Fontana
Introduction
Fontana is a city in the Inland Empire region of San Bernardino County, California, situated about 46 miles east of Los Angeles. Founded in 1913 by Azariel Blanchard Miller, it stayed essentially rural until World War II, when entrepreneur Henry J. Kaiser built a large steel mill in the area. Today Fontana is a regional hub of the trucking industry, and its position at the crossing of the east–west Interstate 10 and State Route 210, with Interstate 15 passing diagonally through its northwestern quadrant, makes it a natural stop or base for exploring the Inland Empire.Getting there
Fontana is served by Metrolink trains running between downtown Los Angeles and San Bernardino, so you can reach the city by rail from either end of that line. The Fontana railway station sits at 16777 Orange Way.Getting around
Fontana is a sprawling Southern California city, and that sprawl shapes how you get around. Much of the city is spread out over several miles, so walking is rarely the best way to get from one part of town to another. That said, downtown Fontana is compact enough to explore on foot, and it's a good place to soak up some local flavor while you're out and about.
- By car: Given how spread out Fontana is, a car is a practical way to get around. A stretch of the historic Route 66 runs through the city, which makes for an enjoyable drive in its own right.
- By bus: Local bus service is provided by the Omnitrans system, oriented toward connecting residents with nearby destinations such as the Ontario Mills and Victoria Gardens malls, and area colleges including Chaffey, Valley, and CSUSB. For a visitor without a car, the bus is the main way to reach these outlying spots.
- By bicycle: Cyclists have a strong option in the Pacific Electric Trail, a paved path that follows the route of an old train line and is intended to eventually connect San Bernardino with Claremont. The trail is, for the most part, fairly well lit and is used by bicyclists, skaters, and pedestrians alike.
Where to stay
For lodging in Fontana, your options in the source material are limited, with Motel 6 on Sierra Avenue being the one listed place to stay. It sits along a main north–south route through the city, which makes it a practical base if you're passing through the area by car.Food & drink
For Mexican food, you can head to Los Chilitos Mexican Food. The source lists no other places to eat or drink in Fontana, so plan your meals around this option or expect to look beyond the city for more variety.What to see and do
Fontana's sights are few and require some searching. Al Capone once kept a house near the train tracks; it remains a private residence, so admire it only from a respectful distance. Film buffs may also appreciate that scenes from Terminator 2: Judgement Day were shot in the city.
- Look for the Capone house off the train tracks, but remember it is privately owned.
- Seek out locations used in Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
If your visit coincides with Fontana Days, head downtown, where local merchants and bands take over the streets for the annual celebration of the city's founding. The festivities center on running events, including a famously fast half marathon that follows a downhill 13.1-mile course from Lyttle Creek to city hall. Shorter 5k runs and walks are also part of the program, along with a hundred-yard dash for children.
Three days in Fontana
Day one: Start by getting your bearings in Fontana itself, a city in San Bernardino County within the Inland Empire of Southern California. Founded by Azariel Blanchard Miller, it grew dramatically during World War II when Henry Kaiser's operations transformed it into a steel town. Today Fontana is a large suburban city, so use the Interstate, State Route, and Metrolink connections to San Bernardino to move around. Take the Orange Way as a starting point for exploring the civic core, then settle in for Mexican food at Los Chilitos Mexican Food.
Day two: Head west into the wider region. Ontario Mills and Victoria Gardens offer two very different shopping and dining stops, while Chaffey and Valley give you a sense of the surrounding communities. If you are at CSUSB, you are well placed to continue toward Claremont. Cyclists can spend part of the day on the Pacific Electric Trail, a rail-trail route that recalls the old Pacific Electric network. Local buses on Omnitrans help fill the gaps between these stops.
Day three: Use Sierra Avenue as your spine for a final day, mixing the everyday texture of Fontana with a look at its older layers. The Motel and the remnants of the Pacific Electric era hint at the city's earlier life before the wartime boom. From here you can connect onward to Los Angeles or deeper into San Bernardino County, depending on whether you are driving or using Metrolink. Much of what you see is quintessential Southern California: spread out, car-oriented, and tied together by routes that once carried streetcars and now carry commuters.