Colton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, in the heart of the Inland Empire. It lies about four miles south of downtown San Bernardino and roughly sixty miles east of Los Angeles, framed by the San Bernardino Mountains to the north. Colton had a population of 53,909 at the 2020 census. Its nickname, the "Hub City," captures its defining role: for well over a century, Colton has sat at a critical junction of the western rail network, where the BNSF and Union Pacific railroads converge at the historic Colton Crossing. The city's transportation roots shaped its growth from the start. Colton was incorporated in 1875, and its location on the region's major rail lines made it a natural center for railroading and freight movement. After a quieter period in the early twentieth century, the construction of Interstates 10 and 215 through the city reinforced its crossroads character and drew transportation-based industry. Following World War II, a surge of residential building and, later, the Inland Empire's broad subdivision expansion created the city's modern neighborhoods. Today Colton is a suburban city of San Bernardino with a strong logistics and distribution economy and convenient freeway access across the Inland Empire. The Colton Joint Unified School District educates the community's students across 28 schools and roughly 18,900 students. The city's parks, schools, and established residential streets give it a settled suburban character, while its rail and freeway connections keep it tied to the region's economy. Colton appeals to households seeking an affordable, well-connected base in the Inland Empire, with the mountains, desert, and greater Los Angeles all within reach.