Chino Hills is a group of communities nestled in the beautiful hills that carry the same name. It's a town with a lot of history. It's a town where people and the government work together to solve problems and improve the standard of living. It's a community, where people know and care about each other.
When I brought my wife and two sons from Chicago to live Southern California in 1986, one of my goals was to find a place where I could raise my kids and give them roots. The same kind of roots I still value today from my childhood. I loved growing up in a town where I knew people and people knew me and where I could still go back after 40 years and say hi to old friends. I found that place in Chino Hills.
Government
We bought our home here in 1989, before the town became officially incorporated. It was still known as Chino Hills and had an estimated population of 15,000 to 20,000 people at that time. Since incorporating in 1991, it has grown to approximately 82,000 in population. We kind of grew up with the city. I still remember when Ed Graham, the father of one of my son's friends, knocked on our door and asked for our support as he was to run for the city's first city council. Ed still serves on the council today. Ed is typical of the type of government leader that we have here. We have a town where the government is approachable and where they listen to the community. Ed and Councilmember Gwynn Norton-Perry are original members from that first sitting council in 1991. They serve today with Mayor Peter Rogers and Councilmembers Bill Kruger and Art Bennett. Chino Hills rotates the duty of Mayor amongst the five City Council Members each year to spread out the work and responsibility and to save the city money.
The government in Chino Hills operated out of Spartan headquarters located near Grand Avenue and Chino Hills Parkway for over 15 years, but this year, has moved to a modern facility built on Peyton Avenue, south of Grand Avenue, near the new Shoppes at Chino Hills. The city employs about 190 people, most of who work in administrative, planning, finance, recreation, and public works. Chino Hills contracts with the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department for Police services and with the Chino Valley Independent Fire District for emergency services. The city is also served by the Chino Valley Unified School District (CVUSD).
Surroundings
The city is often referred to as "The Best Kept Secret in the Inland Empire" and for good reason. Honestly, I always thought that was my own saying until I saw it referred to that way in a newspaper article. Although it has grown tremendously, it is surrounded by nature. On the western and southern borders is the Chino Hills State Park, consisting of 13,000 acres, 31 miles long, and full of hills, valleys, and wildlife. My sons and I experienced the sighting of our first wild Tarantula during one of our frequent hikes in those hills when we moved here. There are deer, coyote, owls, raccoons, skunks, opossums, rabbits, reptiles, and even a few bobcats and mountain lions in the hills.
The hills provide a natural border from the hectic and fast paced lifestyle of Orange and Los Angeles Counties. On the eastern border of Chino Hills is a huge Army Corp of Engineer flood plain and Lake Prado that run along the route of the Santa Ana River. This flood plain looks like a giant forest and runs alongside the 4 lane, 71 Freeway.
At night, a drive from the 91 northbound into Chino Hills still gives the impression of being in the middle of nowhere. There is nature on both sides for miles around; all hills and rocks to the west, and a forest as far as you can see to the east.
The flood plain also serves as a natural nitrate cleanser and filters water flowing down from the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains into Orange County. The area contains a large hunting dog training facility, and archery and shooting ranges left over from the 1984 Olympics. On weekend mornings you can hear sportsmen shooting far off in the distance from where we live. There is also the Prado Regional Park with fishing, horseback riding, RV and camping hookups, and sports facilities. The park is always busy on weekends with locals and with visitors from out of town.
Airports & Transportation
The northeast and northern sections of Chino Hills are populated by the Cities of Chino, Ontario, and Pomona. Pomona is where the famous Los Angeles Country Fair is held each October. Ontario hosts a very large business community and is the home to the Ontario International Airport (ONT); only a fifteen-minute drive away. All three of these towns are urban, but with rich agricultural histories. Speaking of air transportation, Chino Hills is only 30 minutes away from John Wayne International Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana and 1 hour away from Los Angeles International (LAX). Chino also has a small civic airport only 5 minutes away from Chino Hills.
The main freeway through Chino Hills is the 71 which runs northwest along the entire eastern border of the city. The 71 feeds into the 60, the 10, or the 210 freeways, all of which lead into Los Angeles. About 4 miles to the south is the 91 & 241 Expressways which lead into Orange and south Orange County. It only takes about 30 minutes to get into Orange County if the traffic is good and about 45 minutes to get into Los Angeles.
Within the city, besides the 71, the main thoroughfares are Butterfield Ranch Road and Soquel Canyon in the southern portion of the city. The central & northern section of the City is divided by Chino Hills Parkway and Grand Avenue that both run somewhat east and west until they actually intersect and then Pipeline and Peyton Avenues which run north and south. There are three ways out of the city to the east, Grand, Chino Hills Parkway, and a scenic canyon route that many locals like to use, Carbon Canyon, which leads into northern Orange County.
Air Quality & Weather
There is always a debate about air quality in Southern California and Chino Hills is no different. However, my experience is that the unique geography in this area makes it very special and a great place to get away from the worst of the pollution (and most of the people I know around here agree with what I'm going to say).
In Southern California with all its mountain ranges, hills, and valleys, there are many "micro climates" that affect the air quality. It is generally agreed that the western-most towns nearest to the ocean, have the healthiest air quality, and that the foothill communities, those with mountainsides to the east or north have the worst air quality. This is due to a phenomena called "The Inversion Layer" and what it means is that as pollution builds up in the valleys, it tends to blow eastward (during spring, summer, and fall) and to build up at the base of the mountains. Inversion layers can be quite visible on many days and often block views of mountain ranges.
Chino Hills is separated from the LA and Orange County Basins by the Chino Hills and the Santa Ana Mountain Range. Almost every afternoon between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM, a breeze breaks through over those mountain ranges and it blows that inversion layer along with plenty of fresh air right through this town and into the plains of Riverside and San Bernardino. It doesn't seem dirty at all because it's mixed with plenty of fresh air and it has momentum. In fact it is very refreshing.
I can honestly say that I've never noticed the air in Chino Hills to be polluted at all. There have always been rumors about the "cow smell" in the City of Chino. That's because, up until about seven years ago, Chino contained one of the largest dairy preserves in the country, and except for a few months from November through January each year, the air blows inland and not towards Chino Hills. Cow smell has never been an issue for us. In fact, the preserve area is becoming very developed today with housing and commercial development.
Commercial Development
For the most part, Chino Hills is a residential community, however in the past 7 years commercial development has taken off. The biggest project, The Shoppes at Chino Hills, is now located on Grand Avenue near Peyton and opened in June, 2008. The Shoppes have brought in a number of large retail and restaurant tenants including the California Pizza Kitchen, P.F. Changs, Trader Joe's, Joseph A. Bank, Kay Jewelers, and many others who are anxious to cater to Chino Hills' wealthy population. Other retail developments include The Crossroads Entertainment Center, The Commons, and The Courts which include shopping and office space. A medical center is also being planned for 2009.
One thing for sure, residents want for nothing here. When we moved here in 1989, we had to drive for about eight miles to buy a gallon of milk and even further to take our kids to school, but today the city is highly developed and has all the amenities nearby.
Chino Hills Demographics and The People
I left this for last because it's the part that I am most proud of (I guess you can tell that I am proud of Chino Hills by now). I hate to start it this way but I must quote John Husing, an economist and expert on the Inland Empire...
"According to the 2000 Census, the median income (one-half of families above and below) of Chino Hills was $78,374. Amazingly, the Census found that the median income of Beverly Hills was just $70,945 and Laguna Beach was only $75,808. Not only was the income of Chino Hills much higher, so was its population: 76,401 versus 35,701 in Beverly Hills and 24,751 in Laguna Beach. So much for the downtrodden "909" image of the Inland Empire perpetuated by television and many of the coastal newspapers."
Of course, income is no measure of the quality of people in any city, but Chino Hills contains a great mix of people. We get along. We work together to make the city a better place. We are engaged and interested in the community. Things are changing fast but here is an overview of the basic demographics...
Chino Hills Population Demographics
- Estimated Population: 78,957
- Size: 46 Square Miles
- Housing Units: 22,827 & (875 multi-family)
- Median Household Income: $93,332
- Average Household Income: $106,825
- Average Household Size: 3.41
- Owner-Occupied: 85.13%
Racial Demographics
- White: 49.11%
- *Hispanic: 28.33%
- Asian: 27.66%
- African American: 6.12%
- Native American: 0.58%
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.17%
- Other: 1.15%
- Two or More: 5.20%
- Median Age: 32.44
- Over 1/3rd of the population is under age 18.
*Notes - 1.) The Federal Government determines how demographics will be reported in the census every 10 years. Consequently, information is not always comparable. For example, in the year 2000, people were given the option to check off more than one race. For detailed census data, visit www.factfinder.census.gov.
2.) People of Hispanic or Latino origin may include Mexican, Puerto Rican and Cuban.
Major Employers as of 2006
- Chino Valley Unified School District: 1,600
- Costco: 233
- Albertson's, Inc.: 216
- Boys Republic: 200
- City of Chino Hills: 190
- Lowe's: 180
- Best Buy: 140
- The Great Indoors: 110
- PMAC: 105
- Harkins Theatres: 105
- Chino Valley Independent Fire District: 100
- Big League Dreams Chino Hills: 90
- Stater Brothers: 84
- Vons: 75
- Henry's Marketplace: 70
- Aegis: 55
Note: Source for demographics: City of Chino Hills web site.
