Fontana, city in San Bernardino County, southern California, in the San Bernardino Valley. It is the site of the many sales, lease, and repair yards that have developed to serve the thriving trucking industry in the region.
Founded in 1905, the community grew as a farm center. Its name, Italian for “fountain,” was adopted in 1913. Industrialization began in the early 1940s with the establishment of a large steel mill. Fontana incorporated as a city in 1952. In 1983 the steel mill closed down because of competition and operating concerns. It was dismantled, and the California Speedway, an automobile racing facility, developed on the site.
