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Riverside County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of California, stretching from Orange County to the Colorado River, which is the border with Arizona. This county is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. As of 2000 the population was 1,545,387. The county seat is Riverside. Geographically, the county is desert. Most of Joshua Tree National Park is located in the county. Riverside County lies inland of Los Angeles, and large numbers of Los Angeles workers have moved to the county in recent years to take advantage of relatively affordable housing costs. Alongside neighboring San Bernardino County, it is one of the fastest growing parts of Greater Los Angeles. This spawned a wave of toll road construction in the area in the 1990s, starting with the addition of toll commuter lanes to the 91 freeway, the main traffic artery to the western metropolis. Such famous golf resorts as Indian Wells, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs and Palm Desert are located in Riverside County. Indio is the center of an important date growing region.
History Riverside County was created in 1893 from parts of San Bernardino and San Diego Counties. The county derives its name from the City of Riverside, christened when the upper canal of the Santa Ana River reached it in 1871. See more on Riverside and San Bernardino County history. Inland Empire History Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 18,915 km² (7,303 mi²). 18,667 km² (7,207 mi²) of it is land and 248 km² (96 mi²) of it (1.31%) is water. At roughly 180 miles wide in the east-west dimension, the area of the county is massive. County government documents frequently cite the Colorado River town of Blythe as being a "three hour drive" from the county seat, Riverside. Some view the areas west of San Gorgonio Pass as the Inland Empire portion of the county and the eastern part as either the Mojave Desert or Colorado Desert portion. There are probably at least three geomorphic provinces: the Inland Empire western portion, the Santa Rosa Mountains communities, and the desert region. Other possible subdivisions include tribal lands, the Colorado River communities, and the Salton Sink. Serving this area are 19 healthcare facilities identified as "General Acute Care Hospitals." Five of these are identified as rural, sixteen provide at least basic emergency care, and three are level 2 trauma centers. The State of California defines Riverside county as Health Service Area 12. There are 14 major airports in Riverside County. County government projections expect the county's population to roughly double between 2004 and 2040. Most of the growth is expected in communities viewed as being within practical commute distances of work in Los Angeles County and Orange County. In California, each County Office of Education has influence over funding and operation of schools within its area. The county includes a total of about 380 public schools including Riverside's California School for the Deaf. These schools are operated by about 24 school districts and by Tribal governments in conjunction with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Major Highways Adjacent Counties Demographics As of the census² of 2000, there were 1,545,387 people, 506,218 households, and 372,576 families residing in the county. The population density was 83/km² (214/mi²). There were 584,674 housing units at an average density of 31/km² (81/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 65.58% White, 6.24% Black or African American, 1.18% Native American, 3.69% Asian, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 18.69% from other races, and 4.37% from two or more races. 36.21% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 506,218 households out of which 38.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.50% were married couples living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 20.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.47. In the county the population was spread out with 30.30% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 18.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $42,887, and the median income for a family was $48,409. Males had a median income of $38,639 versus $28,032 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,689. About 10.70% of families and 14.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.50% of those under age 18 and 7.60% of those age 65 or over. Universities & Colleges in Riverside County Cities and towns in Riverside County ZIP Codes See Southern California Zip Codes Points of Interest See also Sources | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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