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D−History
History · Grand Terrace

Grand Terrace was first counted by the census in 1970

More historic than 2% of U.S. towns · #838 of 847 in California. What drives it

Most of Grand Terrace was built recently: 0.2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978. Below: maps from 1896 on and the census since 1970.

1970first census
0on the National Register
0.2%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Jsmithwikigt · CC BY 3.0
Quick answers

How Grand Terrace began

When was Grand Terrace founded?

1970

Grand Terrace first appears in the census in 1970.

First census: 5,901 in 19702020 census: 13,15056 years

How historic is Grand Terrace?

D−

More historic than 2% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first census.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Grand Terrace’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Grand Terrace is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #838 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Grand Terrace’s overall grade.
Founding era1970, from the first census: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD−Homes built before 19400.2% of homes (±0.3) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%DNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical CA town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 2%
NewerOlder
California towns of 2,500+ (847)#838 of 847

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 Grand Terrace’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±0.3 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: the first census (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 Grand Terrace’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Grand Terrace are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18968 editions of the USGS map, 1896 to 1980. Watch Grand Terrace change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Grand Terrace’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Grand Terrace’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Grand Terrace on the map, 1896 to 1980

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Grand Terrace. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Grand Terrace on the 1896 USGS mapGrand Terrace on the 1901 USGS mapGrand Terrace on the 1938 USGS mapGrand Terrace on the 1943 USGS mapGrand Terrace on the 1954 USGS mapGrand Terrace on the 1967 USGS mapGrand Terrace on the 1973 USGS mapGrand Terrace on the 1980 USGS map1896San Bernardino sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Grand Terrace.

The story

How Grand Terrace came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Grand Terrace.

Read it all →

Grand Terrace's roots go back to Mexican land grants dating from the period between 1830 and 1840. Mormon settlers came shortly after, arriving in the San Bernardino Valley, during the 1850s. According to the Riverside Press, in 1876, there were nine buildings in the Terrace-Colton area. Originally, the area was simply referred to as "the Terrace", but the word "Grand" was added around 1898 due to the beautiful views which surround the city. In 1905, Seventh-day Adventists, whose medical university is now located in nearby Loma Linda, settled in the area. Grand Terrace, at the time known as "South Colton", experienced continued growth and development during the Southern California suburbia and sunbelt periods in the late half of the 20th century.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Grand Terrace, 1896 to 1988

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1896On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 20th century
  4. 1977Born hereKayle Leogrande is born here
  5. 1988Born hereBrad Sorensen is born here
By decade

Grand Terrace, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Views of2016Views ofSeal of2016Seal ofSunday Morning in San Timoteo Canyon, Redlands 3-20122012Sunday Morning in San Timoteo Canyon, Redlands 3-2012Grand Terrace, CA2007Grand Terrace, CA2008 Timecapsule Photos 071 (4x6)20072008 Timecapsule Photos 071 (4x6)I-215 northbound at Grand Terrace, CA city limits (2006)2006I-215 northbound at Grand Terrace, CA city limits (20…
People over time

Grand Terrace, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,00019802000202013,150

Grew from 5,901 people in 1970 to 13,150 in 2020.

6 censuses, 1970–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Grand Terrace’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Grand Terrace

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
B
Brad SorensenAmerican football player, quarterback · b. 1988
Kayle LeograndeRacing cyclist · b. 1977
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Colton1 historic placeB

Questions about Grand Terrace’s history

What year was Grand Terrace founded?

The Grand Terrace post office opened in 1970, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Grand Terrace rank for history?

Grand Terrace is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #838 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.

How old are the homes in Grand Terrace?

0.2% of Grand Terrace’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1978.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.