Riverside, CA: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Riverside is a large incorporated city in Riverside County, California. In the dataset behind this page it has an estimated population of 2,107,852, sits at 33.938°N, 117.395°W, and observes Pacific time. Below you will find how it ranks inside California, which ZIP codes it uses, the closest places around it, and how far it is from major US cities.

What are the key facts about Riverside, CA?

What is the population of Riverside, CA?

Riverside has an estimated population of 2,107,852. That makes it the 4th largest of 1,470 places in California, placing it among the state's ten biggest, and the largest place in its county. The typical place in California has about 3,379 residents, so Riverside is many dozens of times larger than a typical place in the state.

Estimates for large urban places often reflect the wider urban area served by the same ZIP codes rather than the legal city limits, so the number can exceed the official city count. Our guide to understanding city population numbers explains why sources disagree.

Places in California with a similar population include San Diego (3,220,118), Sacramento (1,898,019), San Jose (1,798,103), Fresno (703,498), Concord (652,308). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Riverside differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Riverside?

Riverside has about 4,077 people per square mile (1,574 per square kilometer), which we classify as suburban. Within California, it is denser than about 79% of the listed places. Land at this level is usually a mix of single-family neighborhoods, shopping corridors and parks, where driving is common but destinations are close. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Riverside use?

Riverside uses 14 ZIP codes: 92508, 92503, 92501, 92505, 92504, 92507, 92506, 92502, 92513, 92514, 92516, 92517, 92521, 92522. A long list like this is typical of a large city, where dozens of delivery areas, PO box codes and institutional codes sit inside the same municipality. Codes beginning with 9 are assigned to the Pacific states (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington). Learn more in our guide to how ZIP codes work or check any code with the ZIP code lookup.

What time zone is Riverside in?

Riverside is in the Pacific time zone, which is UTC−8 from Coordinated Universal Time in standard time (IANA zone America/Los_Angeles). The area observes daylight saving time, so clocks move forward in March and back in November. The nearest listed place in a different time zone is Fort Mohave, AZ, about 177 miles away, which gives a sense of how far the nearest zone boundary may be. Current local time: see the Pacific time hub. For the rules behind these zones, read US time zones explained.

Where is Riverside located in California?

Riverside lies in the southeastern part of California, at 33.938° north latitude and 117.395° west longitude. The state capital, Sacramento, is about 392 miles to the northwest. The closest listed place in another state is Laughlin, NV, roughly 175 miles to the northeast, which shows how near Riverside is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Jurupa Valley, CA, 6 miles to the northwest.

Which cities are near Riverside, CA?

The closest listed place to Riverside is Woodcrest, CA, 4.4 miles to the south. Of the eight nearest places below, 6 are in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Riverside in?

Riverside is in Riverside County, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 06065. The county contains 72 places in our data, 48 of which have their own page here and 24 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Murrieta (496,046), Indio (417,059), Moreno Valley (213,055), Hemet (177,253), Corona (169,868). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Riverside from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Riverside is closest to Los Angeles, CA at about 59 miles and farthest from New York, NY at about 2,409 miles in a straight line. Road distances are usually 10 to 30 percent longer. Try the distance calculator for any other pair.

Are there other places called Riverside?

Yes. Our data lists 15 other places named Riverside: Riverside, OH (25,133), Riverside, CT (8,604), Riverside, IL (8,563), Riverside, MD (6,038), Riverside, MO (3,505), Riverside, AL (2,377), Riverside, NY (2,362), Riverside, PA (1,853), and 7 more. When you search for Riverside, add the state or county so you land on the right one. This page covers the Riverside in Riverside County, California.

Planning a move to Riverside?

If you are weighing Riverside, start with the practical numbers: how far it is from where you live, whether it changes your time zone, and how its size and density compare with your current city. Use the distance calculator to measure the trip from where you live. See the cities within 50 miles of Riverside to understand the surrounding region. Our checklist for comparing cities explains what to check next.

Where to go next

Population and density come from a compiled dataset and are estimates. They may differ from official Census Bureau counts. Verify important figures at census.gov.