Wildomar, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids City of Wildomar
City
Wildomar City Hall
Flag
Location in Riverside County and the state of California
Wildomar, California Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Riverside
Incorporated	July 1, 2008
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
Area
• Total	23.70 sq mi (61.39 km2)
• Land	23.70 sq mi (61.39 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation	1,270 ft (387 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	36,875
• Estimate  (2022)	37,214
• Density	1,570.21/sq mi (606.19/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	92595
Area code(s)	951
FIPS code	06-85446
GNIS feature IDs	1661691, 2497148

Wildomar is a city located in the southwestern part of Riverside County, California, in the United States. It became an official city on July 1, 2008. In 2020, about 36,875 people lived there. Wildomar has grown very quickly in the 21st century. Its population has more than doubled since the year 2000. Back then, it was not yet an official city.

History of Wildomar

Bundy Canyon Road, a road in Wildomar

The story of Wildomar began in the summer of 1880. A man named Franklin Heald saw Lake Elsinore from a mountain. It was then called La Laguna. A few months later, in October, Frank Kimbal made a deal. He agreed with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad to build a train track. This track would go past the lake from San Diego to Barstow.

The next winter, Heald visited Lake Elsinore by buggy. At the same time, work started on the new train line. This line was called the California Southern Railroad. Rails and spikes came from Belgium. Locomotives, which are train engines, came from the Eastern Seaboard. The track reached Colton by August 14, 1882. This new train service helped the Wildomar area grow. At that time, it was the southern part of the Rancho La Laguna.

Heald found out that Rancho La Laguna could be bought. Most of it was for sale, except for about 500 acres owned by the Machado family. He bought it from the London and San Francisco Bank for $24,000. On July 3, 1883, Heald paid $1,000 as a first payment. He then brought in William Collier and Donald Graham as partners. On September 24, these three men bought the 12,832 acres of Rancho La Laguna. William Collier paid an extra $7,000. The rest of the money was paid off soon after.

On January 1, 1884, the railroad placed a boxcar. It was called "Car B". It was located near what is now Clinton Keith Road. For many years, this boxcar served as the train station for the area that would become Wildomar.

Heavy rains in the winter of 1884 caused big floods. Up to 60 inches of rain washed out the train tracks. This happened near Temecula and along the San Jacinto River. The floods financially hurt the California Southern Railroad. The Santa Fe Railroad stepped in to help. Santa Fe took over the train line and rebuilt it by early 1885. The train line through Wildomar became part of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad.

In January 1885, Collier, Graham, and Heald made a map. It showed parts of the Elsinore area. They recorded these maps with San Diego County in October. In February 1885, Collier and Graham bought Franklin Heald's share. This was one-third of the 2,600 acres of unsold land. This land was southeast of Corydon Road. Heald took full ownership of the unsold land northwest of Corydon Road.

Collier and Graham created a map for the Wildomar townsite in December 1885. They recorded it with San Diego County on November 20, 1886. The name Wildomar was created by combining parts of the founders' names. Wil came from William Collier. Do came from Donald Graham. Mar came from Margaret Collier Graham. She was Donald Graham's wife and William Collier's sister.

In 1886, a new school was built. A post office and a train station were also built. By 1887, Wildomar had a big hotel and many shops. It also had a lumber yard and a park. A church was built in 1888. It was across from the new school. In October 1887, Collier and Graham added more land to Wildomar. This was about 1,500 acres bought from Parker Dear. This new map was recorded in San Diego County on February 10, 1892.

By the early 1900s, Wildomar had its own newspaper. It was called The Transcript. However, the train tracks kept getting washed out. Within a few years, the train service south from Temecula to San Diego stopped. With fewer trains, Wildomar's growth slowed down. Then, in 1935, train service to Wildomar ended completely. The tracks were removed. Wildomar became a nearly forgotten community.

Then, in the early 1980s, the Temecula Valley Freeway (I-15) was finished. This brought new interest to the area. Wildomar began to grow and become successful again.

On February 5, 2008, the people of Wildomar and Sedco Hills voted. They decided to become an official city. Wildomar became the 25th city in Riverside County on July 1, 2008. The city was also important for making honey.

Geography of Wildomar

Wildomar is located at 33°36′27″N 117°15′37″W / 33.60750°N 117.26028°W / 33.60750; -117.26028.

The United States Census Bureau says the city covers about 23.7 square miles (61.39 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Population and People

Wildomar in 2010

The 2010 United States Census showed that Wildomar had 32,176 people. There were about 1,358 people per square mile.

The people in Wildomar were from different backgrounds:

• 22,372 (69.5%) were White.
• 1,065 (3.3%) were African American.
• 376 (1.2%) were Native American.
• 1,454 (4.5%) were Asian.
• 69 (0.2%) were Pacific Islander.
• 5,124 (15.9%) were from other races.
• 1,716 (5.3%) were from two or more races.
• 11,363 (35.3%) were of Hispanic or Latino background.

Almost everyone (99.9%) lived in homes. Only a small number lived in group housing or institutions.

There were 9,992 households. In 44% of these, children under 18 lived there. About 60% were married couples. The average household had 3.22 people. The average family had 3.58 people.

About 27.9% of the people were under 18. About 10.6% were 65 or older. The average age was 34.6 years. For every 100 females, there were about 97.6 males.

Most homes (73.3%) were owned by the people living in them. The rest were rented.

In 2010, the average household income in Wildomar was $60,219. About 13% of the people lived below the poverty line.

Wildomar in 2000

In the census of 2000, Wildomar had 14,064 people. There were 4,572 households. About 1,063 people lived per square mile.

The racial makeup was:

• 82.1% White
• 1.8% African American
• 0.9% Native American
• 1.8% Asian
• 0.3% Pacific Islander
• 9.1% from other races
• 4.0% from two or more races
• 21.6% of people were Hispanic or Latino.

In 40.3% of households, children under 18 lived there. Most (67.4%) were married couples. The average household had 3.06 people. The average family had 3.38 people.

About 30.2% of the people were under 18. About 13.8% were 65 or older. The average age was 36 years.

The average household income was $49,081. The average family income was $51,964. About 8.2% of the people lived below the poverty line.

Economy and Jobs

Top Employers in Wildomar

As of June 2022, these were the top employers in Wildomar:

Parks and Fun Activities

Iodine Springs Reserve is a special protected area. The Riverside County Regional Park and Open Space District manages it. It's a great place to enjoy nature.

Services in Wildomar

Hospitals

Inland Valley Medical Center is a hospital in Wildomar. It is part of the Southwest Healthcare System. It offers general medical care and has an emergency room. It also has a Level II trauma center for serious injuries.

Cemetery

The Wildomar Cemetery District takes care of a cemetery in the town. In 2011, the city of Wildomar took over managing the cemetery.

Library

The Wildomar Library is one of 35 libraries in the Riverside County Library System. The library first opened in 2001. It was originally called the Mission Trail Library. In 2014, its name was changed to the Wildomar Library.

Transportation

Interstate 15 goes right through the city of Wildomar. The Riverside Transit Agency provides bus service in Wildomar. Routes 8 and 23 serve the city.

Education in Wildomar

Most of Wildomar is part of the Lake Elsinore Unified School District. Some parts are in the Menifee Union School District and the Perris Union High School District for high school students.

Elementary Schools

• Donald Graham Elementary School
• Ronald Reagan Elementary School
• Wildomar Elementary School
• William Collier Elementary School
• Sycamore Academy of Science and Cultural Arts

Middle Schools

• David A. Brown Middle School

High Schools

• California Lutheran High School
• Elsinore High School

Higher Education

There are plans to build a new Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) campus in Wildomar. It will be on Clinton Keith Road.

Plants in Wildomar

Wildomar has many native plants. The hills are covered with coastal sage scrub and chaparral plants. You can also find the California Poppy there. California sycamore trees grow along riverbeds. They provide shade for ferns and mosses.

See also

In Spanish: Wildomar para niños