Rialto highlight
Historic Route 66 presence
Rialto was established in 1887 as a Santa Fe Railroad station and developed at the intersection of railroad and Route 66 corridors, serving as a crossing place and crossroads for generations of travelers.
Rialto takes its name from Venice's Rialto Bridge, and the name itself signifies a crossing place—an apt description of a community that developed where the Santa Fe Railroad met Route 66. Founded in 1887 as a railroad station serving the connection between San Bernardino and Pasadena, Rialto became a natural hub for traffic along Foothill Boulevard as it developed into part of the transcontinental Route 66 corridor. The location made Rialto a stopping point for travelers moving through the Inland Empire, connecting families and businesses seeking opportunity between the agricultural towns of San Bernardino County and the metropolitan centers of the Los Angeles basin.
Route 66 brought distinctive economic character to Rialto. In the 1950s and beyond, roadside businesses flourished along Foothill Boulevard, including fruit processing facilities and juice vendors that served the highway traffic and the region's agricultural heritage. Motels, restaurants, and other businesses emerged to serve travelers, making Route 66 a lifeline for families moving west and seeking opportunity. The road remained a vital transportation and commercial link for decades until interstate highways and changing travel patterns gradually shifted the flow of traffic and commerce away from the old corridor.
The story of Route 66 through Rialto reflects the importance of thinking ahead—the families who built businesses and homes along this corridor did so with forward-thinking vision, knowing the road connected them to larger opportunities and communities. Planning for the people who depend on you is similar work: figuring out what they would need if circumstances change, and making sure they have the resources to build their own future.