Colton is part of the Inland Empire, located in San Bernardino County. Affordable housing is one of the city's strong suits, attracting working from the greater Southern California area to this family-oriented city on the "east side" of downtown Los Angeles, which is just over 55 miles miles away and an hour's commute on a good day on the 10 Freeway.
Colton was once filled with the sweet scent of oranges and lemons, as orchards do quite well in the dry, sunny climate. Now the orchards have mostly given way to buildings and development, but one of the icons of the past remains and is visible in the city.
Colton's Carnegie Library which was built in 1891 is similar to over 100 such Carnegie Library buildings in California.