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San Bernadino County is among the few counties in the United States to border as many as 8 counties.


== Colleges and universities ==
== Colleges and universities ==

Revision as of 22:19, 22 March 2006

County of San Bernardino, California
Official seal of County of San Bernardino, California
Seal
Location of San Bernardino County within California.
Location of San Bernardino County within California.
Country
  State		United States
  California
Government
 • Board of Supervisors

     District One
     District Two
     District Three
     District Four

     District Five

     Bill Postmus
     Paul Biane
     Dennis Hansberger
     Gary Ovitt

     Josie Gonzales
Population
 • Total
1,932,000
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (Pacific)
Websitehttp://www.sbcounty.gov/

San Bernardino County is the largest county in the contiguous United States by area, containing more land than nine states.

Located in the southeast of the state of California, the deserts and mountains of this vast county stretch from the outskirts of the densely populated Greater Los Angeles Area to the Nevada border and the Colorado River. As of 2005 the population was 1,932,000, largely located in its more populated southwestern portions. The county seat is San Bernardino. Its southwestern portions are considered to be part of the Inland Empire region of Southern California, a bicounty area.

History

Father Francisco Dumetz named San Bernardino on May 20, 1810, feast day of St. Bernardine of Siena.

San Bernardino County was formed from parts of Los Angeles County in 1853. Parts of the county's territory were given to Riverside County in 1893.

The Franciscans gave the name San Bernardino to the snowcapped peak in southern California, in honor of the saint Bernardino of Siena. from him the county derives its name.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 52,073 km² (20,105 mi²). 51,936 km² (20,052 mi²) of it is land and 137 km² (53 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.26% water. It is the largest county in the lower 48 states, and is thirteen times the area of the state of Rhode Island.

The county has three major regions: the Mojave Desert, the San Bernardino Mountains, and the San Bernardino Valley. Most of the county's area is desert, with the mountains and valley in the southwest corner.

The Mojave National Preserve covers some of the eastern desert, especially between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The desert portion also includes the cities of Needles next to the Colorado River, and Barstow at the junction in Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. Trona is at the northwestern part of the county west of Death Valley. This famous national park, mostly within Inyo County, also has a small portion of land within the county. The largest metropolitan area in the Mojave Desert part of the county is the Victor Valley with the incorporated localities of Apple Valley, Victorville, Adelanto, and Hesperia. Further south, a portion of Joshua Tree National Park overlaps the county near Twentynine Palms. Other places near (west of) Twentynine palms include Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, and Morongo Valley.

The mountains are home to the San Bernardino National Forest, and include the communities of Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, Running Springs, Big Bear City, and Big Bear Lake.

The San Bernardino Valley is at the eastern end of the San Gabriel Valley, and is part of the Inland Empire. The San Bernardino Valley includes the cities of Ontario, Chino, Chino Hills, Upland, Fontana, Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Loma Linda, Highland, Redlands, and Yucaipa.

San Bernardino County is ranked as the county with the worst ozone air pollution in the United States by the American Lung Association.[1]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

San Bernadino County is among the few counties in the United States to border as many as 8 counties.

Colleges and universities

Politics

Presidential elections results
Year GOP Dems
2004 55.3% 289,306 43.6% 227,789
2000 48.7% 221,757 47.2% 214,749
1996 43.6% 180,135 44.4% 183,372
1992 37.2% 176,563 38.7% 183,634
1988 60.0% 235,167 38.5% 151,118
1984 64.8% 222,071 34.0% 116,454
1980 59.7% 172,957 31.7% 91,790
1976 49.5% 113,265 47.9% 109,636
1972 59.7% '144,689 35.5% 85,986
1968 50.1% 111,974 40.0% 89,418
1964 42.8% 92,145 57.1% 123,012
1960 52.0% 99,481 47.5% 90,888

Law Enforcement and Crime

San Bernardino County (in the Inland Empire) is known regionally for a certain amount of gang activity in some areas by its Chicano gangs, the most well-known of which is the Onterio Varrio Sur and the Black Angels, a subset of the OVS gang. As in many other areas, incidents of gang violence in San Bernardino County have increased since the 1960s. Sergeant Phil Brown of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has said the gangs have spread across and beyond the Inland Empire, and into some of the farthest reaches of the county, including parts of the High Desert, though fortunately, crime rates there continue to remain well below the national average, although racial tensions among the Chicano gangs and the African-American gangs have heightened in recent times.

Fortunately, many other areas of San Bernardino County have seen large drops in crime, and have succeeded in establishing low crime neighborhoods, often at least partly through working partnerships with law enforcement. As one example, the City of Chino Hills and its citizens and Police/Sheriff's Department have worked together in a California Healthy Cities Project in developing a strong working partnership to establish what they call a "total team response". The resulting low crime rate of this effective program is helping to establish Chino Hills as a very popular place to live, and one of many places with lower and dropping crime rates that are well below the national average.

Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there were 1,709,434 people, 528,594 households, and 404,374 families residing in the county. The population density was 33/km² (85/mi²). There were 601,369 housing units at an average density of 12/km² (30/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 58.91% White, 9.09% African American, 1.17% Native American, 4.69% Asian, 0.30% Pacific Islander, 20.82% from other races, and 5.03% from two or more races. 39.16% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 528,594 households out of which 43.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.80% were married couples living together, 14.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.50% were non-families. 18.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.15 and the average family size was 3.58.

In the county the population was spread out with 32.30% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 18.70% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 99.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,066, and the median income for a family was $46,574. Males had a median income of $37,025 versus $27,993 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,856. 15.80% of the population and 12.60% of families were below the poverty line. 20.60% of those under the age of 18 and 8.40% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Incorporated communities in San Bernardino County

Unincorporated communities in San Bernardino County

Places of interest

Residents of note

Including current residents, as well as former residents who have made their mark in history.

See also

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