Fontana
Historic Kaiser Steel city and motorsports capital of the Inland Empire with North Fontana master-planned foothills and a Metrolink station on Orange Way
Why People Move Here
Fontana is the second-largest city in San Bernardino County (~220,836 residents) and the historic industrial heart of the Inland Empire. Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser opened the Kaiser Steel Mill here in 1942 — the first integrated steel mill on the West Coast, built to supply Liberty Ship plate during WWII — and the mill's 1983 closure reshaped the city's economic footprint. Today California Steel Industries still operates rolling mills on the former Kaiser site (West Coast's largest producer of flat-rolled steel and API pipe, $1.4B revenue). Fontana is also the Inland Empire's motorsports capital, home to the former Auto Club Speedway (now Speedway Commerce Center with ~90 acres retained for a proposed NASCAR short track). The city spans from industrial/logistics corridors along I-10 in the south to master-planned foothill neighborhoods in the north — Hunter's Ridge, Summit Heights, Sierra Lakes, Citrus Heights, and The Arboretum — where Etiwanda School District and Chaffey JUHSD (Niche A/A-) raise the schooling bar above FUSD. Median home prices are $591K-$625K (Zillow/Redfin Feb 2026, -3% to -6% YoY), with North Fontana new construction in the $685K-$720K range. Metrolink San Bernardino Line stops at Fontana station (Orange Way) with ~75-85 min service to LA Union Station, and Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center (9961 Sierra Ave) anchors regional healthcare with a 314-bed flagship hospital.
Key Statistics
Data sourced from census records, school district reports, and local transit authorities.
Commute Times
School Districts
Fontana Unified School District (K-12)
B-- 33,205 students across K-12; student-teacher ratio 20:1
- State test scores: 18% math proficient, 34% reading proficient
- Summit High School is the best-ranked FUSD high school (#403 in California; 51% AP participation)
- Jurupa Hills High School ranked #690 in California; 93% graduation rate (above CA 87% avg); Niche B
- Henry J. Kaiser High School named for the Kaiser Steel founder
- Fontana High School (flagship) — #988 in California; Niche B
Etiwanda School District (K-8) — north Fontana
A-- Serves parts of north Fontana (Summit Heights, Hunter's Ridge, parts of Sierra Lakes)
- 18 schools, 13,599 students — highest-rated K-8 district in the west-end/Fontana foothill corridor
- Feeds into Etiwanda High School (Chaffey JUHSD) for grades 9-12
Chaffey College — Fontana Campus
—- 50,000-sqft campus on 8 acres at 16855 Merrill Ave, Fontana 92335
- Satellite of Chaffey Community College District (Rancho Cucamonga main campus)
- Opened 1996; degree, certificate, and transfer programs
FAQ — Fontana
What is the commute from Fontana to downtown Los Angeles?
Driving from Fontana to downtown LA via I-10 is roughly 50-55 miles and takes about 55 minutes off-peak, climbing to 75-100+ minutes during rush hour. Metrolink's San Bernardino Line stops at Fontana station (16777 Orange Way) with a 75-85 minute trip to LA Union Station; parking is free (~309 spaces), with weekday plus limited weekend service. Note: several San Bernardino Line trains have been temporarily suspended since March 23, 2026 — verify the current schedule at metrolinktrains.com before committing.
What schools serve Fontana, CA?
Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) is the primary K-12 district, with 33,205 students and a 20:1 student-teacher ratio. Summit High School is FUSD's highest-ranked high school (#403 in California, 51% AP participation); Jurupa Hills High School holds a Niche B and a 93% graduation rate (above California's 87% average). Parts of North Fontana — including Hunter's Ridge, Summit Heights, and portions of Sierra Lakes and Citrus Heights — are served by Etiwanda School District (K-8, Niche A-) and Chaffey Joint Union High School District (9-12, Niche A — ranked #1 in San Bernardino County). Verify enrollment eligibility by address; district lines vary block by block in North Fontana and materially affect school ratings.
What is the housing market like in Fontana, CA?
As of February 2026, Redfin reports a median sale price of $625K in Fontana, down 6.0% year over year; Zillow reports a typical home value of $591,618, down 3.0% YoY, with homes going pending in about 12 days. North Fontana's master-planned foothill neighborhoods price higher — Citrus Heights new construction median is $685,990 and Sierra Lakes new construction median is $720,000 — while central and south Fontana price lower. Active builders include D.R. Horton, Trellis at The Arboretum, KB Home, and Lennar. Verify current listings on Redfin and Zillow before making decisions.
What is the Kaiser Steel and Auto Club Speedway history of Fontana?
Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser founded Kaiser Steel on December 1, 1941, and fired the first blast furnace on December 30, 1942, to supply plate for WWII Liberty and Victory ships built at Kaiser's Richmond, CA shipyards. The mill was the first integrated steelmaker on the West Coast and anchored Fontana's economy until it closed in December 1983. Much of the site became Auto Club Speedway, a 2-mile NASCAR oval that opened in 1997 and hosted Cup Series racing through 2023. NASCAR demolished most of the oval in 2023 with plans for a half-mile short track, but the redevelopment was paused in April 2025 due to the $300M build cost. NASCAR retains ~90 acres of the frontstretch; the rest has become Speedway Commerce Center warehousing. California Steel Industries still operates rolling mills on part of the former Kaiser site — the West Coast's largest flat-rolled steel producer at ~$1.4B revenue and 1,000 employees.
What healthcare and accessibility options are in Fontana?
Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center at 9961 Sierra Avenue is the flagship in-city hospital — a 314-bed facility with 24/7 emergency department, maternity services, cardiac surgery, and full specialty care that anchors Kaiser's Fontana service area. Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (Colton, ~15 min southeast) is San Bernardino County's Level II Trauma Center and safety-net teaching hospital. Loma Linda University Medical Center is ~20 minutes east for tertiary specialty care. Multiple urgent cares operate along Sierra Avenue, Foothill Boulevard, and the I-10 corridor.
What are the crime statistics in Fontana, CA?
Per NeighborhoodScout, Fontana's overall crime rate is 28.48 per 1,000 residents — approximately 30% below the national average. The violent crime rate is 3.464 per 1,000 (a 1-in-358 annual chance) and the property crime rate is 12 per 1,000 (1-in-81). Year over year, violent crime is down 11.7% and property crime is up 5.7%. Fontana's motor-vehicle theft rate ranks among the highest in the nation per FBI UCR analysis — a statistic tied to the I-10/I-15 warehousing and trucking corridor exposure. Verify current figures with the Fontana Police Department and FBI UCR.
What outdoor recreation is available in Fontana?
The Pacific Electric Inland Empire Trail is Fontana's primary multi-use corridor — a 21-mile paved rail-trail that runs through Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, and Rialto, with the Fontana segment passing through downtown. Jack Bulik Park at 16581 Filbert Avenue offers a multi-purpose rink, skate park (Action Park Alliance-managed), sports fields, and playgrounds. Martin Tudor Jurupa Hills Park at 11660 Sierra Avenue includes the Martin Tudor Splash Park. San Sevaine Park and Hunter's Ridge Park anchor far-north Fontana near the San Gabriel foothills. The city maintains over 40 parks, sports facilities, and community centers.
What is the downtown Fontana revitalization project?
Fontana's downtown revitalization centers on the Forge District, anchored by the Steelworkers' Auditorium (8437 Sierra Ave) — a state-of-the-art performing arts venue — and the $65M, 92,500-sqft Lewis Library and Technology Center (the largest library in San Bernardino County), which opened in April 2008 and includes a 330-seat auditorium, bookstore, and Bookmark Cafe. Miller Park and Center Stage Theater complete the plaza. Active phases include a new City Hall, new retail and restaurant pads, and entertainment and community gathering spaces. The monthly Fontana Car Show (first Friday March-September excluding June/July, 5-9 pm, free) draws crowds to the Civic Center Campus at 8353 Sierra Avenue.
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