Moreno Valley

Moreno Valley is a city in the Inland Empire of southern California, east of Riverside between the Box Springs Mountains and Lake Perris. It was formed in 1984 by joining the communities of Sunnymead, Edgemont and Moreno into one city.

The Cahuilla and Luiseño peoples lived in the valley before settlers came in the late 19th century. Citrus groves and grain fields were planted on the valley floor, and the town of Moreno was laid out in the 1880s by developers who hoped to bring water from the mountains. When the water project failed, much of the valley returned to dry farming of wheat and barley and to grazing. From the 1980s new housing tracts spread across the valley, and the city grew quickly as a suburb for people working in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Skechers runs its main North American distribution center in Moreno Valley, a large warehouse beside the freeway. Amazon and other retailers also have large warehouses in the logistics parks of the city, sorting goods that arrive at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The Box Springs Mountain Reserve, on the northern edge of the city, has trails up rocky slopes with views over the Inland Empire. Lake Perris State Recreation Area, to the south, has a reservoir of the State Water Project that holds water brought from northern California and is used for swimming, boating and fishing. The Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center, beside a lake park, holds events and classes. The Moreno Valley Mall, at the center of the city, holds department stores and a cinema.