Falcon Ridge Town Center at the north end of the city, and Empire Center in the southern section. The city also features commercial strip zoning along several of its major avenues and boulevards, such as the "Miracle Mile" Straddling the 210 Freeway between Citrus and Sierra Avenues. Culture, Sports, and RecreationThe city's quarterly Artist Showcase program was developed as part of the City of Fontana’s dedication to the Cultural Arts. Through the provision of quarterly artist showcases, Fontana residents are introduced to local artists.
One of the objectives of the program is to introduce the process used by the artist to develop the art form, and methods used to bring the work to life. Each artist selected for the quarterly showcases is asked to exhibit their work for a three month period in the City Council Chamber Foyer located at City Hall. The artist will also be showcased in a small presentation, invited to dine with the members of the Fontana Community and presented to City Council. Additionally, each artist selected will be awarded a nominal stipend from the local Fontana business community.
TransportationThe Metrolink rail service to the greater Los Angeles area runs through the center of town. The City of Fontana is ten minutes away from Ontario International Airport.[6] The city is also served by Omnitrans bus service. [21]
UtilitiesFontana receives electrical power through the Southern California Edison Company. Gas service is provided by the Southern California Gas Company. Telephone and DSL internet service are through AT&T and Verizon, though Verizon serves a smaller portion of the city. Time Warner Cable also provides television and cable internet access. Burrtec Waste provides rubbish and trash collection throughout the city. It has a green and recycling program. Fontana is served by five different water companies, but none of their service areas overlap. These companies are: Fontana Water; the Cucamonga Valley Water District; Marygold Mutual Water; West S.B. County Water; and Crawford Canyon Water. Sewage service in the city is provided by the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, but is billed out by the City of Fontana itself. HealthcareFontana is home to the Kaiser Permanente-Fontana Hospital. Located on Sierra Avenue, and occupying most of the block between Sierra, Marygold, and Palmetto Avenues, and Valley Boulevard, The campus forms one of the largest healthcare facilities in the Inland Empire Region. On more of a side note, the various facilities are also among the tallest and largest buildings in the city (other than industrial distribution centers). The hospital is home to sixty different specialized departments, plus emergency care.[24] Also, located in the north end of the city, along the "Miracle Mile" of Sierra Lakes Parkway and the 210 freeway, is the Sierra San Antonio Medical Plaza, a 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) outpatient center and medical office building supported by San Antonio Community Hospital. Services currently available from SSAMP are urgent care, diagnostic radiology, physician offices, and a pharmacy. The facility also boasts a 3,000-square-foot (280 m2) educational suite where community lectures, health screenings, awareness campaigns, maternity and CPR classes are held. DemographicsAs of the census[26] of 2000, there were 128,929 people, 34,014 households, and 29,013 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,378.2/km² (3,569.7/mi²). There were 35,908 housing units at an average density of 383.8/km² (994.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 44.99% White, 11.83% African American, 1.12% Native American, 4.36% Asian, 0.33% Pacific Islander, 31.94% from other races, and 5.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 57.72% of the population. There were 34,014 households out of which 57.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.7% were non-families. 10.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.78 and the average family size was 4.02. In the city the population was spread out with 37.8% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 4.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $45,782, and the median income for a family was $46,957. Males had a median income of $36,062 versus $26,305 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,208. About 12.2% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontana,_California
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