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Upland, CA

Frequently asked questions

Upland, CA

Upland is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States on the border with neighboring Los Angeles County. The municipality is located at an elevation of 1,242 feet (379 m). As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 79,040, up from 73,732 at the 2010 census and 68,393 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated on May 15, 1906, after previously being named North Ontario. Upland is located at the foot of the highest part of the San Gabriel Mountains. The suburb is part of the Inland Empire, a metropolitan area situated directly east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Upland is located at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains on an east–west trail that was used by the Native Americans and Spanish missionaries, part of what is now known as the Old Spanish Trail. To the west, the trail led to the San Gabriel Mission, which Spanish Missionaries built in 1771.

In 1774, Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza established an overland route from Arizona to California, with part of the trail passing through present day Upland on the way to the San Gabriel Mission. Anza's route went through Yuma, the San Gorgonio Pass and through the San Bernardino Valley. In 1775, Anza led a second expedition consisting of more than 240 people on a journey of over two thousand miles to the San Francisco Bay. En route, the expedition reached the San Gabriel Mission on January 4, 1776. The expedition reached the San Francisco Bay on June 27, 1776, where Anza founded the present day city of San Francisco. Five years later, in 1781, Spanish settlers followed Anza's route to found the city of Los Angeles a few miles west of the San Gabriel Mission.

Following the Anza expedition, the San Gabriel Mission became an important stopping place for expeditions traveling between Arizona and California. The mission was the first place where supplies could be procured after crossing the desert, and as travel over this road increased, the mission arranged to establish a supply station at some intermediate point east. In 1810, a party of missionaries, soldiers, and Native Americans from San Gabriel mission, under the leadership of Padre Dumetz, were sent out to select a location. On the 20th of May, 1810, they came into the San Bernardino Valley. This, according to the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, was the feast day of Saint Bernardino of Siena, and they named the valley in his honor. The expedition named the area around Upland "Cucamonga," which in the Tongvan language meant "sand place.”

In 1829, Mexican explorer Antonio Armijo led the first successful caravan from Santa Fe to Southern California, joining up with Smith's route to open what would later be called the Old Spanish Trail. The route resulted in immediate commerce between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. Pack trains made annual treks between New Mexico and California, bringing woven Mexican products to California, which lacked sheep, and bartering them for horses and mules, scarce in New Mexico. The trail carried mule-trains over the Cajon Pass, then west through Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, and El Monte, to the region's major settlements at Mission San Gabriel and Los Angeles.

From the time of the Anza expedition until the Mexican Rancho Period, the land around Upland was used as grazing land by the San Gabriel Mission. Under mission rule, cattle ranching became a major industry. The rangy cattle thrived and bred rapidly in the benign climate, and thousands of cattle wandered across the Cucamonga Rancho. Following the secularization of the missions by the Mexican government, the Cucamonga Rancho was granted to Tiburcio Tapia in 1839. Upon the death of Tapia in 1845, the Rancho passed to his daughter and her husband, Leon V. Prudhomme. An 1886 report by the California Surveyor General listed the size of the Cucamonga Rancho as 13,045 acres.

Top sites in Upland, CA are Madonna of The Trail, California Botanic Garden, and Benton Museum of Art.

Population: 79,684 (2024). ZIP codes: 91784–91786. Area code: 909. Elevation: 377 m. Area: 15.62 sq mi (40.45 km2).

FAQs

Is Upland CA a wealthy area?

The per capita income in Upland in 2018 was $38,546, which is middle income relative to California, and upper middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $154,184 for a family of four. However, Upland contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Is Upland CA a good area to live?

Living in Upland offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Upland there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Upland and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Upland are highly rated.

Where is Upland CA in relation to Los Angeles?

Upland is located at the foot of the highest part of the San Gabriel Mountains. The suburb is part of the Inland Empire, a metropolitan area situated directly east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

What is Upland CA known for?

Downtown Upland is known for its quaint, historic and charming small-town atmosphere to escape for a day of shopping and dining. The downtown neighborhood is walkable to explore on foot, and there are plenty of locally owned and operated small businesses to support — including antique shops, boutiques, and restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Upland and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Upland are highly rated.

Sources

City of Upland

Wikipedia

Madonna of The Trail

California Botanic Garden

Benton Museum of Art

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