Banning

It is named for Phineas Banning, stagecoach line owner and the "Father of the Port of Los Angeles." Banning shares geographic and regional features with its western neighbor, the city of Beaumont. Banning and Beaumont have been rapidly growing in size and population since the 1990s. Both cities are about 80 miles east of downtown Los Angeles and 30 miles west of Palm Springs, both connected by freeway and railroad.

• Name — Banning, California • Nickname — "Gateway to the Coachella Valley" • Type — City • Image Seal — Seal of Banning, CA.png • Mapframe — yes • Mapframe Zoom — 10 • Mapframe Point — none • Pushpin Map — USA • Pushpin Caption — Location in the United States • Pushpin Relief — 1 • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — United States • Subdivision Type1 — State • Subdivision Name1 — California • Subdivision Type2 — County • Subdivision Name2 — Riverside • Government Type — Council-Manager • Governing Body — Banning City Council - Leroy Miller - Cindy Barrington - Sheri Flynn - Richard Royce - Colleen Wallace • Leader Title — Mayor • Leader Name — Sheri Flynn • Leader Title1 — Mayor Pro Tem • Leader Name1 — Richard Royce • Leader Title2 — Manager • Leader Name2 — Art Vela (interim) • Established Title3 — Incorporated • Established Date3 — February 6, 1913 • Motto — "Endless Opportunity" • Unit Pref — Imperial • Area Total Sq Mi — 23.24 • Area Total Km2 — 60.18 • Area Land Sq Mi — 23.24 • Area Land Km2 — 60.18 • Area Water Sq Mi — 0.00 • Area Water Km2 — 0.00 • Area Water Percent — 0 • Elevation Ft — 2349 • Elevation M — 716 • Population As Of — 2020 • Population Total — 29505 • Population Density Sq Mi — 1269.74 • Time Zone — Pacific • Utc Offset — -8 • Time Zone Dst — PDT • Utc Offset Dst — -7 • Postal Code Type — ZIP code • Postal Code — 92220 • Area Code Type — Area code • Area Code — 951 • Custom Label Sec1 — FIPS code • Custom Label1 Sec1 — GNIS feature IDs • Custom Data1 Sec1 —, • Website — www.banning.ca.us • Population Density Km2 — 490.25 Banning is a city in the Inland Empire region of Riverside County, California, United States. Its population was 29,505 as of the 2020 census, down from 29,603 at the 2010 census. It is situated in the San Gorgonio Pass, also known as Banning Pass. It is named for Phineas Banning, stagecoach line owner and the "Father of the Port of Los Angeles." Banning shares geographic and regional features with its western neighbor, the city of Beaumont. Banning and Beaumont have been rapidly growing in size and population since the 1990s. Both cities are about 80 miles east of downtown Los Angeles and 30 miles west of Palm Springs, both connected by freeway and railroad.

Initially named Moore City, by Ransom B. Moore, within only a few months the town was renamed for Phineas Banning, "Father of the Port of Los Angeles", who had pastured sheep in the San Gorgonio Pass area, and operated a stagecoach that ran through the Pass.

The area, up to the mid-19th century, was inhabited by the Cahuilla people, though the region around Banning was originally Maringayam (Serrano); the Cahuilla expansion into the pass occurred only late in recent, documented history. In 1824, the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel established the Rancho San Gorgonio in the pass. The first Anglo to settle in the area was Dr. Isaac Smith in 1853. In 1863, a smallpox epidemic further diminished the Cahuilla. The Indian reservations for the Cahuilla were established in 1877. The settlement that was to become Banning developed in coincidence with the start of the Colorado River Gold Rush. The Bradshaw Trail, which passed through the area in 1862, was a wagon road to the gold boomtowns of the Arizona Territory. Gilman's Ranch, north of downtown, served as a station for the stagecoach lines on this road. The railroad followed, passing through the town in 1876. The Southern Pacific (later purchased by Union Pacific) railroad was a major contributor to the area's growth. U.S. Route 99 was built in 1923, followed by U.S. Route 60/70 in 1936, and subsequently Interstate 10. Banning borders the Morongo Indian Reservation, home to the Morongo Band of Cahuilla (Mission) Indians. Relations with reservation residents have been strained by disputes over water rights. Dorothy Ramon's book Always Believe (published 2000) depicts a Maringayam's views on Banning and reservation life. Prior to the name Banning, the settlement was called Moore City. Ransom B. Moore operated a large cattle ranch and was later a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, settling in the area and nearby San Gorgonio mountains in the early 1860s. Moore sold his holdings and relocated to central Arizona in 1883. The town of Banning was incorporated on February 6, 1913.

• Illustration — The old seal of Banning, pre 2019 In the early 20th century, the area immediately around Banning was considered well fitted to almond culture, and was known as the oldest almond growing district in southern California.

During World War II, Banning was the site of the 1,000-bed Banning General Hospital. It supported training at the Desert Training Center and was later used as a naval convalescent hospital. The facilities were dismantled in 1948. • Illustration — City of Banning, public art • Illustration — City of Banning Ring of Honor In 1942 the citizens of Banning raised funds for the purchase of an M3 Stuart tank to support the war effort. After the war the tank was given to the South African Defence Force. The tank, named "City of Johannesburg", is preserved at a local museum in Richmond, Natal Province, South Africa.

Banning is located at (33.931729, -116.897557). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.1 sqmi, all of it land. Banning's elevation is approximately 2,300 ft above sea level, which gives it a cooler climate in contrast to the county seat of Riverside at 800 ft above sea level and the Coachella Valley of the Colorado Desert to the east. Banning is traversed by the San Andreas Fault which created the pass in which the city is situated. Banning is 25 mi west of Palm Springs and 100 mi east of Los Angeles.

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Banning has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.

As of the 2020 census, Banning had a population of 29,505 and a population density of 1,269.7 PD/sqmi. The census reported that 98.8% of residents lived in households, 0.5% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.7% were institutionalized. The median age was 45.0 years; 21.0% of residents were under the age of 18, 7.1% were from 18 to 24, 21.8% were from 25 to 44, 22.0% were from 45 to 64, and 28.1% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.8 males. Overall, 95.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.7% lived in rural areas. There were 11,256 households in Banning; 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 43.0% were married-couple households, 6.9% were cohabiting couple households, 16.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59. There were 7,254 families (64.4% of all households). There were 11,961 housing units at an average density of 514.7 /mi2, of which 5.9% were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, 67.4% were owner-occupied and 32.6% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.9%. Racial composition as of the 2020 census • Race — Number — Percent • White — 13,658 — 46.3% • Black or African American — 2,278 — 7.7% • American Indian and Alaska Native — 722 — 2.4% • Asian — 1,779 — 6.0% • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander — 28 — 0.1% • Some other race — 7,023 — 23.8% • Two or more races — 4,017 — 13.6%

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 18.3% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 63.7% spoke only English at home, 30.7% spoke Spanish, 2.2% spoke other Indo-European languages, 3.1% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.3% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 82.1% were high school graduates and 17.4% had a bachelor's degree. The median household income was $57,699, and the per capita income was $31,352. About 15.5% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line.

Banning Stagecoach Days has been held annually since 1957 in recognition of the city's historic ties to the original stagecoach line that passed through the area in the late 1800s, and because the city's namesake, Phineas Banning, was himself a stagecoach operator. Currently, each year the event is operated by the non-profit "Stagecoach Days Association", and held at the AC Dysart Equestrian Park in Banning.

The city has an official song written by Jimmy Francis. The song was selected on October 24, 1941 by representatives of various civic groups of the city.

• Gilman Ranch Historic Park • Gilman Historic Ranch and Wagon Museum

Banning vote by party in presidential elections • Year — Democratic — Republican — Third Parties • 2024 — 47.07% 5,935 — 50.50% 6,367 — 2.43% 306 • 2020 — 50.20% 6,312 — 47.77% 6,006 — 2.03% 255 • 2016 — 46.26% 4,728 — 49.21% 5,030 — 4.53% 463 • 2012 — 46.90% 4,575 — 51.43% 5,016 — 1.67% 163 • 2008 — 46.61% 4,854 — 51.56% 5,369 — 1.82% 190 • 2004 — 42.28% 4,353 — 56.84% 5,852 — 0.87% 90 • 2000 — 47.51% 4,012 — 49.46% 4,176 — 3.03% 256 • 1996 — 46.42% 3,539 — 43.89% 3,346 — 9.69% 739 • 1992 — 44.17% 3,488 — 36.06% 2,848 — 19.77% 1,561

Banning is a general law city as opposed to a charter city. The elected government consists of the Banning City Council which operates under a council-manager government. Richard Royce was appointed as Mayor and Cindy Barrington as Mayor Pro Tem as of January 2026. There are 5 city council districts. The current interim City Manager is Art Vela, who assumed the position after the city council voted to place the previous City Manager, Doug Schulze, on leave. The city has departments and appointed officers, including the Banning Police Department (BPD).

In the California State Legislature, Banning is in, and in. In the United States House of Representatives, Banning is in.

Banning has had its own police force since shortly after its 1913 incorporation, and for many years also had a regional station of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department (which has moved eastward to neighboring Cabazon). The Beaumont, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and Desert Hot Springs Police Departments also provide assistance in a major emergency, as well as the California Highway Patrol out of the Beaumont regional station. Additionally, the Morongo Tribal Police Department also serves the Morongo Reservation and surrounding communities. The city of Banning contracts for fire and paramedic services with the Riverside County Fire Department through a cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE.

Most of Banning is within Banning Unified School District while a portion of it, along with most of nearby Beaumont, is within the Beaumont Unified School District. Schools in the Banning USD are: • Banning High School • Cabazon Elementary • Central Elementary • Coombs Alternative Education • Hemmerling Elementary • Hoffer Elementary • New Horizons High (Independent Studies) • Nicolet Middle The city is served by Mt. San Jacinto College, a regional community college whose San Gorgonio Pass Campus is located within the city. Former school: • St. Boniface Indian School

Banning is served by Interstate 10, which connects the city to Los Angeles in the west and the Coachella Valley in the east. The northern terminus of State Route 243, which runs south to Idyllwild and Mountain Center, is located in the city. City-owned Banning Municipal Airport, FAA designator: BNG, has a 5200 ft runway. City-owned Pass Transit operates three fixed-route buses. SunLine Transit Agency provides service to Palm Desert and Riverside. Riverside Transit Agency provides connecting service to Hemet and Moreno Valley.

San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital is a General Acute Care Hospital in Banning with Basic Emergency Services as of 2005.

The Summit Cemetery District operates the San Gorgonio Memorial Park, which was originally established in 1931 as the Banning-Cabazon Cemetery District. Notable burials include Medal of Honor recipient William Powers Morris.

The Banning Library District operates the Banning Public Library, which was established in 1916 as the Banning Unified School District Library District and became an independent special district in 2005.

• The protagonist in the 1950 film noir D.O.A. Frank Bigelow, played by Edmond O'Brien, is an accountant and notary from Banning. • Location shooting for the films Buckshot John (1915), Fatherhood (1915), Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969), Sky Below, Crowd Above: The Art Scholl Story (1984), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Follow Me Home (1996), Evil on Queen Street (2002) and The Last Manhunt (2022) took place in Banning. • Willie Boy: A Desert Manhunt, was a 1960 novel written by Harry Lawton, and subsequently made into the film Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here, starring Robert Redford and Robert Blake. The book and movie were based on the true story of the manhunt for the fugitive Willie Boy, a Paiute Indian who killed the father of Lola, the woman he wished to marry. Much of the story is centered around the historic Gilman Ranch located in Banning.

• Johnny Longden • Sally Sweetland • Earl Palmer • John Doucette