Colton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, part of the Inland Empire and a suburb of San Bernardino, about 4 miles south of downtown. Nicknamed “Hub City,” it had a population of 53,909 in 2020. Colton is known for Colton Crossing, once one of the busiest at-grade railroad crossings in the U.S., replaced in 2013 by a fly-over to ease congestion caused by increased freight traffic. While freight trains pass through, Colton does not have passenger rail service.
Historically, the area was home to the Tongva, Serrano, and Cahuilla peoples, with the Tongva village of Homhoangna located near modern Colton. During the Spanish and Mexican periods, the Mission San Gabriel established a settlement called Politana in 1810. By 1840, Colton was part of the Jurupa and San Bernardino ranchos. The southwest area, known as Agua Mansa, was settled by New Mexico pioneers in 1842, and the Cooley Ranch area was historically Called Indian Knolls, where local Indigenous people took refuge during the 1862 flood.









