History of Corona

Corona, founded at the height of the Southern California citrus boom in 1886, is advantageously situated at the upper end of the Santa Ana River Canyon, the only significant pass through the Santa Ana Mountains. The town of Corona once laid claim to the title "Lemon Capital of the World." A museum there presents the lemon's former role in the local economy. The city derived its name (and its nickname, The Circle City) from the curious layout of its streets, with a standard grid enclosed by the circular Grand Boulevard. The street layout was designed by Hiram Clay Kellogg, a civil engineer from Anaheim who was an influential figure in the early development of Orange County. Also, the renowned circular Grand Boulevard is where three international road racing events took place in 1913, 1914 and 1916. Corona was also home to the Corona road race, a Grand Prix race in the early 20th century.

In more recent years it has been known as the Gateway to the Inland Empire. Prior to the 1980s, Corona was a largely agricultural community, dominated by citrus orchards, ranches, and dairy farms. Sky-high real estate prices in Los Angeles and Orange counties made the area's land desirable to developers and industrialists, and by the late 1990s it was considered a major suburb of Los Angeles.

In recent years, Corona has become a bedroom community for Orange County and the larger cities of the Inland Empire. The development of commerce and industry in the city has been accelerated by congestion on the Riverside Freeway, with many firms leaving northern Orange County to be closer to their employees' homes in Corona and Riverside.

The construction of the Chino Valley Freeway nearby has also linked Corona to the Pomona and San Gabriel valleys, with the result that the once largely white city has experienced an influx of Asian American residents who commute to Asian-oriented businesses in cities such as Alhambra and Diamond Bar.