Yucaipa (Serrano: Yukaipa't) is a city located east of San Bernardino, in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 54,542 at the 2020 census, up from 51,367 at the 2010 census. Yucaipa has the distinction of being the longtime home to a large population of Serrano Native Americans.
History
Prior to the Spanish colonization of the Americas and the arrival of European settlers from Mexico, the Yucaipa Valley was known as Yukaipa't, which meant "green valley" in the Serrano American Language. The land was home to the Serrano Native Americans for thousands of years. Today, some of their descendants are enrolled in the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.
Yucaipa Rancheria
Yucaipa Valley supported a large population of Serrano Native Americans. The fertile valley was watered by springs and creeks running out of the San Bernardino Mountains. The Serrano Americans lived in this location most of the year, but would make excursions into the mountains to gather acorns and other food items during their harvest season. The Rancheria is marked by California Historical Landmark #620.
Yucaipa Adobe
Near the Rancheria is the Yucaipa Adobe, which is believed to be the oldest house in San Bernardino County. Diego Sepúlveda, nephew of Antonio María Lugo, built the Adobe in 1842 on land that was part of the Rancho San Bernardino granted in 1842 to the Lugos. It had formerly been land controlled by San Gabriel Mission. The Rancho suffered losses of cattle and horses from raids by Native Americans coming through Cajon Pass and Banning Pass from the deserts. Eventually, they sold the Rancho to Mormon settlers in September 1851. The Adobe's later owners included John Brown Sr., James W. Waters, and the Dunlap family; it was acquired by San Bernardino County in 1955. The site is marked by California Historical Landmark #528.
The nearby Oak Glen area is best known for its apple orchards, some of which are operated by the direct descendants of the original founders (the Parrish, Wilshire, Rivers, and Law families). The Parrish Pioneer Ranch and orchard were founded by Enoch Parrish in 1876, with the other families coming into the area later.
21st century
At 1:53 p.m. on June 16, 2005, Yucaipa experienced a 4.9 Mw earthquake that was centered four miles (6 km) north of the center of town. It had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong) and was felt from downtown Los Angeles to some areas of San Diego. Three people were injured.
In 2016, Yucaipa broke ground on a multipurpose performing arts center on the corner of Acacia Avenue and California Street. Sitting on in the heart of uptown, the venue hosts a variety of events, including community theater, open-air concerts, dance, and other arts-related events. The performing arts center officially opened in Spring 2019.
Geography
Yucaipa is located in southern California, approximately east of Los Angeles. The city is approximately above sea level and is bordered by Redlands to its east and Calimesa to its west. The unincorporated communities of Cherry Valley, Mentone and East Highlands collectively account for Yucaipa's northernmost outskirts.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , with 0.04 percent being water.
Parks
Yucaipa is home to Yucaipa Regional Park, Flag Hill Veterans Memorial Park, Seventh Street Park, "I" Street Park, and Wildwood Park. Recently added was the Yucaipa Community Park, the Bryant Glen Sports Complex, the Rick McCowan Regional Soccer Complex, as well as the newly established Wildwood Canyon State Park.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Yucaipa has a Mediterranean climate, abbreviated Csa on climate maps.
Demographics
2010
At the 2010 census Yucaipa had a population of 51,367. The population density was . The racial makeup of Yucaipa was 40,824 (79.5%) White (65.9% Non-Hispanic White), 837 (1.6%) African American, 485 (0.9%) Native American, 1,431 (2.8%) Asian, 74 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 5,589 (10.9%) from other races, and 2,127 (4.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13,943 persons (27.1%).
The census reported that 50,813 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 227 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 327 (0.6%) were institutionalized.