Riverside County, California Genealogy

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

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.

County Courthouse
Riverside County Courthouse 4050 Main St Riverside, CA 92501 Phone: 951-777-3147 Riverside County Website County Clerk Recorder has birth, marriage, death and land records from 1893

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 |

Biographies

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

Church Records
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Arlington
 * Blythe
 * Elsinore
 * Hemet
 * Indio
 * Palm Springs
 * Riverside

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

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

Local Histories

 * Riverside County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 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 & images

Military Records

 * Index to Riverside County Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)

World War I
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers

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

Obituaries

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

Voting Records

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

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1782-1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry — index and images ($)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & 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 ($)
 * 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho
 * Riverside County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)

Death

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

Divorce

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

FamilySearch Centers

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

Libraries

 * Corona Public Library 650 S. Main Street Corona, California 98992-3417 951-736-2386

Societies

 * Society Middletown First Settlers Descendants(1650-1700) 81641 Ave. 48, Space 89 Indio, CA 92201-6723 Website
 * Hemet-San Jacinto Genealogical Society, Inc P. O. Box 2516 Hemet, California 92546-2516 951-765-2372 Website
 * Genealogical Society of Riverside P. O. Box 2557 Riverside, CA 92516-2557 Website email:[mailto:gsor@gsor.org gsor@gsor.org]
 * 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
 * Temecula Valley Genealogical Society 27475 Ynez Road, Ste. 291 Temecula,CA 92591 Website
 * Temecula Valley Historical Society PO Box 157 Temecula, CA 92593 Website

Websites

 * Riverside CAGenWeb and CA GenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Riverside County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Riverside County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.