Inland Empire

The Inland Empire, often called the IE, is a large metropolitan region in Southern California.

It sits just east of the coastal areas of Greater Los Angeles. The region is primarily centered on cities within Riverside and San Bernardino counties. To the west, it borders Los Angeles and Orange counties. The boundaries of the region can be somewhat nebulous or unclear. A narrow definition focuses on the urban areas near the Santa Ana River watershed. A much broader definition used by the U.S. Census Bureau includes all of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. This larger area is actually bigger than the state of West Virginia. In 2020, the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario metropolitan area had about 4.6 million people.

The physical geography of the region is quite diverse.

To the north, the San Bernardino Mountains host the San Bernardino National Forest. These mountains contain cool resort communities like Big Bear Lake and Lake Arrowhead. The Santa Ana Mountains divide Orange County from Riverside County to the south. Further south, the Santa Rosa Mountains and the Sonoran Desert separate Riverside from San Diego. The elevations change greatly across the landscape. They range from the high peaks of San Gorgonio Mountain to the low Salton Sea. The Santa Ana River is a major feature of the land. It flows from Mt. San Gorgonio through several counties before reaching the Pacific Ocean.

Before modern cities existed, the land was home to many Native American groups.

For thousands of years, people like the Tongva, Taaqtam, Ivilyuqaletem, and Payómkawichum lived here. In the 18th century, the Spanish mission system began to change native life. For example, Mission San Gabriel Arcángel forced many indigenous people to convert to Catholicism. In 1851, Mormon pioneers arrived through the Cajon Pass. These settlers brought roughly 26 enslaved people, including Biddy Mason, to a state labeled as free. The region was later subdivided using the San Bernardino Meridian in 1852. This system helped organize the land for new settlers and government use.

In the late 19th century, the region became a massive center for agriculture.

The area was so famous for citrus that it was once called the Orange Empire. Farmers grew navel and Valencia oranges, along with dairy and wine. The arrival of the railroad and water from the Colorado River fueled this growth. In the 1880s, entrepreneurs like the Chaffey Brothers used hydroelectric power for irrigation. They built "Model Colonies" like Ontario to create organized, efficient towns. The Milk Creek No. 1 Hydroelectric Plant was even the first commercial three-phase AC power plant in the U.S. This agricultural success made the region one of the wealthiest in the country.

As the citrus industry grew, many immigrants arrived to work the land.

In 1867, San Bernardino had its first known Chinatown. Riverside also had a large Chinatown known as "Little Gom-Benn." This community was named after the Gom-Benn village in Taishan, China. During peak harvest seasons, Riverside's Chinatown could grow to 3,000 residents. However, these communities faced great hardship and violence. The Panic of 1893 led to riots and the burning of Asian-owned businesses. In 1904, Ahn Chang Ho founded Pachappa Camp, the first American Koreatown, in Riverside. Over time, many of these ethnic enclaves were lost to redevelopment.

The landscape changed again during the mid-20th century.

After World War II, developers began to replace fruit groves with suburban housing. The construction of the Ramona Expressway in 1944 helped people move into these new suburbs. This growth was supported by the expansion of the freeway system. In the 1990s, the region faced an economic downturn when local military bases closed. However, the economy recovered by the start of the 21st century. Today, the region relies heavily on warehousing, shipping, and logistics. These industries are especially concentrated around the city of Ontario.

Today, the Inland Empire is a vital part of the Southern California economy.

It serves as a massive hub for moving goods and housing large populations. The transition from the "Orange Empire" to a logistics center shows how much the land has changed. From the high, cool mountains to the hot desert valleys, the region remains a place of great variety. It connects the coastal cities to the vast interior of the American West.