Murrieta, California
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| Murrieta, California | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Riverside |
| Area | |
| - Total | 28.4 sq mi (73.6 km²) |
| - Land | 28.4 sq mi (73.5 km²) |
| - Water | 0 sq mi (0.1 km²) |
| Elevation | 1,096 ft (334 m) |
| Population (2008) | |
| - Total | 100,173 |
| - Density | 1,559.2/sq mi (601.7/km²) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP codes | 92562-92564 |
| Area code(s) | 951 |
| FIPS code | 06-50076 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1667919 |
Murrieta is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 44,282 at the 2000 census. Population was estimated to be 100,173 in 2008, [1] making it one of the fastest growing cities in the state. Largely residential in character, Murrieta is considered a bedroom community, with large numbers of its residents commuting to jobs in San Diego and Orange counties, and the more industrialized neighboring city of Temecula to the south.
Murrieta is bordered by Temecula to the South and unincorporated areas on all other sides.
Murrieta should not be confused with Rancho Murieta, which is an unincorporated community in northern California, near Sacramento.
The city's current mayor as of December 4, 2007 is Rick Gibbs.
Contents |
[edit] History
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For most of its history, Murrieta was not heavily populated. Its gently rolling hills dotted with native trees such as the now-threatened Engelmann Oak provided the perfect setting for a Spaniard by the name of Juan Murrieta to bring his flocks of over 100,000 sheep to the valley in 1873.
It didn't take long for others to discover the natural beauty of the valley, especially with a train depot built in 1882 that connected Murrieta to Southern California Railroad's transcontinental route. By 1890, a full 800 people called Murrieta home.
It is rumored that Don Juan Murrieta used the natural hot springs to relax and bathe his sheep, and event