Wrightwood, California
Wrightwood is a community of 5,067 people in San Bernardino County, California.
Why visit Wrightwood
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 1 place to eat, 4 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Mountain High, Wrightwood History Museum, Hollis M. Stewart Children’s Park and Vivian Null Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; December lows average 25°F, and about 62 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Wrightwood
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Wrightwood
Wrightwood is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California. It sits at an elevation of 6,208 feet (1,892 m). The population was 4,720 at the 2020 census, up from 4,525 at the 2010 census. Wrightwood is located 77 miles (124 km) northeast of Los Angeles.
From the Wikipedia article Wrightwood, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
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Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes1
History
Located in a pine-covered valley in the San Gabriel Mountains, the Wrightwood area was first developed as cattle ranches in the 19th century by Nathan and Truman Swarthout. Later, the main ranch, owned by Sumner Wright, was broken up into residential and commercial lots, and by the 1920s a community had taken root. Early ski enthusiasts discovered the north-facing slopes of the San Gabriels above the Swarthout Valley. Until 1937, the ski area, originally known as Big Pines, was part of a Los Angeles County park. After World War II, Big Pines opened their 1946–47 ski season with a new chairlift and the Sepp Benedikter Ski School (according to their ad in the February 1947 issue of Western Skiing magazine). Highways were built connecting to the major routes in the Cajon Pass, making Wrightwood accessible without serious mountain driving.
In 1934, on two separate occasions a black bear was shot and killed by a Wrightwood resident. J. Dale Gentry, chairman of the California Fish and Game Commission, applied pressure to file charges against the two men. One of the men, Clyde Steele, was found not guilty at trial; the charges were dropped against the other man.
The former vacation community is now home to over 4,000 full-time residents. Serrano High School in the neighboring community of Phelan opened in 1977; it also serves Wrightwood and the neighboring community of Piñon Hills.
From the History section of Wrightwood, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Map of Wrightwood
20 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 26°F | 4.4 in | 10.5 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 25°F | 4.9 in | 24.8 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 29°F | 1.9 in | 8.3 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 32°F | 0.8 in | 7.2 in |
| May | 69°F | 39°F | 0.8 in | 1.6 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 44°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 52°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 51°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 46°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 37°F | 1.2 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 29°F | 1.1 in | 3.6 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 25°F | 4.1 in | 5.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Wrightwood (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
San Bernardino County has had 40 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2024-09-11: Bridge Fire (Fire)
- 2024-09-07: Line Fire (Fire)
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-10-26: Blue Ridge Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Cable Airport (CCB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Piñon Hills 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- Phelan 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Oak Hills 13 mi east, about 22 min by car
- San Antonio Heights 13 mi south, about 21 min by car
- Rancho Cucamonga 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- Upland 16 mi south, about 25 min by car
- Claremont 16 mi south, about 25 min by car
- La Verne 17 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
- Hesperia 18 mi east, about 30 min by car
- Fontana 19 mi southeast, about 30 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
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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
- Wrightwood-cabins, Jamesb01 (image transferred to Commons by JaumeBG ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wrightwood (2971956215), Rennett Stowe from USA, CC BY 2.0
- Mountain High, Mike Gonzalez ( TheCoffee ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Acorn Woodpecker, Angeles National Forest, California (5132801601), Rennett Stowe from USA, CC BY 2.0
- Snow-covered road (5231780302), Rennett Stowe from USA, CC BY 2.0
- Angeles National Forest - panoramio, On^ste82, CC BY 3.0
- Dead Wood (8025095336), Rennett Stowe from USA, CC BY 2.0
- San Gabriel Mountains - panoramio, On^ste82, CC BY 3.0
- 1500efferia deserti male eats red alate DSC6872 DxO, Pdeley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1500 efferia deserti laying eggs DSC6916 DxO, Pdeley, CC BY-SA 4.0
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