Moreno Valley
Introduction
Moreno Valley is a city in Riverside County, California, part of the Riverside–San Bernardino metropolitan area and the wider Los Angeles metropolitan area. It sits within the Inland Empire, where it ranks among the region's population centers.
Getting there
Getting to Moreno Valley is easiest by car, since the city sits along the Interstate 215 corridor in Riverside County. If you're coming from Los Angeles or Orange County, you'll approach from the west; from Palm Springs or the desert communities, you'll arrive from the east.Getting around
Getting around Moreno Valley is largely a bus-and-car experience. The city sits within the service area of the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA), the regional bus operator for Riverside County, and its routes are organized both by number and by the communities they serve. Anchor your trip around Moreno Valley Mall, the most useful hub for visitors, served by routes 11, 16, 18, 19, and 31. Another important node is the Moreno Valley–March Field Metrolink Station, reachable via Route 20, which also serves Magnolia & Elizabeth, RUHS Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, and Moreno Valley College. Other routes run through the city as well: Route 11 connects the mall, March ARB, and the Alessandro & Frederick area; Route 16 links the mall with UCR in Riverside; Route 18 runs between Sunnymead Ranch, the mall, and Corporate Centre Place; Route 19 connects the mall to the Perris Station Transit Center; Route 31 runs from the mall to Beaumont, Banning, and MSJC San Jacinto; and Route 41 connects the Mead Valley Community Center with RUHS Medical Center.
Moreno Valley has no metro or tram network of its own. Rail access comes through Metrolink, with connections available at Riverside, Corona, Pedley, and the Moreno Valley–March Field station, the city's own rail link. Several RTA routes provide longer-distance regional connections: Route 200 runs between San Bernardino, Downtown Riverside, the Vine Street Mobility Hub, Galleria at Tyler, La Sierra Metrolink, the Village at Orange, Anaheim, and Disneyland; Route 204 connects UCR, Downtown Riverside, Country Village, Ontario Mills, and the Montclair Transcenter; Route 206 serves Temecula, Murrieta, the Lake Elsinore Outlet Center Park and Ride, Tom's Farms, Dos Lagos, and the Corona Transit Center. Route 19 links the mall to the Perris Station Transit Center, a hub for routes 9, 22, 27, 28, 30, 41, and 61, as well as Amtrak Thruway and Greyhound. Amtrak Thruway is also listed as a connecting service available in Moreno Valley. For planning, RTA publishes a ride guide, a system map, boarding diagrams, and route listings by city and community, so you can look up your specific origin and destination before you travel.
Where to stay
Lodging in Moreno Valley is concentrated along the Sunnymead Boulevard and Elder Avenue corridors, with a handful of chain and independent properties serving both interstate travellers and business visitors. Among them you'll find the Best Western Moreno Hotel & Suites on Elder Avenue and Hotel XOLA, part of the Trademark Collection, on Sunnymead Boulevard. If you want a fuller set of amenities, the Hampton Inn & Suites on Memorial Way offers rooms and suites with free internet, flat-screen televisions, and a large work space. The hotel also provides free parking, a free hot breakfast, a pool, and a fitness center. Check-in is at 3PM and check-out at noon.Food & drink
The source material for Moreno Valley offers no listings for eating or drinking, so there is nothing to describe here.What to see and do
The source material for Moreno Valley offers no listings for sights or activities, so there is nothing to describe here without inventing places that do not appear in the guide.Three days in Moreno Valley
Day one: Start in Moreno Valley itself, getting your bearings in the Inland Empire city at the heart of Riverside County. Anchor your morning at Moreno Valley Mall, then head to the Sunnymead Ranch area for a sense of the city's residential character. In the afternoon, use the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) to reach Riverside, where you can explore the UCR area and the city's downtown. If you have time before evening, stop by Moreno Valley College or the RUHS Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente corridor along Alessandro, then return to Moreno Valley for the night.
Day two: Head west toward Los Angeles or south toward Orange County, both within reach of Moreno Valley via Interstate routes. Alternatively, stay closer and explore March ARB and the March Field Metrolink Station, which connect the area to the wider region. In the afternoon, consider a trip to Riverside's Magnolia and Elizabeth areas, or continue to San Bernardino for a change of scene. Use the RTA or Metrolink to move between stops, and plan your return through the Perris Station Transit Center if your route takes you south.
Day three: Take a day trip east toward Palm Springs, Beaumont, or Banning, or head to the MSJC San Jacinto campus area for a quieter pace. If you prefer to stay local, visit the Mead Valley Community Center or the Corporate Centre Place area in Moreno Valley. For a final taste of the region, loop back through Riverside and the UCR neighbourhood before returning to Moreno Valley. Rail and RTA services make it possible to link these stops without a car, though schedules vary, so check times in advance.