The Mission Inn, a sprawling Spanish-style hotel worth touring even if you are not staying, anchors downtown Riverside, an Inland Empire city of about 320,000 people, roughly an hour east of Los Angeles when traffic cooperates. The city also has a place in California citrus history, which you can learn about at the Citrus State Historic Park. The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and the Riverside Art Museum give the arts scene some weight, and Mount Rubidoux is the local sunrise hike.
Life here is more relaxed and cheaper than coastal Southern California, though homes are still expensive by national standards. Summers are hot, often above 100 degrees, and smog and wildfire smoke come with the territory. Crime is above the national average along some corridors, with car break-ins the most common complaint. The Mission Inn and Tyler areas are comfortable for visitors.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
- Known as
- City of Arts and Innovation; Birthplace of California's citrus industry; Inland Empire hub
- Founded
- 1870 settled; 1883 incorporated (Oct 11)
- Languages
- English; Spanish; Tagalog; Vietnamese; Korean
- Airports
- Ontario International (ONT), about 20 miles and the nearest major commercial airport; March Air Reserve Base and Riverside Municipal are non-commercial or general aviation; John Wayne (SNA) about 35 miles; Palm Springs (PSP) about 55 miles; LAX about 60 miles; Long Beach (LGB) about 45 miles
- Tipping
- Restaurants 18-20% for table service; bars $1-2 per drink; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; bellhop $2-3 per bag; rideshare 15-20%; counter service optional
