Colton, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Colton, California
City
A St. Louis Southwestern Railway train passes through Colton Junction, 1989
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Hub City
Location of Colton in San Bernardino County, California.
Colton, California Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	San Bernardino
Named for	David D. Colton
Area
• Total	16.06 sq mi (41.59 km2)
• Land	15.55 sq mi (40.27 km2)
• Water	0.51 sq mi (1.32 km2)  4.46%
Elevation	1,004 ft (306 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	53,909
• Density	3,466.82/sq mi (1,338.56/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	92313, 92324
Area code(s)	909, 840, 951
FIPS code	06-14890
GNIS feature IDs	1652688, 2410200

Colton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It's often called "Hub City" because it's a central point for important railroad lines. Colton is part of the Inland Empire region and is about 4 miles south of San Bernardino.

In 2020, about 53,909 people lived in Colton. The city is famous for Colton Crossing, which used to be one of the busiest places where two railroad tracks crossed on the same level. This crossing was built in 1882. It became a big problem as more trains used the tracks. To fix this, a special bridge was built in 2013. Now, one set of tracks goes over the other, making train travel smoother. Even though many trains pass through Colton, passenger trains like Amtrak and Metrolink do not stop there.

History of Colton

Eighth Street in Colton, around the late 1910s. You can see Willets department store on the left.

The old Colton Carnegie Library, which is now the Colton Area Museum.

Early Peoples in Colton

Long ago, before Spanish settlers arrived, the land where Colton now stands was home to Native American groups. These included the Tongva, Serrano, and Cahuilla people. One Tongva village, called Homhoangna, was located near the hills of Reche Canyon.

Spanish and Mexican Times

During the time of the Spanish missions, a settlement called Politana was started in 1810, just northeast of Colton. By 1840, Colton was part of two large ranches, Jurupa and San Bernardino Rancho. A part of what is now Colton was known as "Agua Mansa" (Gentle Waters). People from New Mexico settled there in 1842.

American Settlers Arrive

The area known as Cooley Ranch was once called Indian Knolls. This was because Native Americans found safety on its hills during a big flood in 1862. George Cooley, from England, bought land here in 1853. He was an important leader in San Bernardino County.

The city of Colton was named after David Douty Colton. He was a general in the California State Militia and later a vice president of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. The city officially started in 1875 when the Southern Pacific Railway built its tracks through the area. Colton became an official city in 1887.

There was a famous conflict at Colton Crossing between the Southern Pacific Railway and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Both companies wanted to build their tracks through Colton.

Interestingly, Virgil Earp, a famous lawman from the Old West, lived in Colton from 1883 to 1889. He was even the city's first marshal! His brother, Morgan Earp, is buried in Hermosa Cemetery in Colton.

Colton from the 1950s

In 1953, a large part of Colton's old downtown area was cleared away. This was to make space for a new highway, which is now called the San Bernardino Freeway. Many old buildings, including department stores, had to move to new locations.

Colton's Geography and Climate

Colton covers about 16 square miles (41.59 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Slover Mountain is located in Colton. It used to be the highest point in the San Bernardino Valley. It was also the site of the Colton Liberty Flag, a special flag for the city.

Colton has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, similar to places around the Mediterranean Sea.

People of Colton

In 2010, Colton had a population of 52,154 people. The city is home to a diverse group of people from many different backgrounds. About 71% of the people identified as Hispanic or Latino.

The population has grown quite a bit over the years. In 2000, there were about 47,690 people, and by 2020, it had reached 53,909.

Colton's Economy

Colton has many businesses that provide jobs for its residents. Here are some of the top employers in the city, based on a 2021 report:

Education in Colton

Most students in Colton attend schools within the Colton Unified School District. A smaller part of the city is served by the Rialto Unified School District.

Famous People from Colton

Many interesting people have connections to Colton, California. Here are a few:

• 40 Glocc (born 1974) – a rapper
• Jordan Adebayo-Smith (b. 2001) – a soccer player
• Tyler Ankrum (born 2001) – a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race car driver
• Allen Bradford – an NFL Football player
• Adriana Briscoe – a member of the National Academy of Sciences
• Cam Carreon (1937–1987) – a baseball player
• Kit Carson (1912–1983) – a baseball player
• George Caster (1907–1955) – a baseball player
• Dennis Crane – a football player for the Detroit Lions
• Jay Dahl (1945–1965) – a baseball player
• Rich Dauer – a baseball player who won the World Series
• Nicholas Porter Earp (1813–1907) – father of Wyatt Earp
• Wyatt Earp (1848–1929) – a famous frontier lawman
• Virgil Earp (1843–1905) – a frontier lawman and Wyatt Earp's older brother; he was Colton's first city marshal
• Morgan Earp (1851–1882) - a lawman
• Gene Evans (1922–1998) – an actor
• Jada Hart – a tennis player
• Rodolfo Hernandez (born 1931) – a Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean War
• Kat Von D (born 1982) – a tattoo artist and star of LA Ink
• Ken Hubbs (1941–1964) – a Chicago Cubs baseball player, Rookie of the Year in 1962
• Jim Messina (born 1947) – a musician from bands like Buffalo Springfield and Loggins & Messina
• George T. Sakato – a Medal of Honor recipient from World War II
• Jeremy Suarez (born 1990) – an actor from The Bernie Mac Show
• Jimmy Webb (born 1946) – a songwriter
• Susan Woodstra (born 1957) – a silver medalist in women's volleyball at the 1984 Summer Olympics
• Shareece Wright – an NFL Football player
• Jimmy Smith – an NFL Football Player

See also

In Spanish: Colton (California) para niños