Corona, California


Corona is a city in northwestern Riverside County, California, United States, directly bordering Orange and San Bernardino counties. Its current mayor is Jacque Casillas. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 157,136, up from 152,374 at the 2010 census. Corona is surrounded by Riverside to the east, Norco to the north and northeast, Yorba Linda to the northwest, Cleveland National Forest and the Santa Ana Mountains to the west, southwest, and south. Several unincorporated communities are along the rest of the city's borders. Downtown Corona is approximately southeast of Downtown Los Angeles and north-northwest of San Diego.
Corona, located along the western edge of Southern California's Inland Empire region, is known as the "Circle City" due to Grand Boulevard's circular layout. It is one of the most residential cities in the Inland Empire, but also has a large industrial portion on the northern half, being the headquarters of companies such as Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Monster Beverage Corporation, and sports car manufacturer Saleen.
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Etymology

Corona is Spanish for crown or wreath. Originally called South Riverside, citizens wanted to distinguish their city from the larger city of Riverside to the north. When it came time to incorporate the city a number of different names were considered, but the name Corona was chosen to play upon a unique feature of the city, the one-mile diameter drive that circled the center of the town.

History

Indigenous

Prior to the late eighteenth century, the area was primarily inhabited by the Tongva and Payómkawichum, who lived in a series of villages throughout the area. What is now Corona stood at the southeastern extent of Tovaangar, or the Tongva world, and at the northern edge of Payómkawichum territory.
The primary settlement in the area was the village of Paxauxa, which was established along the banks of the Temescal Creek at about where Corona is situated today. The settlement was shared by both the Tongva and Payómkawichum people. Cooperation and marriage between the two villages was common. High above the city of Corona, the village of Pamajam was also located in a small valley of the Santa Ana Mountains.

Colonial period

The founding of Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776 and Mission San Luis Rey in 1798 saw the introduction of Spanish soldiers and missionaries in the area. This resulted in villagers being brought to the mission to be baptized and as labor.
Spanish influence increased in the area with the establishment of the San Antonio de Pala Asistencia in 1816. Two years following the construction of this mission outpost, the Temescal Valley's first European resident, Leandro Serrano, was given permission by the Spanish to use the area for cattle grazing. His first order was to kill the local bear and mountain lion population for the imported herds.
After the secularization of the Spanish missions by the First Mexican Republic in 1833, the land under influence by the missions in Alta California was gradually granted to large landowners as ranches. In 1848, Californio governor Pio Pico issued this land to Bernardo Yorba, which included present-day city of Corona.

Establishment

Corona was founded at the height of the Southern California citrus boom in 1886, and is situated at the upper end of the Santa Ana River Canyon, a significant pass through the Santa Ana Mountains. The town of Corona was once the "Lemon Capital of the World". A museum there presents the lemon's former role in the local economy. The city's name means crown in Spanish due to the circular shape of a crown and the circular shape of Grand Blvd. The nickname of Corona is "The Circle City" from the unique layout of its streets, with a standard grid enclosed by the circular Grand Boulevard, in circumference. The street layout was designed by Hiram Clay Kellogg, a civil engineer from Anaheim who was an influential figure in the early development of Orange County.
Corona was established as a town by the South Riverside Land and Water Company. The company was incorporated in 1886; founding members included ex-Governor of Iowa Samuel Merrill, R.B. Taylor, George L. Joy, A.S. Garretson, and Adolph Rimpau. Originally a citrus growers' organization, it purchased the lands of Rancho La Sierra of Bernardo Yorba, and the Rancho Temescal grant and the colony of South Riverside was laid out. They also secured the water rights to Temescal Creek, its tributaries and Lee Lake. Dams and pipelines were built to carry the water to the colony. In 1889, the Temescal Water Company was incorporated, to supply water for the new colony. This company purchased all the water-bearing lands in the Temescal valley and began drilling artesian wells.
Originally located in San Bernardino County, the city was named "South Riverside" and received its post office in that name on either May 27 or August 11, 1887 with Charles H. Cornell as the town's first postmaster. In 1893, South Riverside became part of the new Riverside County. In 1896, the city was renamed "Corona" for its circular Grand Boulevard, where three international automobile races were held in 1913, 1914 and 1916.

20th century

The city of Corona has been popular among celebrities drawn to its upscale areas and relative privacy compared to Los Angeles. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz spent time at their ranch, located in north Corona, and played golf often at the Cresta Verde Golf Course in the northeastern section of the city. After their divorce, Arnaz continued to live in Corona.
In recent years Corona has been known as the "Gateway to the Inland Empire". In April 1980 David Felix became Corona's first Hispanic Mayor. Main Street Realtors wrote, "Prior to the 1980s, the city was largely an agricultural community, dominated by citrus orchards, ranches, and dairy farms. High real estate prices in Los Angeles and Orange counties made the area's land desirable to developers and industrialists, and by the late 1990s Corona was considered a major suburb of Los Angeles."

21st century

In 2002, the city government considered an initiative to secede from Riverside County and form an autonomous Corona County because the city government and some residents were dissatisfied with how services were handled in nearby areas. The effort was also considered by areas in other cities in the western part of the county as far south as Murrieta. Whether nearby cities such as Norco would have been included in the new county are unknown. The proposed county would have been bordered by San Bernardino County to the northwest and by Orange County to the west, but it never came to fruition.

Geography and climate

Corona is located in western Riverside County, east of Orange County.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which of it is land and of it, or 0.27%, is water.
Corona experiences a warm Mediterranean climate and has mild to cool winters and hot summers. Most of the rainfall occurs during winter and early spring.
Winter days are pleasant, with the average highs staying in the mid to upper 60s. But compared to other areas in Southern California, winter lows are colder, with common frost and chilly mornings. Snowfall within city limits is rare. Snow flurries will occasionally fall, usually once every other year, but it very rarely snows to the point where it accumulates. The nearby Santa Ana Mountains receive a dusting of snow a few times each winter.
Spring brings pleasant weather with daytime temperatures in the mid to upper 70s, and nighttime lows in the upper 40s. Spring showers are common during the beginning of the season but are a rarity by late May.
Summertime is hot, with highs averaging in the low to mid 90s. During the hottest months, daytime temperatures in Corona can exceed. In early summer, Corona receives common overcast weather known as "May Gray" and "June Gloom". Summer thunderstorms are sporadic and usually happen between July and September from the North American Monsoons, bringing increased humidity and scattered thunderstorms.
Autumn features warm days and sharply cooler evenings, but can be windy due to the Santa Ana winds, blowing in two or three times a year from October to December.

Economy

Businesses and organizations with global, national or major regional headquarters in Corona include:

Top employers

According to the city's 2024 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
#Employer# of Employees
1Corona-Norco Unified School District5,478
2Corona Regional Medical Center1,265
3Monster Energy1,075
4City of Corona961
5Fender USA Corona955
6All American Asphalt842
7TWR Framing Enterprises800
8Veg Fresh Farms527
9Latitude 36 Foods, LLC450
10Thermal Structures392

Demographics

Race / Ethnicity Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010
White alone 26,23145,37158,78458,08749,86069.41%59.62%47.04%38.12%31.73%
Black or African American alone 3171,9387,7048,3338,1360.84%2.55%6.16%5.47%5.18%
Native American or Alaska Native alone N/A384490422461N/A0.50%0.39%0.28%0.29%
Asian alone N/A5,1889,23914,65018,482N/A6.82%7.39%9.61%11.76%
Pacific Islander alone N/AN/A353496509N/AN/A0.28%0.33%0.32%
Some Other Race alone 8271132782728222.19%0.15%0.22%0.18%0.52%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial N/AN/A3,5493,6675,764N/AN/A2.84%2.41%3.67%
Hispanic or Latino 10,41623,10144,56966,44773,10227.56%30.36%35.66%43.61%46.52%
Total37,79176,095124,966152,374157,136100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Corona had a population of 157,136. The population density was. The racial makeup of Corona was 40.1% White, 5.5% African American, 1.5% Native American, 12.0% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 23.0% from other races, and 17.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 46.5% of the population.
The census reported that 99.3% of the population lived in households, 0.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.3% were institutionalized.
There were 48,108 households, out of which 41.6% included children under the age of 18, 57.6% were married-couple households, 6.7% were cohabiting couple households, 21.6% had a female householder with no partner present, and 14.2% had a male householder with no partner present. 15.4% of households were one person, and 6.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.24. There were 38,198 families.
The age distribution was 24.3% under the age of 18, 10.3% aged 18 to 24, 27.1% aged 25 to 44, 26.9% aged 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 36.3years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males.
There were 49,584 housing units at an average density of, of which 48,108 were occupied. Of these, 63.0% were owner-occupied, and 37.0% were occupied by renters.
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $106,438, and the per capita income was $40,453. About 7.5% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line.

2010

The 2010 United States census reported that Corona had a population of 152,374. The population density was. The racial makeup of Corona was 90,925 White, 8,934 African American, 1,153 Native American, 16,205 Asian, 552 Pacific Islander, 28,003 from other races, and 7,759 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 66,447 persons ; 33.7% of Corona's population are Mexican-American, 2.1% Puerto Rican, 1.2% Cuban, 1.2% Salvadoran, 1.1% Guatemalan, 0.5% Colombian, 0.5% Peruvian, 0.5% Argentine, 0.3% Honduran, 0.2% Nicaraguan, and 0.2% Ecuadorian. Among Asian-Americans, 2.3% of Corona's population were Filipino, 2.1% Vietnamese, 1.7% Korean, 1.4% Indian-Americans, 1.1% Chinese, 0.7% Japanese, 0.4% Pakistani, 0.2% Thai, and 0.1% Bangladeshi. The second largest group of Corona's population is made up of White Americans; the largest groups were 11.1% German-American, 6.7% Irish, 6.2% English, 4.0% Italian, 2.7% French, 1.6% Polish, 1.3% Dutch, 1.2% Norwegian, 1.1% Scottish, 1.1% Swedish.
The Census reported that 151,863 people lived in households, 229 lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 282 were institutionalized.
There were 44,950 households, out of which 22,735 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 27,357 were opposite-sex married couples living together, 5,971 had a female householder with no husband present, 3,004 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,690 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 360 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 6,455 households were made up of individuals, and 2,224 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38. There were 36,332 families ; the average family size was 3.72.
The population was spread out, with 45,674 people under the age of 18, 15,504 people aged 18 to 24, 44,215 people aged 25 to 44, 35,801 people aged 45 to 64, and 11,180 people who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.
There were 47,174 housing units at an average density of, of which 30,210 were owner-occupied, and 14,740 were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%. 103,170 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 48,693 people lived in rental housing units.
During 2009–2013, Corona had a median household income of $77,123, with 10.8% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Government

Federal:
State:
Local:

Infrastructure

Transportation

The city's downtown area is circled by Grand Boulevard, which is unique for being perfectly circular. The street is approximately in diameter.
The city is served by the Corona, Interstate 15, and Riverside freeways.
There is a proposal to erect a new four-lane freeway along or near Cajalco Road to connect Interstates 15 and 215, although the plan remains controversial. In addition, there is a possibility of constructing a tunnel under the Santiago Peak Mountains to the Eastern Transportation Corridor of the FastTrak toll-road company system in Orange, due to increased commuter traffic on State Route 91, which needs to be reduced by another freeway between Orange and Riverside counties.
Corona Municipal Airport serves the city and has a runway. On January 20, 2008, two small passenger aircraft collided over Corona, killing all four men aboard the planes and another man on the ground. In the past ten years, there have been five fatal plane crashes around Corona.

Public transportation

The city is linked with the 91/Perris Valley Line and Inland Empire–Orange County Line of the Metrolink commuter rail system, providing service to Los Angeles, Perris, San Bernardino, and Oceanside from Corona–North Main station in the Downtown area and Corona–West station in Corona's west side.
The City of Corona operates its own transportation system called the Corona Cruiser. It consists of two circular routes around the city.
Corona's public transportation also includes the following bus lines: RTA route 1 from West Corona to UC Riverside, RTA route 3 from Corona Regional Medical Center to Swan Lake in nearby Eastvale, RTA route 214 from Downtown Corona to The Village shopping center in Orange, RTA route 206 from Downtown Corona to Temecula, OCTA bus route from Anaheim to South Corona Walmart, and the Corona Cruiser blue and red lines.

Healthcare

Corona is served by the following three hospitals:
  • The Corona Regional Medical Center, a General Acute Care Hospital with Basic Emergency Services as of 2005
  • Kaiser Permanente Corona
  • Corona Regional Rehabilitation Hospital

the city of Corona's fire and emergency medical services are provided by the Corona fire department, with emergency transport being provided by American Medical Response. law enforcement is provided by the city of corona police department, along with the Riverside county sheriff's office.

Education

The city of Corona is a part of the Corona-Norco Unified School District and the Alvord Unified School District. Corona-Norco serves the majority of the city while Alvord serves a small section of eastern Corona.
There are five high schools in Corona: Corona, Centennial, Lee V. Pollard, Orange Grove, Santiago. There are five middle schools in Corona: Auburndale, Citrus Hills, Corona Fundamental, El Cerrito, Raney.
There are also 28 elementary schools in the city: John Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Cesar Chavez, Corona Ranch, Coronita, Dwight Eisenhower, Foothill, Ben Franklin, Garretson, Home Gardens, Jefferson, Lincoln Alternative, William McKinley, Orange, Parkridge, Prado View, Promenade, Riverview, Ronald Reagan, Sierra Vista, Stallings, Temescal Valley, Dr. Bernice Todd, Vandermolen, Vicentia, Victress Bower, George Washington and Woodrow Wilson.
Private schools include St. Edward Catholic School and Crossroads Christian School.

Nonprofit associations

The World Mosquito Control Association is located in Corona.

Utilities

Southern California Edison provides most of the city's electricity and a small part of the city is serviced by Corona Department of Water and Power. Waste Management Inc. provides waste disposal for the city. Southern California Gas Company provides natural gas services.

Quarries

Corona harbors various Heavy Industrial and Heavy Civil Organizations, including All American Asphalt, 3M, Martin Marietta, Robertsons Ready Mix, Vulcan Materials, and FST Sand & Gravel.

Cemetery

The Corona Sunnyslope Cemetery is a for-profit cemetery established in 1892. Notable burials include USC Trojans athletic director Jess Hill.

Corrections

California Institution for Women of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has a "Corona, CA" mailing address, but is in the City of Chino.

Neighborhoods

Center City

Downtown District

Centered around Grand Boulevard Historic District, Downtown District is the oldest area of the city by far, and encompasses portions of the neighborhoods of Civic Center and Circle City along with the entirety of GBHD.

North Main Street District

The area north of Grand Boulevard Circle centered around N Main St, named North Main Street District, underwent drastic rebranding, redevelopment, and repair beginning in 2017, particularly on the west side of N Main St. Metro at Main - a large mixed-use development featuring apartments atop retail with additional retail along the property - is a commuter community due to its close proximity to Metrolink's Corona - North Main Station, and both SR 91 and I-15 freeways. The east side of N Main St - particularly E Harrison St and E Blaine ST between N Main St and N Joy St - will be converted to a mixed-use community featuring apartments and retail, further making use of the close proximity to Corona - North Main Station.

Historic South Main Street Palms District

Beginning at the intersection of S Main St and Olive St - one block south of the Grand Boulevard Circle - Historic South Main Street Palms District is a long stretch of varying species of palms that were planted and integrated into the landscaping plan for South Corona in the early 20th century. It includes all of the houses and businesses along S Main St between Olive St and Chase Dr.

Eastside

NeighborhoodTypeArea
Rank by SizeAdoption DateMinor Neighborhoods | District OverlaysGeneral/Specific Plan
Bel AirResidential0.182 sq mi#49 / 51Bel Air Estates, Monte Olivo
Circle CityMixed-Use Residential0.392 sq mi#35 / 51Circle City Bottoms, City Park Historic District, Corona Quarry, Downtown District
Corona MagnoliaMixed-Use
Commercial-Industrial		0.939 sq mi#14 / 51September 2002
Eagle ValleyUndeveloped2.22 sq mi#3 / 51
Kellogg VillageResidential0.488 sq mi#28 / 51Garretson Village, South Main St Palm Trees Historic District, Kellogg Park
Pepper CornerMixed-Use Residential1.02 sq mi#12 / 51Avian Corner, Centennial Heights, Magnolia Medical Center, Rimpau Ave Palm Trees Historic District
SunnyslopeMixed-Use Residential0.654 sq mi#23 / 51Park-Ford, Sunnyslope Cemetery & Potters Field Historic District, Wood Streets
Temescal CanyonMining1.49 sq mi#7 / 51

Westside

NeighborhoodTypeArea
Rank by SizeAdoption DateMinor Neighborhoods | District OverlaysGeneral/Specific Plan
Brentwood NorthResidential0.477 sq mi#29 / 51Brentwood Park, Saint Matthew's North
Brentwood SouthResidential0.408 sq mi#34 / 51Border Park, Saint Matthew's South
BrookwoodResidential0.219 sq mi#45 / 51February 5, 1986
Civic CenterMixed-Use Residential0.206 sq mi#46 / 51Downtown District, Fifth Street Village, Seventh Street Bottoms
Corona WestMixed-Use Residential0.593 sq mi#26 / 51Avenida, Pleasant View, Sherman Village, Smith Triangle, Yorba Heights
Lincoln ParkResidential0.892 sq mi#17 / 51ELi, WeLi
Husted ParkResidential0.141 sq mi#51 / 51Jefferson, Merrill Park West, South Main St Palm Trees Historic District
TaylorResidential0.386 sq mi#36 / 51South Main St Palm Trees Historic District
Village GroveMixed-Use Residential0.256 sq mi#44 / 51

NeighborhoodTypeArea
Rank by SizeAdoption DateMinor Neighborhoods | District OverlaysGeneral/Specific Plan
Green RiverMixed-Use Residential0.71 sq mi#22 / 51Green River East, Green River Village, Green River West
Green River RanchUndeveloped0.278 sq mi#42 / 51February 21, 2001
Sierra BellaResidential0.574 sq mi#27 / 51August 17, 2005
Sierra Del OroMixed-Use Residential2.45 sq mi#2 / 51September 18, 1985Dominguez Ranch, Prado View, Serfas Club Park, Sierra Palisades

Arts and culture

Performing arts

The Arts Alive Council is a non-profit organization created with the purpose to "foster, promote, and increase the public knowledge and appreciation of the arts and cultural activities in the greater Corona Area." Members include the Corona Symphony Orchestra, Circle City Chorale, Christian Arts and Theater, and Corona Dance Academy.
Off Broadway Corona Theater is a non-profit organization. They produce two to three theatrical productions each year that are presented at the Corona Civic Center Auditorium.

Notable people

Athletes

Entertainers

Other

Sister cities

The following are Corona's sister cities as designated by Sister Cities International.