City of Chino - Government

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ABOUT Chino, California

The City of Chino is a thriving community located in the west end of San Bernardino County, bordered by Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties. Chino is centrally located and within a 60-minute drive to the ocean, mountains, and the desert.

Founded in 1887 and incorporated in 1910, it began as an agricultural and dairy community and has evolved into a well-balanced community of approximately 81,000 residents. Chino has been recognized as “100 Best Communities for Young People” for the past five years by America’s Promise Alliance. This five-time“100 Best” designation recognizes our community for the extraordinary efforts we make to reduce high school dropout rates and provide outstanding services and support for our youth.

DESCRIPTION

With deep historical roots in agriculture, Chino was once the center of the dairy farming industry, serving the considerable demands for milk products in Southern California and much of the southwestern United States. Chino's rich history dates back to the Spanish land grant forming Rancho Santa Ana del Chino. The area specialized in orchard, row crops, and dairying.

The City’s motto, “Where Everything Grows,” originally referred to the community’s agricultural beginnings. Today, the motto applies to growth in families, business and the strong sense of community. New businesses are attracted to Chino, as the community offers modern facilities, reasonable lease rates, competitive labor costs, and un-congested access to logistic centers, such as Ontario International Airport.

The City of Chino is within 30 minutes of 21 private and public colleges and universities. Currently, Chaffey College is in the process of building a 100-acre full service campus in Chino, some of which is already open and serving the educational needs of the Chino Valley. The Main Instructional Building opened to students in 2008, followed by the Health Science Center and the Chaffey College Chino Community Center, which both opened in 2009. Prior to the new campus, Chaffey College opened a satellite center in Chino, and with the City’s participation built a $4 million Information Technology Center in the downtown area in 2002.

The City of Chino is dedicated to accommodating this growth in population, while continuing to provide the high level of service that is unsurpassed in the Inland Empire. As the City looks to an exciting future, Chino will encourage balanced growth and will continue to celebrate its cultural heritage and hometown atmosphere.

HISTORY

Chino’s rich history began when Native American Indians lived in the Chino Valley. In the early 1800’s, the land currently known as Chino became part of the vast San Gabriel Mission and our lush valley was used to graze horses.

In 1807 the Yorba family, some of the earliest area settlers, built and lived in a home that still stands on the property today. The Indian built adobe that later contained a general store; saloon; blacksmith shop; a dairy; and the Vine Slope Winery provided an optional stage stop for the Butterfield Overland Mail from 1858 to the start of the Civil War. This spot was designated California State Historical Landmark No. 191 in 1934 and today the Adobe serves as a museum open to the public, helping to preserve our early history.

In 1810, Antonio Maria Lugo began accumulating land from the San Bernardino mountain range to San Pedro and this property became known as Rancho Santa Ana del Chino. In the 1880’s, Richard Gird purchased this land mass and later subdivided 24,000 acres into small ranches. At the same time, he subdivided an additional 640 acres into residential and business lots and from these early beginnings, Chino was born.

Several years later, a farsighted group called a town meeting on December 21, 1909 at a lodge hall on Seventh and “D” Streets to discuss incorporation. One week later, their petition for incorporation was sent to the County Board of Supervisors and on February 24, 1910 local voters approved incorporation with a vote of 135 to 57. Shortly thereafter, a telegram was received on March 3rd from then Secretary of State, C.F. Curry, confirming Chino’s status as a new City. Just two days later, the first City trustees held their initial meeting and H.R. Dunlap, an electrical engineer for the American Beet Sugar Company, the industry that sustained this area for a quarter of a century, was elected ‘President’ or Mayor.

As the years passed, the first post office, school, and fire department were built and the phone company followed, as did the agricultural industry. Today, the City of Chino is centrally located in the western portion of the Inland Empire, in the valley below the San Gabriel Valley Mountains. Chino is a well-established residential, retail, and commercial area with beautiful neighborhoods, diverse demographics, irresistible hometown charm, and a well-rounded business climate.