Lake Arrowhead

HISTORY:  Originally called Little Bear Lake, Lake Arrowhead was filled for the first time in 1918.  The construction of the dam, beginning in 1901, advanced over the following 17 years, with the goal of creating a large reservoir to provide water to the residents of San Bernardino.  The lake has continued to blossom into one of California's most beautiful recreation areas.

In 1930 construction began on the Lake Arrowhead Village, offering a shopping playground for visitors to the mountains.  The original Village remained until it was burned down due to safety concerns in 1979.  At the time only two buildings remained, the casino, now called The Rotunda, and the post office.  Since then the post office has been demolished as well.

LOCATION: 9,215 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest located high above and overlooking San Bernardino, California which is the nearest big city and is only 20 miles South. The Lake Arrowhead area is conveniently close to the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside Counties. The high desert (Victorville/Barstow) is only 45 minutes North. The ocean (Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, etc.) is 90 minutes Southwest. Los Angeles is 90 minutes West. The low desert (Palm Springs) is 60 minutes East. Ontario International Airport and Ontario Mills Mall is only 60 minutes West. Our location is ideal for commuters! Enjoy the full range and adventure of the Southern California lifestyle while living in a clean-air, peaceful, small-town environment nestles in a towering pine, cedar, oak and dogwood tree forest!

LAKE SURFACE ALTITUDE: 5,106 feet above sea level.

SIZE: 784 surface acres; 14 miles of shoreline.

WATER TEMPERATURE RANGE: 24-72 degrees

LENGTH: 2.2 miles.                 WIDTH: 1.5 miles

MAXIMUM DEPTH: 185 feet   AVERAGE DEPTH: 100 feet
 

NOTE: Lake Arrowhead is a private lake reserved for the use of qualified local property owners only!

WEATHER: Four seasons (normally with mild winters). 310 average days of sunshine. 42.57 inches average annual rainfall. 145 inches annual snowfall.

POPULATION: (1997) 11,000 full-time residents.

HOUSING: (2000) 4,285 full-time dwellings. 6,425 part-time homes. Median cost of $191,740. Average cost of $234,500.

PROPERTY TAX RATE: 1.30% of assessed value or sales price. Local sales tax rate is 7.75%.

SCHOOLS: (Lake Arrowhead area) One high school; one junior high school; two elementary schools; one private religious school.

MEDICAL: Mountains Community Hospital, a full service 24-hour medical facility. Numerous physicians, dentists, surgeons, chiropractors, optometrists, pediatricians and other medical practices.

ANNUAL VISITORS: (estimated) 1,160,000. Estimated visitor spending in 1996: $96,000,000.

 

RECREATIONAL OPTIONS: Alpine and cross-country skiing Sledding Hiking Boating Swimming Fishing Mountain biking Water skiing Camping Hunting Hang-gliding Off-roading Dining Shopping Photography Astronomy Bowling Antiques

Motion Pictures Ice skating Gardening Local historical studies Senior activities Wildlife preservation Bird watching Nature studies Horseback riding Nature tours Geocaching ...and much, much more!

City: Lake Arrowhead County: San Bernardino County State: CA / California Elevation: 5191 feet City Type: Place Category as used for US Census purposes Latitude: 34.256290 Longitude: -117.191326 Land Area: 29649368 square meters / 11.447685 square miles Water Area: 3173457 square meters / 1.225279 square miles Within city boundaries as defined for US Census purposes
Lake Arrowhead Age and Gender Demographics Total Population: 8934 Male: 4484 Female: 4450 Median Age: 39.1    Lake Arrowhead Relationships and Households No. of Housing Units: 8857 No. of Owned Units: 2458 No. of Rented Units: 785 Average Household Size: 2.75 Average Family Size: 3.17
Household Relationships for Lake Arrowhead, California Population in Households: 8934 - Householder: 3243 - Spouse: 2031 - Child: 2901 -- Own Child under 18: 2392 - Other Relative: 374 -- Under 18: 145 - Not Related: 385 - Unmarried Partner: 165 Average Household Size: 2.75 Average Family Size: 3.17   Household Types for Lake Arrowhead, California Total Households: 3243 - Family Household: 2445 -- Own Children under 18: 1209 - Married Couple Family: 2031 -- Own Children under 18: 931 - Female Householder: 290 -- Own Children under 18: 196 - Nonfamily Household: 798 -- Householder Living Alone: 606 --- Householder Over 65: 195
Children and Elderly in Households Total Households: 3243 Households with Under 18's: 1298 Households with Over 65's: 712 Percentage with Under 18's: 40% Percentage with Over 65's: 21.9%
Household Occupancy Occupied Housing Units: 3243 Vacant Housing Units: 5614 - Occasionally Occupied: 5267 Percentage of Units Occupied: 36.7% Percentage of Units Vacant: 63.3%
Housing Tenure Occupied Housing Units: 3243 Owner-occupied Units: 2458 Renter-occupied Units: 785 Percentage of Units Owner-occupied: 75.8% Percentage of Units Renter-occupied: 24.2% Average Household Size (Owned): 2.68 Average Household Size (Rented): 2.98