Riverside County, California Genealogy

Guide to Riverside County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records. California Online Genealogy Records

County Courthouse
County Clerk Recorder has birth, marriage, death and land records from 1893

Parent Counties
11 March 1893: Riverside County was created from San Bernardino and San Diego Counties. County seat: Riverside

Description
The county was named from the City of Riverside, christened when the upper canal of the Santa Ana River reached it in 1871. The county seat Riverside and the county was created 1893. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating California county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation California County Boundary Maps" (1850-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Records Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Unincorporated Locations
Aguanga | Alberhill | Anza | Belltown | Bermuda Dunes | Cabazon | Cherry Valley | Chiriaco Summit | Coronita | Crestmore Heights | Desert Beach | Desert Center | Desert Edge | Desert Palms | East Blythe | Eagle Mountain | Eagle Valley | East Hemet | El Cerrito | El Sobrante | French Valley | Garnet | Good Hope | Green Acres | Highgrove | Home Gardens | Homeland | Idyllwild | Indio Hills | Lake Mathews | Lake Riverside | Lake Tamarisk | Lakeland Village | Lakeview | Lost Lake | March ARB | Mead Valley | Meadowbrook | Mecca | Mesa Verde | Mountain Center | North Shore | Nuevo | Oasis | Pine Cove | Pinyon Pines | Rancho Capistrano | Ripley | Romoland | Sage | Sky Valley | Temescal Valley | Thermal | Thousand Palms | Valle Vista | Vista Santa Rosa | Warm Springs | Whitewater | Winchester | Woodcrest |

Neighboring Counties

 * Imperial
 * La Paz County, Arizona
 * Orange
 * San Bernardino
 * San Diego

Biography

 * Riverside County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Riverside County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)

Church History and Records

 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Arlington
 * Blythe
 * Elsinore
 * Hemet
 * Indio
 * Palm Springs
 * Riverside
 * FamilySearch Places

Germans
Archives, Libraries, and Museums Biographies Church Records Cemetery Records Court Records Histories Immigration/emigration/migration Maps Newspapers Societies

Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

History

 * Riverside County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Land and Property

 * Riverside County Index to Federal Land Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Riverside County Geographic Information Services (select "Map My County" for current land records)

Maps

 * Maps of California (1850-1925)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

 * 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Military History and Records

 * Index to Riverside County Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)

World War I

 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research

Obituaries

 * Riverside County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Riverside County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1782 – 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1833 – 1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Corona Public Library 650 S. Main Street Corona, California 98992-3417 951-736-2386

County Courthouse
Riverside Hall of Justice 4100 Main Street, Riverside, Ca. 92501

Riverside Historic Courthouse

4050 Main Street, Riverside, Ca. 92501

FamilySearch Centers

 * Anza California Family History Center
 * Blythe California Family History Center
 * Corona California Family History Center
 * Fontana California Family History Center
 * Hemet California Family History Center
 * Jurupa California Family History Center
 * Lake Elsinore California Family History Center
 * Manifee California Family History Center
 * Moreno Valley California Family History Center
 * Murrieta California Family History Center
 * Palm Desert California Family History Center
 * Redlands California Family History Center
 * Rialto California Family History Center
 * Riverside California Family History Center
 * Santa Margarita California Family History Center
 * Yucca Valley California Family History Center

Societies
Corona Genealogical Society Meets in the Corona Public Library

Hemet-San Jacinto Genealogical Society, Inc P. O. Box 2516 Hemet, California 92546-2516 951-765-2372

Genealogical Society of Riverside

P. O. Box 2557 Riverside, CA 92516-2557

email: [mailto:gsor@gsor.org gsor@gsor.org]

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

Birth

 * 1800 - 1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1812 - 1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1905 - 1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)

Marriage

 * 1800 - 2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1850 - 1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection index
 * 1850 - 1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Riverside County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)

Divorce

 * 1966 - 1984 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Death

 * 1776 - 2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1800 - 1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1905 - 1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1940 - 1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)

Voting Registers

 * 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index, ($)

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
Riverside Genealogical Society P.O. Box 2557 Riverside 92516 Website

Corona Genealogical Society 650 S. Main Street Corona, CA 92882-3417 Website

Desert Hot Springs Historical Society PO Box 1267 Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240 Website

Genealogical Society of Riverside PO Box 2557 Riverside, CA 92156-2557 Website

Hemet-San Jacinto Genealogical Society PO Box 2516 Hemet, CA 92343 Website

Lake Elsinore Genealogical Society PO Box 807 Lake Elsinore, CA 92330 Website

Palm Springs Genealogical Society PO Box 2093 Palm Springs, CA 92263 Website

Palm Springs Historical Society PO Box 1498 Palm Springs, CA 92263 Website

Pioneer Historical Society of Riverside PO Box 246 Riverside, CA 92502 Facebook

Society Middletown First Settlers Descendants(1650-1700) 81641 Ave. 48, Space 89 Indio, CA 92201-6723 Webaite

 Temecula Valley Genealogical Society 27475 Ynez Road, Ste. 291 Temecula,CA 92591 Website

 Temecula Valley Historical Society PO Box 157 Temecula, CA 92593 Website


 * List of California Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Websites

 * Riverside County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * FamilySearch Catalog
 * Riverside County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Riverside County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)