Beaumont, which is French for "Beautiful Mountain", received its name in 1887 from Henry C. Sigler, president of the Southern California Investment Company, because Mount San Jacinto is nearby and visible from the city.

Its location enthralled many who now saw that connecting to the ocean was a feasible measure and led to plans for constructing a railway from the Missouri River to the Pacific.

By 1927, the small city had a population of 857 with five churches, a public library, a bank, a high school, two local newspapers, several lumber yards, commercial packing houses, and a dehydrating plant.

According to an early 1930s/1940s postcard, the Highland Springs Guest Ranch of Beaumont offered its patrons horseback riding, tennis, archery, horseshoes, swimming, shuffle-board, ping pong, baseball, ballroom dancing, massages, basketball, and lodging accommodations.

During the Cold War, a Lockheed rocket test site operated by Simi Valley–based Rocketdyne was established south of the town in Potrero Canyon.

With the housing boom in the early decade, the urban sprawl reached the last remaining valleys of the Inland Empire.

A 2008 study by the Public Policy Institute of California noted that Beaumont and its neighboring communities in the nearby San Jacinto Valley have registered the highest population growth throughout Riverside County and that the region was projected to increase by 4.5% a year to 310,000 by 2015.

[9] The following communities are currently under construction or have been built: Oak Valley Greens, Three Rings Ranch, Solera by Del Webb (later sold to Pulte Homes Inc.), Olivewood by Taylor Morrison, Sundance and Tournament Hills by Pardee Homes, Four Seasons by K. Hovnanian and Fairway Canyon.

Except for Oak Valley Greens and Three Rings Ranch, these communities operate under HOAs and are similar to developments in Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga, and some Orange County suburbs.

Joseph Sandy Aklufi and former Police Chief Francis Dennis Coe Jr. were accused of using their public offices to enrich themselves personally and secure interest-free loans for friends and colleagues with taxpayer money.

The criminal probe began in April 2015 when investigators with the Riverside County district attorney's office and the FBI raided City Hall and seized records, computers and other items.

If driving east to Banning or west to Calimesa, drivers can feel a gradual downward slope.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.9 square miles (80 km2), of which 99.96% is land and 0.04% is water.

Due to its higher elevation, it is usually 5 °F (3 °C)-10 °F (6 °C) colder than its neighboring lower-elevation cities, such as Moreno Valley, Hemet, San Jacinto, and the Palm Springs desert area.

[16] Beaumont's slightly cooler temperatures and less air pollution, relative to its neighboring lower-elevation cities, make it a desirable area for development in the Inland Empire region.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Beaumont had a median household income of $67,758, with 11.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

[25] Other major businesses in the 2nd Street Marketplace area include many chain stores, restaurants and a movie theater.

Lewis announced his retirement before the election, which was contested by Republican John Tavaglione and Democrat Mark Takano who won the new (redistricted) seat.

[45] Station 66 of the City of Beaumont Fire Services maintains two type 1 engines and one paramedic squad.

The town has been home to different antique store establishments dating back several decades, such as the now defunct Nettie and Alice Museum of Hobbies.

[48] A few episodes of the TV show My Name Is Earl were filmed in Beaumont, as well as many of the show's opening scenes; the liquor store where he buys the winning lotto ticket, the car wash, and the scene where Earl gets hit by a car were all filmed near the intersection of 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.