San Bernardino County

89% of the population resides in three Census County Divisions (Fontana, San Bernardino, and Victorville-Hesperia), counting 1.93 million people as of the 2020 Census across just 9% of the county area.

• Name — San Bernardino County • Official Name — County of San Bernardino • Type — County • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — United States • Subdivision Type1 — State • Subdivision Name1 — California • Established Title — Established • Established Date — April 26, 1853 • Government Type — Council–CEO • Governing Body — Board of Supervisors • Leader Title1 — Chair • Leader Name1 — Dawn Rowe • Leader Title2 — Vice Chair • Leader Name2 — Joe Baca, Jr. • Leader Title3 — Board of Supervisors • Leader Title4 — Chief executive officer • Leader Name4 — Luther Snoke • Named For — San Bernardino de Sena Estancia, in turn named for Saint Bernardino of Siena • Seat Type — County seat • Seat — San Bernardino • Seat1 Type — Largest city (Pop.) • Seat1 — San Bernardino • Seat2 Type — Largest city (Area) • Seat2 — Apple Valley • Unit Pref — US • Area Total Sq Mi — 20160 • Area Land Sq Mi — 20064 • Area Water Sq Mi — 96 • Elevation Max Ft — 11503 • Population As Of — 2020 • Population Rank — 5th in California • Population Total — 2,181,654 • Pop Est As Of — 2025 • Population Est — 2,224,091 • Population Density Sq Mi — auto • Demographics Type2 — GDP • Demographics2 Title1 — Total • Demographics2 Info1 — $100.650 billion (2022) • Time Zone — Pacific Time Zone • Utc Offset — −8 • Time Zone Dst — Pacific Daylight Time • Utc Offset Dst — −7 • Area Code Type — Area codes • Area Code — 442/760, 909, 840, 951 • Custom Label Sec1 — FIPS code • Custom Data Sec1 — 06-071 • Custom Label1 Sec1 — GNIS feature ID = • Custom Label Sec2 — Congressional districts • Custom Data Sec2 — 23rd, 25th, 28th, 33rd, 35th, 40th • Website — SBCounty.gov

• Illustration — Many different Indigenous groups, including the Cahuilla, long inhabited what is now San Bernardino County. Captain of the Agua Caliente Band (1900). The indigenous peoples that lived in what is now San Bernardino County were primarily the Taaqtam (Serrano) and ʔívil̃uqaletem (Cahuilla) peoples who lived in the San Bernardino Valley and the San Bernardino Mountains; the Chemehuevi and the Kawaiisu peoples who lived in the Mojave Desert region; and the 'Aha Makhav (Mohave) and the Piipaash (Maricopa) peoples who lived along the Colorado River. These groups established various villages and settlements throughout the region that were interconnected by extensive trails. Wa'aachnga was a major Tongva village site, also occupied by the Serrano and Cahuilla, located near what is now the city of San Bernardino. The village was part of a trade network along the Mohave Trail that connected villages in San Bernardino County from the Colorado River to the Los Angeles Basin. Wá'peat was a Desert Serrano village located near what is now the city of Hesperia. It was part of a series of villages located along the Mojave River. By the late 1700s, villages in the area were being increasingly encroached upon by Spanish soldiers and missionaries, who were coming into the region from Mission San Gabriel.

• Illustration — Don Antonio María Lugo was granted the right to settle the San Bernardino Valley in 1839 by Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado. Spanish Missionaries from Mission San Gabriel Arcángel established a church at the village of Wa'aachnga, which would be renamed Politania in 1810. Father Francisco Dumetz named the church San Bernardino on May 20, 1810, after the feast day of St. Bernardino of Siena. The Franciscans also gave the name San Bernardino to the snowcapped peak in Southern California, in honor of the saint and it is from him that the county derives its name. In 1819, they established the San Bernardino de Sena Estancia, a mission farm in what is now Redlands.

Following Mexican independence from Spain in 1821, Mexican citizens were granted land grants to establish ranchos in the area of the county. Rancho Jurupa in 1838, Rancho Cucamonga and El Rincon in 1839, Rancho Santa Ana del Chino in 1841, Rancho San Bernardino in 1842 and Rancho Muscupiabe in 1844. Agua Mansa was the first town in what became San Bernardino County, settled by immigrants from New Mexico on land donated from the Rancho Jurupa in 1841.

• Illustration — San Bernardino County horticulture exhibit at World Columbian Exposition, Chicago 1893. Following the purchase of Rancho San Bernardino and the establishment of Fort San Bernardino (then later the town of San Bernardino) in 1851 by Mormon colonists, San Bernardino County was formed in 1853 from parts of Los Angeles County by an act of the California State Legislature. Some of the southern parts of the county's territory were given by an act of the legislature to Riverside County in 1893.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 20105 sqmi, of which 20057 sqmi is land and 48 sqmi (0.2%) is water. It is the largest county by area in California and the largest in the United States (excluding boroughs in Alaska). It is slightly larger than the states of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island combined, and is also slightly larger than Switzerland. It borders both Nevada and Arizona. The bulk of the population, nearly two million, live in the roughly 480 square miles south of the San Bernardino Mountains adjacent to Riverside and in the San Bernardino Valley in the southwestern portion of the county. About 390,000 residents live just north of the San Bernardino Mountains, in and around the roughly 280 square-mile area that includes the Victor Valley. Roughly another 100,000 people live scattered across the rest of the sprawling county. The Mojave National Preserve covers some of the eastern desert, especially between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The desert portion also includes the cities of Needles next to the Colorado River and Barstow at the junction of Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. Trona is at the northwestern part of the county, west of Death Valley. This national park, mostly within Inyo County, also has a small portion of land within San Bernardino County. The largest metropolitan area in the Mojave Desert part of the county is the Victor Valley, with the incorporated localities of Adelanto, Apple Valley, Hesperia, and Victorville. Further south, a portion of Joshua Tree National Park overlaps the county near the High Desert area, in the vicinity of Twentynine Palms. The remaining towns make up the remainder of the High Desert: Pioneertown, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Landers, and Morongo Valley. The mountains are home to the San Bernardino National Forest, and include the communities of Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, Running Springs, Big Bear City, Forest Falls, and Big Bear Lake. The San Bernardino Valley is at the eastern end of the San Gabriel Valley. The San Bernardino Valley includes the cities of Ontario, Chino, Chino Hills, Upland, Fontana, Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace, Montclair, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Loma Linda, Highland, Redlands, and Yucaipa.

As shown by the map on the left, San Bernardino County is bordered on the north by Inyo County; on the northeast by Clark County, Nevada; on the east by Mohave County, Arizona; on the southeast by La Paz County, Arizona; on the south by Riverside County; on the southwest by Orange County; on the west by Los Angeles County; and on the northwest by Kern County.

• Illustration — Cadiz Dunes Wilderness • Angeles National Forest (part) • Death Valley National Park (part) • Havasu National Wildlife Refuge (part) • Joshua Tree National Park (part) • Mojave National Preserve • San Bernardino National Forest (part) • Sand to Snow National Monument (part) More than 80% of the county's land is owned by the federal government. There are at least 35 official wilderness areas in the county that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. This is the largest number of any county in the United States (although not the largest in total area). The majority are managed by the Bureau of Land Management, but some are integral components of the above listed national protected areas. Most of these wilderness areas lie entirely within the county, but a few are shared with neighboring counties (and two of these are shared with the neighboring states of Arizona and Nevada). Except as noted, these wilderness areas are managed solely by the Bureau of Land Management and lie within San Bernardino County: • Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness • Bighorn Mountain Wilderness (part) • Black Mountain Wilderness • Bristol Mountains Wilderness • Cadiz Dunes Wilderness • Chemehuevi Mountains Wilderness • Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness • Clipper Mountain Wilderness • Cucamonga Wilderness • Dead Mountains Wilderness • Death Valley Wilderness (part) • Golden Valley Wilderness • Grass Valley Wilderness • Havasu Wilderness (part) • Hollow Hills Wilderness • Joshua Tree Wilderness (part) • Kelso Dunes Wilderness • Kingston Range Wilderness • Mesquite Wilderness • Mojave Wilderness • Newberry Mountains Wilderness • North Mesquite Mountains Wilderness • Old Woman Mountains Wilderness • Pahrump Valley Wilderness (part) • Piute Mountains Wilderness • Rodman Mountains Wilderness • Saddle Peak Hills Wilderness (part) • San Gorgonio Wilderness (part) • Sheep Mountain Wilderness (part) • Sheephole Valley Wilderness • Stateline Wilderness • Stepladder Mountains Wilderness • Trilobite Wilderness • Turtle Mountains Wilderness • Whipple Mountains Wilderness

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 2,181,654 and a median age of 34.9 years; 25.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.7% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.8 males age 18 and over. The racial makeup of the county was 35.9% White, 8.5% Black or African American, 1.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 8.4% Asian, 0.3% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 28.5% from some other race, and 16.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 53.7% of the population. 94.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.4% lived in rural areas. There were 667,836 households in the county, of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 731,899 housing units, of which 8.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 60.8% were owner-occupied and 39.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.0%. San Bernardino County, 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. • Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) — Pop 1980 — Pop 1990 — Pop 2000 — Pop 2010 — Pop 2020 — % 1980 — % 1990 — % 2000 — % 2010 — % 2020 • White alone (NH) — 653,303 — 862,113 — 752,222 — 677,598 — 566,113 — 72.99% — 60.78% — 44.00% — 33.29% — 25.95% • Black or African American alone (NH) — 46,615 — 109,162 — 150,201 — 170,700 — 173,322 — 5.21% — 7.70% — 8.79% — 8.39% — 7.94% • Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) — 10,084 — 10,018 — 9,804 — 8,523 — 8,412 — 1.13% — 0.71% — 0.57% — 0.42% — 0.39% • Asian alone (NH) — 14,929 — 55,387 — 78,154 — 123,978 — 176,204 — 1.67% — 3.90% — 4.57% — 6.09% — 8.08% • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) — x — x — 4,387 — 5,845 — 6,173 — 0.26% — 0.29% — 0.26% — 0.29% — 0.28% • Other race alone (NH) — 4,222 — 3,118 — 3,039 — 4,055 — 12,117 — 0.47% — 0.22% — 0.18% — 0.20% — 0.56% • Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) — x — x — 42,240 — 43,366 — 68,400 — x — x — 2.47% — 2.13% — 3.14% • Hispanic or Latino (any race) — 165,863 — 378,582 — 669,387 — 1,001,145 — 1,170,913 — 18.53% — 26.69% — 39.16% — 49.19% — 53.67% • Total — 895,016 — 1,418,380 — 1,709,434 — 2,035,210 — 2,181,654 — 100.00% — 100.00% — 100.00% — 100.00% — 100.00% • Illustration — Ethnic origins in San Bernardino County

The 2010 United States census reported that San Bernardino County had a population of 2,035,210. The racial makeup of San Bernardino County was 1,153,161 (56.7%) White, 181,862 (8.9%) African American, 22,689 (1.1%) Native American, 128,603 (6.3%) Asian, 6,870 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 439,661 (21.6%) from other races, and 102,364 (5.0%) from two or more races. There were 1,001,145 people of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race (49.2%). • Population reported at 2010 United States census • The county — Total Population — White — African American — Native American — Asian — Pacific Islander — other races — two or more races — Hispanic or Latino (of any race) • San Bernardino County — 2,035,210 — 1,153,161 — 181,862 — 22,689 — 128,603 — 6,870 — 439,661 — 102,364 — 1,001,145 • Incorporated cities and towns — Total Population — White — African American — Native American — Asian — Pacific Islander — other races — two or more races — Hispanic or Latino (of any race) • Adelanto — 31,765 — 13,909 — 6,511 — 411 — 617 — 194 — 8,337 — 1,786 — 18,513 • Apple Valley — 69,135 — 47,762 — 6,321 — 779 — 2,020 — 294 — 8,345 — 3,614 — 20,156 • Barstow — 22,639 — 11,840 — 3,313 — 477 — 723 — 278 — 4,242 — 1,766 — 9,700 • Big Bear Lake — 5,019 — 4,204 — 22 — 48 — 78 — 10 — 491 — 166 — 1,076 • Chino — 77,983 — 43,981 — 4,829 — 786 — 8,159 — 168 — 16,503 — 3,557 — 41,993 • Chino Hills — 74,799 — 38,035 — 3,415 — 379 — 22,676 — 115 — 6,520 — 3,659 — 21,802 • Colton — 52,154 — 22,613 — 5,055 — 661 — 2,590 — 176 — 18,413 — 2,646 — 37,039 • Fontana — 196,069 — 92,978 — 19,574 — 1,957 — 12,948 — 547 — 58,449 — 9,616 — 130,957 • Grand Terrace — 12,040 — 7,912 — 673 — 120 — 778 — 32 — 1,898 — 627 — 4,708 • Hesperia — 90,173 — 55,129 — 5,226 — 1,118 — 1,884 — 270 — 22,115 — 4,431 — 44,091 • Highland — 53,104 — 27,836 — 5,887 — 542 — 3,954 — 168 — 11,826 — 2,891 — 25,556 • Loma Linda — 23,261 — 11,122 — 2,032 — 97 — 6,589 — 154 — 2,022 — 1,245 — 5,171 • Montclair — 36,664 — 19,337 — 1,908 — 434 — 3,425 — 74 — 9,882 — 1,604 — 25,744 • Needles — 4,844 — 3,669 — 95 — 399 — 35 — 9 — 323 — 314 — 1,083 • Ontario — 163,924 — 83,683 — 10,561 — 1,686 — 8,453 — 514 — 51,373 — 7,654 — 113,085 • Rancho Cucamonga — 165,269 — 102,401 — 15,246 — 1,134 — 17,208 — 443 — 19,878 — 8,959 — 57,688 • Redlands — 68,747 — 47,452 — 3,564 — 625 — 5,216 — 235 — 8,266 — 3,389 — 20,810 • Rialto — 99,171 — 43,592 — 16,236 — 1,062 — 2,258 — 361 — 30,993 — 4,669 — 67,038 • San Bernardino — 209,924 — 95,734 — 31,582 — 2,822 — 8,454 — 839 — 59,827 — 10,666 — 125,994 • Twentynine Palms — 25,048 — 17,938 — 2,063 — 329 — 979 — 345 — 1,678 — 1,716 — 5,212 • Upland — 73,732 — 48,364 — 5,400 — 522 — 6,217 — 159 — 9,509 — 3,561 — 28,035 • Victorville — 115,903 — 56,258 — 19,483 — 1,665 — 4,641 — 489 — 26,036 — 7,331 — 55,359 • Yucaipa — 51,367 — 40,824 — 837 — 485 — 1,431 — 74 — 5,589 — 2,127 — 13,943 • Yucca Valley — 20,700 — 17,280 — 666 — 232 — 469 — 44 — 1,185 — 824 — 3,679 • Census-designated places — Total Population — White — African American — Native American — Asian — Pacific Islander — other races — two or more races — Hispanic or Latino (of any race) • Baker — 735 — 302 — 1 — 5 — 10 — 14 — 380 — 23 — 502 • Big Bear City — 12,304 — 10,252 — 83 — 202 — 103 — 31 — 1,089 — 544 — 2,323 • Big River — 1,327 — 1,137 — 14 — 50 — 2 — 0 — 54 — 70 — 160 • Bloomington — 23,851 — 12,988 — 649 — 309 — 330 — 47 — 8,600 — 928 — 19,326 • Bluewater — 172 — 156 — 2 — 1 — 0 — 1 — 9 — 3 — 11 • Crestline — 10,770 — 9,289 — 107 — 135 — 96 — 20 — 526 — 597 — 1,775 • Fort Irwin — 8,845 — 5,481 — 1,086 — 103 — 402 — 120 — 916 — 737 — 2,261 • Homestead Valley — 3,032 — 2,594 — 34 — 58 — 30 — 9 — 196 — 111 — 517 • Joshua Tree — 7,414 — 6,176 — 234 — 84 — 104 — 18 — 368 — 430 — 1,308 • Lake Arrowhead — 12,424 — 10,729 — 95 — 93 — 152 — 33 — 847 — 475 — 2,709 • Lenwood — 3,543 — 2,133 — 219 — 94 — 37 — 25 — 813 — 222 — 1,675 • Lucerne Valley — 5,811 — 4,507 — 170 — 106 — 90 — 0 — 676 — 262 — 1,447 • Lytle Creek — 701 — 606 — 6 — 7 — 23 — 0 — 25 — 34 — 98 • Mentone — 8,720 — 6,114 — 438 — 122 — 352 — 32 — 1,234 — 428 — 3,085 • Morongo Valley — 3,552 — 3,076 — 40 — 73 — 31 — 4 — 187 — 141 — 531 • Mountain View Acres — 3,130 — 1,748 — 215 — 48 — 98 — 17 — 861 — 143 — 1,647 • Muscoy — 10,644 — 4,459 — 454 — 125 — 101 — 16 — 4,992 — 497 — 8,824 • Oak Glen — 638 — 545 — 50 — 13 — 2 — 1 — 14 — 13 — 123 • Oak Hills — 8,879 — 6,796 — 266 — 100 — 226 — 28 — 1,166 — 297 — 2,719 • Phelan — 14,304 — 10,807 — 276 — 139 — 446 — 20 — 1,993 — 623 — 4,128 • Piñon Hills — 7,272 — 5,966 — 58 — 65 — 189 — 4 — 659 — 331 — 1,738 • Running Springs — 4,862 — 4,325 — 23 — 47 — 50 — 6 — 146 — 265 — 695 • San Antonio Heights — 3,371 — 2,765 — 67 — 24 — 284 — 15 — 115 — 101 — 612 • Searles Valley — 1,739 — 1,405 — 69 — 56 — 16 — 6 — 83 — 104 — 293 • Silver Lakes — 5,623 — 4,566 — 315 — 39 — 198 — 15 — 270 — 220 — 907 • Spring Valley Lake — 8,220 — 6,450 — 403 — 55 — 381 — 23 — 481 — 427 — 1,528 • Wrightwood — 4,525 — 4,126 — 38 — 28 — 51 — 7 — 112 — 163 — 538 • Other unincorporated areas — Total Population — White — African American — Native American — Asian — Pacific Islander — other races — two or more races — Hispanic or Latino (of any race) • All others not CDPs (combined) — 115,368 — 69,810 — 5,951 — 1,738 — 2,997 — 366 — 29,149 — 5,357 — 61,233

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,709,434 people, 528,594 households, and 404,374 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 PD/sqmi. There were 601,369 housing units at an average density of 30 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 58.9% White, 9.1% African American, 1.2% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 20.8% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. 39.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 8.3% were of German, 5.5% English and 5.1% Irish ancestry. 66.1% spoke English, 27.7% Spanish and 1.1% Tagalog as their first language. There were 528,594 households, out of which 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone 65 years of age or older living alone. The average household size was 3.2 people, and the average family size was 3.6 people. The number of homeless in San Bernardino County grew from 5,270 in 2002 to 7,331 in 2007, a 39% increase. In the county, 32.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 10.3% was from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males. The median income for a household in the county was $42,066, and the median income for a family was $46,574. Males had a median income of $37,025 versus $27,993 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,856. About 12.6% of families and 15.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2021, the Board of Supervisors oversees a $7.9 billion annual budget and 25,430 employees. The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has five members elected from their districts: • District — Supervisor — Party (officially nonpartisan) • 1 — Paul Cook — | Republican • 2 — Jesse Armendarez — | Republican • 3 — Dawn Rowe — | Republican • 4 — Curt Hagman — | Republican • 5 — Joe Baca Jr. — | Democratic Other County of San Bernardino Elected Officials • Ensen Mason (Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector) • Josie Gonzales (Assessor/Recorder) • Theodore Alejandre (County Superintendent of Schools) • Jason Anderson (District Attorney) • Shannon Dicus (Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator)

In the United States House of Representatives, San Bernardino County is split among 6 congressional districts: •, •, •, •, •, and •. In the California State Assembly, San Bernardino County is split among 10 assembly districts: •, •, •, •, •, •, •, •, •, and •. In the California State Senate, San Bernardino County is split among 7 districts: •, •, •, •, •, •, •, and •.

San Bernardino County is a county in which candidates from both major political parties have won in recent elections. Republican Donald Trump carried the county in 2024, flipping it for the first time in a presidential race since 2004. In past presidential elections, Democrat Joe Biden carried the county by a majority and by double digits as well as Hillary Clinton in 2016. The Democratic Party also carried the county in 2008 and 2012, when Barack Obama won majorities of the county's votes, and in 1992 and 1996, when Bill Clinton won pluralities. Republican George W. Bush took the county in 2000 by a plurality and in 2004 by a majority. The county is split between heavily Latino, middle-class, and Democratic areas and wealthier conservative areas. The heavily Latino cities of Ontario and San Bernardino went for John Kerry in 2004, but with a relatively low voter turnout. In 2006, San Bernardino's population exceeded 201,000, and in 2004, only 42,520 votes were cast in the city; that same year, strongly Republican Rancho Cucamonga had over 145,000 residents, of whom 53,054 voted. In the 1980s, Northern San Bernardino County proposed to create Mojave County due to the abysmal service levels the county provided. Ultimately, the vote for county secession failed. The proposed county was from the Cajon Pass to the city of Needles. In 1998, County administrator James Hlawek resigned after being subject to an FBI investigation for bribery, but only after Harry Mays, county Treasurer-Tax Collector Thomas O'Donnell, County Investment Officer Sol Levin and three businessmen had agreed to plead guilty to federal bribery charges. In 2004, County Supervisor Gerald Eaves pleaded guilty to bribery for accepting gifts from businesses for allowing billboards on county land. On November 4, 2008, San Bernardino County voted 67% for Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. From 2004 to 2016, the county was embroiled in a corruption scandal over the Colonies housing development in Upland with real estate developer Jeff Burum. The scandal resulted in $102 million being paid to Burum's real estate company. Supervisor Bill Postmus pleaded guilty to 10 felonies in regard to his previous post as county assessor. In 2020, Burum sued the county again and the county reached a $69 million settlement. In 2022, the county's insurance company, Ironside, balked at paying the settlement, claiming that the county willfully "retaliate[d] against the Colonies II Plaintiffs as part of a decades-long dispute over land and water rights in Upland, California, culminating in a malicious prosecution of Burum." In 2020, voters approved Measure K, which limited county supervisors to one term instead of three, while reducing pay from 250 thousand dollars to 60 thousand dollars. County Supervisors appealed the decision, only to lose in the state's appeals court. By 2022, term limits were restored and pay was restored to 80% of the annual base compensation for San Bernardino Superior Court judges under a supervisor-led ballot measure. In 2022, The Board of supervisors were pushed by a major supervisor campaign contributor Jeff Burum to vote for secession from the State of California to form the state of Empire. A referendum in 2022 requesting the county board seek a "fair share" of government funding, by means including secession, narrowly passed. In 2023, San Bernardino County Chief Executive Officer Leonard X. Hernandez resigned, claiming urgent family health issues, after being accused of having an affair with a county employee. After the accustation came out, the county placed Hernandez on Leave. After Hernandez resigned, Hernandez still got paid for one year after his departure.

According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 2020, there were 1,016,190 registered voters in San Bernardino County. Of those, 410,197 (40.37%) were registered Democrats, 298,234 (29.35%) were registered Republicans, with the remainder belonging to minor political parties or declining to state. • Population and registered voters • Total population — 2,023,452 • Registered voters — 869,637 — 43.0% • Democratic — 339,603 — 39.1% • Republican — 307,945 — 35.4% • Democratic–Republican spread — +31,658 — +3.7% • American Independent — 31,121 — 3.6% • Green — 3,174 — 0.4% • Libertarian — 5,121 — 0.6% • Peace and Freedom — 3,204 — 0.4% • Americans Elect — 68 — 0.0% • Other — 1,941 — 0.2% • No party preference — 177,460 — 20.4%

• City —! data-sort-type="number" | Population —! data-sort-type="number" | Registered voters —! data-sort-type="number" | Democratic —! data-sort-type="number" | Republican —! data-sort-type="number" | D–R spread —! data-sort-type="number" | Other —! data-sort-type="number" | No party preference • Adelanto — 30,670 — 29.8% — 48.8% — 21.7% — +27.1% — 11.1% — 23.2% • Apple Valley — 68,316 — 52.3% — 29.1% — 46.1% — -17.0% — 11.5% — 18.4% • Barstow — 22,913 — 37.2% — 41.5% — 29.0% — +12.5% — 11.0% — 23.3% • Big Bear Lake — 5,109 — 56.7% — 23.9% — 51.6% — -27.7% — 10.8% — 17.9% • Chino — 78,050 — 42.0% — 39.2% — 36.9% — +2.3% — 7.1% — 19.8% • Chino Hills — 74,765 — 52.6% — 31.8% — 40.6% — -8.8% — 6.9% — 23.4% • Colton — 52,283 — 38.9% — 49.9% — 25.4% — +24.5% — 7.5% — 20.2% • Fontana — 192,779 — 38.2% — 48.6% — 24.7% — +23.9% — 7.0% — 22.5% • Grand Terrace — 12,132 — 54.9% — 37.0% — 39.3% — -2.3% — 8.1% — 18.9% • Hesperia — 88,247 — 41.7% — 34.3% — 38.2% — -3.9% — 10.9% — 21.2% • Highland — 52,777 — 45.5% — 38.4% — 37.4% — +1.0% — 8.0% — 19.5% • Loma Linda — 23,081 — 46.2% — 32.9% — 36.3% — -3.4% — 8.5% — 25.8% • Montclair — 36,802 — 35.8% — 50.2% — 23.5% — +26.7% — 7.1% — 21.8% • Needles — 4,910 — 39.1% — 40.8% — 28.7% — +12.1% — 13.8% — 22.8% • Ontario — 165,120 — 36.7% — 46.9% — 28.5% — +18.4% — 7.1% — 20.3% • Rancho Cucamonga — 163,151 — 53.8% — 35.6% — 39.5% — -3.9% — 8.0% — 20.3% • Redlands — 68,995 — 56.1% — 33.9% — 42.4% — -8.5% — 8.9% — 18.4% • Rialto — 99,501 — 39.6% — 52.0% — 23.7% — +28.3% — 6.9% — 20.1% • San Bernardino — 210,100 — 36.8% — 46.5% — 29.5% — +17.0% — 7.7% — 19.4% • Twentynine Palms — 25,786 — 22.1% — 27.5% — 41.1% — -13.6% — 11.1% — 24.9% • Upland — 74,021 — 52.0% — 35.4% — 40.7% — -5.3% — 7.6% — 19.3% • Victorville — 111,704 — 38.4% — 43.5% — 29.6% — +13.9% — 10.0% — 21.1% • Yucaipa — 50,862 — 54.1% — 27.5% — 48.9% — -21.4% — 10.4% — 17.5% • Yucca Valley — 20,508 — 48.0% — 28.1% — 45.3% — -17.2% — 11.4% — 20.1%

• Illustration — SBC Sheriff's department operates a sizable fleet of helicopters. Shown here are a Bell 212 (foreground) and a Sikorsky S-61 at the air unit's Rialto Airport headquarters. The county's primary law enforcement agency is the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. The department provides law enforcement services in the unincorporated areas of the county and in 14 contract cities, operates the county jail system, provides marshal services in the county superior courts, and has numerous other divisions to serve the residents of the county.

The county operates the San Bernardino County Consolidated Fire District (commonly known as the San Bernardino County Fire Department). The department provides "all-risk" fire, rescue, and emergency medical services to all unincorporated areas in the county except for several areas served by independent fire protection districts, and several cities that chose to contract with the department. • Illustration — Department logo The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCoFD) or the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the unincorporated parts of the county and 24 incorporated cities. The department annexed the Crest Forest Fire Protection District on July 1, 2015; the San Bernardino City and Twentynine Palms Fire Departments on July 1, 2016; and the Upland Fire Department in July 2017. As of April 2019 the City of Victorville declined to renew their contract with The San Bernardino County Fire Department.

The current district attorney is Jason Anderson, who was elected in March 2018 and took office on January 1, 2019.

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense. • Population and crime rates • Population — 2,023,452 • Violent crime — 10,038 — 4.96 • Homicide — 121 — 0.06 • Forcible rape — 500 — 0.25 • Robbery — 3,017 — 1.49 • Aggravated assault — 6,400 — 3.16 • Property crime — 35,314 — 17.45 • Burglary — 15,178 — 7.50 • Larceny-theft — 31,697 — 15.66 • Motor vehicle theft — 9,730 — 4.81 • Arson — 512 — 0.25 On December 2, 2015, in the city of San Bernardino, terrorists attacked a staff meeting being held in the Inland Regional Center, murdering 14 people and wounding 22.

• Cities by population and crime rates • City — data-sort-type="number" | Population — data-sort-type="number" | Violent crimes — data-sort-type="number" | Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons — data-sort-type="number" | Property crimes — data-sort-type="number" | Property crime rate per 1,000 persons • Adelanto — 32,520 — 199 — 6.12 — 924 — 28.41 • Apple Valley — 70,823 — 221 — 3.12 — 1,874 — 26.46 • Barstow — 23,188 — 207 — 8.93 — 843 — 36.36 • Big Bear Lake — 5,141 — 42 — 8.17 — 313 — 60.88 • Chino — 79,792 — 291 — 3.65 — 2,116 — 26.52 • Chino Hills — 76,632 — 64 — 0.84 — 956 — 12.48 • Colton — 53,431 — 189 — 3.54 — 1,907 — 35.69 • Fontana — 200,874 — 850 — 4.23 — 4,494 — 22.37 • Grand Terrace — 12,333 — 29 — 2.35 — 285 — 23.11 • Hesperia — 92,383 — 402 — 4.35 — 2,502 — 27.08 • Highland — 54,403 — 296 — 5.44 — 1,616 — 29.70 • Loma Linda — 23,819 — 43 — 1.81 — 626 — 26.28 • Montclair — 37,556 — 197 — 5.25 — 1,703 — 45.35 • Needles — 4,963 — 23 — 4.63 — 213 — 42.92 • Ontario — 167,933 — 534 — 3.18 — 5,056 — 30.11 • Rancho Cucamonga — 169,276 — 321 — 1.90 — 4,362 — 25.77 • Redlands — 70,399 — 221 — 3.14 — 2,992 — 42.50 • Rialto — 101,595 — 509 — 5.01 — 3,571 — 35.15 • San Bernardino — 214,987 — 2,022 — 9.41 — 10,510 — 48.89 • Twentynine Palms — 25,612 — 81 — 3.16 — 463 — 18.08 • Upland — 75,531 — 148 — 1.96 — 2,328 — 30.82 • Victorville — 118,687 — 676 — 5.70 — 4,465 — 37.62 • Yucaipa — 52,622 — 119 — 2.26 — 944 — 17.94 • Yucca Valley — 21,204 — 90 — 4.24 — 560 — 26.41

• Barstow Community College • Brandman University (Ontario campus) • California State University, San Bernardino • California University of Science and Medicine • Calvary Chapel Bible College In Twin Peaks, California • Chaffey College • Copper Mountain College • Crafton Hills College • Loma Linda University • National University (campuses in Ontario and San Bernardino) • Palo Verde Community College (Needles campus) • San Bernardino Valley College • University of Redlands (Main Campus) • Victor Valley College

School districts are: Unified: • Apple Valley Unified School District • Baker Valley Unified School District • Barstow Unified School District • Bear Valley Unified School District • Beaumont Unified School District • Chino Valley Unified School District • Colton Joint Unified School District • Fontana Unified School District • Hesperia Unified School District • Lucerne Valley Unified School District • Morongo Unified School District • Muroc Joint Unified School District • Needles Unified School District • Redlands Unified School District • Rialto Unified School District • Rim of the World Unified School District • San Bernardino City Unified School District • Sierra Sands Unified School District • Silver Valley Unified School District • Snowline Joint Unified School District • Trona Joint Unified School District • Upland Unified School District • Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District Secondary: • Chaffey Joint Union High School District • Victor Valley Union High School District Elementary: • Adelanto Elementary School District • Alta Loma Elementary School District • Central Elementary School District • Cucamonga Elementary School District • Etiwanda Elementary School District • Helendale Elementary School District • Mountain View Elementary School District • Mount Baldy Joint Elementary School District • Ontario-Montclair School District • Oro Grande Elementary School District • Victor Elementary School District

The San Bernardino County Library System consists of 32 branches across the county. Library services offered vary from branch to branch, but include internet access, children's story times, adult literacy services, book clubs, classes, and special events. The library system also offers e-books, digital music and movie downloads, free access to online learning through Lynda.com, and many other digital services. City-sponsored public libraries also exist in San Bernardino County, including A. K. Smiley Public Library in Redlands, California, which was built in 1898. Other public libraries in the County include: The San Bernardino City Public Library System, Rancho Cucamonga Public Library, Upland Public Library, Colton City Library, Victorville City Library and the Ontario City Library. These libraries are separate from the county system and do not share circulation privileges.

The San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands is a multidisciplinary museum offering a look at the area's past with an Inland Southern California regional focus. Its exhibits and collections draw from the cultural and natural history of San Bernardino County. Keys Desert Queen Ranch in Joshua Tree National Park has ranger-led tours to learn about the cultural history of Keys Ranch, Native American history, mining, ranching, homesteading, the Keys family, and the site's transition into a protected historical site. Kimberly Crest House & Gardens is a 6-acre estate in Redlands with a Victorian Chateau and Italian Renaissance styled gardens. The gardens are open to the public and the house serves as a museum offering guided tours. The Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art at Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga is a non-collecting institution that features temporary exhibitions of contemporary art, education and community programming.

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• Metrolink commuter trains connect the urbanized portion of the county with Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties. Arrow light rail service by Metrolink is provided between Downtown San Bernardino and Redlands. • Morongo Basin Transit Authority provides bus service in Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms (including the Marine base). Limited service is also provided to Palm Springs. • Mountain Transit covers the Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear regions. Limited service is also provided to Downtown San Bernardino. • Needles Area Transit serves Needles and the surrounding county area. • Omnitrans provides transit service in the urbanized portion of San Bernardino County, serving the City of San Bernardino, as well as the area between Montclair and Yucaipa. • Victor Valley Transit Authority operates buses in Victorville, Hesperia, Adelanto, Apple Valley and the surrounding county area. • Foothill Transit connects the Inland Empire area to the San Gabriel Valley and downtown Los Angeles, primarily via the hourly Silver Streak. • RTA connects Montclair, and Anaheim to Riverside County. • SunLine Transit Agency connects Cal State San Bernardino to Palm Springs. • Beaumont Transit Connects Downtown San Bernardino to the city of Beaumont and Banning • San Bernardino County is also served by Greyhound buses and Amtrak trains.

• Commercial domestic and international passenger flights are available at San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) and Ontario International Airport (ONT). SBD can be accessed from I-215 via Mill Street, I-10 via Tippecanoe Avenue, and I-210 via 3rd Street. Terminal construction recently finished, and commercial flights began in 2022. There is also a logistics center for Amazon's Amazon Air service that recently completed construction on the airport grounds. • Southern California Logistics Airport (Victorville) is a major airplane graveyard, general aviation airport, and a Partial Air Force Installation. • The County of San Bernardino owns six general aviation airports: Apple Valley Airport, Baker Airport, Barstow-Daggett Airport, Chino Airport, Needles Airport, and Twentynine Palms Airport. • Other general aviation airports in the county include: Big Bear City Airport, Cable Airport (Upland), Hesperia Airport (not listed in NPIAS), and Redlands Municipal Airport

• Illustration — San Bernardino under heavy smog in 2005 California Attorney General Jerry Brown sued the county in April 2007 under the state's environmental quality act for failing to account for the impact of global warming in the county's 25-year growth plan, approved in March. The Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club and the Audubon Society also sued in a separate case. According to Brendan Cummings, a senior attorney for the plaintiffs: "San Bernardino has never seen a project it didn't like. They rubber-stamp development. It's very much of a frontier mentality." The plaintiffs want the county to rewrite its growth plan's environmental impact statement to include methods to measure greenhouse gases and take steps to reduce them. According to county spokesman David Wert, only 15% of the county is controlled by the county; the rest is cities and federal and state land. However, the county says it will make sure employment centers and housing are near transportation corridors to reduce traffic and do more to promote compact development and mass transit. The county budgeted $325,000 to fight the lawsuit. The state and the county reached a settlement in August 2007. The county agreed to amend its general plan to include a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan, including an emission inventory and reduction targets. According to the LA Times in 2015, San Bernardino County had the highest levels of ozone in the United States, averaging 102 parts per billion.

• City — Year incorporated — Population, 2018 — Median income, 2019 — Land area sq mi (km 2) • Adelanto — 1970 — 34,160 — $45,380 — 56.009 (145.062) • Apple Valley — 1988 — 73,508 — $51,314 — 73.193 (189.57) • Barstow — 1947 — 23,972 — $40,633 — 41.385 (107.186) • Big Bear Lake — 1981 — 5,281 — $51,060 — 6.346 (16.435) • Chino — 1910 — 91,583 — $87,090 — 29.639 (76.766) • Chino Hills — 1991 — 83,447 — $103,473 — 44.681 (115.723) • Colton — 1887 — 54,741 — $53,838 — 15.324 (39.689) • Fontana — 1952 — 213,739 — $80,800 — 42.432 (109.899) • Grand Terrace — 1978 — 12,584 — $71,788 — 3.502 (9.07) • Hesperia — 1988 — 95,274 — $50,271 — 73.096 (189.316) • Highland — 1987 — 55,406 — $64,868 — 18.755 (48.575) • Loma Linda — 1970 — 24,382 — $55,607 — 7.516 (19.467) • Montclair — 1956 — 39,437 — $62,024 — 5.517 (14.289) • Needles — 1913 — 4,982 — $33,717 — 30.808 (79.793) • Ontario — 1891 — 181,107 — $75,266 — 49.941 (129.345) • Rancho Cucamonga — 1977 — 177,751 — $92,773 — 39.851 (103.212) • Redlands — 1888 — 71,586 — $72,410 — 36.126 (93.565) • Rialto — 1911 — 103,440 — $70,188 — 22.351 (57.889) • San Bernardino — 1854 — 215,941 — $49,721 — 59.201 (153.33) • Twentynine Palms — 1987 — 26,418 — $44,226 — 59.143 (153.179) • Upland — 1906 — 77,000 — $82,426 — 15.617 (40.448) • Victorville — 1962 — 122,312 — $60,391 — 73.178 (189.529) • Yucaipa — 1989 — 53,682 — $69,104 — 27.888 (72.231) • Yucca Valley — 1991 — 21,726 — $44,757 — 40.015 (103.639)

• Baker • Big Bear City • Big River • Bloomington • Bluewater • Crestline • Fort Irwin • Homestead Valley • Joshua Tree • Lake Arrowhead • Lenwood • Lucerne Valley • Lytle Creek • Mentone • Morongo Valley • Mountain View Acres • Muscoy • Oak Glen • Oak Hills • Phelan • Piñon Hills • Running Springs • San Antonio Heights • Searles Valley • Silver Lakes • Spring Valley Lake • Wrightwood • Yermo

• Amboy • Angelus Oaks • Argus • Arrowbear Lake • Arrowhead Farms • Arrowhead Highlands • Arrowhead Junction • Baldwin Lake • Baldy Mesa • Bell Mountain • Blue Jay • Bryman • Cadiz • Cajon Junction • Cedar Glen • Cedarpines Park • Cima • Crafton • Crest Park • Cushenbury • Daggett • Danby • Earp • El Mirage • Essex • Fawnskin • Fenner • Forest Falls • Goffs • Green Valley Lake • Halloran Springs • Havasu Lake • Helendale • Hinkley • Hodge • Johnson Valley • Kingston • Kramer • Kramer Hills • La Delta • Landers • Ludlow • Mars • Midway • Mojave Heights • Mount Baldy • Mountain Home Village • Mountain Pass • Narod • Newberry Springs • Nipton • Oro Grande • Parker Dam • Patton • Pioneer Point • Pioneertown • Red Mountain • Rimforest • Skyforest • Sugarloaf • Sunfair • Sunfair Heights • Trona • Twentynine Palms Base • Twin Peaks • Venus • Vidal • Vidal Junction • Wonder Valley • Zzyzx

• Chemehuevi Indian Reservation • Colorado River Indian Reservation (partially in Riverside County, and La Paz County, Arizona) • Fort Mojave Indian Reservation (partially in Mohave County, Arizona, and Clark County, Nevada) • San Manuel Indian Reservation • Twenty-Nine Palms Indian Reservation (partially in Riverside County)

• Afton • Rice • Siberia • Calico • Amboy • Ash Hill • Ludlow • Cadiz • Klondike • Ivanpah • Keenbrook • Cosy Dell

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2026 World Population Review Census of San Bernardino County. CDP's are only from 2020 US Census. † county seat • Rank — City/Town/etc. — Municipal type — Population (2020 Census) • 1 — Fontana — City — 223,773 • 2 — † San Bernardino — City — 222,064 • 3 — Ontario — City — 189,505 • 4 — Rancho Cucamonga — City — 178,442 • 5 — Victorville — City — 142,992 • 6 — Rialto — City — 106,946 • 7 — Hesperia — City — 103,162 • 8 — Chino — City — 97,912 • 9 — Upland — City — 79,614 • 10 — Chino Hills — City — 77,343 • 11 — Apple Valley — Town — 75,134 • 12 — Redlands — City — 74,352 • 13 — Highland — City — 57,614 • 14 — Yucaipa — City — 54,989 • 15 — Colton — City — 53,310 • 16 — Adelanto — City — 38,874 • 17 — Montclair — City — 37,516 • 18 — Twentynine Palms — City — 25,597 • 19 — Loma Linda — City — 25,319 • 20 — Barstow — City — 24,694 • 21 — Bloomington — CDP — 24,339 • 22 — Yucca Valley — Town — 21,926 • 23 — Phelan — CDP — 13,859 • 24 — Grand Terrace — City — 12,900 • 25 — Big Bear City — CDP — 12,738 • 26 — Lake Arrowhead — CDP — 12,401 • 27 — Crestline — CDP — 11,650 • 28 — Muscoy — CDP — 10,719 • 29 — Spring Valley Lake — CDP — 9,598 • 30 — Mentone — CDP — 9,557 • 31 — Oak Hills — CDP — 9,450 • 32 — Fort Irwin — CDP — 8,096 • 33 — Piñon Hills — CDP — 7,258 • 34 — Joshua Tree — CDP — 6,489 • 35 — Silver Lakes — CDP — 6,317 • 36 — Lucerne Valley — CDP — 5,331 • 37 — Running Springs — CDP — 5,268 • 38 — Big Bear Lake — City — 5,019 • 39 — Needles — City — 4,801 • 40 — Wrightwood — CDP — 4,720 • 41 — Lenwood — CDP — 3,623 • 42 — Morongo Valley — CDP — 3,514 • 43 — San Antonio Heights — CDP — 3,441 • 44 — Mountain View Acres — CDP — 3,337 • 45 — Homestead Valley — CDP — 2,789 • 46 — Searles Valley — CDP — 1,565 • 47 — Colorado River Indian Reservation — AIAN — 1,395 • 48 — Big River — CDP — 1,084 • 49 — Lytle Creek — CDP — 725 • 50 — Oak Glen — CDP — 602 • 51 — Baker — CDP — 442 • 52 — Chemehuevi Reservation — AIAN — 464 • 53 — Fort Mojave Indian Reservation — AIAN — 253 • 54 — San Manuel Reservation — AIAN — 137 • 55 — Bluewater — CDP — 116 • 56 — Twenty-Nine Palms Reservation — AIAN — 5

• Calico Ghost Town — northeast of Barstow via Interstate 15 • Zzyzx — a small desert settlement that used to be a health spa and is now the Desert Studies Center • Downtown San Bernardino • Mojave Narrows Park • Mojave National Preserve • Mojave Trails National Monument • Joshua Tree National Park • Castle Mountains National Monument • Sand to Snow National Monument • San Bernardino National Forest — home to Big Bear Lake outdoor activities • SkyPark at Santa's Village • Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex • Mitchell Caverns • Snow Summit, Bear Mountain (Ski Area), and Snow Valley Mountain Resort are home to Southern California's premier winter ski resorts. Mountain High, although technically located in Los Angeles County, is also an alternative to Snow Summit and Bear Mountain because of its proximity to San Bernardino County. • The Pacific Crest Trail, officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT), passes through San Bernardino County.

• Chino Champion, Chino • Daily Press, Victorville • The Daily Report, Ontario • Desert Dispatch, Barstow • The Desert Trail, Twentynine Palms • Fontana Herald, Fontana • Hi-Desert Star, Yucca Valley • Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Rancho Cucamonga • News Mirror, Yucaipa • Redlands Daily Facts, Redlands • The San Bernardino Sun, San Bernardino • Big Bear Grizzly, Big Bear Lake • Upland News, Upland • Highland Newsletter, Highland