Riverside County was officially established in 1893. Formed from a small portion of San Bernardino County and a larger part of San Diego County, Riverside was linked to the agriculture industry in its early years. But commerce, construction, manufacturing, transportation and tourism soon took hold, contributing substantially to the region's flourishing economy.

On May 9, 1893, the county elected its official governing body, the Board of Supervisors. The Board serves as both the legislative and executive branch of the county government. In its legislative role, the Board passes local laws, called ordinances, which govern activities ranging from land use and building codes to safety codes and animal control. In their executive role, Supervisors collectively create and guide operation of programs serving the many and diverse needs of county residents.

The Board balanced its 3.9 billion dollar budget for the fiscal year 2006-2007 and appoints a County Executive Officer to manage the day-to-day activities of all county departments.

Recent years have brought dramatic population growth to Riverside County. Between 1980 and 1990, the number of residents grew by over 76 percent, making Riverside the fastest-growing county in California. Riverside County is home to over 2.0 million residents.

Today, Riverside County is the fourth largest county in California.  The County of Riverside maintains a workforce of over 18,000 employees, in over 50 departments and agencies.  The County of Riverside is the ideal working environment for people who want to contribute their talents and skills to a progressive, technology-driven, and customer-service-oriented public agency.