Big Bear City, California
39 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1901 and the latest in 1996. It stands in the Big Bear census division. It lies in ZIP code area 92314. It lies near Sawmill Canyon. The Survey maps it on the Big Bear City quadrangle. 12,738 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 6,772 feet above sea level.
Then and now
1901 to 1996The same ground, surveyed 95 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.


Compare 1901 against another survey:
On record in Big Bear City
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 1 record
Henry Washington Survey Markerlisted 1975
Population over time
2 figuresBig Bear City grew from 12,304 to 12,738 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12,304 | |
| 2020 | 12,738 | +434 (+4%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
14 surveys from 39 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1901 USGS Southern California Sheet No. 1 quadrangle1:250000, 6 printings
- 1902 USGS San Gorgonio quadrangle1:125000, 8 printings
- 1904 USGS Southern California Sheet No. 1 quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1947 USGS Lucerne Valley quadrangle1:62500, 5 printings
- 1949 USGS Lucerne Valley quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1953 USGS San Bernardino quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1956 USGS San Bernardino quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS San Bernardino quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS San Bernardino quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS San Bernardino quadrangle1:250000
- 1966 USGS San Bernardino quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Big Bear City quadrangle1:24000, 7 printings
- 1982 USGS Big Bear Lake quadrangle1:100000
- 1996 USGS Big Bear City quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
496 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 496 fires within 5 miles of Big Bear City between 1992 and 2020, burning about 2,235 acres in total. 126 started naturally. 15 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 216 |
| Natural | 126 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 56 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 22 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 20 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 15 |
| Smoking | 13 |
| Debris and open burning | 12 |
| Other causes | 8 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 4 |
| Fireworks | 4 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2015 | Natural | under an acre | San Bernardino National Forest | VANDUSEN |
| 8 September 2013 | Natural | under an acre | San Bernardino National Forest | RANGER |
| 8 September 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | San Bernardino National Forest | MAPLE |
| 8 September 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | San Bernardino National Forest | SAND |
| 6 September 2013 | Natural | under an acre | San Bernardino National Forest | SUGARLOAF 2 |
| 6 September 2013 | Natural | under an acre | San Bernardino National Forest | BERTHA |
| 5 September 2015 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | San Bernardino Unit | IMPERIAL AV SUGARLOAF 2 |
| 5 September 2001 | Natural | under an acre | San Bernardino National Forest | COUGAR |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 85 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 85 workings within 5 miles of Big Bear City: 37 past producers, 29 occurrences, 11 prospects, 8 unknowns. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Gold, Uranium, Silver, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont No. 2 | Gold, Germanium, Osmium | Occurrence | ||
| Carbonate Mine | Lead, Silver, Zinc | Past Producer | ||
| Gail Claim | Gold, Platinum, Limestone, Dimension | Unknown | ||
| Gold Hill | Gold, Silver, Lead, Copper | Past Producer | Surface/Underground | |
| Gold Hill Mine | Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead | Past Producer | ||
| H. L. Brown Desert View Claims | Beryllium | Prospect | ||
| Hilltop | Gold, Copper, Lead | Past Producer | ||
| Independence Mine No. 1 | Gold, Copper, Iron | Past Producer | 1955 | |
| Iron King Deposit | Iron | Occurrence | ||
| Red Canyon | Mercury | Occurrence | Cinnabar |
Storms near this place
36 since 1998Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Big Bear City in 36 storm reports between 1998 and 2026: 9 hail, 9 flash flood, 6 flood, 4 debris flow. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2005 | Flash Flood | Big Bear City | $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Heavy Rain | Big Bear City | $50,000 | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Lightning | Big Bear City | $40,000 | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Bear City | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | Big Bear City | $5,000 | Highway 18 flooded, with portions of roadway washing away. Several vehicles were stuck in mud. |
| June 2022 | Hail | Big Bear City | $1,000 | Trained spotter, Bensweather, reports the eastern end of valley covered in light coating of hailstones as seen from camera view. Roofs and some ground covered in hail. Thunderstorm moved over the area around 12:30 pm. |
| July 2018 | Debris Flow | Big Bear City | $1,000 | California Highway Patrol reported a mudslide along Highway 18 northeast of Big Bear City that was 6 feet deep and extending 20 feet across the highway. 12 vehicles were stranded in the mudslide. Highway 18 was closed between Big Bear and Lucerne Valley due to the debris flow. |
| July 2013 | Hail | Big Bear City | $1,000 | A Big Bear resident reported that 0.5-inch hail had accumulated up to 1.5 inches deep in her yard. Plants and flowers in the yard were completely shredded by the hail. |
| July 2018 | Flash Flood | Big Bear City | $500 | Monsoonal moisture brought thunderstorms to the San Bernardino Mountains on July 12th. This resulted in flash flooding on Highway 18 near mile marker 65 (Mitsubishi Cement Corporation Plant). numerous vehicles stranded due to significant flow of water and debris. Highway 18 was closed in both directions through the afternoon on July 12th. |
| February 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Bear City | - | County Fire reports a tree went through a roof on dawn drive. Estimated wind gusts in the area near 50-55 mph. |
| March 2023 | Flood | Big Bear City | - | Flooding occurred near Big Bear City on March 15 following heavy rainfall of 0.50-1.50, with reports of 2.00-3.00+ inches nearby. Heavy rain combined with snow melt to lead to flooding in the San Bernardino County Mountains. The Department of Highways reported the closure of Gildart Drive and Division Drive; Irvine Way and Barrett Way were flooded; the riverbed broke through and resulted in flooding at SR-38, with 3 inches of standing water reported between Baldwin and State Lane. |
| August 2022 | Debris Flow | Big Bear City | - | California Highway Patrol reports mud and water across both lanes of Highway 18. Radar estimates 0.25/hr-0.5/hr rain rates. |
| August 2022 | Heavy Rain | Big Bear City | - | County alert gauge north of Big Bear Lake reported 0.55 inch of rain in ten minutes between 11:39 and 11:49 AM PDT. |
| July 2022 | Flood | Big Bear City | - | Flooding on Highway 38 between Paradise and Maple Lane. |
| July 2021 | Lightning | Big Bear City | - | A 200 year old Jeffery pine tree was struck by lightning. It burned later in the evening until extinguished. The large tree split in half while burning. The thunderstorm on radar appeared to be during several cloud to ground strikes near Big Bear airport around 1230 pm. |
| July 2021 | Debris Flow | Big Bear City | - | San Bernardino County Public Works reported the clearing of debris and barricading as needed at Big Bear Yard (Elv. 6815 ft). |
| July 2019 | Debris Flow | Big Bear City | - | CalTrans reported rocks and mud in the road due to heavy rain. |
| August 2014 | Hail | Big Bear City | - | A trained spotter reported nickel size hail and heavy rain along Highway 247 just east of Lucerne Valley near Camp Rock Road. |
| July 2011 | Heavy Rain | Big Bear City | - | Spotter SBD286 reported a very heavy downpour in the area of North Shore Drive and Greenway Drive in Big Bear City from approximately 1340-1355 PST. During this time, his rain gage showed just over a half inch of rain. |
| August 2011 | Flash Flood | Big Bear City | - | Spotter reported street flooding on Big Bear Boulevard from the Stanfield cutoff to Pine Knot Avenue, as well as Rathbun Creek at Catalina Road. Water 6-12 inches deep covered the roadway. |
| September 2011 | Hail | Big Bear City | - | Hail of dime size or 3/4 inch was reported with heavy rain in both Big Bear City and Highland from a cluster of thunderstorms. |
| July 2005 | Hail | Big Bear City | - | A thunderstorm over Big Bear dropped 3/4 inch hail and heavy rain. |
| July 2005 | Flash Flood | Big Bear City | - | Flash flooding reported along highway 38 at Mountain View. |
| July 2005 | Hail | Big Bear City | - | A trained spotter in Big Bear City observed 3/4 inch hail and measured 1.06 inches of rain in 30 minutes during a thunderstorm. Heavy rain and hail also resulted flash flooding. |
| July 2005 | Flash Flood | Big Bear City | - | Flash flooding and pea size hail from a thunderstorm was reported along highway 18 near eagle point. |
| August 1999 | Flood | Big Bear City | - | Street flooding was observed. |
| August 2007 | Hail | Big Bear City | - | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Flash Flood | Big Bear City | - | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Flash Flood | Big Bear City | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Hail | Big Bear City | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Flash Flood | Big Bear City | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Lightning | Big Bear City | - | no account filed |
| August 2001 | Flood | Big Bear City | - | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Hail | Big Bear City | - | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Flood | Big Bear City | - | no account filed |
| August 1998 | Flood | Big Bear City | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sugarloaf | 1.5 miles | 34 | |
| Moonridge | 1.9 miles | 34 | |
| Minnelusa | 2.5 miles | 35 | |
| Woodlands | 2.6 miles | 34 | |
| Baldwin Lake | 2.8 miles | 39 | |
| Doble | 2.9 miles | 39 | |
| Big Bear Lake | 3.7 miles | 36 | |
| Fawnskin | 5.2 miles | 35 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Big Bear City | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q542794 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1660331. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.













