Fontana dates to 1913, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 20% of U.S. towns · #482 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Fontana was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Its Register listings are the Fontana Farms Company Ranch House, Camp No. 1 and the Bono's Restaurant and Deli. Below: 21 old photos and papers, maps from 1896 on, and the census since 1960.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1888.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Fontana’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Fontana is more historic than 20% of U.S. towns, #482 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Fontana’s overall grade.
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Fontana ranks #345 on History.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Fontana’s 0.1 sits near the middle of its state (63% of California towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
Newer cities are common at Fontana’s size: in the typical U.S. city of 100,000 or more, 5% of homes predate 1940.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share (±0.3 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1913.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Fontana’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fontana, formerly Rosena from 1890 to 1919, was founded in 1919 by Azariel Blanchard Miller. The name fontana is Italian for fountain or water source; the city is close to the Santa Ana River to the east. Within a few years, it became an agricultural town of citrus orchards, vineyards and chicken ranches and astride U.S. Route 66 (now known as Foothill Boulevard). The Fontana area was radically transformed during World War II when Henry J. Kaiser built the Kaiser Steel plant just outside the city limits. At the time, it was one of only two steel mills west of the Mississippi River. To provide for the plant workers' health needs, Henry J. Kaiser constructed the Fontana Kaiser Permanente medical facility, now the largest managed care organization in the United States.
In 1913, according to Wikidata. Fontana’s post office opened in 1888, and the census of 1960 counted 14,659 people here.
How does Fontana rank for history?
Fontana is more historic than 20% of U.S. towns, #482 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Fontana?
Two places: the Fontana Farms Company Ranch House, Camp No. 1 (listed 1982) and the Bono's Restaurant and Deli (2008).
How old are the homes in Fontana?
1% of Fontana’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1989.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (2), the Library of Congress (20), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1990
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2007
