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'Rancho Cucamonga' is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 127,743. By July 1, 2002 Census the fast-growing city's population had reached 143,711. By early 2006, the city's estimated population had reached over 170,000 people^[6].
Dr. Donald J. Kurth was elected as mayor on November 7, 2006. Jack Lam is the city manager.
The city was incorporated in 1977, as a result of a merger among the unincorporated communities of Alta Loma, Cucamonga, and Etiwanda.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Rancho Cucamonga's Population History

Transportation

Education

The name "Cucamonga"

Cucamonga in myth and media

Notable residents

References

External links

Geography

Rancho Cucamonga is located at (34.123345, -117.579404), or about 39 miles east of Los Angeles. [1]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 97.0 km² (37.5 mi²). 97.0 km² (37.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.03% is water.
Rancho Cucamonga is the conjunction of the Mojave Trail, the Old Spanish Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, U.S. Route 66 (signed as Foothill Boulevard), and El Camino Real.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 127,743 people, 40,863 households, and 31,832 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,317.0/km² (3,411.4/mi²). There were 42,134 housing units at an average density of 434.4/km² (1,125.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 66.53% White, 7.87% African American, 0.67% Native American, 5.99% Asian, 0.27% Pacific Islander, 13.25% from other races, and 5.41% from a biracial or multiracial background. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.78% of the population.
Rancho Cucamonga is fast becoming a racially diverse community and is a major real estate destination for upper-middle-class African Americans, Hispanics and Asian Americans. Some housing tracts and gated communities tend to be more homogenous in terms of race and ethnicity. Residents are more similar in terms of income, education and occupation, since Rancho Cucamonga is considered one of the most affluent cities in the Inland Empire.
There are 40,863 households, of which 44.7% have children under the age of 18. 60.2% of households consist of a married couple living together. 12.8% have a female householder with no husband present. 22.1% were non-families. 16.8% of all households are single-person and 4.1% have a person of 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.44.
In the city, the population spread is as follows: 29.9% are under the age of 18, 9.9% are from 18 to 24, 33.2% are from 25 to 44, 21.0% are from 45 to 64, and 6.1% are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $62,931, rivaling that of nearby Orange County, and the median income for a family was $70,640 (May, 2005). Males had a median income of $47,363 versus $32,113 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,702. About 4.9% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Rancho Cucamonga's Population History

★ 1950 - 1,255
★

★ 1960 - N/A

★ 1970 - 5,796
★

★ 1980 - 55,250

★ 1990 - 101,409

★ 2000 - 127,743
(
★ ): Population Figures for 1950 and 1970 were for the Cucamonga portion of the city only and the figures were tabulated prior to incorporation in 1977. The 1960 census data was not available
''Source: U.S. Census Bureau''

Transportation

Rancho Cucamonga is served by Omnitrans Bus Service, Metrolink Train Service, and nearby Ontario International Airport. Interstate 15 and the relatively new 210 freeway extension run through Rancho Cucamonga as well as the historic Route 66.

Education

Rancho Cucamonga has multiple K-12 schools districts within its borders. Alta Loma School District, Central School District, Cucamonga School District, Etiwanda School District, and Chaffey Joint Union High School District. In addition to these schools, Rancho Cucamonga is the home to Chaffey College and satellite campus of the University of La Verne, [University of Redlands]], Everest College, and The University of Phoenix, as well as the automotive trade school, Universal Technical Institute.

The name "Cucamonga"

"Cucamonga" comes from a Tongva place name (perhaps pronounced [kukɑ'mʌŋnɑ]) that probably means "sandy place", although Vera Rocha, Chief of the Shoshone Gabrielino branch, has stated that the meaning is "Place of the villages where the waters come out". Cuc or Kuc = come, come from or come to. Amo = water, wet, spring and Nanga = place of a village. An alternate theory, that it means "light over the mountain", is almost certainly a fanciful invention, since the "-nga" (or "-ngna") place name ending is found in many other Tongva-derived place names in the region.
"Cucamonga" has always been recognized as a funny-sounding place name, among such exotic places as Timbuktu and Bora Bora. One of the catch-phrases of the radio show "The Jack Benny Program" involved a train announcer (Mel Blanc) who said over the loudspeaker, "Train now leaving on track five for Anaheim, Azusa, and Cuc... amonga," taking progressively longer pauses between "Cuc" and "amonga." Part of the joke, for the Los Angeles audience, was that no such train route existed. As a tribute to this 'publicity', the city of Rancho Cucamonga built its minor-league baseball stadium on Jack Benny Way, and erected a bronze statue of the TV host outside of the building's entrance (Coincidentally, Jack Benny Way intersects with Rochester Avenue, which is not named for the character portrayed by Eddie Anderson on "The Jack Benny Program", but was named in 1889 after the hometown of three investors, all of whom were brothers from Rochester, New York). In one of his many popular media crossovers, Blanc used that same catch phrase in Daffy Duck's voice in the 1948 ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon "Daffy Duck Slept Here" and later in ''Bugs Bunny's'' voice in a 1960s ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon.

Cucamonga in myth and media

★ In the movie ''Fletch Lives,'' Fletch, played by actor Chevy Chase, claims to a Ku Klux Klan leader that he is from the "Cucamonga Klan" from California.

★ In the movie ''Next Friday'' the setting is, and was partly filmed in, Rancho Cucamonga.

★ An ABC television movie comedy ''Camp Cucamonga'' (1990), presumably takes place in a summer camp in Rancho Cucamonga's forested area in the San Bernardino National Forest. The current city limits barely extend into the forested regions of the foothills, and large parts of Cucamonga Peak north of the city lie in a wilderness area.

★ The musical comedy team of Homer and Jethro had a Grammy-winning hit in 1959 with their single "The Battle of Kookamonga", a parody of Johnny Horton's hit "The Battle of New Orleans".

★ A fictional Johnny Carson character named Floyd R. Turbo said he was from Cucamonga, California.

★ "Pride of Cucamonga", a wine produced by the Joseph Filippi Winery in Rancho Cucamonga, was used as the title of a song by the Grateful Dead.

★ The city hosts the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League.

★ Comedian Jamie Kennedy performed a skit for his hidden camera show ''The Jamie Kennedy Experiment'' in which he pranked everyone at the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Stadium into singing multiple verses of the national anthem.

★ Hometown to pop punk band Rufio, O-Town boy band member Trevor Penick, as well as ''American Idol: Season 3'' finalist Matthew Rogers.

★ Rancho Cucamonga was in a comedic skit on an episode of ''MADtv.''

★ Musician Frank Zappa built his famous Studio Z recording studio in Cucamonga and made the city his part-time residence for much of the '60s and '70s. ("Cucamonga" is also the name of a long-lived radio show on Radio 1, Belgium, as an obscure reference to Frank Zappa.)

★ Rancho Cucamonga was mentioned in a 2006 Dr Pepper commercial.

★ Pitfall Harry (voiced by Bruce Campbell) claimed to be from Cucamonga, California in for the PlayStation.

★ Rapper Juelz Santana has a line in his song, ''I Am Crack'' from his 2005 album ''What the Game's Been Missing!'' that goes: "I'll jam, move and slump 'ya. Leave 'ya body in Rancho Cucamonga with ants movin' unda."

★ Cucamonga is part of the Jan and Dean song titled, ''Anaheim, Azusa & Cucamonga Sewing Circle, Book Review and Timing Association'' which was released as Liberty 55724 in 1964 and eventually reached #77 on the Billboard Chart. The A-side of the single, ''Ride the Wild Surf'' reached Billboard's #16. Both songs were arranged and produced by Jan Berry.

★ In an episode of "The Office" Steve Carell tries to entertain a child during bring your daughter to work day. Blowing a train whistle, he paraphrases the Jack Benny joke, "next stop Cuc-amonga".

★ In an episode of ''The Simpsons'', Krusty the Clown mentioned Cucamonga, along with Walla Walla, Seattle, and Keokuk as funny place names.

★ In an early ''Sesame Street'' sketch, Cookie Monster tries to fool Ernie by claiming that Ernie has a dread disease called "Cucamongaphobia."

★ In the 1995 movie ''A Kid in King Arthur's Court'', King Arthur exiles the villain to Cucamonga at the recommendation of Calvin Fuller.

★ Lou Costello (Abbott and Costello) states that he once played with "the Cucamonga Wildcats" during a 1947 performance of "Who's on First?"

★ It is mentioned in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Notable residents

★ Matthew Atherton, who won first place on the first season of Stan Lee's reality television show ''Who Wants to Be a Superhero?'', lives in Rancho Cucamonga.

★ Nehemiah Clark from ''The Real World'' (Austin) was also born and raised here.

★ Oz Fox, lead guitarist for the Christian heavy metal band Stryper lives in Rancho Cucamonga.

★ Michael Alan Johnson, American child actor from Disney Channel's ''Mike's Super Short Show'', is from here.

★ World-renowned woodworker Sam Maloof, lives in Alta Loma. His work is featured in museums around the United States, including the Smithsonian Institution [2]. His home is a State of California historical landmark. During the construction of the 210 Foothill Freeway, Maloof's home was moved from the 210 freeway corridor to the top of Carnelian street, where the home is now a museum.

★ National Video Gaming Champion, Ottis Pittman, calls this city home. He holds the world record score on The House of the Dead according to Twin Galaxies and won a national tournament at GameWorks in Ontario claiming the $5,000 prize on October, 30th 1997. He also placed first in Konami's Dance Dance Revolution USA Internet Ranking in 2001.

★ Craig Traylor, the actor whom played Stevie on ''Malcolm in the Middle'', currently lives in Rancho Cucamonga.

★ Frank Zappa lived in Cucamonga. He also has an album named after the city: ''The Cucamonga Years.''

★ American Rapper Young Noble was born in Rancho Cucamonga.

★ Rollie Fingers, Ex-Major League Baseball player and Hall of Famer

★ Tom Brunansky, Ex-Major League Baseball player

References

1. Rancho Cucamonga - City Mayor
2. Incorporation Dates of California Cities
3. Rancho Cucamonga city, California - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder
4. USPS - ZIP Code Lookup - Find a ZIP+ 4 Code By City Results
5. Number Administration System - NPA and City/Town Search Results
6. Rancho Cucamonga Detailed Profile

External links

★ History of Rancho Cucamonga on official city web site

★ Rancho Cucamonga Library web site

★ The History of Casa de Rancho Cucamonga

★ Cucamonga School District

★ Rancho Cucamonga Chamber of Commerce

★ Omnitrans Bus Service

★ Metrolink Train Service