Riverside County is located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of California. The county seat is the city of Riverside. Geographically, the county is desert. Most of Joshua Tree National Park is located in the county. Riverside County lies inland of Los Angeles, and large numbers of Los Angeles workers have moved to the county in recent years to take advantage of relatively affordable housing costs. The County was created in 1893 and derives its name from the City of Riverside. The county has a total area of 7,303 mi² of which 99% is land and 1% is water.