Claremont is a college town about 30 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley of Southern California. It is known for the trees lining its streets and as the home of the elite Claremont Colleges, which together have given it the nickname "City of Trees and PhDs".
Get in
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34°6′36″N 117°43′11″W
Map of Claremont (California)By car
Exit from Highway 210 (Towne Ave), (Base Line Rd), or Highway 10 (Indian Hill Blvd).
By train
The Metrolink commuter rail offers hourly service from downtown Los Angeles's Union Station. Union Station offers bus and train routes from many surrounding cities and the FlyAway Bus to Los Angeles International Airport.
- 1 Claremont railway station, 200 W. 1st St.
By plane
The nearby Ontario Airport (ONT IATA) offers frequent connections to many major U.S. cities, as well as Mexico.
Claremont is also accessible from other airports in the greater Los Angeles area including Burbank (BUR IATA), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX IATA), and Long Beach (LGB IATA).
Get around
On foot
The best way to explore Claremont's charming downtown (called "The Village") is on foot; it is a reasonable walk from the local Metrolink station. However, getting around the rest of the town often requires a car.
See
- 1 Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, 1175 W Baseline Rd (At The Webb Schools. Enter campus at main driveway, check in at security kiosk and show photo ID), ☏ 1 909 624-2798.
- 2 John R. Rodman Arboretum (At Pitzer College).
The Village
Claremont's quaint downtown is an assortment of specialty shops and restaurants. Crowded with students from the nearby Claremont Colleges, the Village has a relaxed atmosphere.
Do
- Candlelight Pavilion. Offers dinner and a professional live stage musical.
- City Hall, 2nd Street at Harvard Avenue. Sit down to a game of outdoor chess at the boards built into the tables on the lawn.
- Claremont Colleges. Take a stroll through the five connected campuses of the Claremont Colleges. There are frequent events, including talks open to the public most weekday evenings at 6:45pm at the M.M.C. Athenaeum and the Scripps Presents series.
- Memorial Park (Yale Avenue and 8th Street). Memorial Park offers free concerts and family movies during the summer.
- 1 Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens, 1500 N. College Ave., ☏ 1 909 625-8767, fax: 1 909 626-7670. Daily 8AM–5PM; Closed New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The Gardens showcase native California plant life. Adults $8, Students and seniors (62 ) $6, children aged 3-12 $4; under 3 Free.
- Laemmle Theatres Claremont 5, 450 W 2nd St, ☏ 1 909-621-5500. 5 screen movie theatre located in the Village, screening both mainstream and independent films $7-10.
Buy
The Village hosts a variety of independent shops. The local specialty seems to be unique ladies' clothing. Keep an eye out for antiques, chocolates, and creative gifts as well.
- Claremont's Farmer's Market, Indian Hill & Second St. Su 8AM-1PM. In the heart of the Village, local merchants offer fresh produce and unique crafts.
- The Little Dress Shop, 214 W. 2nd St. Offers a charming collection of dresses and accessories.
- Boon Companion, 145 Harvard Ave. Formerly known as Claremont Toys, is a classic small-town toy shop—think building blocks, picture books, kiddie craft supplies, and stuffed animals of all varieties.
Eat
Like many college towns, Claremont has ample fast food and cheap eateries, as well as nicer, more upscale restaurants.
| This page uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink: | |
| Budget | $10 or less |
| Mid-range | $10–20 |
| Splurge | $20 or more |
Budget
- 21 Choices, 817 West Foothill Blvd., ☏ 1 909-621-7175. Su-Th: noon-10PM, Fr-Sa: noon-11PM. Offers a rotating selection of base frozen yogurts (be sure to sample each one before choosing!) that can be customized with candy mix-ins. A second location is at 460 West 1st Street.
- Some Crust Bakery, 119 Yale Ave, ☏ 1 909-621-9772, ✉[email protected]. 7AM-6PM M-Sa. 8AM-1PM Sun. Over-sized, decently priced, and mouth-wateringly delicious, the rotating cookie selection brings customers in hordes. The bakery's impressive cakes are on display in a rotating refrigerator rack in the main entryway.
- Patty's Mexican Foods, 1332 N Towne Ave, ☏ 1 909-625-9160. Fast food Mexican with homemade tortillas.
- Saca's Mediterranean Cuisine, 248 W 2nd St, ☏ 1 909-624-3340. M-Th 11AM-8PM, F 11AM-9PM, Sa 11AM-8PM, Closed Sun. Sandwiches, salads, falafel and hummus.
Mid-range
- BC Cafe Kick Back Jack's, 701 S. Indian Hill Blvd. (Just off the I-10), ☏ 1 909-482-1414. Breakfast and lunch place similar to Denny's. Large portions and often crowded.
- Buca di Beppo, 505 West Foothill Blvd, ☏ 1 909-399-3287. M-Th: 11AM-10PM, F-Sa:11AM-11PM, Sun: 11AM-9PM. Eclectic decor and authentic cuisine, family style portions. $10-20.
- Aruffo's Italian Cuisine, 126 Yale Ave, ☏ 1 909-624-9624. Exquisite Italian cuisine in a convivial yet intimate atmosphere. The appetizer bread is a sure winner, and you can't go wrong with any dish. The chocolate creme brulee is a special treat for dessert.
- Viva Madrid, 225 Yale Ave, ☏ 1 909-624-5500. Tu-Su 5-11PM Closed Mon. An authentic Spanish tapas bar and restaurant with great food. It gets busy quickly so if you wish to check it out, go early.
- Dr. Grubb's, 353 Bonita Ave, ☏ 1 909-621-6200. Large portions and vegetarian friendly. You choose a protein, sauce and side and your meal is cooked fresh. Take out available.
- Mongolian Barbeque, 970 W Foothill Blvd, ☏ 1 909-624-4334. Offers take-out. You fill a bowl with veggies and meat and then give it to a cook to be cooked.
- Le Pain Quotidien, 175 North Indian Hill Blvd, ☏ 1 909-625-1609. Su-F 8AM-9PM, Sa 8AM-10PM. Outdoor seating available. Light and fresh bakery and coffee shop.
- Nogi Japanese Restaurant, 950 W Foothill Blvd, ☏ 1 909-626-1582. Located in a strip mall, the outside is unassuming. Considered better sushi than the nearby Sushi Cruise.
Splurge
- Wolfe's Market, 160 W Foothill Blvd, ☏ 1 909-626-1680. M-F 10AM-7PM, Sa 11AM-3PM. Located in a grocery store, this place offers catering and lunch. Generally considered overly expensive.
- Tutti Mangia Italian Grill, 102 Harvard Ave, ☏ 1 909-625-4669. Italian food featuring wine tastings.
Drink
- The Press, 129 Harvard Ave. Offers a yuppie-chic atmosphere and a progressive menu. Live indy music bands perform throughout the week. Look for vestiges of the building's former days as a newspaper printing press. $7 .
- Heroes & Legends Bar & Grill, 131 N. Yale Ave, ☏ 1 909-621-6712. 11AM-1PM Su-Th. 11AM-1AM F-Sa. A sports-themed restaurant with huge portions.
- The Back Abbey, 128 North Oberlin Ave., ☏ 1 909-625-2642. Extensive beer and wine list with sitting indoors and out, slightly pricey. Also known for their burgers. $6 .
Sleep
- 1 Hotel Casa 425, 425 W 1st St (Located in the Village expansion off of Indian Hill Blvd), ☏ 1 909-624-2272. High end hotel with 28 rooms built around a small courtyard with a fire pit. $210 .
- Hotel Claremont, 840 S Indian Hill Blvd (Off the I-10), ☏ 1 909-621-4831, ✉[email protected]. Pet friendly $90 .
- Claremont Lodge, 736 S Indian Hill Blvd, ☏ 1 909-626-5654, fax: 1 909-399-5973. Located right off of I-10. Clean and affordable. $70 .
- Doubletree Hotel Claremont, 555 West Foothill Blvd (From the I-10, take Indian Hill Blvd north for 2 miles and turn left on Foothill Blvd.), ☏ 1 909-626-2411, fax: 1 909-624-0756. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 12PM. $140 .
- Howard Johnson Express Inn Claremont, 721 S Indian Hill Blvd, ☏ 1 909-626-2431, fax: 1 909-624-7051. Check-out: 11AM. Located right off I-10. Highway noise, but clean and affordable. $75 .
Learn
- 1 The Claremont Colleges, 150 E. Eight St. Five undergraduate colleges (Pomona College, Claremont McKenna College, Scripps College, Harvey Mudd College, and Pitzer College) and two graduate institutions (Claremont Graduate University and Keck Graduate Institute) make up the prestigious Claremont Colleges consortium, serving over 6000 students.
- 2 Claremont School of Theology (CST), 1325 North College Ave. A graduate school seminary offering Master of Art, Masters of Divinity, Doctorate of Ministry and Ph.D. degrees in religion and theology.
Go next
- Victoria Gardens is a shop-a-holic's mecca. A mall on the scale of a small town, including a fabulous food court, a theater, and just about any nationwide chain store you can imagine.
- For those with a shorter shoestring, Ontario Mills is the largest outlet mall in the greater L.A. area. It also includes two large cineplexes, and a huge number of restaurants.
- A short drive north will bring you to the mountains for beautiful hiking. Skiing is available at Mount Baldy during the winter months.
| Routes through Claremont |
| Pasadena ← La Verne ← | W  E | → Upland → San Bernardino |
| Santa Monica ← Pasadena ← | W .svg/22px-US_66_(historic).svg.png){kind=small} E | → Upland → Barstow |