The San Jacinto Valley is a valley located in south western Riverside County, in Southern California.The valley is located at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains in the east and Santa Rosa Hills to the south with the San Gorgonio Pass to the north. The elevation on average is 1500 feet, with the highest points in the foot hills south of Hemet and the foot hills of the San Jacinto Mountains. It is home to two cities, Hemet and San Jacinto. The combined population of the valley is over 100,000 residents. The valley is also where the story and play "Ramona" was set, the story was written after author Helen Hunt Jackson visited the valley in the 1880s. The valley is also known for being an area of agriculture, which has given way to more urbanized development as time goes on.