 The community of Arlanza has lived through some interesting landscaping. It started out as a portion of Rancho La Sierra in the early 1800's. The Rancho originally stretched out to Lake Matthews and belonged to Vicente Sepulveda. In 1942 the Army bought 1,250 acres of the former Rancho west of Van Buren Avenue, on both sides of Arlington Avenue. This was the beginning of Camp Anza, a quickly built wooden temporary-staging center used during World War II. Over the course of the war, nearly 600,000 soldiers and workers passed through the camp, calling Arlanza home, at least for a short time. In 1961, when the University of California and the surrounding area voted themselves as part of the City of Riverside, Arlanza did the same. The old Army barracks were converted to bungalows and other homes on newly subdivided land. Today Arlanza's population has grown considerably with apartments and new modern homes.
Arlanza’s history as a military base is evident in its mini-city design. Within this neighborhood one may find untouched natural land, sparsely populated hillsides, traditional neighborhoods, and intensive urban commerce and industry. The heart of this region hosts a large general industrial center and commercial uses form the eastern boundary of this neighborhood. The terrain of Arlanza is as varied as its development. The region is generally flat in the east, hilly in the south and west and borders on the Santa Ana River to the north.
Arlanza has developed steadily over the latter half of this century, but still reflects the basic pattern of Riverside growth, with peaks in the 1950’s and 1970’s. The neighborhood has great potential for redevelopment and continued growth. Arlanza offers a thorough mix of urban and rural and has something to offer to all that come here.
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