Riverside California Real Estate

Riverside California homes for sale in Riverside, Banning, Beaumont, Blythe, Calimesa, Canyon Lake, Cathedral City, Coachella, Corona, Desert Hot Springs, Hemet, Indian Wells, Indio, Lake Elsinore, LaQuinta, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Norco, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Perris, Rancho Mirage, Riverside, San Jacinto, and Temecula.

Quick Facts About Riverside California

Riverside is located 60 miles east of Los Angeles.  

Riverside currently ranks as the 11th-largest city in California.

Riverside is an important financial and professional center with numerous legal, accounting, brokerage, architectural, engineering and software firms. Riverside's banking institutions have holdings exceeding $3 billion in total deposits.

Riverside businesses benefit from excellent freeways, rail access, high speed fiber optic telecommunications, reasonable land and building costs, city-owned electrical and water systems, and a large general aviation airport.

Among 17 cities in the Inland Empire, Riverside surpasses all but Ontario and Corona in total industrial space, and the cost per square foot in Riverside is lower than in those two cities. Riverside has more than 3.24 million square feet of commercial office space, which accounts for 28.5 % of the region's total office space.

Riverside evolved through the 20th century from a quiet agricultural colony into a dynamic, active city, a hub of higher education, technology, commerce, law, finance, and culture.   The first residents of the Riverside area were Native Americans. Some of their beautiful baskets and other artifacts are preserved in the Municipal Museum, and members of the Cahuilla and Serrano tribes still live in the county.

Spanish colonists followed soon after explorer Juan Batista De Anza came through Riverside in 1774. De Anza reported finding water and good land for a rancho along the Santa Ana River. Spanish influences are still visible in Riverside today in much of the architecture, the cuisine, and in the rich cultural life of the Hispanic community.

Riverside was founded in 1870 by John North and a group of Easterners who wished to establish a colony dedicated to furthering education and culture, Riverside was built on land that was once a Spanish rancho. Investors from England and Canada transplanted traditions and activities adopted by prosperous citizens: the first golf course and polo field in Southern California were built in Riverside. 

Riverside has over 100 City Landmarks, 20 National Register Sites and 2 National Landmarks in the Riverside area.   Riverside is fortunate to have a wealth of sites and buildings that provide a link to the city's past and a strong sense of place. This is the result of the hard work and careful planning of the city's Historic Preservation Program. There is also a strong community support for historic preservation.     

More Facts About California  

Capital: Sacramento

Governor: Arnold Schwarzenegger, R (to Jan. 2007)

Lieut. Governor: Cruz M. Bustamante, D (to Jan. 2007)

Senators: Barbara Boxer, D (to Jan. 2005); Dianne Feinstein, D (to Jan. 2007)

Secy. of State: Kevin Shelley, D (to Jan. 2007)

Atty. General: Bill Lockyer, D (to Jan. 2007)

Treasurer: Phil Angelides, D (to Jan. 2007)

Entered Union (rank): Sept. 9, 1850 (31)

Present constitution adopted: 1879

Motto: Eureka (I have found it)  

Nickname: Golden State

Origin of name: From a book, Las Sergas de Esplandián, by Garcia Ordóñez de Montalvo, c. 1500

10 largest cities (2003 est.): Riverside, 3,819,951; San Diego, 1,266,753; Riverside, 898,349; San Francisco, 751,682; Long Beach, 398,844; Fresno, 451,455; Sacramento, 445,335; Oakland, 398,844; Santa Ana, 342,510; Anaheim, 332,361

Land area: 155,959 sq mi. (403,934 sq km)

Geographic center: In Madera Co., 38 mi. E of Madera

Number of counties: 58

Largest county by population and area: Riverside, 9,637,494 (2001); San Bernardino, 20,062 sq mi.

National forests: 18

State parks and beaches: 264

Residents: Californian

2003 resident population est.: 35,484,453

2000 resident census population (rank): 33,871,648 (1). Male: 16,874,892 (49.8%); Female: 16,996,756 (50.2%). White: 20,170,059 (59.5%); Black: 2,263,882 (6.7%); American Indian: 333,346 (1.0%); Asian: 3,697,513 (10.9%); Other race: 5,682,241 (16.8%); Two or more races: 1,607,646 (4.7%); Hispanic/Latino: 10,966,556 (32.4%). 2000 percent population 18 and over: 72.7; 65 and over: 10.6; median age: 33.3.

State Symbols:

Flower: Golden poppy (1903)

Tree: California redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens & Sequoiadendron giganteum) (1937, 1953)

Bird: California valley quail (1931)

Animal: California grizzly bear (1953)

Fish: California golden trout (1947)

Colors: Blue and gold (1951)

Song: "I Love You, California" (1951)