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Corona, California

"Circle City"

Named for its circular Grand Boulevard, Corona sits at the gateway between the Inland Empire and coastal Orange County through the Santa Ana Mountains.

Founded 1886 | Population 163,635 | Peak 163,635 (2024) | County Riverside County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Corona, California

1

1886 City Founded: The South Riverside Land and Water Company founded Corona and laid out Grand Boulevard in a perfect circle — unique in California.

2

1913 Corona Road Race: The circular Grand Boulevard hosted one of America's first auto races, predating Indianapolis.

3

1920 Citrus Capital: Corona became one of the top lemon-producing areas in the world during the Southern California citrus boom.

4

1990 Suburban Boom: Corona's population tripled as commuters seeking affordable housing flooded the Inland Empire.

5

2020 COVID Irony: A city named Corona gained worldwide attention during the coronavirus pandemic, though there was no connection.

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Complete Historical Timeline

1886 Government

Founded with circular boulevard

1896 Government

Incorporated

1913 Sports

Auto race on Grand Boulevard

1920 Industry

Citrus industry peaks

1990 Government

Population triples as IE booms

2020 Culture

COVID name confusion

2023 Government

Exceeds 163,000

Did You Know?

1

Grand Boulevard in Corona is a perfect 3-mile circle — one of the few circular streets of its kind in the country.

2

Corona's 1913 road race on Grand Boulevard was one of the earliest automobile races in American history.

3

The city's name means 'crown' in Spanish — and had nothing to do with a certain virus that made headlines in 2020.

Famous People from Corona, California

TH

Tyler Hoechlin

Actor, Television Actor · Born Sep 11, 1987 · Age 38

MP

Michael Parks

Actor, Singer · Born Apr 24, 1940 · Died May 9, 2017 (age 77)

KC

Ken Calvert

Politician, Business Executive · Born Jun 8, 1953 · Age 72

GW

Gary Webb

Journalist · Born Aug 31, 1955 · Died Dec 10, 2004 (age 49)

CF

Cirilo Flores

Lawyer, Catholic Priest · Born Jun 20, 1948 · Died Sep 6, 2014 (age 66)

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