Rancho Cucamonga (ˌræntʃoʊ_kuːkəˈmʌŋɡə ) is a city located just south of the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest in San Bernardino County, California, United States. About east of Downtown Los Angeles, Rancho Cucamonga is the 28th most populous city in California. The city's seal, which centers on a cluster of grapes, alludes to the city's agricultural history including wine-making. The city's proximity to major transportation hubs, airports, and highways has attracted the business of several large corporations, including Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, Big Lots, Mercury Insurance Group, Southern California Edison, and Amphastar Pharmaceuticals.
The city had a population of 174,453 according to the 2020 United States Census. The city experiences an average of 287 sunny days per year, compared to a national average of 205 days. Its climate is classified as warm Mediterranean, or Csa, under the Köppen climate classification system.
In 2017, the California Department of Education announced that all four high schools were named California Gold Ribbon Schools.
The Jack Benny Program popularized the city's name, in particular the word "Cucamonga".
By 1200 AD, Kukamongan Native Americans had established a village settlement in the area around present-day Red Hill, near the city's western border, where Red Hill Country Club stands today. Kukamonga derives its name from a Tongva word meaning "sandy place." Anthropologists have determined that this cluster of settlers likely belonged to the Tongva people or Kich people, at one time one of the largest concentrations of Native American peoples on the North American continent. In the 18th century, following an expedition led by Gaspar de Portola, the land was incorporated into the Mission System established by Father Junipero Serra and his group of soldiers and Franciscan friars.
After a half century of political jockeying in the region, the land finally came under the control of Juan Bautista Alvarado, governor of Mexico.
