Why West Riverside?

One of the most common questions I get asked about Jurupa history is why our area became known as West Riverside? It is more north of Riverside than west and it was here before Riverside. First, lets deal with the "west" part. If you look at a map of the area and consider where downtown Riverside is, the Rubidoux area across the river is more towards the west than the north, due to the course of the Santa Ana River through that area.

A subdivision map called the "Map of West Riverside" was created in the late 1880s. It consisted of lots of 5 to 20 acres in size. Using today’s landmarks, this area stretched from approximately the intersection of Rubidoux Boulevard and 20^th Street southwest to the southern terminus of Opal Avenue (later Opal Street).  Both Opal Avenue and Pacific Avenue, which exist today, are named on the map.

Riverside was the "big city" in the area at that point in time while the other side of the river, our side, was rural. All developers worth their salt will try to attach their subdivision to the most well known place in the area, and so we got West Riverside.