Upland

About Upland

Upland is a city in the western Inland Empire of San Bernardino County, set on the alluvial slope below the San Gabriel Mountains about 40 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The area was laid out in the 1880s by the Chaffey brothers as part of their irrigated Ontario colony, and Euclid Avenue, a grand boulevard lined with pepper trees, was built to run straight up from the valley toward the mountains. Citrus made the town: lemon and orange groves covered the slopes, packing houses lined the railroad, and the community incorporated as Upland in 1906.

Today Upland is a residential city of around 80,000 people that still keeps much of its early character. The historic downtown along Second Avenue has restored brick storefronts, cafes and antique shops, and the wide median of Euclid Avenue remains a favorite for walkers, runners and horseback riders. Foothill Boulevard, part of historic Route 66, crosses the city, and at its corner with Euclid stands the Madonna of the Trail, one of twelve identical monuments honoring pioneer women along the National Old Trails Road.

Upland is also a gateway to the mountains. Euclid Avenue climbs into San Antonio Heights, and Mount Baldy Road leads up to Mount Baldy, where hikers and skiers head for the high country of the Angeles National Forest. Back in town, the Cooper Regional History Museum tells the story of the citrus era, Upland Memorial Park offers sports fields and shade, and the Upland Lemon Festival celebrates the city's farming roots each spring.