About the County

Geography

With rivers, mountain peaks, deserts and fertile valleys, Riverside County offers diversity that few locations can match. More than two million people live in Riverside County, taking advantage of affordable housing, nearby beaches, mountains, hiking and bike trails, the Wine Country near Temecula and resorts that offer oases in the desert.

Government

The Board of Supervisors is the governing body of the County, certain special districts and the Housing Authority. The Board enacts ordinances and resolutions, adopts the annual budget, approves contracts appropriates funds, determines land use zoning for the unincorporated area, appoints certain County officers and members of various boards and commissions.

Budget

The Riverside County Auditor-Controller is an independent, nonpartisan elected office established to provide accounting, audit, payroll, and property tax administration services to County government, cities, K-14 schools and special districts.

256+ Summits, Ridges, Ranges, Trails, Other Mountain Features

15+ Major Festivals

27 California Historical Landmarks

61 National Monuments

Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival

The Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival is located in Indio, California, an oasis situated in the vast California desert, approximately 130 miles east from Los Angeles.

The Fair started as a festival to celebrate the end of the annual date harvest in the desert region, the major commercial date-producing area in the western hemisphere.

Temecula Valley Wine Country

Temecula Valley Wine Country invites you to savor the hundreds of award-winning wines offered by our member wineries while enjoying the irresistible charm of our friendly tasting rooms. Although times may vary, most of the wineries are open daily for visitors from 10a to 5p.

Rural in nature, sustainable in farming practices and including an agricultural preserve known as the Citrus/Vineyard zone, the Temecula Valley is widely recognized as the 'jewel' of Riverside County.

Our History

1774

One of the first to travel through the area was Juan Bautista de Anza who led an overland expedition in 1774.

1820

In the early 1820s, Mexican opposition leaders pronounced themselves free from Spanish rule, and California came under Mexican jurisdiction.

1834

The missions and their lands were secularized beginning in 1834 and the land was transferred as "grants" to Californians who were citizens of Mexico.

1838

The first land grant in what is now Riverside County, Rancho Jurupa, was given to Juan Bandini in 1838.

1848

In 1848, with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, California became a territory of the United States.

1850

In 1850 California became a state. This event generated a steady flow of settlers into the area, including gold miners, entrepreneurs, health-seekers, speculators, politicians, adventurers, people seeking religious freedom, and individuals who envisioned utopian colonies.

1893

In May 1893, voters living within an area carved from San Bernardino County and San Diego County approved formation of Riverside County. On May 9, 1893, the county officially formed and began charting a course under its newly elected Board of Supervisors. The county's early years were linked to agriculture but commerce, construction, manufacturing, transportation and tourism soon took hold, contributing substantially to the region's rapid growth.

1992

By 1992, the County was "home" to over 1.3 million residents, more than the entire population of 13 states, among them Maine, Nevada, Hawaii and New Hampshire. Since 1992, the population has nearly doubled.