Overview
San Bernardino is a city in the Inland Empire in California. It is the site of the first McDonald Brothers Hamburger Stand
2 sights · 3 places to eat · 7 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about San Bernardino
Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art
Site of the first McDonald Brothers Hamburger Stand
Location of the world's first McDonald's, now an unofficial museum. The original building no longer exists, but look for the huge red sign advertising 15-cent hamburgers which can't be purchased in the adjoining museum.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Oct–May. Summer highs reach about 97°F; winter lows dip to about 42°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Feb and Jan.
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- SBD San Bernardino International Airport, San Bernardino — 4 mi away (major hub). Directions
- ONT Ontario International Airport, Ontario — 18 mi away (major hub). Directions
The MetroLink San Bernardino Line from the downtown Los Angeles Union Station (via Rialto and Fontana) and the Inland Empire-Orange County Line from Oceanside through Orange County and Riverside stop at San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot at 1170 W 3rd St (second to last stop). The cost of tickets varies depending on how far you are traveling. Amtrak serves San Bernardino at the same location with the once daily Southwest Chief line between Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Grand Canyon (at Williams Jct) and Los Angeles and with the Amtrak Thruway Buses connecting San Bernardino to the Gold Runner line in Bakersfield. From here the Metrolink Trains continue southeast to the Downtown San Bernardino Station south of downtown, along W Rialto St between S 'G' St and S 'E' St, where both Metrolink routes terminate at. The Amtrak train continues north to Victorville (next stop) from the Santa Fe Depot on its journey towards Chicago.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $60–$65 a night (typical $65), from 3 listed prices.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$100, mid-range ~$140, comfortable ~$230.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Site of the first McDonald Brothers Hamburger Stand
- Lunch Mitla Café
- Afternoon Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art
- Dinner Tempe House Spicy Food
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
San Bernardino is the largest city of San Bernardino County. The 2000 census shows the population to be 185,401. Of this, 45.2% are white and 16.4% are African-American. 27.1% is cited as "some other race", the majority of which is most likely Hispanic. The city, along with its outlying areas, has a large Hispanic and Spanish-speaking population. 40.4% of the population speaks a language other than English at home.
The closure of the Kaiser Steel facility in nearby Fontana in the 1980s and the closure of Norton Air Force Base in 1994 were cataclysmic to the economy of the city. Repeated attempts at downtown revitalization have been mostly unsuccessful. In 2012 the city declared bankruptcy in the wake of a stubborn economic decline. It only emerged from bankruptcy in 2017, making it one of the longest municipal bankruptcies in U.S. history. The city was further devastated by a mass shooting by two terrorists that took place in 2015. 14 people were killed, and 22 others were injured.
Climate
San Bernardino features a hot summer Mediterranean climate. Most rain falls in the cooler winter months with hardly any in the summer months. Summer highs average around 96°F with lows around 64°F. It is not uncommon for summer temperatures and heat indices to climb upwards to or exceeding 107°F with lows not going below 71°F on exceptionally hot days.
Get in
By plane
Go San Bernardino International Airport (SBD)
Commercial flights with Breeze Airways, from San Francisco to San Bernardino to begin May 2022
- The next nearest airport for regular commercial flights to San Bernardino is the LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT), 22 mi west on I-10 and N Archibald Ave (Exit #55A). LA/Ontario is more compact, less crowded, has fewer delays, and usually cheaper and closer in than Los Angeles International Airport(LAX) which is 76 mi away.
- The next closest airports to San Bernardino are in Palm Springs (PSP) which is 57 mi east along I-10 and Santa Ana (SNA) also 50 mi southwest of San Bernardino along I-215 and CA Hwy 91 through Riverside and Corona.
By train
The MetroLink San Bernardino Line from the downtown Los Angeles Union Station (via Rialto and Fontana) and the Inland Empire-Orange County Line from Oceanside through Orange County and Riverside stop at San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot at 1170 W 3rd St (second to last stop). The cost of tickets varies depending on how far you are traveling. Amtrak serves San Bernardino at the same location with the once daily Southwest Chief line between Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Grand Canyon (at Williams Jct) and Los Angeles and with the Amtrak Thruway Buses connecting San Bernardino to the Gold Runner line in Bakersfield. From here the Metrolink Trains continue southeast to the Downtown San Bernardino Station south of downtown, along W Rialto St between S 'G' St and S 'E' St, where both Metrolink routes terminate at. The Amtrak train continues north to Victorville (next stop) from the Santa Fe Depot on its journey towards Chicago.
By bus
Intercity bus services
The intercity bus companies maintain separate bus stations or stops in different parts of town and are far away from each other. Travelers will need to use a taxi, local bus (Omnitrans) or Uber/Lyft to transfer between the stations & stops. Some of the stops are in neighboring Fontana or Ontario instead:
Go El Paso Los Angeles Limousine Express
Travels along I-10 between Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Indio, Phoenix, Las Cruces and El Paso on one route and on I-15 to Las Vegas and North Las Vegas on another route. They have additional depots at 11825 Valley Blvd in El Monte; 260 E 6th St St in downtown Los Angeles, and at 4425 S Atlantic Blvd in East Los Angeles.
Go Greyhound & Cruceros USA
Greyhound travels primarily on Interstate 10 (Los Angeles-San Bernardino-Phoenix-El Paso); I-10/SR-78/SR-86 (San Bernardino-Indio-El Centro-Calexico); I-15/I-215 (Las Vegas-San Bernardino-Los Angeles & San Bernardino-San Diego on two separate routes. Some routes bypass San Bernardino between Barstow & Los Angeles); & 405/SR-91 (San Bernardino-Santa Ana-Long Beach). Passengers transfer in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, Calexico, El Paso and San Antonio to continue to additional destinations in the U.S. and in Tijuana or Mexicali to continue south of the border.
See By bus under Get in of the Ontario article for a list of additional bus and shuttle companies serving the area.
By public transportation
The following services provide rides to the surrounding cities in the Inland Empire (San Bernardino and Riverside Counties) from the Downtown Transit Center next to the Downtown Metrolink Station:
Go OmniTrans
Operates local city and commuter buses in-town and to the neighboring cities of Fontana, Rialto, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, etc. Connections to Foothills Transit in Pomona, Chino and Claremont. They also operate an inter-county express from Riverside on route #215.
* For going to the airport by public transport take the Metrolink San Bernardino Line train to Rancho Cucamonga Station and transfer to ONTConnect (#380) bus to the Ontario International Airport (ONT) or stay on the same train to the downtown L.A. Union Station and transfer to the LAX FlyAway bus to get to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Go Mountain Transit
Goes up to Crestline by Lake Arrowhead on the RIM Off the Mountain route and to Running Springs and Moonridge by Big Bear Lake. They offer local services between communities surrounding Lake Erwin, Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake on the Big Bear Off the Mountain route and connections from Victorville through Moonridge
Go Riverside Transit (RTA) #200
Operates local buses in and around Corona, Riverside city, Beaumont, Banning (Rt #31), San Jacinto and other cities in western Riverside County. The #200 bus connects Anaheim to San Bernardino via Riverside Metro Link Station along Hwy 91. Likewise travelers can also board Omnitrans #215 bus to get to/from Riverside.
Go Sun Line Transit Agency #10
Sun Line operates local buses in and around Palm Springs, Palm Desert, 1000 Palms, Indio and Coachella in the Coachella Valley. The Commuter Link Service (#10) Connects San Bernardino to Indio via CSUSB (San Bernardino main campus); Beaumont (2nd & Commerce) and CSUSB (Palm Desert Campus @ Cook & Berger). Passengers can transfer to the Sun Line Transit #5 bus in CSUSB Desert Springs to the Town Center/Shops of Palm Desert Malls (Town Center Way) and transfer to the #1 bus going west to Palm Springs or transfer directly to the #1 bus from Indio.
Go Victor Valley Transit (VVTA) #15
Regular commuter route route to/from Barstow and Victorville.
Get around
The city is fairly navigable with I-210, I-10, I-215, and I-15 as the freeways in the city.
See
Downtown San Bernardino is definitely a neat place to check out. It has angled parking, festivals, stores, lower speed for vehicles, and street appeal, this place is a hit! It is a very lively core with all kinds of stuff to do and lots of parking despite not being shown. It incorporates beautiful, generous wall-to-wall structures and scenic landmarks.
See Site of the first McDonald Brothers Hamburger Stand
Location of the world's first McDonald's, now an unofficial museum. The original building no longer exists, but look for the huge red sign advertising 15-cent hamburgers which can't be purchased in the adjoining museum.
Eat
Eat Happy Family Vegetarian Restaurant
It specializes in vegetarian and vegan meals, and is often packed.
Eat Tempe House Spicy Food
An unassuming Indonesian restaurant in a strip mall with excellent food.
Sleep
Go next
San Bernardino is a good launching point for Joshua Tree National Park.
Nearby
Rialto
City / town · 4 listings · 5 mi away
Colton
City / town · 4 listings · 5 mi away
Loma Linda
City / town · 5 listings · 6 mi away
Redlands
City / town · 23 listings · 8 mi away
Lake Arrowhead
City / town · 9 listings · 10 mi away
Fontana
City / town · 2 listings · 10 mi away
Jurupa Valley
City / town · 3 listings · 12 mi away
Moreno Valley
City / town · 3 listings · 13 mi away
My experience
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