Lake Elsinore, California
Lake Elsinore is a city of 72,461 people in Riverside County, California.
Why visit Lake Elsinore
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 63 parks and trails, 85 places to eat, 13 places to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Diamond Cinemas 8, California Theatre of the Performing Arts, Skydive Elsinore and Canyon Lake Golf and Country Club.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 98°F; December lows average 40°F.
Weather in Lake Elsinore
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore is a city in the Inland Empire region of western Riverside County, California, United States. Established as a city in 1888, it is on the shore of Lake Elsinore, a natural freshwater lake about 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) in size. The city has grown from a small resort town in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to a suburban city with a population of 70,265 as of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Lake Elsinore, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Holiday Harbor Park Amphitheater
Cinema and theater · 3.7 mi
22180 Village Way Drive, Canyon Lake
Museums and landmarks5
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California Theatre of the Performing Arts
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Theater and performing arts center in San Bernardino, California
Parks, trails and playgrounds63
Canyon Lake Golf and Country Club
Golf course · 4.5 mi
The par-72, 6,000 yard layout was designed by golf course architect Ted Robinson.
32001 Railroad Canyon Road, Canyon Lake
51 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes85
Sports Stop Pub and Grill
Diner · American · 4.8 mi
31586 Railroad Canyon Road, Canyon Lake
11:00-02:00
Pepe's Mexican Restaurant & Cantina
Restaurant · Mexican · 4.7 mi
31780 Railroad Canyon Road, Canyon Lake
The Urban Craft Eatery
Restaurant · American, Breakfast · 4.8 mi
31652 Railroad Canyon Road, Canyon Lake
Canyon Cowboy
Diner · American · 4.9 mi
31504 Railroad Canyon Road, Canyon Lake
73 more on the map.
History
Native Americans have long lived in the Elsinore Valley. The Luiseño people were the earliest known inhabitants. Their pictographs can be found on rocks on the Santa Ana Mountains and in Temescal Valley, and artifacts have been found all around Lake Elsinore and in the local canyons and hills.
Overlooked by the expedition of Juan Bautista de Anza, the largest natural lake in Southern California was first seen by Spanish Franciscan padre Juan Santiago, exploring eastward from the Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1797. In 1810, the water level of the Laguna Grande was first described by a traveler as being little more than a swamp about a mile long. Later in the early 19th century, the lake grew larger, providing a spot to camp and water their animals for Mexican rancheros, American trappers, the expedition of John C. Frémont, and the immigrants during the California gold rush as they traveled along the southern shore of the lake on what later became the Southern Emigrant Trail and the route of the Butterfield Overland Mail.
On January 7, 1844, Julian Manriquez acquired the land grant to Rancho La Laguna, a tract of almost 20,000 acres (8,100 ha), which included the lake and an adobe being built near the lake on its south shore at its western corner that was described by Benjamin Ignatius Hayes, who stayed there overnight on January 27, 1850.
From the History section of Lake Elsinore, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay13
Rodeway Inn & Suites Canyon Lake I-15
Motel and hotel · 4.7 mi
31820 Railroad Canyon Road, Canyon Lake
Quality Inn Lake Elsinore I-15
Motel and hotel · 3.2 mi
31808 Casino Drive, Lake Elsinore
Churches and places of worship16
Church of Christ
Church · Church Of Christ · 1.2 mi
201 North Main Street, Lake Elsinore
Familia Del Nuevo Nacimiento
Church · 1.2 mi
117 North Spring Street, Lake Elsinore
First Christian Church of Lake Elsinore
Church · 1.0 mi
503 West Heald Avenue, Lake Elsinore
Mountainside Ministries Christian Church
Church · 3.5 mi
30515 Ortega Highway, Lake Elsinore
Shopping12
Gas and EV charging19
Schools, colleges and libraries48
Canyon Lake Branch Riverside County Public Library
Library · 4.9 mi
31516 Railroad Canyon Road, Canyon Lake
Healthcare8
Map of Lake Elsinore
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66°F | 42°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 67°F | 43°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 72°F | 46°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 76°F | 49°F | 0.5 in | 0.2 in |
| May | 82°F | 54°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 90°F | 58°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 96°F | 64°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 98°F | 65°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 93°F | 61°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 83°F | 54°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 73°F | 46°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 65°F | 40°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Elsinore (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Riverside County has had 47 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-05-20: Bain Fire (Fire)
- 2024-09-11: Airport Fire (Fire)
- 2024-07-21: Hawarden Fire (Fire)
- 2023-11-21: Tropical Storm Hilary (Hurricane)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2022-09-06: Fairview Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
March Inland Port Airport (RIV) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 14 miles away.
- Warm Springs 1 mi north, about 2 min by car
- Lakeland Village 3 mi southwest, about 5 min by car
- Canyon Lake 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- Meadowbrook 4 mi northeast, about 6 min by car
- Wildomar 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Good Hope 7 mi northeast, about 11 min by car
- Menifee 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Temescal Valley 9 mi northwest, about 15 min by car
- Perris 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Murrieta 11 mi southeast, about 18 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Lake elsinore view, miheco, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio, peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (42), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (44), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (47), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (45), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (40), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (39), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (38), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (41), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (43), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (46), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (34), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (36), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (3), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (6), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (7), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (4), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (8), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (2), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (1), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (9), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (10), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA - panoramio (11), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- California Theatre, San Bernardino, Amerique, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CSUN Sunburst 1979, Angel Walls, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Armory Hall Wiki 7a, Steve Rouhotas, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Armory Hall Wiki 6a, Steve Rouhotas, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Armory Hall Wiki 5a, Steve Rouhotas, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 美国街景 - panoramio (6), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- 美国街景 - panoramio (2), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- 美国街景 - panoramio (4), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Crescent Bathhouse 031 Wiki a, Steve Rouhotas, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Crescent Bathhouse 044 Wiki a, Steve Rouhotas, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Crescent Bathhouse 037 Wiki a, Steve Rouhotas, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 美国街景 - panoramio (3), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- 美国街景 - panoramio (5), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- Temescal Mountains near Warm Springs, Z3lvs, CC0
- 自行车旅游 - panoramio (2), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
- 自行车旅游 - panoramio (4), peter boy12qq12, CC BY 3.0
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