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110-518: The chain was acquired by Fresno, California –based Gottschalks in 1998. After the acquisition some of the stores continued to operate under the name Harris Gottschalks . In January, 2009, Gottschalks filed for bankruptcy, and on March 31 announced they were liquidating all stores. All of the original Harris stores that were still operating, were finally closed in July, 2009. Philip, Arthur, and Herman Harris were nephews of Leopold Harris , founder of what

220-564: A Cahuilla village. 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

330-519: 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. Riverside's economy consists largely of light-industry and generates

440-905: A semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BSh ) bordering on an arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BWh ) with hot, dry summers and mild, relatively wet winters. Normal monthly mean temperatures range from 54.8 °F (12.7 °C) in December to 79.8 °F (26.6 °C) in August. On average, temperatures reach the freezing mark and 100 °F (37.8 °C) on 3.5 and 21.6 days annually, respectively. Record temperatures range from 18 °F (−7.8 °C) on January 15, 1911, up to 118 °F (47.8 °C) on July 17, 1925, June 16, 1917, and July 6, 2018. On average, Riverside receives 9.39 in (239 mm) of precipitation annually, with measurable precipitation occurring on 35 days, with almost all of it between November and April, with February

550-407: A semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BSh , bordering BSk ), with cool, mild winters and long, hot, dry summers. December and January are the coldest months, averaging 47.5 °F (8.6 °C) and 48.0 °F (8.9 °C), respectively; mornings see temperatures at or below freezing, with the coldest night of the year typically bottoming out around 29 °F (−1.7 °C). July

660-551: A "motorstair") in the Inland Empire. Harris continued to expand their San Bernardino and Redlands stores and opened a branch at Riverside Plaza on September 30, 1957. With suburbanization, San Bernardino sought to revitalize its downtown. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, due to the Central City redevelopment program, structural changes were carried out at the flagship in the name of modernization and it became an anchor store of

770-689: A dusting of winter snow. Many residents also enjoy the many beaches of Southern California. Riverside is about a 47-mile (76 km) drive to the Pacific Ocean and is close to Orange County and Los Angeles County. 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

880-410: A female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.57. Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California , United States, in

990-491: A few years, the successful cultivation of many thousands of the newly discovered Brazilian navel orange trees led to a California Gold Rush 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 and the restored packing houses in the downtown's Marketplace district. By 1882, there were more than half

1100-578: A lake, three small ponds, seven picnic areas, and five miles (8 km) of multipurpose trails that are part of the San Joaquin River Parkway's Lewis S. Eaton Trail. When complete, the Lewis S. Eaton trail system will cover 22 miles (35 km) between Highway 99 and Friant Dam. The park's amphitheatre was renovated in 2010, and has hosted performances by acts such as Deftones , Tech N9ne , and Sevendust as well as numerous others. Woodward Park hosts

1210-601: A million citrus trees in California, almost half of which were in Riverside. The development of refrigerated railroad cars and innovative irrigation systems established Riverside as the richest city in the United States (in terms of income per capita) by 1895. Riverside is the 61st-largest city in the United States, the 12th-largest city in California, and the largest city in California's Inland Empire metro area. According to

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1320-445: A population of 303,871. The population density was 3,731.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,440.5/km ). The racial makeup of Riverside was 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

1430-635: A railway station of the Central Pacific Railroad before it was incorporated in 1885. It has since become an economic hub of Fresno County and the San Joaquin Valley, with much of the surrounding areas in the Metropolitan Fresno region predominantly tied to large-scale agricultural production. Fresno is near the geographic center of California, approximately 220 miles (350 km) north of Los Angeles , 170 miles (270 km) south of

1540-606: 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

1650-409: A result of the sting. In the early 2000s, Fresno's two major venues were built, Chukchansi Park (2002) and Save Mart Center (2003). The 2017 Fresno shootings resulted in the death of 4 people. Fresno has a total area of 116 square miles (300 km ) with 98.96% land covering 114.79 square miles (297.3 km ), and 1.04% water, 1.21 square miles (3.1 km ). Fresno's location, very near

1760-732: 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) when Eliza Tibbets received three Brazilian 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 , but its success in southern California

1870-535: A small wooden depot in 1872. In 1889, the Southern Pacific Railroad, which had acquired Central Pacific, constructed a new depot on the original depot site. The brick Queen Anne style depot was a jewel for the city and is one of Fresno's oldest standing buildings. In 1971, 99 years after it first opened for business on its current site, the Depot closed its rail operations due to the decline in business. Between

1980-404: A station near Easterby's—by now a hugely productive wheat farm—for its new Southern Pacific line. Soon there was a store near the station and the store grew into the town of Fresno Station, later called Fresno. At that time, Mariposa street was the main artery, a rough dusty or muddy depression. Many Millerton residents, drawn by the convenience of the railroad and worried about flooding, moved to

2090-433: A troubled gestation during which its creator resigned, BankAmericard went on to become the world's first successful credit card . This financial instrument was usable across a large number of merchants and also allowed cardholders to revolve a balance (earlier financial products could do one or the other but not both). In 1970, BankAmericard was spun off into a separate company, and in 1976, that company became Visa Inc. In

2200-484: 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,

2310-409: Is 75 mi (121 km). The city is located near several Sierra Nevada lakes including Bass Lake , Shaver Lake , and Huntington Lake . Fresno is also only two and a half hours from Monterey , Carmel , Big Sur and the central coast. Because Fresno sits at the junction of Highways 41 and 99 (SR 41 is Yosemite National Park's southern access road, and SR 99 bypasses Interstate 5 to serve

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2420-486: Is a National Historic Landmark as well as a Superfund site. Before World War II, Fresno had many ethnic neighborhoods, including Little Armenia, German Town, Little Italy, and Chinatown . In 1940, the Census Bureau reported Fresno's population as 94.0% white, 3.3% black and 2.7% Asian. Chinatown was primarily a Japanese neighborhood and today few Japanese-American businesses remain. During 1942, Pinedale , in what

2530-658: 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 has missions in Riverside and Redlands near their temple . Several religious celebrations take place on top of

2640-425: Is an increased presence of southeastern wind directions in the wind rose statistics. Fresno meteorology was selected in a national U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study for analysis of equilibrium temperature for use of ten-year meteorological data to represent a warm, dry western United States locale. The official record high temperature for Fresno is 115 °F (46.1 °C), set on July 8, 1905, while

2750-656: 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 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 66,000 sq ft (6,100 m ) indoors and 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m ) of outdoor space. Also available

2860-521: Is known as the center of Fresno's LGBT and hipster communities. The area is also known for its early twentieth century homes, many of which have been restored in recent decades. The area includes many California Bungalow and American Craftsman style homes, Spanish Colonial Revival Style architecture , Mediterranean Revival Style architecture , Mission Revival Style architecture , and many Storybook houses designed by Fresno architects, Hilliard, Taylor & Wheeler. The residential architecture of

2970-477: Is now North Fresno, was the site of the Pinedale Assembly Center , an interim facility for the relocation of Fresno area Japanese Americans to internment camps . The Fresno Fairgrounds were also utilized as an assembly center. Row crops and orchards gave way to urban development particularly in the period after World War II; this transition was particularly vividly demonstrated in locations such as

3080-408: Is still remembered today for its magnificent Christmas and Easter promotional displays. The family likewise provided lavish holiday decor for its Riverside store and later others, including creative, automated window displays, which became a local tradition for shoppers. This continued until 1998, long after most other stores cut back on lavish displays. Located on E Street in downtown San Bernardino,

3190-560: Is the Lake Hills/Victoria Grove area, which would extend the city's southwestern borders to Lake Mathews. Riverside is home to the University of California, Riverside . The UCR Botanical Gardens contains 40 acres (16 ha) of unusual plants, with four miles (6.4 km) of walking trails. The city prides itself on its historic connection to the navel orange, which was introduced to North America from Brazil in 1874. Riverside

3300-616: Is the Riverside Marriott with 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m ) indoors, and the Mission Inn with 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m ) indoors and 5,000 sq ft (460 m ) 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 in Riverside include: Riverside experiences

3410-493: Is the lowest with only 42 percent of the daylight time in sunlight because of tule fog . However, the year averages 81% of possible sunshine, for a total of 3550 hours. Average annual precipitation is around 11 inches (279 mm). Most of the wind rose direction occurrences derive from the northwest, as winds are driven downward along the axis of the California Central Valley ; in December, January and February there

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3520-467: 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,

3630-557: 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. The city council has proposed many annexations of nearby unincorporated communities that would increase Riverside's population and land area significantly. Most notable

3740-415: Is the warmest month, averaging 83.5 °F (28.6 °C); normally, there are 38 days of 100 °F (37.8 °C)+ highs and 113 days of 90 °F (32.2 °C)+ highs, and between July and August, there are only 3.6 days where the high does not reach 90 °F (32.2 °C). Summers provide considerable sunshine, with July exceeding 96 percent of the total possible sunlight hours; conversely, December

3850-514: The 2020 census , it had a population of 314,998. Along with San Bernardino , Riverside is a principal city in the nation's 13th-largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA); the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (pop. 4,599,839) ranks in population just below San Francisco (4,749,008) and above Detroit (4,392,041). Riverside was founded in the early 1870s. It is the birthplace of the California citrus industry and home of

3960-475: The Armenian and Hmong communities. In 1920, Armenians comprised 9% of the population of the city of Fresno, with 4,000 Armenian residents at the time. Old Armenian Town was the old Armenian neighborhood in the center of Fresno. The Hmong community of Fresno , along with that of Minneapolis–Saint Paul , is one of the largest two urban U.S. ethnic Hmong communities, with just over 24,000 people, or about 5% of

4070-508: The Blackstone Avenue corridor. Fresno's geographical remoteness also made it an early pioneer in the field now known as fintech , long before the term was invented. In September 1958, Bank of America launched a new product called BankAmericard in Fresno. The city was specifically selected in part for its remoteness, to limit damage to the bank's image in case the project failed. After

4180-529: The Federal Bureau of Investigation 's Operation Rezone sting resulted in several prominent Fresno and Clovis politicians being charged in connection with taking bribes in return for rezoning farmland for housing developments. Before the sting brought a halt to it, housing developers could buy farmland cheaply, pay off council members to have it rezoned, and make a large profit building and selling inexpensive housing. Sixteen people were eventually convicted as

4290-616: 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 , Castle Park , and the Parent Washington Navel Orange Tree , the last of California's two original navel orange trees. In the late 18th century and the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by Cahuilla and

4400-811: The Galleria at Tyler mall. The Main Street Pedestrian Mall in downtown is the site of several unique shops. 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

4510-647: The Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River . It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire and in Riverside County, and is about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles . It is also part of the Greater Los Angeles area. Riverside is the 61st-most-populous city in the United States and the 12th-most-populous city in California. As of

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4620-718: 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 , is in the northeastern part of the city. The university hosts the Riverside Sports Complex . Other attractions in Riverside include

4730-619: The San Joaquin Valley region were the Yokuts people and Miwok people , who engaged in trading with other Californian tribes of Native Americans including coastal peoples such as the Chumash of the Central California coast, with whom they are thought to have traded plant and animal products. The first European to enter the San Joaquin Valley was Pedro Fages in 1772. The county of Fresno

4840-608: 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

4950-648: The Shinzen Japanese Gardens , boasts numerous picnic areas and several miles of trails. It is in North Fresno and is adjacent to the San Joaquin River Parkway . Roeding Park , near Downtown Fresno, is home to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo , and Rotary Storyland and Playland . Kearney Park is the largest of the Fresno region's park system and is home to historic Kearney Mansion and plays host to

5060-497: The United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 81.4 square miles (210.8 km ), of which 81.1 square miles (210 km ) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km ) (0.37%) is water. The elevation of downtown Riverside is 860 feet (260 m). 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

5170-450: The "rain year" from July 1982 to June 1983 down to 4.43 inches (112.5 mm) from July 1933 to June 1934. The most rainfall in one month was 9.54 inches (242.3 mm) in November 1885 and the most rainfall in 24 hours was 3.55 inches (90.2 mm) on November 18, 1885. Measurable precipitation falls on an average of 46.5 days annually. Snow is a rarity; the heaviest snowfall at the airport

5280-730: The 1880s and World War II, Downtown Fresno flourished, filled with electric streetcars, and contained a number of "lavish" and "opulent" buildings. Among them, the original Fresno County Courthouse (demolished), the Fresno Carnegie Public Library (demolished), the Old Fresno Water Tower , the Bank of Italy Building , the Pacific Southwest Building , the San Joaquin Light and Power Building (currently known as

5390-420: The 1960s, Fresno suffered numerous demolitions of historic buildings, including the old Fresno County Courthouse and the original buildings of Edison High School . This was the result of car-centric urban planning focused on making more room for cars and parking lots, a commonplace approach in the United States at that time. The dance style commonly known as popping evolved in Fresno in the 1970s. In 1995,

5500-405: The 1990 census, it moved up to 47th place with 354,000, and in the census of 2000, it achieved 37th place with 428,000. The Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill was the first modern landfill in the United States, and incorporated several important innovations to waste disposal, including trenching, compacting, and the daily covering of trash with dirt. It was opened in 1937 and closed in 1987. It

5610-605: 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 . The 2010 census reported that Riverside had

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5720-477: The Fig Garden Christmas Tree Lane, which is a nationally recognized event. There is also an upscale swim and racquet club located in northwestern Fig garden, which has multiple amenities including a heated lap pool, massage therapy, daycare, etc. Towards the northern boundary there is a shopping center called Fig Garden Village which hosts a plethora of upscale shopping opportunities. Fresno has

5830-684: The Grand 1401), and the Hughes Hotel (burned down), to name a few. Fulton Street in Downtown Fresno was Fresno's main financial and commercial district before being converted into one of the nation's first pedestrian malls in 1964. Renamed the Fulton Mall , the area contains the densest collection of historic buildings in Fresno. While the Fulton Mall corridor has suffered a sharp decline from its heyday,

5940-533: The Harris coat-of-arms molded into the stonework. The San Bernardino Sun wrote: Towns do not have department stores. The Inland Empire has arrived." The company survived the Depression by carefully managing costs and business relationships. Through the 1940s and 1950s, the store was famous for its animated Christmas window displays on E Street and its Santa Claus. In 1947, the store added the first escalator (then called

6050-517: The Hispanic population, 42.7% of the total population are Mexican , 0.4% Salvadoran , and 0.4% Puerto Rican . Non-Hispanic Whites were 30.0% of the population in 2010, down from 72.6% in 1970. The Census reported that 485,798 people (98.2% of the population) lived in households, 4,315 (0.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 4,552 (0.9%) were institutionalized. There were 158,349 households, of which 68,511 (43.3%) had children under

6160-673: The Mall includes some of the finest public art pieces in the country, including a casting of Pierre-Auguste Renoir 's bronze "The Washer Woman", reportedly the only one of the six castings that one can walk up to and touch. In October 2017, the City of Fresno finished and opened Fulton Mall to traffic, becoming Fulton Street. This change was celebrated with a large public parade featuring current mayor Lee Brand and former mayor Ashley Swearengin. The public art pieces will be restored and placed near their current locations and will feature wide sidewalks (up to 28' on

6270-577: The Riverside store became the largest store in the chain at 204,000 square feet. On January 14, 2009, Gottschalks filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy . In March 2009, Gottschalks announced that it had lined up a group of bidders to liquidate the chain, if a buyer was not found by March 30. On March 31, Gottschalks announced it would liquidate its remaining stores, and on July 12, 2009 all of the Gottschalks stores were closed. The original Harris Company store in downtown San Bernardino and adjacent to Carousel Mall

6380-718: The Tower District contrasts with the newer areas of tract homes urban sprawl in north and east areas of Fresno. In the northeastern part of Fresno, Woodward Park was founded by the late Ralph Woodward, a long-time Fresno resident. He bequeathed a major portion of his estate in 1968 to provide a regional park and bird sanctuary in Northeast Fresno. The park lies on the southern bank of the San Joaquin River between Highway 41 and Friant Road. The initial 235 acres (0.95 km ), combined with additional acres acquired later by

6490-528: The Tower, the Farmers' market opened on the northwest corner of Olive and Van Ness and LitHop, an annual literary festival, featuring mostly local writers. The neighborhood features restaurants, live theater and nightclubs, as well as several independent shops and bookstores on or near Olive Avenue. Since renewal, the Tower District has become an attractive area for restaurant and other local businesses. The Tower District

6600-484: The Upward Extension Act of 1907 to offer lower-division college-level coursework to local high school graduates who wanted to attend college but were reluctant to move hundreds of miles away to do so. The high school's Collegiate Department evolved into Fresno City College , the oldest community college in California and the second oldest in the United States. In the 1920s and 1930s, Fresno State Teachers College

6710-448: The age of 18 living in them, 69,284 (43.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 30,547 (19.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 11,698 (7.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 12,843 (8.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 1,388 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 35,064 households (22.1%) were made up of individuals, and 12,344 (7.8%) had someone living alone who

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6820-406: 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

6930-459: 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 for

7040-592: The annual California Interscholastic Federation State Championship cross country meet. It is the home of the Woodward Shakespeare Festival which began performances in the park in 2005. Located in the western portion of Fresno, Old Fig Garden is an unincorporated community that, over time, has been completely encircled by the city of Fresno. Fig Garden was created in 1947, as the then-known Fig Garden Men's club achieved nonprofit corporate status, allowing itself to have much more governance. In 1979,

7150-580: The annual Civil War Revisited, the largest reenactment of the Civil War in the west coast of the U.S. In its 2023 ParkScore ranking, The Trust for Public Land , a national land conservation organization, reported that Fresno had one of the worst park systems among the 100 most populous U.S. cities, with only 5% of city land being used for parks and recreation. The survey measures median park size, park acres as percent of city area, residents' access to parks, spending on parks per resident, and playgrounds per 10,000 residents. The Central Pacific Railroad built

7260-527: The area's development. In March 1870, North distributed posters announcing the formation of a colony in California. North, a staunch temperance-minded abolitionist from New York State , 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

7370-523: The city was $ 17,882. 15.8% of the population and 11.7% of families were below the poverty line . 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 in Riverside (2014) 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

7480-440: The city was 50.2% White , 8.4% Black or African American , 1.6% Native American , 11.2% Asian (about a third of which is Hmong ), 0.1% Pacific Islander , 23.4% from other races , and 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.9% of the population. There were 140,079 households, of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 17.6% had

7590-418: 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

7700-698: The city's population, being of Hmong descent. The 2010 United States Census reported that Fresno had a population of 494,665. The population density was 4,404.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,700.6/km ). The racial makeup of Fresno was 245,306 (49.6%) White , 40,960 (8.3%) African American , 8,525 (1.7%) Native American , 62,528 (12.6%) Asian (3.6% Hmong , 1.7% Indian , 1.2% Filipino , 1.2% Laotian , 1.0% Thai , 0.8% Cambodian , 0.7% Chinese , 0.5% Japanese , 0.4% Vietnamese , 0.2% Korean ), 849 (0.2%) Pacific Islander , 111,984 (22.6%) from other races , and 24,513 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 232,055 persons (46.9%). Among

7810-403: The city, brings the park to a sizable 300 acres (1.2 km ). Now packed with amenities, Woodward Park is the only Regional Park of its size in the Central Valley. The park has a multi-use amphitheatre that seats up to 2,500 people, an authentic Japanese Garden, fenced dog park, bike park, two playgrounds, two-mile (3 km) equestrian trail, exercise par course, three children's playgrounds,

7920-432: 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. According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: Retail shopping centers include the open-air Riverside Plaza, and

8030-468: The city. Another devastating blaze struck in 1883. In 1909, Fresno's first and oldest synagogue , Temple Beth Israel , was founded. As a result of its remoteness from the great universities of the San Francisco Bay Area and Greater Los Angeles , Fresno became a statewide leader in educational innovation. In 1910, Fresno High School was the first California high school to take advantage of

8140-489: The city. The population density was 1,261.5/km (3,267/sq mi). There were 85,974 housing units at an average density of 425.0/km (1,101/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 59.3% White , 7.4% African American , 1.1% Native American , 5.68% Asian , 0.4% Pacific Islander , 21.0% from other races , and 5.1% from two or more races. 38.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 82,005 households, out of which 39.8% had children under

8250-545: The college moved to what is now the site of Fresno City College one-half mile north of the Tower District. After decades of neglect and suburban flight, the neighborhood revival followed the re-opening of the Tower Theatre in the late 1970s, which at that time showed second- and third-run movies, along with classic films. Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater & Good Company Players also opened nearby in 1978, at Olive and Wishon Avenues. Fresno native Audra McDonald performed in

8360-565: The county seat from Millerton to Fresno. When the Friant Dam was completed in 1944, the site of Millerton became inundated by the waters of Millerton Lake . In extreme droughts, when the reservoir shrinks, ruins of the original county seat can still be observed. In the nineteenth century, with so much wooden construction and in the absence of sophisticated firefighting resources, fires often ravaged American frontier towns. The greatest of Fresno's early-day fires, in 1882, destroyed an entire block of

8470-496: The east side of the street) to continue with the pedestrian-friendly environment of the district. The historic Tower Theatre , which is included on the National Register of Historic Places, is the center of the Tower District. The theater was built in 1939 at the corner of Olive and Wishon Avenues. The Tower District neighborhood is just north of downtown Fresno proper, and one-half mile south of Fresno City College. Although

8580-593: The first elevator in San Bernardino. They opened a branch in Colton, without success, and in 1908, a branch in Redlands, which was successful. By 1915, the flagship store had annexed what was the Cartwright's Dry Goods building, as well as a clothing store. By 1919 they started to buy land at 3rd and E to build a new, larger store, which launched on November 7, 1927, with three floors plus a mezzanine, basement and roof garden. There

8690-606: 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 opened

8800-401: The geographical center of California, places the city a comfortable distance from many of the major recreation areas and urban centers in the state. Just 60 mi (97 km) south of Yosemite National Park , it is the nearest major city to the park. Likewise, Sierra National Forest is 40 mi (64 km), Kings Canyon National Park is 60 mi (97 km) and Sequoia National Park

8910-470: The largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about 115 square miles (300 km ) and had a population of 542,107 as of the 2020 census , making it the fifth-most populous city in California , the most populous inland city in California, and the 34th-most populous city in the nation. Named for the abundant ash trees lining the San Joaquin River , Fresno was founded in 1872 as

9020-553: The leading roles of Evita and The Wiz at the theater while she was a high school student. McDonald subsequently became a leading performer on Broadway in New York City and a Tony award -winning actress. Also in the Tower District is Good Company Players' 2nd Space Theatre. The Tower District is a hub for community events such as Jamaica My Weekend, Mardi Gras in February, Gay Pride Parade , car shows, A Taste of The Tower, Halloween in

9130-418: The name was changed to Fig Garden Home Owners Association. Fig Garden is unique to the rest of Fresno, as it features largely no sidewalks and is lined with various large trees. The homes are well-maintained and landscaped due to strict regulations from the homeowners association. Due to a tax Fig Garden residences voted for, there is nearly round-the-clock sheriff service within the district. The district hosts

9240-451: The neighborhood was known as a residential area, the early commercial establishments of the Tower District began with small shops and services that flocked to the area shortly after World War II. The character of small local businesses largely remains today. To some extent, the businesses of the Tower District were developed due to the proximity of the original Fresno Normal School (later renamed California State University at Fresno ). In 1916,

9350-456: The new Central City Mall . In 1981, Spanish retailer El Corte Inglés , S.A. acquired the Harris Company and its nine stores which included Bakersfield , Hemet , Indio , Moreno Valley , Palmdale , Redlands , Riverside , San Bernardino and Victorville . In 1997, the Harris Company invested $ 27 million (~$ 47.6 million in 2023) to update its nine-store chain. The Harris Company

9460-757: The new community. Fresno became an incorporated city in 1885. In 1903, the faltering San Joaquin Power Company was renamed the San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation and included the Fresno City Water Company and the Fresno City Railway. By 1931 the railway, now known as the Fresno Traction Company , operated 47 streetcars over 49 miles (79 km) of track. Two years after the station was established, county residents voted to move

9570-612: 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 (68.10 ft; 20.76 m ) 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

9680-454: The official record low is 17 °F (−8 °C), set on January 6, 1913. The average windows for temperatures of 100 °F (37.8 °C)+ are June 2 through September 15; for temperatures of 90 °F (32.2 °C)+, April 25 through October 10; and for freezing temperatures, December 14 through January 24, although no freeze occurred during the 1983–84 or 2020–21 winter seasons. Annual rainfall has ranged from 23.57 inches (598.7 mm) in

9790-555: The original Harris Company building remains vacant as of November, 2021. The largest location in the former Harris chain was the 204,000-square-foot (19,000 m) location at the Riverside Plaza in Riverside, California . This store was also the largest store in the Gottschalks chain. The store was purchased by clothing retailer Forever 21 which opened a new large-format store at the site in August, 2009. The former Riverside Harris'

9900-426: 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

10010-660: 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

10120-612: The present Chestnut, Belmont, Clovis and California avenues, that today is called the Sunnyside district . Unable to grow wheat for lack of water, he hired sheep man Moses Church in 1870 to create an irrigation system. Building new canals and purchasing existing ditches, Church then formed the Fresno Canal and Irrigation Company, a predecessor of the Fresno Irrigation District. In 1872, the Central Pacific Railroad established

10230-460: The state capital, Sacramento , and 185 miles (300 km) southeast of San Francisco . Yosemite National Park is about 60 miles (100 km) to the north, Kings Canyon National Park 60 miles (100 km) to the east, and Sequoia National Park 75 miles (120 km) to the southeast. Fresno is also the third-largest majority-Hispanic city in the United States with 50.5% of its population being Hispanic in 2020. The original inhabitants of

10340-449: The stock to San Bernardino. Arthur Harris joined in 1906, after having worked in his brother-in-law's store in Anaheim. With $ 2,500 of Arthur's money, Harris Co. moved across the street. The Harris brothers hired a window trimmer and a dozen employees, and became the most stylish store in town. In 1907, they opened a second floor to house Millinery and Ready-to-Wear. In 1907, they added what was

10450-464: The urban centers of the San Joaquin Valley), the city is a major gateway for Yosemite visitors coming from Los Angeles . The city also serves as an entrance into Sierra National Forest via Highway 168 , and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks via Highway 180 . Fresno has three large public parks, two in the city limits and one in county land to the southwest. Woodward Park , which features

10560-560: The wettest month. The wettest “rain year” was from July 1940 to June 1941 with 22.72 inches or 577.1 millimetres and the driest from July 1960 to June 1961 with only 2.79 inches or 70.9 millimetres. The Riverside area faces issues of smog and above-average levels of air pollution . In a comparison by the National Campaign Against Dirty Air Power (2003), the Riverside- San Bernardino - Ontario area

10670-518: Was 2.2 inches (5.6 cm) on January 21–22, 1962. See or edit raw graph data . Fresno is the larger principal city of the Fresno-Madera CSA , a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Fresno (Fresno County) and Madera (Madera County) metropolitan areas, which had a combined population of 922,516 at the 2000 census . Fresno is home to numerous ethnic minority communities, such as

10780-455: 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. As of the census of 2000, there were 255,166 people, 82,005 households, and 58,141 families residing in

10890-403: Was 29.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males. There were 171,288 housing units at an average density of 1,525.2 per square mile (588.9/km ), of which 158,349 were occupied, of which 77,757 (49.1%) were owner-occupied, and 80,592 (50.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6%; the rental vacancy rate

11000-436: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07. There were 111,529 families (70.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.62. The age distribution of the population shows 148,823 people (30.1%) under the age of 18, 62,601 people (12.7%) aged 18 to 24, 135,076 people (27.3%) aged 25 to 44, 102,064 people (20.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 46,101 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

11110-724: 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 1,208.7 units per square mile (466.7 units/km ), of which 51,185 (55.7%) were owner-occupied, and 40,747 (44.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate

11220-460: Was 7.6%. 235,430 people (47.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 250,368 people (50.6%) lived in rental housing units. As of the census of 2000, there were 427,652 people, 140,079 households, and 97,915 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,097.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,582.2/km ). There were 149,025 housing units at an average density of 1,427.9 square miles (3,698 km ). The racial makeup of

11330-451: Was a tea room, lunch counter, beauty parlor, barber shop, sit-down soda fountain, candies, stationery, grocery store called Sage's Market, and a restaurant, Café Madrid. The main entrance archway fitted with Italian marble rose 29 feet, while the interior lobby ceiling was an impressive 32 feet high; the doors were made of hammered copper. The outside face of the building had alternating intricate stone and wrought iron ornamental grillwork, with

11440-532: Was acquired by Gottschalks in 1998, and the stores were initially renamed Harris-Gottschalks. Most of the original Harris stores eventually dropped the name Harris, except the Bakersfield, Indio and Moreno Valley locations, which continued to operate under the Harris-Gottschalks name. The original flagship store in downtown San Bernardino closed on January 31, 1999. After the downtown San Bernardino store closed,

11550-472: Was at the forefront of the evolution of the state teachers colleges into state colleges offering a broad liberal arts education . The state colleges later became the California State University and Fresno State became California State University, Fresno . Fresno entered the ranks of the 100 most populous cities in the United States in 1960 with a population of 134,000. Thirty years later, in

11660-573: Was formed in 1856 after the California Gold Rush and was named for the abundant ash trees (Spanish: fresno) lining the San Joaquin River . The San Joaquin River flooded on December 24, 1867, inundating Millerton . Some residents rebuilt, others moved. Flooding also destroyed the town of Scottsburg on the nearby Kings River that winter. Rebuilt on higher ground, Scottsburg was renamed Centerville. In 1867, Anthony Easterby purchased land bounded by

11770-596: 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 . 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,

11880-582: Was once the large Los Angeles–based chain Harris & Frank ; and Philip and Herman had worked there. The three brothers started Harris Company with a small dry goods store in 1905 in the ground floor of the Armory Building at 462 Third Street, between D and E Streets, with a storefront only 25 foot (7.6 m) wide. Philip and Herman closed their White House store at 103 W. 4th Street in Santa Ana and brought

11990-581: 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 (this tree died in 1922), and

12100-418: Was renovated in 2014 after the closure of Forever 21 in early 2013. It is now occupied by Nordstrom Rack , Marshalls , and Jo-Ann Fabrics Table of store locations: Fresno, California Fresno ( / ˈ f r ɛ z n oʊ / ; Spanish for ' Ash tree ') is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California , United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and

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