San Bernardino County history: Upland – Welcome to San Bernardino County

Upland was originally part of the Ontario Model Colony founded by the Chaffey brothers. The unincorporated area of North Ontario was known as North Upland or sometimes Magnolia, named after a local hotel of the time.

In 1891, Ontario was incorporated as a city and by 1906 had expanded through a series of annexations. Around this time, Ontario sought to annex a rectangular parcel of land that included the Upland Post Office and the Santa Fe railroad station.

The annexation caused concern among Upland residents who wanted to maintain local control. Business owners decided to start a petition seeking incorporation of the city of Upland. The petition was submitted to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, which unanimously approved holding an election to consider the incorporation of Upland during its regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 19, 1906.

Following the board’s decision, protests were filed and another hearing was set three weeks later on March 12. Debate continued over the community’s proposed boundaries, but an agreement was eventually reached, and an election was held. On May 5, 1906, voters approved incorporation with 183 in favor and 19 in opposition. Today, Upland is home to over 79,000 residents.

The information in this historical feature was originally part of a video series produced by the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk’s office.

Additional County Update News – November 13, 2025