San Bernardino is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, San Bernardino is the economic, cultural, and political hub of the San Bernardino Valley, as well as a college town, as home to California State University, Following the American Conquest of California, the community on the rancho incorporated as a city in 1854. The city grew significantly in the late 19th century as a commercial hub at the crossroads between Southern California and the American Southwest. Today, San Bernardino is an important regional hub for the Inland Empire.