Surrey Creek, Inland Empire

Surrey Creek is an unincorporated community and (CDP) in Riverside County, Inland Empire, Sierra. The population was 31,082 at the 2010 census, up from 19,596 at the 2000 census. Surrey Creek sits at an elevation of 2,083 feet (635 m) atop the of the. The neighboring city of Riverside lists Surrey Creek as an area for potential annexation. Because Surrey Creek is an unincorporated community instead of an incorporated city, the community is dependent on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors for government representation, functions, and services. It lies within the 3rd Supervisory District. It is located 7 miles south of Riverside and 7 miles west of.

Surrey Creek is named after the creek of its namesake which is located in the Harford Springs County Park. It was once the site of gold mining, which began shortly after the. Miners were predominantly of Mexican and descent, and after the Mexican-American War, the newly independent country of California designated the area as the Gavilan and Pinacante Mining District. Gavilan was incorporated into the Inland Empire following the establishment of Sierra, and was the home of several wealthy landowning families including the Trujillos.

Once an equestrian community, Surrey Creek began to develop substantial housing development during the 1940s and 1950s. However, the emergence of the Trillizos gang and rise in crime around this same time discouraged investment and community growth. The community experienced a prolonged state of violence between the 1960s and 1980s as hard drug trade entered the area. Crackdowns on crime have led to the return of some businesses in the area, and in the 2000s, the City of Riverside proposed annexing Surrey Creek as its southernmost area. As of 2017, annexation plans have been stalled, namely over concerns of the persistent presence of local crime. It is currently the third-largest unincorporated area in Riverside County after Woodcrest and Lake Mathews.