City·San BernardinoCounty,CA
Fontana, California
A former steel town turned one of San Bernardino County’s largest cities: about 52 square miles (with its sphere of influence) along the I-10 and I-15, with its own Metrolink station and the Pacific Electric Trail.
Facts on this page are drawn from the sources listed at the end. Selling here? The seller pages cover every route.
At a glance
From this area’s own record. The sourced local orientation facts are in the orientation section and the sources at the end of the page.
Local orientation
Facts on this page are drawn from the sources listed at the end. What the place is like, in the city’s own description — not a map, not to scale.
What is Fontana like?
Fontana lies east of Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario in San Bernardino County, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles by the City’s own description. It incorporated on June 25, 1952, when it had fewer than 14,000 residents; the City now describes itself as home to more than 213,000 people and, with its sphere of influence, covering about 52.4 square miles. That growth is the story of the place: a citrus and poultry settlement chosen in 1942 as the site of the Kaiser Steel mill, which shaped the city for four decades before closing in 1984 (part of the site continues as California Steel Industries), followed by decades of residential and logistics development.
The city is long north-to-south. The older grid around Sierra Avenue near the I-10 holds the mid-century core; north Fontana, between the I-210 and the foothills, is largely newer master-planned housing; south Fontana, toward the I-10/I-15 interchange and Jurupa Valley, mixes housing with warehousing and distribution. The Pacific Electric Trail, a rail-to-trail path, runs across the city and is one of its best-known recreation assets.
Local orientation facts (sourced)
- County: San Bernardino County; about 50 miles east of Los Angeles (City of Fontana).
- Incorporated: June 25, 1952, with a population of 13,695 at the time (City of Fontana).
- Area: about 52.4 square miles including the sphere of influence (City of Fontana).
- Population: “more than 213,000” residents (City of Fontana).
- History: Kaiser Steel mill sited in 1942, closed in 1984; the plate and rolling mill continues as California Steel (City of Fontana history).
- Rail and bus: Metrolink Fontana station (San Bernardino Line); Omnitrans.
- Freeways: I-10, I-15 and SR-210.
- Recreation: Pacific Electric Trail (City of Fontana).
Every figure above is taken from the sources listed at the end of the page. We do not publish home prices, appreciation, days on market, school ratings or crime figures on area pages.
Two sides of the same city
For buyers, and for sellers
The same city, read from each side. Considerations to weigh — not rankings and not advice.
What should buyers understand about Fontana?
Location and access. Fontana sits on the I-10 and I-15 with the SR-210 across its north — the City describes all three as major trade routes, which is also why logistics is a large local employer. The Fontana Metrolink station on the San Bernardino Line gives a rail option toward Los Angeles; Omnitrans buses serve the city.
Housing variety. Broadly, the newest and largest tracts are in the north near the I-210, mid-century homes cluster around the historic core near Sierra Avenue and the I-10, and the south has a mix of established neighborhoods and industrial uses. Many north-Fontana neighborhoods have HOAs and community facilities district assessments; check the tax bill line items.
What to check. Proximity to freeway and rail corridors and to distribution centers (noise and truck traffic vary block by block), HOA and special-assessment costs in newer tracts, and the age of systems in the older core. Drive the specific street at different times of day before you decide.
The process is the same anywhere in California — financing first, then the search, an offer, inspection and appraisal, closing — and how buying works walks through it. Current listings are in the property search; requesting a showing there is a request, not a commitment.
What should sellers in Fontana consider?
Your comparison set is local to your part of the city. A north-Fontana tract home built in the 2000s and a 1950s home near the historic core sell to different buyers with different expectations. Price against recent sales in your own band, not the citywide picture.
New construction is a competitor. Where builders are still active nearby, a resale listing competes on lot, upgrades, location and a faster close; be candid about condition and consider whether repairs pay — do I need to make repairs before selling? has the short answer.
Route. A prepared listing suits a well-kept home in an established neighborhood; an as-is listing or a direct offer suits a home that needs work or an owner who cannot manage preparation from a distance.
Whichever way you lean, the same three pages apply: how a listing and a direct offer compare, what listing with us involves, and what a direct offer means. California disclosure duties apply in every city and under every route.
Property search
Homes for sale in Fontana, California
Current listings for Fontana, California live in the property search, which pulls availability and prices from the MLS through CRMLS. When the search opens, start with Fontana, California as your location and set the filters there; request a showing on any home — a request, not a commitment.
Start with Fontana, California when the CRMLS search opens. This page does not pre-filter the results and does not copy listings.
Last reviewed by Sapphire Realty: September 12, 2026. Reviewed by Alejandro (Alika) Castellon Jr., Broker-Associate (CA DRE #01964932). Facts on this page are taken from the sources listed; we do not publish home prices, appreciation, days on market, school ratings or crime figures on area pages.
- About the City of Fontana — City of Fontana (incorporation, area, location, freeways, Metrolink, Pacific Electric Trail, population)
- History — City of Fontana (1952 population, Kaiser Steel, California Steel)
- Fontana station — Metrolink
- Omnitrans — San Bernardino County bus service
- Photograph: “Fontana California Overview” by JWut89LA, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped, tone-adjusted)
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