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city ​​in Riverside County, California, United States of America
North America > United States of America > California > Southern California > Riverside County > Temecula

Temecula is a city in Riverside County in Southern California

Understand

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Temecula is known for its wine and Balloon and Wine Festival.

Tourism office

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Get in

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By car

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Temecula is about an hour north of San Diego on Interstate 15. It is an hour south of San Bernardino on Interstate 15, and about an hour south of Riverside on Interstate 215. State Route 79 also passes through the town, heading north to Hemet and south to Julian.

By plane

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The closest airports are in San Diego (SAN IATA), 45 minutes south, and Ontario (ONT IATA), 45 minutes north.

French Valley general aviation airport is north of town. It is a popular location for small aircraft.

Get around

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Though Temecula is serviced by some buses, they are unreliable at best. Thus, Temecula has virtually NO public transportation. If you are visiting, you should either have your own car or rent one, as the city is very spread out and the lack of public transport makes driving a necessity.

  • Old Town Temecula (west of the I-15, exit Rancho California and turn right on Jefferson/Old Town Front Street). This is the oldest and most historic part of town, complete with old western architecture and charming shops and restaurants. There is a lot of new development going on and it's worth taking half a day exploring Old Town. 
  • Temecula Olive Oil Company, 28653 Old Town Front St, toll-free: +1-866-654-8364. Retail shop and olive oil tasting; a unique experience with helpful hosts who are happy to explain the differences in olive oil in detail. 
  • 1 Temecula Valley Museum, 28314 Mercedes St, ☏ +1 951 694 6450. (updated Jul 2021)
  • Little Temecula History Center and Vail Ranch Headquarters, 31870 Redhawk Pkwy (east on Temecula Pkwy to shopping plaza on right). Ranch complex open every day. Museum open Sundays 1-5 PM. The site encompasses a small history museum covering the Temecula Valley, in the historic Vail Ranch Headquarters complex. The old Vail Ranch Headquarters buildings were preserved and used as commercial buildings with displays and historic equipment scattered throughout. The Mormon Battalion marched through town when laying out the Southern Emigrant Trail that the Butterfield Stage line and the pony express later used. Emigrants came through town and stopped at Wolf's Store and stage stop (located at the ranch headquarters) on their way to northern gold rush towns. Free. (updated Jun 2024)
  • Wine Tasting. The Temecula valley has 30 or more wineries with tasting rooms, including Callaway (owned by the same family as the golf club company) other popular choices include Thornton, Stuart Cellars, Mount Palomar, Wilson Creek and Falkner. The Grapeline Wine Country Shuttle picks up at all local hotels and takes you out for a full day of wine tasting. 
  • Out and About. Though there are a fair few shops and restaurants, Temecula (especially downtown) is not known as a late night club/bar scene, with the exception of Pechanga. Much of that is changing as many of the restaurants and bars are providing night time entertainment, such as kareoke at Texas Lils or live music at The Edge and The Collective. 
  • 1 Pechanga Resort and Casino. A Las Vegas gaming experience in Southern California home to a modern night club, several up-scale restaurants and food court, and theatre which plays host to many famous acts touring across the country Pechanga Resort and Casino (Q7158663) on Wikidata Pechanga Resort and Casino on Wikipedia 
  • 2 Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St, ☏ +1-866-OLD-TOWN (653-8696) (653-8696). 
  • 3 Palomar Observatory. Palomar Mountain Observatory (Q191684) on Wikidata Palomar Observatory on Wikipedia 

Events

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  • Old Town Temecula. Considered the best area for tourists looking to pick up that nice little souvenir of Temecula. This area has many quaint and charming shops. 
  • The Promenade. A conventional shopping mall. The mall has gone under extentsive redesign to set itself as an upscale mall with shops including Coach and Apple. 

Temecula has more than its fair share of '50s-style diners, most located on the west side of the freeway, along Main Street. If you are looking for something less local, a drive up along Rancho California or Temecula Parkway/79 has numerous options for chain restaurants.

Drink

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Lots of locally produced wine.

  • 1 1909 Fluid & Fare Gastropub, 28656 Old Town Front St. M-Th 9AM-10PM, F 9AM-1AM, Sa 8:30AM-1AM, Su 8:30AM-10PM. The current popular place in Old Town Temecula, centrally placed and hard to miss. Full bar, extensive food menu including brunch every day. (updated Aug 2024)
  • 2 Ponte Winery, 35053 Rancho California Rd (in the Ponte Vineyard Inn next door to the winery), ☏ +1 951 694-8855. Wine tasting by day, and wine country's only full bar by night. (updated Aug 2024)
  • 3 Wiens Cellars. 
  • 4 Wilson Creek Winery. Well-known and trendy. Crowded and hard to find parking on most weekends. (updated Aug 2024)
  • 5 Leoness Cellars, 38311 De Portola Rd, ☏ +1 951 302-7601. Great wines, excellent restaurant, picturesque grounds with a view of the valley. Located near the newest winemakers in Temecula, but with many years of successful winemaking history. (updated Aug 2024)
  • 6 Europa Village, 41150 Via Europa, ☏ +1 951 506-1818. A new development encompassing food and wine varietals from Spain (Bolero Winery), Italy (Vienza), and (under construction) France. The property also includes an inn. (updated Aug 2024)
  • Temecula Beer & Wine Garden (in Old Town near the bus depot and Sweet Lumpy's Barbeque). Small and friendly outdoor bar. 

Breweries:

Sleep

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Stay safe

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Temecula is considered to be one of the safest cities in all of California. Virtually every area of town is considered safe to walk, but caution should be taken walking at night in the area around the apartment complexes on Pujol Street near Old Town, and the area of the apartment complexes just east of the Rancho California/Ynez intersection across from the Temecula Town Center.

Though still relatively safe, there has been an increase in gang activity and the usual related crimes: drugs, car thefts and assaults.

Go next

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Routes through Temecula
Riverside (Via spur ) ← Lake Elsinore ←  N  S  → Fallbrook → San Diego


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