Pomona Valley facts for kids
The Pomona Valley is a cool place located in Southern California. It's part of the bigger Greater Los Angeles Area, sitting between the San Gabriel Valley and San Bernardino Valley. This valley is about 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, and on a clear day, you can often see Los Angeles from the nearby hills!
The valley stretches from San Dimas in the west to Rancho Cucamonga in the east. It's a flat valley formed by the Santa Ana River and its smaller streams.
A stream called San Antonio Creek flows right through the middle of the valley. This creek actually helps divide the valley into western and eastern parts. It also forms part of the border between Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County. The creek starts up in the San Gabriel Mountains near Mount San Antonio (which locals call Mt. Baldy) and eventually joins the Santa Ana River to the south.
The Pomona Valley is bordered by different mountain ranges and hills. To the west, the San Jose Hills separate it from the San Gabriel Valley. To the east, the Jurupa Hills and Cajon Pass (part of the San Gabriel Mountains) separate it from the San Bernardino Valley. The big San Gabriel Mountains form the northern border, and the Chino Hills are to the south, separating the valley from northern Orange County. You might also know that historic U.S. Route 66 runs across the northern part of the Pomona Valley!
Back in 1893, there was a big idea to create a new county in this area called San Antonio County, with Pomona as its main city. However, lawmakers in Los Angeles didn't agree, so the valley is still split between Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties today.
Contents
Cities and Towns
Lots of towns and cities make up the Pomona Valley. Here are some of them:
People of the Valley
The Pomona Valley is home to many different people. You'll find a mix of Latino and White residents here. While there are fewer Asian Americans compared to the nearby San Gabriel Valley, you'll find larger Asian populations in southern areas like Chino Hills, Diamond Bar, and Walnut. Northern cities like Claremont, La Verne, and San Dimas have more Caucasian residents. In the central parts, like Pomona, Montclair, and Ontario, there are larger Hispanic populations.
Fun Places to Visit
The Pomona Valley has many interesting places to check out:
- American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona - See amazing art made from clay!
- Fairplex, Pomona - Home of the annual Los Angeles County Fair, a huge event with rides, food, and exhibits.
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona - A big university in Pomona.
- University of La Verne - Another university, located in La Verne.
- Montclair Plaza - A shopping mall in Montclair.
- Pomona Valley Air Fair - An air show in Upland.
- Pomona Valley Art Association - Gallery SOHO - An art gallery in Pomona.
- The Shoppes at Chino Hills - A shopping center in Chino Hills.
- Raging Waters - A popular water park in San Dimas, great for hot days!
- Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden - A beautiful garden in Claremont focused on California native plants.
- Claremont Village - A charming downtown area in Claremont with shops and restaurants.
- Claremont Colleges - A group of seven colleges in Claremont.
- Mt. San Antonio College - A community college in Walnut.
- Ygnacio Palomares Adobe, Pomona - A historic building from the early days of California.
- La Casa Primera de Rancho San Jose, Pomona - Another historic home, showing life in the past.
- Victoria Gardens - A large outdoor shopping and entertainment center in Rancho Cucamonga.
- Ontario Mills - A huge outlet mall in Ontario.
Valley Views
Weather in the Valley
The Pomona Valley has a Mediterranean Climate. This means it usually has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. However, compared to other parts of the Greater Los Angeles Area, summers here can get much hotter, often reaching over 100 degrees Fahrenheit!
Because the valley's elevation ranges from about 800 to 2200 feet, winters can also get quite chilly. Sometimes, you might even see a tiny bit of snow if you're above 1500 feet. The valley floor usually gets about 12 to 16 inches of rain each year, while the communities in the foothills get a bit more, around 14 to 18 inches.
In the fall, which is also fire season, strong winds called Santa Ana Winds can blow through the Cajon Pass. These winds are very dry and can make the weather feel even hotter.
| Climate data for Pomona Fairplex, California | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 91 (33) |
94 (34) |
100 (38) |
104 (40) |
106 (41) |
117 (47) |
113 (45) |
110 (43) |
113 (45) |
107 (42) |
97 (36) |
93 (34) |
117 (47) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 65.5 (18.6) |
67.6 (19.8) |
70.1 (21.2) |
74.2 (23.4) |
77.8 (25.4) |
84.1 (28.9) |
91.0 (32.8) |
91.1 (32.8) |
88.4 (31.3) |
80.6 (27.0) |
73.2 (22.9) |
66.4 (19.1) |
77.5 (25.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 51.8 (11.0) |
54.0 (12.2) |
56.2 (13.4) |
59.9 (15.5) |
63.9 (17.7) |
68.8 (20.4) |
74.4 (23.6) |
74.6 (23.7) |
71.9 (22.2) |
65.2 (18.4) |
57.9 (14.4) |
52.4 (11.3) |
62.6 (17.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 38.1 (3.4) |
40.3 (4.6) |
42.3 (5.7) |
45.6 (7.6) |
50.0 (10.0) |
53.4 (11.9) |
57.7 (14.3) |
58.1 (14.5) |
55.3 (12.9) |
49.8 (9.9) |
42.6 (5.9) |
38.4 (3.6) |
47.6 (8.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 21 (−6) |
22 (−6) |
26 (−3) |
29 (−2) |
31 (−1) |
38 (3) |
41 (5) |
42 (6) |
38 (3) |
29 (−2) |
24 (−4) |
22 (−6) |
21 (−6) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.56 (90) |
3.49 (89) |
2.82 (72) |
1.22 (31) |
0.35 (8.9) |
0.10 (2.5) |
0.01 (0.25) |
0.07 (1.8) |
0.26 (6.6) |
0.78 (20) |
1.56 (40) |
2.77 (70) |
16.99 (432.05) |
| Source: Western Regional Climate Center | |||||||||||||
Colleges and Universities
The Pomona Valley is home to many great places for higher education:
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) - A large public university in Pomona.
- Chaffey College - A community college in Rancho Cucamonga.
- Citrus College - Another community college, located in Glendora.
- Claremont Colleges - A unique group of seven colleges in Claremont, including:
- Pomona College
- Claremont Graduate University
- Scripps College
- Claremont McKenna College
- Harvey Mudd College
- Pitzer College
- Keck Graduate Institute
- Claremont School of Theology
- DeVry University - A technical school in Pomona.
- Mt. San Antonio College - A community college in Walnut.
- University of La Verne - A private university in La Verne.
- Western University of Health Sciences - A private university focused on health sciences in Pomona.
Getting Around
Airports
If you need to fly, there are a couple of airports nearby:
- Ontario International Airport - In Ontario, closer to the valley.
- Los Angeles International Airport - In Los Angeles, a larger airport for longer trips.
Public Transportation
You can also get around using public buses:
- Foothill Transit
- Omnitrans
- Public transportation in Los Angeles County, California
- Public transportation in San Bernardino County, California
Major Freeways
Several major freeways help people travel through the Pomona Valley:
- San Bernardino Freeway (Interstate 10) - Connects to San Bernardino and Los Angeles.
- Foothill Freeway (Interstate and State Route 210) - Connects to Pasadena and San Bernardino.
- Ontario Freeway (Interstate 15) - Leads to places like Las Vegas, Nevada and San Diego.
- Pomona Freeway (State Route 60) - Connects to Riverside.
- Chino Valley Freeway (State Route 71)
- Orange Freeway (State Route 57) - Connects to Anaheim.
Main Roads
Many important surface streets also help people get around the Pomona Valley:
- Central Ave. (Chino, Montclair, Upland)
- Mountain Ave. (Upland, Ontario, Chino)
- Euclid Ave. (Ontario, Upland, Chino)
- Archibald Ave. (Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario)
- Chino Hills Pkwy. (Diamond Bar, Chino Hills, Chino)
- Haven Ave. (Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario)
- Milliken Ave. (Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario)
- Monte Vista Ave. (Claremont, Upland, Montclair, Chino)
- Foothill Blvd. (San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Pomona)
- Bonita Ave. (San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont)
- Base Line Rd. (San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont, Rancho Cucamonga; becomes 16th St. through Upland)
- Indian Hill Blvd. (Claremont, Pomona)
- Grand Ave. (Chino Hills, Diamond Bar, Walnut)
- Towne Ave. (Claremont, Pomona)
- Garey Ave. (Chino Hills, Pomona, Claremont)
- Arrow Hwy. (San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont, Montclair)
- Arrow Rte. (Upland, Rancho Cucamonga)
- Holt Ave. (Pomona, Montclair, Ontario; becomes Valley Blvd from Pomona to Los Angeles; Eastern end merges with the 10 Fwy)
- Valley Blvd. (Walnut, Pomona)
- Holt Blvd. (Pomona, Montclair, Ontario)
- Mission Blvd. (Pomona, Montclair, Ontario)
- Mount Baldy Road (Claremont, San Antonio Heights, Mount Baldy, and Mt. San Antonio)
Mount Baldy Road in Claremont leads up to the Mt. Baldy Ski Lifts on Mount San Antonio (also known as "Mt. Baldy") in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Local News
Newspapers
Here are some newspapers that cover the Pomona Valley area:
- Claremont Courier
- Inland Valley Daily Bulletin - Its offices are in Rancho Cucamonga.
- San Gabriel Valley Tribune - This paper covers the western part of the Pomona Valley.
Images for kids
