TheUnited States Census Bureau reported that Fontana's 2020 population was 208,393, making it the second-most-populous city in San Bernardino County and the 20th largest in the state.[10]
Fontana, formerly Rosena from 1890[14] to 1919,[15][16] was founded in 1919 byAzariel Blanchard Miller.[1][17] The namefontana isItalian for fountain or water source; the city is close to theSanta Ana River to the east. Within a few years, it became an agricultural town of citrus orchards, vineyards and chicken ranches and astrideU.S. Route 66 (now known asFoothill Boulevard). The Fontana area was radically transformed duringWorld War II whenHenry J. Kaiser built theKaiser Steel plant just outside the city limits.[18] At the time, it was one of only two steel mills west of the Mississippi River. To provide for the plant workers' health needs, Henry J. Kaiser constructed the FontanaKaiser Permanente medical facility, now the largest managed care organization in the United States.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Fontana was home to a drag racing strip that was a venue in theNHRA circuit. Mickey Thompson's Fontana International Dragway was also referred to as Fontana Drag City or Fontana Drag Strip. The original Fontana strip is gone, but the owners ofNASCAR's newAuto Club Speedway opened a NHRA-sanctioned drag strip just oustside Fontana in mid-2006.
Ro-Val's automobile museum, located on Foothill Boulevard on the western outskirts between Fontana and Cucamonga, was the home for many classic automobiles of the 1920s and 1930s, including a huge vehicle once owned by screen actorFatty Arbuckle. When the Ro-Val museum closed, the vehicles were sold toBill Harrah, a Nevada casino owner and automobile collector, who placed them on display in the museum located at his casino.
In 2000, the city had a total population of 128,929; by 2020, the city had 212,704 residents. This rapid growth was largely due to the numerous large, new residential developments built in the sparsely populated northern part of the city, as well as with the city's aggressive (and highly successful) campaign to annex several unincorporated, but developed, San Bernardino County areas in 2006–2007.
In 2019, theCalifornia Air Resources Board advised the City against housing people within 1,000 feet of industrial warehouses because of harmful truck pollution.[19] The city was also sued by San Bernardino County, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club and the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice over the approval of West Valley Logistics Center, which violated state environmental laws.[20][21]
In 2021, the city was sued by the State of California Attorney General's office for violation of the California Environmental Quality Act by encouraging warehouse development in low-income areas.[22][23]
Most of the city of Fontana, like its eastern neighborsRialto andSan Bernardino, is built atop a geologically young, gently southward-slopingalluvial fan from nearbyLytle Creek, deposited mainly during theHolocene and late-Pleistoceneepochs. There are also sedimentary deposits of similar age from Etiwanda Creek on the western edge of the city. However, the northern and southern edges of the city are formed by the much olderSan Gabriel and Jurupa mountain ranges, respectively. The Jurupa Mountains are composed primarily ofCretaceous andPaleozoic-era rocks, as are the San Gabriels, which also include even older,Proterozoic formations.[24][25] The most prominent of the San Gabriel Mountains visible from Fontana isCucamonga Peak, elevation 8,859 feet (2,700 m). Additionally, the CucamongaFault Zone, contiguous with the Sierra Madre Fault Zone, runs through the northern part of the city, along the base of the San Gabriels, notably through the Hunter's Ridge and Coyote Canyonplanned communities. It is estimated to be capable of producing earthquakes approximately of magnitude 6.0-7.0.[26]
The city's listed elevation, measured from the northeast corner of the intersection of Upland Avenue and Sierra Avenue, downtown by City Hall, is 1,237 feet (377 m). The highest elevation within the city limits is approximately 2,600 feet (790 m), in the northernmost part of the Panorama neighborhood of Hunter's Ridge. The lowest point within the city limits is approximately 840 feet (260 m), at the intersection of Etiwanda and Philadelphia avenues, in the extreme southwestern corner of the city.[27] This difference in elevation is due to the southward slope of the Lytle Creek alluvial fan.
The city is frequently affected by the strong, hot and drySanta Ana winds as they blow through the nearbyCajon Pass of the San Gabriel Mountains, from theMojave Desert. Fontana can also be extremely hot in summer, well over 100 °F (38 °C).[28]
Fontana, California– Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The census reported that 99.8% of the population lived in households, 0.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.1% were institutionalized.[35]
There were 54,532 households, out of which 51.4% included children under the age of 18, 57.7% were married-couple households, 6.8% werecohabiting couple households, 22.3% had a female householder with no partner present, and 13.2% had a male householder with no partner present. 9.9% of households were one person, and 4.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.81.[35] There were 46,961families (86.1% of all households).[36]
The age distribution was 27.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% aged 18 to 24, 28.0% aged 25 to 44, 24.3% aged 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 32.9years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males.[35]
There were 55,632 housing units at an average density of 1,291.6 units per square mile (498.7 units/km2), of which 54,532 (98.0%) were occupied. Of these, 66.8% were owner-occupied, and 33.2% were occupied by renters.[35]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 28.3% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 42.0% spoke only English at home, 49.5% spokeSpanish, 1.1% spoke otherIndo-European languages, 5.5% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 2.0% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 79.0% were high school graduates and 20.4% had a bachelor's degree.[37]
The median household income was $98,187, and theper capita income was $31,888. About 8.9% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line.[38]
The2010 United States census[39] reported that Fontana had a population of 196,069. The population density was 4,620.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,784.1/km2). The racial makeup of Fontana was 92,978 (47.4%)White (15.4% Non-Hispanic White),[40] 19,574 (10.0%)African American, 1,957 (1.0%)Native American, 12,948 (6.6%)Asian, 547 (0.3%)Pacific Islander, 58,449 (29.8%) fromother races, and 9,616 (4.9%) from two or more races. There were 130,957 people ofHispanic orLatino origin, of any race (66.8%).
The Census reported that 195,625 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 216 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 228 (0.1%) were institutionalized.
There were 49,116 households, out of which 29,465 (60.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 30,245 (61.6%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 8,074 (16.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 4,125 (8.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 3,447 (7.0%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 317 (0.6%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,801 households (9.8%) were made up of individuals, and 1,633 (3.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.98. There were 42,444families (86.4% of all households); the average family size was 4.18.
In the city, 64,521 people (32.9%) were under the age of 18, 22,995 people (11.7%) aged 18 to 24, 57,646 people (29.4%) aged 25 to 44, 39,823 people (20.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 11,084 people (5.7%) were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.
There were 51,857 housing units at an average density of 1,222.1 units per square mile (471.9 units/km2), of which 33,862 (68.9%) were owner-occupied, and 15,254 (31.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%. 134,857 people (68.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 60,768 people (31.0%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States census, Fontana had a median household income of $64,195, with 15.0% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[40]
German, Irish, English, Italian and European are the most common ancestries. Spanish and Tagalog are the most common non-English languages.[41]
Fontana's economy is driven largely by industrial uses, particularly trucking-based industries. Public funding assists in reducing the associated pollution impacts the community.[42]
In 2025, ZM Trucks announced plans to build a 210,000-square-foot zero-emission-truck manufacturing facility in Fontana. The facility also will serve at the company's corporate headquarter. ZM Trucks said the plant will be able to produce up to 100,000 medium- and heavy-duty all-electric vehicles per year.[43]
According to the city's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[44] the top employers in the city are:
The Center Stage Theater was built in theArt Deco style in 1937, and designed by architectC. H. Boller. The former Fontana (movie) Theater was recently renovated during 2004–2008 after several decades of various other uses, into a live dinner theater, with $6,000,000 in funds earmarked by the Fontana City Council. It reopened to the public on July 25, 2008.[45] The Theater closed in 2022 for another major renovation, reopening in 2024 as Stage Red in honor of Fontana-raised musicianSammy Hagar, who performed on opening night.[46]
The Art Depot is one of Fontana's original community centers, and is a specialized Cultural Arts facility. Originally built as a freight depot of the Pacific Electric Railway in 1915, the Art Depot sits alongside the newly landscaped Pacific Electric Trail in the Helen Putnam Historical Plaza. The Art Depot offers art classes, open studio activities, and special events.[47]
View of the Auto Club Speedway just outside Fontana (2021)
Auto Club Speedway, was a racetrack that played host to theNASCAR Cup Series andXfinity Series, along with formerIndyCar Series events. It is located in an unincorporated area just outside of Fontana. It is built on the former site of theKaiser Steel mill. The large smelting furnaces of the mill were sold to China, and the rest remains a working steel mill operated byCalifornia Steel Industries, which is owned by the Japanese companyJFE Steel Corporation.[48] The track is currently transforming from a 2-mile oval into a 0.5 mile long short track that is similar in style to theBristol Motor Speedway. In 2023 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic forced demolition to be pushed back a year.[49]
Lewis Library and Technology Center
The Lewis Library and Technology Center, opened in 2008 at an estimated cost of over $60,000,000, is the largest library in the San Bernardino County Library System.[50]
Martin Tudor Jurupa Hills Regional Park is an 861-acre (348 ha)[51] multi-use park at the northeastern end of Mount Jurupa. The park includes the Mary Vagle Museum & Nature Center, the Martin Tudor Splash Park, and a 5-acre (2.0 ha) ancient Native American historic site.[52][53]
The Cypress Neighborhood Center has in Fontana for over 30 years. Since then, it has undergone some renovations and changed some of its programming.[citation needed] The programming includesballet,dance,karate,kickboxing, and a Tiny Tot programs.[54]
The Don Day Neighborhood Center is a community recreation center located in South Fontana. Attached to the center is an outside pool that is only opened for the summer. They have open rooms used for programs like mixed martial arts, dance, fitness, gymnastics and events. There is a Tiny Tot Program affiliated with the center as well.
The center is also combined with Southridge Park, which has tennis courts, basketball courts, mountain bike trails, baseball fields, playgrounds, and open spaces.[55]
Upon opening to the public on October 25, 2008, Fontana Park (located in the northern part of the city at Summit Avenue and Lytle Creek Road), is now the city's second largest municipal park, featuring a large community center (Jessie Turner Health and Fitness Community Center), aquatic center, skate park, dog park, basketball gym, sports pavilion, and several child-oriented play areas.
Fontana is ageneral law city; it has no city charter. Led by a council composed of a mayor and four councilmembers, it uses acouncil-manager form of government. Themayor, city clerk, and city treasurer are elected at-large to serve four-year terms, while councilmembers are elected by district, also serving four-year terms.[7][56]
According to data from the California State Controller’s Office, Fontana’s government-wide revenues totaled approximately $362.41 million and expenditures were about $320.75 million for 2023.[57][58]
In 2021, city leadership was criticized by the California State Controller's Office for paying former city manager Ken Hunt $932,623 in 2020, though he had not worked a single day.[59][60] The city mayor and city council declined to explain why such compensation was warranted for a city manager who had not worked in the city since 2019. The city council also failed to follow theBrown Act, which requires public agencies to specifically list closed-session items for terminations.[61][62][63]
While most residents of the city attend schools within theFontana Unified School District, some areas of the city are served by neighboring school districts:
There are two options for youth charter schools in Fontana. These schools are chartered through the Victor Valley Union High School District and offer an independent study program and small group classes to obtain a high school diploma. A new charter school will also be ASA Fontana (K-8th grade) located inside Locust school in the Fontana school district
In 2026, construction will begin on a new $210.6 millionChaffey College campus in Fontana, replacing the community college's existing Fontana campus. The new facility will have four buildings across 15 acres, and will include a welcome center and library, an instructional building, an automotive technology laboratory and an operations and maintenance building.[66]
Bono's Orange onRoute 66 is one of the last extant giant orange-shapedfruit stands once common to the region. This stand was built in 1936 and moved to its present location in 1997.[69]
Fontana receives electrical power throughSouthern California Edison. Gas service is provided by theSouthern California Gas Company. Telephone andDSL Internet service are throughAT&T andFrontier Communications, though Frontier serves a smaller portion of the city.Charter Communications also providescable television and cable Internet access. Burrtec Waste provides rubbish and trash collection throughout the city. Burrtec offers both regular waste and green waste recycling programs. Fontana is served by five different water companies, but none of their service areas overlap. These companies are: Fontana Water; the Cucamonga Valley Water District; Marygold Mutual Water; and West Valley Water District, and the city ofRialto. Sewage service in the city is provided by theInland Empire Utilities Agency, but is billed out by the city of Fontana itself.[70] The Fontana community is serviced byKFON-TV (commonly known as Fontana Community Television), aGovernment-access television (GATV) station.[71]
Fontana is home to the Kaiser Permanente-Fontana Hospital. Located on Sierra Avenue, and occupying most of the block between Sierra, Marygold, and Palmetto Avenues, and Valley Boulevard, The campus is one of the largest healthcare facilities in the Inland Empire Region. The various facilities are also among the tallest and largest buildings in the city (other than industrial distribution centers).The hospital is home to sixty different specialized departments, plus emergency care.[72]
Located in the north end of the city, along the "Miracle Mile" of Sierra Lakes Parkway and the 210 freeway, is the Sierra San Antonio Medical Plaza, a 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) outpatient center and medical office building supported by San Antonio Community Hospital. Services currently available from SSAMP are urgent care, diagnostic radiology, physician offices, and a pharmacy. The facility also includes a 3,000-square-foot (280 m2) educational suite where community lectures, health screenings, awareness campaigns, maternity and CPR classes are held.[73]
The Fontana Police Department employs 207 sworn officers, as well as civilian personnel.[74][75] The department was established in October 1952.[76]
In 2013, there was a 60% gap between the minority share of the city's population (85.6%) and that of the Fontana Police Department (25.6%), the largest gap of any city in the US with a population greater than 100,000.[77]
In 2016, two members of the Fontana Police Department, David J. Moore Sr. and Andrew Anderson, filed a lawsuit, alleging racial discrimination by the Fontana Police Department.[78][79] Among other allegations, the lawsuit alleged that in 1994 Fontana Police tampered with the corpse of Black murder victim Jimmy Earl Burleson by planting a piece of chicken in the decedent's hand, photographing the victim in this pose, and circulating the photo among the Fontana Police Department for a number of years; the photo in question was later published in theSan Bernardino County Sentinel in 2017.[78] The lawsuit was settled in 2024.[79]
In August 2018, Fontana police coerced afalse confession from a man named Thomas Perez Jr. for the murder of his father, after Perez had reported his father missing. Fontana police officers interrogated Perez for 17 hours, falsely claiming that his father had been found dead with stab marks and "wore a toe tag at the morgue," and that they would have Perez's pet dog euthanized as a result of his actions.[80][81] After Perez falsely confessed, he was left alone in the interrogation room, where he was captured on video trying to hang himself.[81] Perez's missing father was confirmed to be alive the same day.[81] In May 2024, Fontana agreed to settle a lawsuit by Perez against the city for $898,000.[81]
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