Fontana Overview

The City of Fontana is located in southern California, in the USA. We sit at the intersection of Interstate 10 and 15 and State Routes 66 and 30. Metrolink rail service to the greater Los Angeles area runs through the center of town, and we are only 10 minutes away from Ontario International Airport.

Fontana is close to the mountains, beaches, several lakes and desert areas. We are just a short jaunt to 12 County of San Bernardino regional parks. The California Speedway is located just west of Fontana's border. Fontana is home to the Fontana Days Half Marathon and 5 k run. This race is on record as the fastest half marathon course in the world.

Fontana has one golf course and another under construction. Sierra Lakes Golf Course is located at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains. Sierra Lakes Golf Club is a new 18-hole, championship golf course designed by Ted Robinson, internationally acclaimed golf course architect. The par 72, 6,805-yard layout is a premiere daily fee, public golf facility offering golfers affordable golf in a country club setting.

The earliest recorded landowner in the Fontana area was Don Antonio Maria Lugo, who received a land grant in 1813. A second grant secured the land known as Rancho de San Bernardino for his sons. The Lugo sons sold a portion of their land, which included part of what is now Fontana, to a group of Mormon settlers in 1851. The Mormon settlers eventually returned to Salt Lake City, and the Semi Tropical Land & Water Company gained control of the Rancho. Active development of the area, however, did not begin until the early 1900's when the Fontana Development Company acquired the acreage and began a community called Rosena a name that was changed to Fontana in 1913.

A. B. Miller founded the town-site of Fontana in 1913 and built it into a diversified agricultural area with citrus, grain, grapes, poultry, and swine being the leading commodities. Mr. Miller played a foremost part in the development of agriculture in Southern California.

The community faced a transition in 1942 when Fontana was selected as the site for a steel mill. The City was incorporated June 25, 1952 with a population of 13,695 and became Southern California's leading producer of steel and related products. The steel industry dominated the City's economy since the mill was built. However, in the late 1970's, Kaiser Steel began to cut down on production and manpower and the steel mill closed in 1984. The plate steel and rolling mill plant was acquired by California Steel Company, which continues to produce steel products. In addition, railroad and trucking operations, a number of medium to heavy industrial facilities, and several warehousing/distribution centers are located in Fontana because of its convenient geographical location and excellent transportation network. The City hosted a community-wide 50th Anniversary celebration on June 22, 2002.

Sierra Avenue is the City's main thoroughfare and is quite heavily traveled. It is estimated that 48,000 vehicles drive daily between San Bernardino Avenue and the I10 Freeway.

In the Inland Empire area there are many fine colleges and universities. Local communities (Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, & Mt. Baldy) offer some of the finest skiing resorts in Southern California and are easily accessible within one hour.

Fontana has a large labor pool for industries coming into the area. All utilities are in place and freeways crisscross the area for easy transportation by truck, air, or rail to any place in the county.