Big Bear Lake Elevation: 6,743 Feet
Big Bear Lake Lengths: 7 Miles
Average Lake Width: 1/2 Mile
Big Bear's Shoreline: 22 Miles
Max. Water Depth at the Dam: 72 Feet
Big Bear Lake Capacity: 73, 370 Acre Feet
Busiest Day on the Lake: July 4th for the fireworks!
Big Bear Valley Length: 12.5 Miles
Average Sunny Days per Year: 300
Average Permanent Population: 17,000
Average Daytime Temperature in the Summer: 72 F.
Average Daytime Temperature in the Winter: 30 F.
Population (year 2000): 5,438
Males: 2,812 (51.7%), Females: 2,626 (48.3%)
Elevation: 6754 feet
County: San Bernardino
Land area: 6.3 square miles
Zip code: 92315
Area code: 909
Median Big Bear resident age: 42.9 years
Median Big Bear household income: $34,447 (year 2000)
Median Big Bear house value: $193,300 (year 2000)

For population 25 years and over in Big Bear Lake
High school or higher: 85.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 23.0%
Graduate or professional degree: 7.6%
Unemployed: 6.0% Mean travel time to work: 22.4 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Big Bear Lake
· Never married: 21.0%
· Now married: 55.2%
· Separated: 1.5%
· Widowed: 7.7%
· Divorced: 14.6%

Races in Big Bear Lake:
White Non-Hispanic (81.5%)
Hispanic (13.7%)
Other race (3.6%)
Two or more races (2.8%)
American Indian (2.1%)
Black (0.7%)
(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)
Ancestries: English (18.2%), Irish (18.0%), German (16.7%), French (5.8%), Italian (4.6%), Dutch (3.8%).
10.4% Foreign born (6.6% Latin America, 1.5% Europe, 1.5% North America).

Nearest cities: Big Bear City, CA (4.3 miles), Running Springs, CA (14.3 miles), Yucaipa, CA (17.7 miles), Cherry Valley, CA (19.0 miles), Mentone, CA (19.3 miles), Lake Arrowhead, CA (19.8 miles), Calimesa, CA (20.0 miles), Banning, CA (21.4 miles).

Single-family new house construction building permits issued in Big Bear Lake:
1996: 47 buildings, average cost: $167,600
1997: 59 buildings, average cost: $164,300
1998: 72 buildings, average cost: $176,300
1999: 115 buildings, average cost: $186,100
2000: 121 buildings, average cost: $208,600
2001: 103 buildings, average cost: $217,500
2002: 157 buildings, average cost: $217,000
2003: 204 buildings, average cost: $289,000
2004: 289 buildings, average cost: $331,000
2005: 140 buildings, average cost: $417,000

Industries providing employment in Big Bear Lake:
Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services (27.1%), Big Bear Retail trade (13.5%), Educational, health and social services (12.3%), Big Bear Finance, insurance, Big Bear real estate, and rental and leasing (11.6%), Construction (11.0%).

Crime in Big Bear Lake (2001):
0 murders (0.0 per 100,000)
4 rapes (73.6 per 100,000)
7 robberies (128.7 per 100,000)
56 assaults (1029.8 per 100,000)
101 burglaries (1857.3 per 100,000)
277 larceny counts (5093.8 per 100,000)
26 auto thefts (478.1 per 100,000)
City-data.com crime index = 646.0 (higher means more crime, US average = 330.6)

Average weather in Big Bear Lake, California
Based on data reported by over 4,000 weather stations

Average Big Bear Lake Daytime Temperature in the Summer: 72 F.
Average Big Bear Lake Daytime Temperature in the Winter: 30 F.

Hospital/medical center in Big Bear Lake:
BEAR VALLEY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL (41870 GARSTIN DR)

Other hospitals/medical centers near Big Bear Lake:
SAN GORGONIO MEMORIAL HOSPITAL (about 23 miles; BANNING, CA)
LOMA LINDA BEHAVIORAL MED CTR (about 24 miles; REDLANDS, CA)
REDLANDS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL (about 24 miles; REDLANDS, CA)

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Big Bear Lake:
SAN BERNARDINO INTERNATIONAL (about 26 miles; SAN BERNARDINO, CA; ID: SBD)
MARCH ARB (about 36 miles; RIVERSIDE, CA; ID: RIV)
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LOGISTICS (about 40 miles; VICTORVILLE, CA; ID: VCV)

Other public-use airports nearest to Big Bear Lake:
BIG BEAR CITY (about 4 miles; BIG BEAR CITY, CA; ID: L35)
REDLANDS MUNI (about 20 miles; REDLANDS, CA; ID: L12)
BANNING MUNI (about 23 miles; BANNING, CA; ID: BNG)

Colleges/universities with over 2000 students nearest to Big Bear Lake:
CRAFTON HILLS COLLEGE (about 18 miles; YUCAIPA, CA; Full-time enrollment: 2,722)
UNIVERSITY OF REDLANDS (about 24 miles; REDLANDS, CA; FT enrollment: 4,106)
SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY COLLEGE (about 29 miles; SAN BERNARDINO, CA; FT enrollment: 6,100)
MOUNT SAN JACINTO COLLEGE (about 32 miles; SAN JACINTO, CA; FT enrollment: 4,731)
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY-SAN BERNARDINO (about 32 miles; SAN BERNARDINO, CA; FT enrollment: 11,953)
VICTOR VALLEY COLLEGE (about 36 miles; VICTORVILLE, CA; FT enrollment: 4,963)
RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 39 miles; RIVERSIDE, CA; FT enrollment: 10,798)

Public high schools in Big Bear Lake:
BIG BEAR HIGH (Students: 921; Location: 351 MAPLE LANE; Grades: 09 - 12)
CHAUTAUQUA HIGH (CONT.) (Students: 118; Location: 525 MAPLE LANE; Grades: 09 - 12)

Public primary/middle schools in Big Bear Lake:
BIG BEAR ELEMENTARY (Students: 619; Location: 409040 PENNSYLVANIA; Grades: KG - 06)
NORTH SHORE ELEMENTARY (Students: 614; Location: 765 N. STANFIELD CUTOFF; Grades: KG - 06)
BIG BEAR MIDDLE (Students: 575; Location: 41275 BIG BEAR BLVD.; Grades: 07 - 08)

Big Bear Lake compared to California state average:
Median household income below state average.
Black race population percentage significantly below state average.
Median age above state average.
Length of stay since moving in below state average.
House age significantly below state average.
Number of college students below state average.
Population density below state average for cities.

Big Bear Lake History
If you are considering buying Real Estate in Big Bear Lake or the surrounding areas, then you might also be interested in some Big Bear History:

Big Bear Lake, one of Southern California´s most popular resorts, actually began as a paradise for hunters and miners during California´s gold rush days.

In 1845, Benjamin Wilson accidentally discovered Big Bear when he passed through the Eastern San Bernardino Mountains during an expedition to the Mojave River. Due to an abundance of grizzly bears, the high mountain area became know as Bear Valley.

The grizzly, along with deer, beaver, and waterfowl, attracted marksmen and trappers to the area. The mountain men quickly began to seek more than wild game. Soon, the discovery of gold in other California mountains triggered a hunt for mineral wealth in Bear Valley.

The region was rich with gold and silver ore, luring enough prospectors to form the Bear Valley Mining District in April of 1860. Adding to the excitement was the gold rush in Holcomb Valley, immediately north of Bear Valley, a discovery that caused the greatest mining rush in the San Bernardino Mountains.

To feed the influx of miners, ranchers brought their cattle to Bear Valley. From the 1880´s until the early 1900´s, hundreds of cattle grazed each summer off the rich grass, and then migrated to the desert during winter.

In 1884, Bear Valley changed from a hunters´ and miners´ paradise into a haven for sportsmen and vacationers. This major transformation resulted from one man´s vision to create a reservoir for the town of Redlands.

Located southwest of the Bear Valley, Redlands was a growing community with many citrus groves. Although the Santa River and nearby creek provided water for trees, a more dependable year-round water source was necessary.

In May of 1883, Frank Brown, co-founder of Redlands, along with a companion, traveled to Bear Valley in search of possible water sources. The only visible water was a small, shallow lake (present day Baldwin Lake), and a few meandering streams and patches of left over snow.

Seeing beyond this, Brown decided to build a dam that would harness the mountains´ winter floods for summer use. A 45-foot dam was completed in the Valley´s west end in 1884, creating a sparkling lake over six miles long. Today this is known as Big Bear Lake.

Dozen of visitors began spending summers in abandoned log cabins and in the surrounding pine forests. Then, 1887, thousands of fish from Lake Tahoe were transferred to Big Bear Lake. Fisherman were hooked.

The following year, 21 year-old Gus Knight, Jr., along with follow cattleman John Metcalf, built the first Bear Valley Resort along the south shore of Big Bear Lake. Although the Bear Valley Hotel would not be ready until June, every room was reserved by May.

Getting there, however, proved a major obstacle. The only wagon road was long and winding, often washed out in the winter and in need of constant repair. San Bernardino did not want to fund construction or maintain the road, and the challenge was overwhelming for private enterprises.

Even by 1892, passengers spent a day and a half traveling from Redlands to the Bear Valley Hotel. Finally, county supervisors decided to break their long-standing policy against using public funds. In 1915, the famous Rim of the World Drive surfaced, allowing motorists to drive through the mountains to the resort community, newly named Pine Knot. Pine Knot grew rapidly. By 1921, it had an estimated population of 8,000, ans as transportation continued to improve, the area became even more popular.

Winter sports, which would eventually make the resort a year-round attraction, began in January 1924, when the Sierra Club held its annual Winter Sports Meet at Baldwin Lake. Ice skating and tobogganing became favorite activities, and the Big Bear Lake Park district formed in 1934 to develop other winter sports in Bear Valley.
Pine Knot changed its name to Big Bear in 1938. Big Bear hibernated during World War II, but as soon as the war ended, the community awoke to new homes, businesses, and recreational facilities.

The resort created an avalanche of winter sports. the first ski-area, Snow Forest, was constructed in 1949. Snow Summit, which offers 18 miles of trails on 230 acres, opened in 1952, and in 19590 the Moonridge Ski Area opened.

In the mid-1970´s, Goldmine Associates greatly expanded Moonridge and renamed it Goldmine. Goldmine was purchased by one of the industry´s leading ski resort companies in 1988 and renamed Bear Mountain Ski Resort. Then in 2002, Bear Mountain Ski Resort and Snow Summit combined under the same ownership, offering skiers and boarders Southern California´s best riding.

Big Bear Valley, once roaming with wild game, now is only a few hours drive from anywhere in Southern California, and entertains more than 100,000 visitors on holiday weekends. A true four-season resort, Big Bear offers clear skies and moderate temperatures 330 days a year.