Upland

Index to this page

• About Upland
• Weather
• Upland's Hotels
• Map of US 66 through Upland
• What to see and do on US66 in Upland

About Upland California

Facts, Trivia and useful information

Elevation: 1,237 ft (377 m). Population 79,040 (2024).
Time zone: Pacific (MST): UTC minus 8 hours. Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7).

Upland is the westernmost city located along Route 66 in San Bernardino County in southern California. It is part of the Inland Empire, a metropolitan area located just to the east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

A 1950s postcard looking north along N 2nd Ave. and 9th St., Upland CA (See the same view nowadays

The History of the city of Upland, California

For the early history of the area, read the History of Rancho Cucamonga because what is now Upland was an uninhabited part of that ranch until 1882.

In 1882 George Chaffey, a Canadian from Ontario bought more than 8,000 acres of land in the old Rancho Cucamonga -together with water rights from San Antonio Creek. He had previously formed the community of Etiwanda, to the east of Rancho Cucamonga.

He built a main road running north to south through the agricultural community and named it after the Greek mathematician, Euclid. He named the colony "Ontario" after his hometown.

What is now Upland was a part of the Ontario colony, lying along its northern section. It had been developed by the Bedford Brothers, who had named it "Magnolia;" in 1887 the Santa Fe Railroad built a depot there.

Ontario incorporated in 1891 and in 1901, North Ontario decided to incorporate too. The process was decided by the San Bernardino County in 1906, who also adopted the name of Upland for the new city.

The USGS survey along the Santa Fe railroad of 1915 says the following: "At Upland station the railway passes 2 miles north of Ontario, a city on the Southern Pacific Railroad, surrounded by wide areas of orange groves and other products of irrigation. Four miles to the northwest is the mouth of San Antonio Canyon, one of the large canyons in the San Gabriel Mountains, which furnishes considerable water for irrigation. On the plain its bed spreads into half a dozen irregular washes, which are crossed by the train between Upland and Claremont. From the gravel and sand under this plain a large amount of water is pumped for irrigation..."

The National Old Trails highway was aligned along Foothill Blvd in the 1910s, it became the roadway for U.S. Highway 66 when it was created in 1926.
sIn recent years, the urban sprawl of LA has expanded and the fields have been developed. Many old Route 66 classics have been razed and replaced with malls or housing developments.

During the 1950s, the LA freeway system grew and diverted traffic away from Route 66 which was replaced here in 1964 as a major highway by the freeways; traffic along Foothill Blvd. dwindled.

Accommodation in Upland

You can find your room close to Upland in neighboring Rancho Cucamonga.

> > Book your Hotel nearby in Rancho Cucamonga

More Lodging near Upland along Route 66

Below you will find a list some of the towns along Route 66 east and west of Upland; click on any of the links to find your hotel in these towns.

The Weather in Upland

Location of Upland on Route 66

The weather in Upland is warm Mediterranean (Continental Mediterranean climate), which is semi-arid, it has hot and dry summers with cool - chilly winters.

The town has on average, 287 sunny days per year and the strong dry - hot Santa Ana wind blows through Cajon Pass during autumn (fall) drying out the area and increasing the risk of wildfires the foothill communities.

During winter, the average high is (Jan) 68°F (20°C) and the average low is 43°F (6°C). For summer the average high is 90°F (32°C) and the average low is 62°F (17°C).

Rainfall averages 17.3 in. per year (440 mm), with the period May to September being the driest one with less than 0.2 in. monthly (5 mm). During winter, snow can be seen on the San Gabriel Mountains, but it does not snow along Route 66.

Tornado risk

As Upland is located very far from the Rocky Montains (western limit for tornados), there is no risk of tornados in this area.

Tornado Risk: read more about Tornado Risk along Route66.

Map of Route 66 in Upland

>> Custom map of Route 66 through Upland.

National Old Trails Highway (N.O.T.)

By the 1910s, use of cars on the roads in California had grown considerably and the National Old Trails (N.O.T.) Association had advanced with their project for a highway linking Los Angeles and New York. This road followed the Santa Fe railroad tracks from California into Arizona and New Mexico. It was aligned along Foothill Blvd. in Upland.

The 1912 map by the Automobile Club of Southern California's map shows the N.O.T. road running west of Cucamonga and then going through Uplands -written with a final "S", 44 mi. from Los Angeles, from there it crossed the county line and reached Claremont (38 mi. from LA).

Route 66

In 1926, the N.O.T. road was incorporated into the brand new U.S. Highway 66. The road was slowly widened and improved. The map below was published one year later (1927) and you can follow Route 66 from Victorville through Cajon, San Bernardino and west into Los Angeles; Upland appears in the map.

1927 Road map, SW CA
Click on image to enlarge.
Credits

1956 Shell Roadmap, SW CA
Click on image to enlarge.
Credits

Detail 1930 roadmap
Click on image to enlarge.
Full map

The thumbnail map shows the alignment of Route 66 from Victorville to Los Angeles, you can see Ontario and Claremont, but it does not show Upland.

The map further up shows the same area in 1956; a freeway now links Victorville with Cajon and San Bernardino with Los Angeles.

In the 1950s, the freeway system in LA would start to divert traffic away from Route 66. In 1964, Route 66 was replaced by the freeway and traffic along Foothill Blvd. dwindled.
In 1964 the western terminus of Route 66 was formally moved from Santa Monica to Needles CA; however, only the highways up to Pasadena were decertified, the remaining ones remained signed as Route 66 until I-40 was completed between Barstow and Needles in the early 1970s, bypassing the cities along Foothill Blvd.

Sights and Attractions in Upland, California

Historic Context for Route 66 in Upland

The "Guide to the Golden State" written by the WPA and published in 1939, described the town as follows:

UPLAND, 17 m. (1,210 alt., 4,713 pop.), is a citrus-packing community with nine fruit-packing plants, surrounded by 6,000 acres of oranges and lemons WPA (1939)

The 1940s Caltrans road map shows Route 66 running across Upland from east to west as Foothill Blvd. with Olive located on the northern side of the city, on Highland Bvd. and Euclid Avenue running south through Ontario and beyond, past Chino. They were all separate towns at that time surrounded by rural areas.

In 1946, Jack DeVere Rittenhouse rode the whole of Route 66 and wrote "A Guide Book to Highway 66". In it he pointed out that the towns in this area "... are so close together as to be practically indistinguishable from each other..." his comment about Upland is brief: "Through Cucamonga at 329 mi., UPLAND at 332 mi and CLAREMONT at 334 mi."

Upland and its Route 66 attractions

Driving westwards from Rancho Cucamonga the highway enters Upland after skirting the southern flank of Red Hill, site of Tapia's fortified adobe ranch house, built in 1839. Foothill straightens and runs with an east to west course across Upland. The view, towards the north is great, you can see the San Gabriel Mountains and the outstanding peak of Mount Cucamonga, which has an altitude of 8,911 ft. (2.718 m). These mountains are covered in snow during winter.

As you drive west from along Foothill Blvd. To your right, at 1317 E. Foothill Blvd. is the best neon sign in town.

Taco King Neon Sign

Taco King neon sign, Upland. Click for St. view

Americana & neon signs

It is a colorful neon sign depicting a Mexican character with a serape, and a typical sombrero leaning on a saguaro cactus. The building dates back to 1959 as Taka Taco. The previous business here had been Jim and Mary Corbin's "House of 19" that sold tacos, burgers and ice cream; everything went for 19 cents. In 1975 its name changed to Taco King. Luis and Maria Horta bought the business in 1992 and restored the old neon sign, they retired in 2021.

The Noble Drive In (gone)

The Noble Drive In, Upland. Source

At 1171 E Foothill it offered "Grinder's - Eat the Noblest Sandwich of All... 10 different varieties on a foot long bread. Baked fresh hourly on the premises... Your choice of: baked ham - Ham - Meat Balls - Italian Sausage - Pastrami - Genova Salami - Cooked Salami - Capacolla - or Tuna... This Italian-American sandwich made its way to the region from the Northeastern states with the Italian migrants that settled here.

Trivia "Dr. Pimple Popper"

Dr. Sandra Lee, known as Dr. Pimple Popper, is famous for her YouTube, social media posts and her TV series Dr. Pimple Popper. She is a board-certified dermatologist. She lives in Upland and works at Skin Physicians & Surgeons at 859 E Foothill Blvd. Suite B; on Route 66!

The 1948-51 telephone directory lists many businesses along E Foothill Blvd-, all of them gone: Silvestro Coffee Shop, E Foothill & Grove Av.; Henry's Service Station, 1006 E 9th St. (and Foothill); Paul McIntosh Mobil Service, 711 E Foothill; Upland Motel, 673 E Foothill; Martinez A, Long Bar Cafe 662 E Foothill and his gas station at 658 E Foothill; and Joe's Chevron Service, 188 E Foothill.

Union 76 station (1950s)

A former Union 76 filling station has survived, repurposed, at 331 E Foothill (to your right). It has the long truncated triangle canopy typical of the mid 1950s. It can be seen in this 1959 aerial photograph; it is pictured below.

1950s Union 76 station Route 66, Upland. Click for St. view

1950s-styled McDonald's, Upland. Click for St. view

McDonald's retro-Golden Arches building

100 E Foothill Blvd. Upland, it isn't a genuine "oldie", but a modern building dating back to the early 2000s featuring the "Golden Arches" design of the 1950s.

The McDonald brothers Maurice and Richard, decided they needed an eye-catching building for their restaurant and in 1952 hired Stanley Clark Meston from Fontana to design one. The brothers wanted arches to be a part of the building, Richard believed it would make it stand out and draw customers.

The stylized yellow parabolic arches stood 25 ft. (7.6 m) tall, one on each side of the building. The "golden arches" had been born.

They were used in the new restaurants opened between May 1953 and the 1960s, when the arches were eliminated from buildings, but survive until this day in the logo, as part of the "M". Below is an example of an "original" golden arches building, pictured in 1953.

On the western side of Upland (1590 W Foothill) is a second McDonald's featuring the golden arches. It opened in 1995 and is a drive-thru without indoor seating.

One block west, to your right at the intersection of Euclid Ave. with Foothill Blvd. is the historic statue of the Madonna of the Trail:

Madonna of the Trail

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places

Madonna of the Trail statue, Upland. Click for St view

1100 Block of North Euclid Ave. at Foothill Blvd. This is one of 12 identicak monuments, one in each of the 12 states crossed by the National Old Trails (N.O.T.) highway. The California statue was dedicated in Upland on Feb. 1, 1929.

This statue is the work of sculptor Auguste Leimbach of St. Louis and it depicts a pioneer mother holding a baby with her left arm and a rifle with her right one. Another child clings to her. It is 10 foot-tall (3.05 m). The statue was cast in 12 identical monuments made from alagonite stone (a mixture of Missouri granite, crushed marble, Missouri granite cement and lead ore).

These monuments were commissioned by the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) and they stand as a symbol of the courage of the pioneer women who stood by their families and helped tame the West. The NSDAR established in 1911 a committe to promote and organize the highway that became the N.O.T. and later, in 1926, Route 66. There is another one on US 66: the Madonna of the Trail in Albuquerque NM.

Euclid Avenue

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places

Central Upland. See Map.

This avenue was planned by Chaffey, founder of Ontario and Upland, as the main road in the city, it runs north to south from San Antonio Heights to the south side of Ontario. When built in 1882, it was a 200-foot wide avenue with a central parkway, and an electric tramline running along it.

He named it after Euclid of Alexandria (325 BC - 265 BC), a Greek mathematician often referred to as the "father of geometry".
The Bridle Path, used for jogging and walking runs along the central parkway for 3 miles, north of Foothill Blvd.

Downtown Upland

Grove Theater

Before continuing west along Route 66 take a detour into the Old Town of Upland to visit the Grove Theater:

At 276 E 9th St., Upland, 1 mile southeast of Foothill Blvd. and Euclid Ave. (Map with directions).

This old movie theater is located in the Old Town Upland, and was built in 1947. It could seat 831 spectators in its single floor air-conditioned auditorium. Its main feature is a stylized tower with the name "Grove" written vertically on three of its sides.

It is still in operation after being renovated in 1990.

Head back to Route 66 at Euclid Ave., turn left and head west along Foothill Blvd. After 0.8 miles, on the NW corner with N. Mulberry Ave. you will spot another wacky Route 66 eye-catcher.

Giant Cup of Coffee

At 1013 W. Foothill Blvd. North side of the Road by the curb, is a steaming cup of coffee by the traffic. The coffee cup is located in front of a Starbucks coffee shop, so you can get your photo and sip your java at the same time.

Giant US66 coffee cup sign, Upland. Click for street view

The 1948-51 telephone directory listed more stops along West Foothill, and only one has survived: El Montecito Cafe listed as being on W Foothill but no number given. The others were: Felty Frances Restaurant, 1585 W Foothill; Richardson Mobile Service, 1775 W Foothill; Butler Lloyd E. W gas station and Lloyd's Café, Foothill & Central Av; Sage-Hen Coffee Shop W Foothill; and Baldy View Court, Clean-Modern Cabins, 1750 W Foothill.

Buffalo Inn - closed

Located at 1814 W. Foothill Blvd. There has been a restaurant at this site since 1929. It has operated under many names since then Buffalo Inn (1976-2015), the Green Frog (1974-75), Hazel's Tavern (1971-73), Ellis Tavern (1967-69), Ray's Place (1964), Roy and Kitty's Cafe (1954), and El Montecito Cafe (1945-51) which we found in the telephone directory.

The Rinard's who owned it, filed bankruptcy and closed it in 2015. They were burdened by unpaid county taxes and a civil lawsuit involving a former worker, Stephanie Gonzalez for sexual harassment and unpaid wages dating back to 2006.

The original inn was opened by acouple from Buffalo, New York in a lemon grove by Route 66.

"Violet Ray" gasoline was introduced in 1928 by the General Petroleum Co. It was tinted violet; they had two varieties: violet ray acid-free and General ethyl double-powered gasolines.

Continue your Road Trip

This marks the end of this leg of your journey. Continue your Route 66 Road Trip by heading west towards the next town along the highway: Upland.

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Credits

Banner image: Hackberry General Store, Hackberry, Arizona by Perla Eichenblat
A Guide to the Golden State, by the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration, Hastings House, New York, 1939.
Jack DeVere Rittenhouse, (1946). A Guide Book to Highway 66.

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