909 Area Code — San Bernardino & Inland Empire, CA: Cities, History & Scam Risk
Area code 909 covers San Bernardino County in California's Inland Empire. 15 cities, split from 714 in 1992, 951 split in 2004, major employers, scam risk, and dialing guide.
The 909 area code serves San Bernardino County in Southern California's Inland Empire— from the suburban cities of Ontario, Fontana, and Rancho Cucamonga to the mountain resort of Big Bear Lake. Created in 1992, it's the northern half of the IE (the southern half is 951).
909 Area Code at a Glance
Location: San Bernardino County, CA
Region: Inland Empire (northern half)
Year Created: November 14, 1992
Split from: Area code 714
Timezone: Pacific (UTC-8/UTC-7)
County Population: ~2.2 million
Cities & Communities in the 909 Area
| City | Population | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino | 222,101 | County seat, Route 66 history, Cal State SB |
| Fontana | 214,547 | Auto Club Speedway (NASCAR), steel industry history |
| Ontario | 175,265 | Ontario International Airport (ONT), convention center |
| Rancho Cucamonga | 177,603 | Victoria Gardens, wine country history |
| Pomona | 151,713 | LA County Fairgrounds, Cal Poly Pomona (technically LA County) |
| Upland | 79,040 | Historic Route 66 corridor, Foothill Blvd |
| Montclair | 40,041 | Montclair Place shopping, transit hub |
| Chino | 91,403 | Dairy industry, Chino Airport, Planes of Fame museum |
| Chino Hills | 83,853 | Affluent suburb, State Park, Chino Hills AYSO |
| Rialto | 104,037 | Amazon fulfillment center, logistics hub |
| Colton | 54,824 | Railroad hub, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center |
| Loma Linda | 24,791 | Loma Linda University Medical Center — world-renowned |
| Redlands | 73,168 | University of Redlands, historic downtown, Esri HQ |
| Highland | 56,285 | San Bernardino Mountains gateway |
| Big Bear Lake | 5,281 | Mountain resort town — skiing, lake recreation |
History of the 909 Area Code
Area code 714 created — covered Orange County, Inland Empire (San Bernardino + Riverside counties), and parts of eastern LA County.
November 14 — Area code 909 split from 714. Covered the entire Inland Empire (both San Bernardino and Riverside counties). 714 retained Orange County.
July 17 — Area code 951 split from 909. 951 took western Riverside County. 909 retained San Bernardino County and parts of eastern LA County.
Inland Empire Area Codes
| Code | Territory |
|---|---|
| 909 | San Bernardino County — Ontario, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino |
| 951 | Western Riverside County — Riverside, Corona, Temecula, Moreno Valley |
| 760 | Desert / eastern IE — Palm Springs, Barstow, Victorville |
| 442 | Overlay on 760 |
How to Dial a 909 Number
| Calling From | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Within IE (local) | 909 + 7-digit number | 909-555-0100 |
| Within US | 1 + 909 + 7-digit number | 1-909-555-0100 |
| Cell phone (anywhere) | +1 909 + 7-digit number | +1 909 555 0100 |
| From UK | 00 + 1 + 909 + number | 00-1-909-555-0100 |
Major Employers & Landmarks
Amazon Fulfillment Centers
Fortune 500
E-commerce logistics — multiple massive warehouses across IE
San Bernardino, Rialto, Ontario
Ontario International Airport (ONT)
Infrastructure
Major cargo & passenger airport — 7M+ passengers/year
Ontario
Loma Linda University Medical Center
Major Medical
World-renowned teaching hospital — Level 1 trauma, children's hospital
Loma Linda
Esri
Private ($1.6B revenue)
GIS mapping software — global leader in geospatial technology
Redlands
San Bernardino National Forest
Federal
National forest — Big Bear Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Mt. San Gorgonio
San Bernardino Mountains
Cal Poly Pomona
Public University
Education — 30,000+ students, polytechnic focus
Pomona
California Speedway (Auto Club)
Sports
NASCAR track — 65,000 capacity
Fontana
LA/Ontario International Commerce Center
Logistics
One of largest master-planned industrial parks in US
Ontario/Rancho Cucamonga
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Casino
Gaming
Yaamava' Resort & Casino — largest casino in LA/IE area
Highland
Inland Empire Health Plan
Regional Healthcare
Largest Medicaid managed care plan in US — 1.5M+ members
Rancho Cucamonga
Scam & Spam Risk from 909 Numbers
Auto warranty scams
Robocalls about expiring vehicle warranties — very common in car-dependent IE
Amazon/package delivery scams
Fake package notifications — IE is a major Amazon fulfillment hub
Solar panel scams
Aggressive "free solar" pitches — sunny Southern California climate
SCE utility scams
Fake Southern California Edison calls threatening disconnection
Student loan scams
Fake forgiveness programs targeting IE's large student population
Check suspicious 909 numbers with our spam number checker.
Time Zone
Pacific Time (PT)
Standard (PST): UTC-8
Daylight (PDT): UTC-7
9 AM in San Bernardino = 12 PM ET = 5 PM London
Related Area Codes
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