San Bernardino, CA Road Trips

San Bernardino is the largest city of San Bernardino County. The 2000 census shows the population to be 185,401. Of this, 45.2% are white and 16.4% are African-American. 27.1% is cited as "some other race", the majority of which is most likely Hispanic. The city, along with its outlying areas, has a large Hispanic and Spanish-speaking population. 40.4% of the population speaks a language other than English at home. The closure of the Kaiser Steel facility in nearby Fontana in the 1980s and the closure of Norton Air Force Base in 1994 were cataclysmic to the economy of the city. Repeated attempts at downtown revitalization have been mostly unsuccessful. In 2012 the city declared bankruptcy in the wake of a stubborn economic decline. It only emerged from bankruptcy in 2017, making it one of the longest municipal bankruptcies in U.S. history. The city was further devastated by a mass shooting by two terrorists that took place in 2015. 14 people were killed, and 22 others were injured. San Bernardino features a hot summer Mediterranean climate. Most rain falls in the cooler winter months with hardly any in the summer months. Summer highs average around 96 °F (36 °C) with lows around 64 °F (18 °C). It is not uncommon for summer temperatures and heat indices to climb upwards to or exceeding 107 °F (42 °C) with lows not going below 71 °F (22 °C) on exceptionally hot days.

Downtown San Bernardino is definitely a neat place to check out. It has angled parking, festivals, stores, lower speed for vehicles, and street appeal, this place is a hit! It is a very lively core with all kinds of stuff to do and lots of parking despite not being shown. It incorporates beautiful, generous wall-to-wall structures and scenic landmarks. 1 Site of the first McDonald Brothers Hamburger Stand, 1398 North 'E' St (N 'E' St & 14th St), ☏ +1 909 885-6324. M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa Su 10AM-5PM. Location of the world's first McDonald's, now an unofficial museum. The original building no longer exists, but look for the huge red sign advertising 15-cent hamburgers which can't be purchased in the adjoining museum. 2 Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art, 5500 University Pkwy, ☏ +1 909 537 7373. (updated Jul 2021)

1 Happy Family Vegetarian Restaurant, 2150 South Waterman Ave (south of the I-10 freeway). It specializes in vegetarian and vegan meals, and is often packed. (updated Nov 2016) 2 Mitla Café, 602 N. Mt. Vernon Ave. (Along N Mt Vernon Ave just north 6th Ave), ☏ +1 909 888-0460. Tu-Th 9AM-2:30PM & 4:30PM-8PM; F 9AM-9PM; Sa Su 9AM-8PM. 3 Tempe House Spicy Food, 24984 3rd St. 11am-7pm. Closed Saturdays.. An unassuming Indonesian restaurant in a strip mall with excellent food. About $12 for a massive plate.. (updated Feb 2026)

1 Best Western Hospitality Lane, 294 E Hospitality Ln, ☏ +1 909 381-1681, fax: +1 909-888-5120. $105-160 (Doubles). 2 Days Inn, 1386 E. Highland Ave (E Highland Ave & Mountain Ave), ☏ +1 909 881-1702. 3 Econo Lodge, 606 N 'H' St (Along 'G' St between N 4th and W 5th St. Accessed from the 5th St exit from I-215 (Exit #44 & 44A)), ☏ +1 909 884-4488, fax: +1 909 884-4489. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. $65-70. 4 Motel 6 San Bernardino Downtown, 777 W 6th Ave (W 6th Ave & 'H' St, Next to Greyhound Station), ☏ +1 909 763-2561. 5 Motel 6 San Bernardino North, 1960 Ostrems Way (University Pkwy & I-215 at Exit #48), ☏ +1 909 887-8191, fax: +1 909-880-9231. 6 Motel 6 San Bernardino South, 111 West Redlands Blvd (W Redlands and S Club Way, accessed from Exit 73A from the eastbound lanes; and Exit 73 (Hospitality Ln) from the westbound lanes of I-10), ☏ +1 909 825-6666, fax: +1 909-872-1104. 7 Wigwam Motel, 2728 W. Foothill Blvd. (Route 66 at Rialto town line), ☏ +1-909-875-3005, fax: +1-909-421-0844. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Novelty motel established 1949 with each room as a free-standing concrete wigwam. Wi-fi, refrigerator, A/C, cable TV, telephone, outdoor pool, picnic area. $60-80.

1 San Bernardino International Airport (SBD IATA) (on the former Norton Air Force Base 3 mi (4.8 km) east of downtown San Bernardino). Commercial flights with Breeze Airways, from San Francisco to San Bernardino to begin May 2022 The next nearest airport for regular commercial flights to San Bernardino is the LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT IATA), 22 mi (35 km) west on I-10 and N Archibald Ave (Exit #55A). LA/Ontario is more compact, less crowded, has fewer delays, and usually cheaper and closer in than Los Angeles International Airport(LAX IATA) which is 76 mi (122 km) away. The next closest airports to San Bernardino are in Palm Springs (PSP IATA) which is 57 mi (92 km) east along I-10 and Santa Ana (SNA IATA) also 50 mi (80 km) southwest of San Bernardino along I-215 and CA Hwy 91 through Riverside and Corona. The MetroLink San Bernardino Line from the downtown Los Angeles Union Station (via Rialto and Fontana) and the Inland Empire-Orange County Line from Oceanside through Orange County and Riverside stop at 2 San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot at 1170 W 3rd St (second to last stop). The cost of tickets varies depending on how far you are traveling. Amtrak serves San Bernardino at the same location with the once daily Southwest Chief line between Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Grand Canyon (at Williams Jct) and Los Angeles and with the Amtrak Thruway Buses connecting San Bernardino to the Gold Runner line in Bakersfield.

The city is fairly navigable with I-210, I-10, I-215, and I-15 as the freeways in the city.