The City of Redlands, incorporated in 1888, in the San Bernardino Valley, 63 miles east of Los Angeles, 110 miles north of San Diego, and 500 miles southeast of San Francisco. It lies within the San Bernardino Valley in the southwestern portion of San Bernardino County, covering an area of 36 square miles within the heart of the Inland Empire. It serves a population of approximately 70,000 residents. The City of Redlands' economy is based largely in the service and trade sectors (health care, retail trade, government and education) and light manufacturing. The region has a varied manufacturing and industrial base that has added to the relative stability of the unemployment rate over the years. The City has significant land still available for industrial/commercial/office use with only a portion of these areas utilized. Major industries with headquarters or divisions located within the City's boundaries or in close proximity include computer hardware and software manufacturers, electrical controls and automobile component manufacturers, and several financial and insurance institutions. Major employers in the City or within the vicinity include the Redlands Unified School District, the United States Postal Service, Esri (Environmental Systems Research Institute), Redlands Community Hospital, Verizon/GTE, the University of Redlands, the City of Redlands, and Loma Linda University Medical Center, the Jerry L. Pettis Veterans Hospital, and the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System.