Claremont (California)

Claremont is a college town about 30 miles (50 km) east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley of Southern California. It is known for the trees lining its streets and as the home of the elite Claremont Colleges, which together have given it the nickname "City of Trees and PhDs".

Get in

By car
  • San Bernardino Freeway Interstate 10 connects Los Angeles to Coachella Valley (Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio), through East LA, Claremont, Ontario, Ontario International Airport, and San Bernardino. Claremont is only accessed from exit 47 ("S Indian Hill Blvd").
  • & Foothill Blvd serves as the section of the Old Route 66 through Claremont as a local east-west local road.
  • Foothill Freeway Claremont is accessed via Towne Ave (exit 50) and Baseline Rd (exit 52).

By bus
  • 🌍 Flixbus, (bus stop) Claremont Transit Center at 282 E 1st (bus will board at the very first bay inside the Claremont Transit Center (furthest west of the bays); the Transit Center is one block east from the Claremont Metrolink Station), ☏ +1 855 626-8585. Connects Los Angeles and Anaheim to Las Vegas and Phoenix through Ontario and Barstow (updated Jun 2018)
  • 🌍 Greyhound & Cruceros-USA, (Bus stop) Montclair Transit Center & Metrolink Station at 5060 Richton St (Transit Center along Richton St between Central & Monte Vista Ave, north of I-10), toll-free: +1 800 231-2222. Greyhound operates along Interstate 10 (Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Phoenix, Tucson & El Paso); I-10/I-15 (Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Barstow & Las Vegas). Tickets are not available for purchase at this stop, however; they must be bought in advance online or at the nearest full-service station in San Bernardino or Los Angeles. (updated Apr 2016)
  • Las Vegas Shuttle, (Bus stops) Shell at 747 S Indian Hills Blvd for going to L.A. or Norms at 807 S Indian Hills Blvd for going to Las Vegas, ☏ +1 702 642-0007. Connects Las Vegas to San Ysidro & Tijuana on one route and to Los Angeles on another. Their shuttles running between Las Vegas and San Diego/Tijuana stop in Hesperia and San Bernardino. Prearrangements for pick-up and drop-off at these locations may be required. Check tickets or ask to confirm pick-up and drop-off locations. (updated Aug 2020)
  • Omnitrans operates as local public transportation between San Bernardino, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Montclair, and Upland in San Bernardino County. The #66EB,84,85,88, and 290 buses connect Montclair Transcenter (nearest to Claremont) to Chino/Chino Hills and to points east in San Bernardino County.
  • Riverside Transit (RTA) #204. Operates local buses in and around Corona, Riverside city, Beaumont, Banning (Rt #31), San Jacinto and other cities in western Riverside County. The #204 bus connects Montclair Transcenter to downtown Riverside via Ontario Mills Mall, Country Village and UCR. (updated Aug 2018)
  • Foothill Transit connects Claremont to Montclair, Pomona, West Covina, Asuza, and other cities in the San Gabriel Valley as well as express buses to downtown Los Angeles (Silver Streak & Rt 699).

By train

The Metrolink San Bernardino Line offers hourly service between the Los Angeles Union Station and San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot. Union Station offers bus, Amtrak, and Metrolink connections from many surrounding cities and the FlyAway Bus to Los Angeles International Airport. The stations nearest to Claremont are:

Connections to Foothill Transit at both stations and to Omnitrans at Montclair Transcenter.

By plane

The nearby Ontario Airport (ONT IATA) offers frequent connections to many major U.S. cities, and to Mexico.

Claremont is also accessible from other airports in the greater Los Angeles area including Burbank (BUR IATA), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX IATA), and Long Beach (LGB IATA).

Get around

On foot

The best way to explore Claremont's charming downtown (called "The Village") is on foot; it is a reasonable walk from the local Metrolink station. However, getting around the rest of the town often requires a car.

See
  • 🌍 Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College (the Benton), 120 W. Bonita Ave. W-Su noon-6PM; Th noon-10PM. Pomona College's sleek art museum, adjacent to the Village, houses a collection of approximately 19,000 items, including Italian Renaissance panel paintings, indigenous American art and artifacts, and American and European prints, drawings, and photographs. Free. (updated Dec 2023)
  • 🌍 The Village (adjacent to and west of the Claremont Colleges). A popular collection of street-front small stores, boutiques, art galleries, offices, and restaurants. (updated Dec 2023)

Do
  • Candlelight Pavilion. Offers dinner and a professional live stage musical. 
  • City Hall, 2nd Street at Harvard Avenue. Sit down to a game of outdoor chess at the boards built into the tables on the lawn. 
  • Claremont Colleges. Take a stroll through the five connected campuses of the Claremont Colleges. There are frequent events, including talks open to the public most weekday evenings at 6:45PM at the M.M.C. Athenaeum and the Scripps Presents series. 
  • Memorial Park (Yale Avenue and 8th Street). Memorial Park offers free concerts and family movies during the summer. 
  • 🌍 Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens, 1500 N. College Ave., ☏ +1 909 625-8767, fax: +1 909 626-7670. Daily 8AM–5PM; closed New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The Gardens showcase native California plant life. Adults $8, students and seniors (62+) $6, children aged 3-12 $4; under 3 free. 
  • Laemmle Theatres Claremont 5, 450 W 2nd St, ☏ +1 909-621-5500. 5-screen movie theatre in the Village, screening mainstream and independent films. $7-10. 

Buy

The Village hosts a variety of independent shops. The local specialty seems to be unique ladies' clothing. Keep an eye out for antiques, chocolates, and creative gifts as well.

  • Claremont's Farmer's Market, Indian Hill & Second St. Su 8AM-1PM. In the heart of the Village, local merchants offer fresh produce and unique crafts. 
  • The Little Dress Shop, 214 W. 2nd St. Offers a charming collection of dresses and accessories. 
  • Boon Companion, 145 Harvard Ave. Formerly known as Claremont Toys, is a classic small-town toy shop—think building blocks, picture books, kiddie craft supplies, and stuffed animals of all varieties. 

Eat

Like many college towns, Claremont has ample fast food and cheap eateries, as well as nicer, more upscale restaurants.

This page uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink:
Budget$10 or less
Mid-range$10–20
Splurge$20 or more

Budget
  • 21 Choices, 817 West Foothill Blvd., ☏ +1 909-621-7175. Su-Th noon-10PM, F Sa noon-11PM. Offers a rotating selection of base frozen yogurts (be sure to sample each one before choosing!) that can be customized with candy mix-ins. A second location is at 460 West 1st Street. (updated Apr 2016)
  • Some Crust Bakery, 119 Yale Ave, ☏ +1 909-621-9772, . M-Sa 7AM-6PM, Su 8AM-1PM. Over-sized, decently priced, and mouth-wateringly delicious, the rotating cookie selection brings customers in hordes. The bakery's impressive cakes are on display in a rotating refrigerator rack in the main entryway. 
  • Patty's Mexican Foods, 1332 N Towne Ave, ☏ +1 909-625-9160. Fast food Mexican with homemade tortillas. 
  • Saca's Mediterranean Cuisine, 248 W 2nd St, ☏ +1 909-624-3340. M-Th 11AM-8PM, F 11AM-9PM, Sa 11AM-8PM, closed Su. Sandwiches, salads, falafel and hummus. 

Mid-range
  • Buca di Beppo, 505 West Foothill Blvd, ☏ +1 909-399-3287. M-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-11PM, Su 11AM-9PM. Eclectic decor and authentic cuisine, family style portions. $10-20. (updated Apr 2016)
  • Aruffo's Italian Cuisine, 126 Yale Ave, ☏ +1 909-624-9624. Exquisite Italian cuisine in a convivial yet intimate atmosphere. The appetizer bread is a sure winner, and you can't go wrong with any dish. The chocolate creme brulee is a special treat for dessert. 
  • Viva Madrid, 225 Yale Ave, ☏ +1 909-624-5500. Tu-Su 5-11PM, closed M. An authentic Spanish tapas bar and restaurant with great food. It gets busy quickly so if you wish to check it out, go early. 
  • Dr. Grubb's, 353 Bonita Ave, ☏ +1 909-621-6200. Large portions and vegetarian friendly. You choose a protein, sauce and side and your meal is cooked fresh. Take out available. 
  • Mongolian Barbeque, 970 W Foothill Blvd, ☏ +1 909-624-4334. Offers take-out. You fill a bowl with veggies and meat and then give it to a cook to be cooked. 
  • Le Pain Quotidien, 175 North Indian Hill Blvd, ☏ +1 909-625-1609. Su-F 8AM-9PM, Sa 8AM-10PM. Outdoor seating available. Light and fresh bakery and coffee shop. 

Splurge

Drink
  • The Back Abbey, 128 North Oberlin Ave., ☏ +1 909-625-2642. Extensive beer and wine list with sitting indoors and out, slightly pricey. Also known for their burgers. $6+. 

Sleep

Learn
  • 🌍 The Claremont Colleges, 150 E. Eight St. Five undergraduate colleges (Pomona College, Claremont McKenna College, Scripps College, Harvey Mudd College, and Pitzer College) and two graduate institutions (Claremont Graduate University and Keck Graduate Institute) make up the prestigious Claremont Colleges consortium, serving over 6000 students. (updated Jan 2021)
  • 🌍 Claremont School of Theology (CST), 1325 North College Ave. A graduate school seminary offering Master of Art, Masters of Divinity, Doctorate of Ministry and Ph.D. degrees in religion and theology. 

Go next
  • Victoria Gardens is a shop-a-holic's dream. A mall on the scale of a small town, including a fabulous food court, a theater, and just about any nationwide chain store you can imagine.
  • For those with a shorter shoestring, Ontario Mills is the largest outlet mall in the greater L.A. area. It also includes two large cineplexes, and a huge number of restaurants.
  • A short drive north will bring you to the mountains for beautiful hiking. Skiing is available at Mount Baldy during the winter months.
Routes through Claremont
Pasadena ← La Verne ←  W  E  → Upland → San Bernardino
Santa Monica ← Pasadena ←  W  E  → Upland → Barstow


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