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El Centro, California

El Centro (Spanish for "The Center") is a city and county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. El Centro is the largest city in the Imperial Valley, the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region, and the core urban area and principal city of the El Centro metropolitan area which encompasses all of Imperial County. El Centro is also the largest U.S. city to lie entirely below sea level (-42 ft). The city, located in southeastern California, is 113 mi from San Diego and less than 20 mi from the Mexican city of Mexicali.

The city was founded in 1906 by W. F. Holt and C.A. Barker, who purchased the land on which El Centro was eventually built for about 40 $/acre and invested $100,000 ($0 in dollars) in improvements. The modern city is home to retail, transportation, wholesale, and agricultural industries. There are also two international border crossings nearby for commercial and noncommercial vehicles. El Centro's census population as of 2020 was 44,322, up from 42,598 at the 2010 Census.

History

Spanish explorer Melchor Díaz was one of the first Europeans to visit the area around El Centro and Imperial Valley in 1540. The explorer Juan Bautista de Anza also explored the area in 1776 (an elementary school in El Centro now bears his name). Years later, after the Mexican–American War, the northern half of the valley was annexed by the U.S., while the southern half remained under Mexican rule. Small scale settlement in natural aquifer areas occurred in the early 19th century (the present-day site of Mexicali), but most permanent settlement (Anglo Americans on the U.S. side, Mexicans on the other side) was after 1900.

Originally part of San Diego County, the Imperial Valley was settled by farmers once water from the Colorado River was diverted via canals to irrigate the desert valley floor.

In 1906, the land on which El Centro was later built was purchased by W. F. Holt and C.A. Barker.

In 1907 Imperial County was split off from San Diego County; by then much of the valley was successfully irrigated.

Before the town began, the railroad had established a station and named the place Cabarker. The name honored C.A. Barker, a friend of the landowner. The first post office in El Centro opened in 1905.

Early growth was rapid with the city's population reaching 1,610 by 1910 and more than tripling by 1920 to 5,646 people. One reason for this rapid early growth was El Centro's successful battle with the City of Imperial to become the county seat. In these early days, relationships among the cities of the Imperial Valley were often intensely competitive, reflecting the particular frontier character of the area and the fact that six cities within a twenty-mile radius were all established within one generation. These cities were in a horse race to win the prize of being the Valley's leading city and the intense competition is measured by the fact that it took twenty years to get a county fair started because of strong local loyalties on the County Board of Supervisors.

The City of El Centro was incorporated on April 16, 1908. One reason for this rapid growth was El Centro's becoming the county seat of Imperial County.

In 1940, El Centro experienced a 7.1 earthquake, and population growth accelerated through the 1940s. By the mid-1940s, El Centro had become the second largest city in the Imperial Valley, with a population of about 11,000 people. El Centro had also become the location of the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) administrative offices.

Agriculture has been an important industry within El Centro since the 1940s, because of its strategic location near rail lines and U.S. Highways 80 and 99 – more than 35 growers and shippers still operate in El Centro. However, by the early 1980s the two largest employment sectors in El Centro were government and wholesale/retail trade, reflecting El Centro's emerging role as a regional administrative and commercial center.

Imperial Valley Mall opened on the southeast side of the city in 2005.

Sites of interest
The nearby Algodones Dunes, the largest dune field in the US, draws thousands of visitors each year, mainly for off-road driving. The Salton Sea lies 30 mi north of El Centro, but water sport enthusiasts head to the Colorado River, 50 mi to the east near Yuma, Arizona. The El Centro Naval Air Facility 10 mi to the west is home to the annual Blue Angels flight maneuvering event. Stark Field is home of a minor league baseball team El Centro Imperials of the Arizona Summer League. Mexico (the border city of Mexicali, Baja California) is 10 mi away, which offers big city amenities like museums, a zoo and a sports/convention center.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.1 sqmi, of which over 99% is land.

El Centro is located in the Imperial Valley (considered locally as synonymous with Imperial County). The city is 50 ft below sea level and the largest city in the United States below sea level. The Imperial Valley is in the Colorado Desert, an extension of the larger Sonoran Desert.

The agriculture industry's demand for water is supplied by canals diverting water from the nearby Colorado River. The Salton Sea was created after a 1905 flood from the Colorado River.

The El Centro earthquake of 1940 had a moment magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum perceived intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It was the first major earthquake to be recorded by a strong-motion seismograph located next to a fault rupture. It was intensely studied by structural engineers and assumed to be typical until the Northridge earthquake of 1994. In this region, the geology is dominated by the transition of the tectonic plate boundary from rift to transverse fault. The southernmost strands of the San Andreas Fault connect the northernmost extensions of the East Pacific Rise. Consequently, the region is subject to earthquakes, and the crust is being stretched, resulting in a sinking of the terrain over time.

Climate
El Centro has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification: BWh) and is the southernmost desert city below sea level in the continental United States. It features long, extremely hot summers, and mild winters. El Centro has over 350 days of sunshine and under 3 in of rain annually. Winter temperatures are in the mid to high 60s °F (mid to high 10s °C) with over-night lows in the low 40s °F (mid +0s °C). During summer days of June; typically the driest month of the year with no precipitation, the dry, desert heat can push temperatures well above 100 F, while the nights stay in the high 70s °F (high 20s °C). The North American Monsoon typically increases moisture. At times, the climate can resemble that of tropical areas in the Caribbean. This leads to daily thunderstorms that can bring hail, downpours, lightning, and dust storms, more commonly known as Haboob. During the Eastern Pacific hurricane season, remnants of hurricanes or tropical storms may track through the desert and can result in heavy thunderstorms. This can lead to significantly higher than normal precipitation, at times bringing heavy rain.

The precipitation in the winter months is predominantly rain showers from the occasional winter storms. At times these storms bring cold temperatures to El Centro and surrounding cities, and mountain snowfall to the nearby Mountains. El Niño and La Niña play a large role in how much rain falls in the winter, La Nina typically brings drier and cooler conditions to El Centro and surrounding areas. El Niño tends to being wetter and average temperatures.

Snow is almost totally unknown in the area. However, on December 12, 1934, a very powerful winter storm brought record cold and snowfall to El Centro and surrounding areas of the Imperial Valley. Snow began falling at 8:45 p.m. December 11 and by 5 a.m. the next day (December 12) 1 to 4 in of snow had blanketed the desert floor.

Another instance of freezing precipitation was observed in December 1967 as a mix of sleet hail. On average there are about 15 days that dip into the mid to lower 30s °F (mid to lower +0s °C).

Being below sea level, El Centro has warm days and cool nights in winter. The coldest daily maximum on record is 44 F on December 14, 1967, and the mean for the coldest day is at 56.1 F for the reference period between 1991 and 2020. The warmest low temperature on record is 98 F, recorded on August 30, 1976. The mean for the hottest night annually is at 87.2 F.

Economy
As of 2009 the employment of El Centro residents is dominated by the local government, California state government, and federal government. Two nearby prisons (Centinela and Calipatria) and a U.S. Border Patrol station provide employment; The Economist states that the prisons and border patrol were "relatively untouched" by the late-2000s recession. The El Centro area has many farming plots, where carrots, lettuce, and other crops are produced, and therefore the El Centro economy is subject to seasonal variations like other farming areas. Between November and March in winter periods, El Centro-area farmers harvest lettuce for $8–10 per hour. During March the harvest moves to the north and is no longer in El Centro; in previous eras farmers migrated, while in the first decade of the 21st century many collect unemployment benefits during the summer.

El Centro is surrounded by thousands of acres of farmland that has transformed the desert into one of the most productive farming regions in California with an annual crop production of over $1 billion. Agriculture is still the largest industry in Imperial County and accounts for 48% of all employment.

Being the commercial center of Imperial County, fifty percent of the jobs in the El Centro come from the service and retail sector.

A recent growth in the interest of Imperial County as a filming location, has spurred growth in servicing this industry. Due to its desert environment and proximity to Los Angeles, California, movies are sometimes filmed in the sand dunes outside the agricultural portions of the Imperial County. These have included Return of the Jedi, Stargate, The Scorpion King, Jarhead, Into the Wild, and American Sniper.

During the late-2000s recession
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of April 30, 2009, the El Centro area had a 25.0% unemployment rate, the highest for a Metropolitan Area in the country. By August of that year, El Centro's unemployment rate was 27.5%, three times the overall United States unemployment rate of 9.7%. The Economist stated that the city is not the "centre of the Great Recession" like the figure would appear to indicate. While El Centro has a seasonal farming economy, there is still a fixed "baseline" unemployment at 12%. Timothy Kelly, the head of the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation, estimated that between 40,000 and 60,000 residents of Mexicali work in El Centro. The Economist added that there are likely many El Centro residents who work in Mexicali and collect unemployment benefits in El Centro; Ruben Duran, the city manager of El Centro, said that if the Mexicali jobs were factored into the employment rate, El Centro would have a normal employment rate. The manager of a job search agency called One Stop, said that about 3,000 people per month come into her agency; she says that some make a genuine effort to find jobs, while many do not have motivation to actually find a job, but to instead show proof that they tried to find a job. Kelly stated that unemployment fraud does not account for all of the issues with the El Centro area; he said that many residents have a lack of education and a lack of English language proficiency, so some of them cannot find jobs. The Economist added that the collapse of the housing market eliminated some construction jobs; the magazine countered that the scenario is true in many places in the United States. In December 2008 listed as No. 5 on Forbes.com's list of "The Top 10 Places in America Where Homes are Losing their Value Fastest" with 31.4% of homeowners owing more on their mortgages than their homes are worth. A national report on the effects of the "Great recession" of 2008/09 has found El Centro and the Imperial Valley in the top 5 poorest medium-sized cities in the U.S. in poverty and unemployment rates.

City parks
• City parks include:

• * Bucklin Park

• * Swarthout Field

• * Stark Field

• * Countryside Park

• * Legacy Park

• * Farmers Park

• * Lotus Park

• * Plank Park

• * First Responders Park

• * Sunflower Park

• * Carlos Aguilar Park

• * Debbie Pitman Park

• * Gomez Park

• * McGee Park

Culture

While the majority of the residents in this community are Hispanic, there is a diverse population with a wide array of interests. In the winter, residents race on nearby sand dunes using four-wheel-drive buggies. During the summer, residents spend time indoors instead of outside. Spanish is a dominant language among residents and over the radio. Many area residents live in both the United States and Mexico and go across the border frequently.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that El Centro had a population of 42,598. The population density was 3,838.1 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of El Centro was 25,376 (59.6%) White, 1,081 (2.5%) African American, 554 (1.3%) Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34,751 persons (81.6%), 965 (2.3%) Asian, 34 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 12,356 (29.0%) from other races, and 2,232 (5.2%) from two or more races.

The Census reported that 41,782 people (98.1% of the population) lived in households, 296 (0.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 520 (1.2%) were institutionalized.

There were 13,108 households, out of which 6,257 (47.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6,550 (50.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,845 (21.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 815 (6.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 804 (6.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 58 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. Of the households, 2,458 (18.8%) were made up of individuals, and 1,004 (7.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.19. There were 10,210 families (77.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.64.

The population was spread out, with 12,671 people (29.7%) under the age of 18, 4,803 people (11.3%) aged 18 to 24, 10,661 people (25.0%) aged 25 to 44, 9,907 people (23.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,556 people (10.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.

There were 14,476 housing units at an average density of 1,304.3 /mi2, of which 13,108 were occupied, of which 6,488 (49.5%) were owner-occupied, and 6,620 (50.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 21,429 people (50.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 20,353 people (47.8%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 37,835 people, 11,439 households, and 8,910 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,950.2 PD/sqmi. There were 12,263 housing units at an average density of 1,280.3 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 46.9% White, 3.2% Black or African American, 1.0% Native American, 3.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 41.7% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. 74.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,439 households, out of which 47.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were non-families. Of all households, 18.8% were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.2 and the average family size was 3.7.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.6% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,161, and the median income for a family was $36,910. Males had a median income of $36,753 versus $24,514 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,874. About 20.6% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.

In 2009 the Latinos in El Centro mainly consisted of dual citizens and permanent resident card (green card) holders. Illegal immigrants tended to go through Imperial County instead of staying in Imperial County.

Education
Within its boundary, there are three school districts – McCabe Union Elementary School District, El Centro School District and Central Union High School District.

El Centro has 11 elementary schools, four middle/junior high schools and three high schools:

Elementary schools

 * De Anza Magnet School
 * Desert Gardens Elementary School
 * Harding Elementary School
 * Hedrick Elementary School (named after Margaret Hedrick, a woman who had been teaching and working in schools for 55 years, 35 of them in the El Centro School District).
 * King Elementary School
 * Lincoln Elementary School
 * McCabe Elementary School
 * McKinley Elementary School
 * Meadows Elementary School
 * Sunflower Elementary
 * Washington Elementary School
 * St. Mary's Catholic School

Middle and junior high schools

 * Corfman Middle School (Grades 4–8)
 * Kennedy Middle School
 * Wilson Junior High
 * St. Mary's Catholic School

High schools
The Central Union High School District includes two four-year comprehensive high schools (Central Union and Southwest) and one alternative education school (Desert Oasis). The school district's 3,450 students are supported by more than 350 certified and classified staff. The District is governed by a five-member Board of Trustees.
 * Central Union High School (Central Union was established near the time when the city was established and celebrated its centennial in 2008.)
 * Desert Oasis High School
 * Southwest High School, whose performing arts theater is named after local musician Jimmie Cannon, director of CUHS's Great Spartan Band from 1966 to 1996

Colleges and universities
Opportunities to attend college are available through Imperial Valley College, a local 2-year college, and an extension of San Diego State University located in the nearby city of Calexico. San Diego State University's Calexico Campus offers a variety of bachelor's and master's degrees.

Freeways and highways
There are three major highways that serve El Centro. Interstate 8 connects San Diego to the west and Yuma, Arizona to the east. State Route 86 and State Route 111 parallel each other as they go north to Brawley before running along the west and east shores of the Salton Sea, respectively, on their way to the Coachella Valley. Going south from El Centro, State Route 86 terminates at State Route 111, which runs to Calexico and Mexicali, Mexico.

Public transportation
Imperial Valley Transit is the primary provider of mass transportation in the Imperial Valley. Formed in 1989 with just 3 buses and serving just 3,000 people per month, the agency now currently serves more than 73,000 riders within the area per month.

Through a partnership between the Imperial County Transportation Commission (ICTC), the Yuma County Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (YCIPTA), and the Quechan Indian Tribe, Yuma County Area Transit Turquoise Route 10 buses stop at El Centro locations and connects the city to Winterhaven, California and Yuma, Arizona.

Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service to El Centro.

Airports

 * Imperial County Airport is located in nearby Imperial. Service is subsidized by the Essential Air Service program. The nearest large international airports are San Diego International Airport and Mexicali International Airport.
 * Naval Air Facility El Centro is a U.S. Navy airfield
 * Douthitt Strip Airport is a former military airfield, now a private use airport.

Politics
El Centro operates under a council–manager form of government. The members of the City Council also sit as the Community Development Commission (Commission) and Redevelopment Agency (Agency) governing boards. The City Manager is empowered as the executive director of the Commission and Agency.

In the state legislature, El Centro is in, and.

Federally, El Centro is in.

Government
The City of El Centro Public Works operates water, sewer, and trash services for the city.

Notable people
Notable people from El Centro or who lived in El Centro for an extended period of time.
 * Walter Beasley (born 1961), jazz musician and professor
 * Justin Burquist, filmmaker and music video director
 * Glenn Cadrez (born 1970), American football linebacker for the Denver Broncos
 * Julian Segura Camacho (born 1969), Mexican American literature author
 * Dino Cazares (born 1966) heavy metal musician, songwriter, and producer
 * Cher (born 1946), pop musician, actress
 * Roscoe Cook (1939–2011), holder of three world records in track
 * Uttam Dhillon, former acting Administrator of the DEA
 * Doug Harvey (1930–2018), Major League Baseball Hall of Fame umpire
 * Ken Howard (1944–2016), actor
 * Donal Logue (born 1966), actor
 * Emmy Lou Packard (1914–1998), fine artist, printmaker
 * David Varela (born 1982), artist and philanthropist

title: El Centro, California


text:
Heber, California

Heber is a census-designated place (CDP) in Imperial County, California. Heber is located 4.5 mi north-northwest of Calexico. The population was 4,275 at the 2010 census, up from 2,566 in 2000.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.5 sqmi, all land.

History
Heber was founded in 1903 by the Imperial Land Company. The first post office at Heber opened in 1904, having been established first as Bradtmoore a half mile north. The name honors A.H. Heber, president of the California Development Company.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Heber had a population of 4,275. The population density was 2,878.3 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Heber was 2,174 (50.9%) White, 5 (0.1%) African American, 33 (0.8%) Native American, 15 (0.4%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 1,758 (41.1%) from other races, and 290 (6.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4,197 persons (98.2%).

The Census reported that 4,275 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,094 households, out of which 694 (63.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 657 (60.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 279 (25.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 65 (5.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 48 (4.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 7 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 77 households (7.0%) were made up of individuals, and 39 (3.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.91. There were 1,001 families (91.5% of all households); the average family size was 4.09.

The population was spread out, with 1,454 people (34.0%) under the age of 18, 454 people (10.6%) aged 18 to 24, 1,115 people (26.1%) aged 25 to 44, 830 people (19.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 422 people (9.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.

There were 1,192 housing units at an average density of 802.6 /sqmi, of which 1,094 were occupied, of which 678 (62.0%) were owner-occupied, and 416 (38.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%. 2,736 people (64.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,539 people (36.0%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,988 people, 729 households, and 677 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,003.9 PD/sqmi. There were 756 housing units at an average density of 507.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 34.3% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 61.9% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. 97.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 729 households, out of which 53.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 19.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 7.0% were non-families. 5.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.1 and the average family size was 4.2.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 34.8% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $28,221, and the median income for a family was $29,526. Males had a median income of $23,056 versus $19,231 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $8,847. About 21.6% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.9% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
In the state legislature, Heber is in, and.

Federally, Heber is in.

Climate
Heber, California, has a semiarid or a hot desert climate.

Government
The Heber Public Utility District operates water, wastewater, and parks and recreation services for Heber.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Heber, California


text:
Holtville, California

Holtville (formerly, Holton) is a city in Imperial County, California. Holtville is located 10.5 mi east of El Centro. The population was 5,939 at the 2010 census, up from 5,612 in 2000.

History
The city was founded in the 1880s by Swiss-German settlers, many of whom entered from Mexico. The construction of railroads in the 1890s, the All-American Canal in the late 1940s, and U.S. Route 80 in the 1920s (later converted to Interstate 8 in the 1970s) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) economic boom in the 1990s brought more people to Holtville and the Imperial Valley.

The city of Holtville, which was originally called Holton, was founded in 1903 by W.F. Holt, and incorporated on June 20, 1908. The name was changed to Holtville due to a request by the U. S. Postal Service because the name Holton sounded too much like Colton (in San Bernardino County), the regional headquarters of the Southern Pacific Railroad at the time. The name honors W.F. Holt, founder of the community.

The city lies on the northeast bank of the Alamo River, one of two rivers that flow north from Mexico into Imperial County.

On March 2, 2021, 13 people were killed just outside of town when an SUV carrying 25 people collided with a semi-truck and trailer.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.1 sqmi, with 1.1 square miles land and 0.40% water.

Climate
This area has a large amount of sunshine year round due to its stable descending air and high pressure. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Holtville has a desert climate, abbreviated "Bwh" on climate maps.

2010
At the 2010 census Holtville had a population of 5,939. The population density was 5,152.0 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Holtville was 3,655 (61.5%) White, 37 (0.6%) African American, 41 (0.7%) Native American, 50 (0.8%) Asian, 4 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,977 (33.3%) from other races, and 175 (2.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4,858 persons (81.8%).

The whole population lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized.

There were 1,799 households, 894 (49.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,033 (57.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 290 (16.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 106 (5.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 81 (4.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 6 (0.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 319 households (17.7%) were one person and 164 (9.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.30. There were 1,429 families (79.4% of households); the average family size was 3.72.

The age distribution was 1,850 people (31.2%) under the age of 18, 618 people (10.4%) aged 18 to 24, 1,327 people (22.3%) aged 25 to 44, 1,416 people (23.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 728 people (12.3%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 32.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.

There were 1,937 housing units at an average density of 1,680.3 /sqmi,of which 1,799 were occupied, 904 (50.3%) by the owners and 895 (49.7%) by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.5%. 3,017 people (50.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,922 people (49.2%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 5,612 people in 1,564 households, including 1,340 families, in the city. The population density was 4,920.8 PD/sqmi. There were 1,617 housing units at an average density of 1,417.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 54.4% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 39.2% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. 73.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 1,564 households 52.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.9% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.3% were non-families. 12.3% of households were one person and 5.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.5 and the average family size was 3.8.

The age distribution was 35.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.

The median household income was $36,318 and the median family income was $39,347. Males had a median income of $31,328 versus $26,477 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,505. About 15.7% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Annual cultural events
The city's major civic event is the annual Carrot Festival, held in late January or early February. It usually features a parade, a carnival and other activities over a 10-day period. Holtville was famous in the mid 20th century with having the Holtville "Carrot Festival" but was confused with the "Coachella Valley" name from the Bugs Bunny cartoon Bully for Bugs when he reads a map seeking a "Carrot Festival".

Government
In the state legislature, Holtville is in, and.

Federally, Holtville is in.

History was made during the election cycle of 2006, when voters elected Lisa Bianca Padilla, who thus became the first female Hispanic candidate ever to win a seat on the city council.

Media
A weekly newspaper, The Holtville Tribune, is distributed by mail and newsstand in the Holtville area. Its circulation is about 3,750. The daily newspaper, the Imperial Valley Press in El Centro, has circulation at over 20,000.

Transportation
The old U.S. Route 80 once ran along Fifth Street through the center of town. A small obelisk in Holt Park, just north of Fifth Street, gives the distances to various points to the north, east and west. U.S. Route 80 has been decommissioned and made as County Route S80 in California. The portion in and near Holtville is now part of State Route 115.

Much of the east–west automobile traffic has been diverted to Interstate 8, about 2.5 miles to the south. Holtville is easily accessible through the Orchard Road interchange. The newly constructed State Route 7 connects Holtville with the factories and industrial areas of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico.

The city was once joined by railroad to El Centro, but this line (nicknamed the "Holton Interurban"), and another railroad line going to the north, have been abandoned. The closure of the railroad station brought economic decline to the town in the late 20th century.

Police Department
The city formerly had its own police force, but police protection is now provided by the Imperial County Sheriff's Department.

Utilities
The city provides its own water and sewer service. Trash services are provided by CR&R. Other utility providers for Holtville are Southern California Gas, Imperial Irrigation District, AT&T California, and Spectrum.

Pete Mellinger Alamo River Trail
A trail was constructed in the 2010s that begins along Evan Hewes Highway and ends at the Holtville Skatepark. The trail was dedicated to former city planning commissioner, Pete Mellinger.

In literature
"The 1911 novel and the 1926 silent film, The Winning of Barbara Worth, was set and then filmed in the area. The city was featured in Milton J. Silverman's bestselling novel "Open and Shut," which chronicled the true crime story of Norma Winters, a Holtville resident who contracted for the death of her husband during the summer of 1974.

Notable people

 * Daniel Everett (born 1951), American linguist known for his study of the Amazon Basin's Pirahã people and their language, was born and raised in Holtville.
 * George E. Brown Jr. (1920–99), U.S. Member of Congress (1962–70, 1972–99) known for his support for civil rights, science and space exploration, public schools and higher education, and environmental protection and his opposition to the Vietnam War, was born and spent his early years in Holtville.

title: Holtville, California


text:
Imperial, California

Imperial is a city in Imperial County, California, 4 mi north of El Centro.

As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 14,758. It is part of the El Centro metropolitan area. In 2016, Imperial was the fourth fastest-growing city in the state, gaining 4.1 percent more residents from January 1, 2015, to January 1, 2016. It compares to Imperial County's growth of 1.3 percent and Brawley's growth of 1.2 percent.

History

Imperial was created by the Imperial Land Company and was named by George Chaffey. Imperial's first post office opened in 1901. Imperial incorporated in 1904. The first mayor of Imperial was Allison Peck.

The town-site of Imperial was plotted in 1902 for home and commercial businesses. Its first buildings included a printing press, drug store, grocery store, brick building, and church. The city can also boast of having the first school in the valley and the first Chamber of Commerce.

The City of Imperial was incorporated July 12, 1904, thus being the first city in the valley to incorporate. The city was originally thought to become the county seat, but lost out to the City of El Centro in 1907.

Imperial through the years became the location for the home of the Imperial Irrigation District, the California Mid-Winter Fair and the Imperial County airport. Also several businesses were established in the city. Imperial was devastated by earthquakes in 1916 and 1940. An earthquake in 1979 destroyed many of the old buildings in the downtown business area, including City Hall. Re-building of the business district was slow for many years.

June 2014 a McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma crashed in a residential area. The pilot ejected safely, and no residents were injured.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.9 sqmi, all land. Imperial is located in the Imperial Valley (considered locally as synonymous with Imperial County). The city is 59.5 feet (18.14 m) below sea level. The Imperial Valley is in the Colorado Desert, an extension of the larger Sonoran Desert.

The agriculture industry's demand for water is supplied by canals diverting water from the nearby Colorado River. The Salton Sea was created after a 1905 flood from the Colorado River.

In this region, the geology is dominated by the transition of the tectonic plate boundary from rift to transverse fault. The southernmost strands of the San Andreas Fault connect the northernmost extensions of the East Pacific Rise. Consequently, the region is subject to earthquakes, and the crust is being stretched, resulting in a sinking of the terrain over time.

Climate
Imperial has a hot desert climate, featuring long, extremely hot summers and mild winters. Imperial averages just about 3 inches of rain annually, with December being the wettest month. The North American Monsoon typically increases the humidity from July through September. At times, the climate can resemble that of tropical areas in the Caribbean. This leads to daily thunderstorms that can bring hail, downpours, lightning, and dust storms more commonly known as Haboob. During the eastern Pacific hurricane season, hurricanes occasionally track up the Baja California Peninsula and bring remnants of Tropical Storms through the desert that can result in flash flooding and heavy widespread thunderstorms. This can lead to significantly higher than normal precipitation, at times bringing heavy rain in short periods of time. The precipitation in the winter months is predominantly rain showers from the occasional winter storms. At times these storms bring cold temperatures to Imperial and surrounding cities, and mountain snowfall to the nearby mountains. Snow is almost totally unknown in the city, except for trace amount on December 12, 1932, and a very brief fall of sleet mixed with hail during a shower in December 1967. On average there are 3.7 days per year that drop below freezing. In the coldest month, December, the normal high temperature is 67.5 degrees with a low of 42.3. In the warmest month, August, the normal high temperature is 104.5 degrees with a low of 78.4.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Imperial had a population of 14,758. The population density was 2,519.9 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Imperial was 9,298 (63.0%) White, 331 (2.2%) African American, 154 (1.0%) Native American, 370 (2.5%) Asian, 13 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 3,783 (25.6%) from other races, and 809 (5.5%) from two or more races. The ethnic makeup of Imperial was 11,046 (74.8%) Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The Census reported that 14,727 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 31 (0.2%) were institutionalized.

There were 4,405 households, out of which 2,464 (55.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,669 (60.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 697 (15.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 255 (5.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 268 (6.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 27 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 621 households (14.1%) were made up of individuals, and 181 (4.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34. There were 3,621 families (82.2% of all households); the average family size was 3.69.

The population was spread out, with 4,927 people (33.4%) under the age of 18, 1,376 people (9.3%) aged 18 to 24, 4,618 people (31.3%) aged 25 to 44, 2,881 people (19.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 956 people (6.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

There were 4,751 housing units at an average density of 811.2 /sqmi, of which 4,405 were occupied, of which 3,130 (71.1%) were owner-occupied, and 1,275 (28.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.5%. 10,692 people (72.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 4,035 people (27.3%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,100 people, 2,308 households, and 1,911 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,932.2 PD/sqmi. There were 2,385 housing units at an average density of 609.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 58.5% White, 2.7% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 30.9% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. 61.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,308 households, out of which 53.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.9% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.2% were non-families. 14.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.3 and the average family size was 3.6.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 35.3% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,451, and the median income for a family was $53,053. Males had a median income of $37,373 versus $27,778 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,538. About 8.9% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

The annual California Mid-Winter Fair takes place in Imperial, often in February, and receives over 100,000 visitors.

The California Mid-Winter Fairgrounds is located in the heart of Imperial. The Mid-Winter Fair is the county's largest attended event. The fair lasts for a total of 10 days and is held at the end of February or beginning of March each year. The fairgrounds will host other events during the year such as; festivals, barbecues, car races, concerts, trade shows, and private parties. Visitors are from nearby Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico and numerous "snowbirds" across Southern California and the country (U.S.) temporarily reside in Imperial.

Imperial is also home to the Imperial Market Days.

Imperial Market Days is a signature, sponsorship funded event series put on by the City of Imperial to promote quality of life opportunities locally and throughout the Imperial Valley. Starting in October, the events take place in Downtown Imperial. These events are free for the public to attend. The synergy between local businesses and the community has attracted record crowds of up to 13,000 people throughout the region. Over 100 vendors participate in each event.

Government
In the California State Legislature, Imperial is in, and.

In the United States House of Representatives, Imperial is in.

Utilities
The city operates its own water and sewer system. Trash service is provided by Republic Services. Other utility providers for Imperial are Southern California Gas, Imperial Irrigation District, AT&T California, and Spectrum.

Notable people

 * Royce Freeman, football player
 * Charles Harris Garrigues, newspaperman
 * Ben Hulse, member of the California State Senate
 * Andy Ruiz Jr., boxer, former WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO world heavyweight champion.

title: Imperial, California


text:
Niland, California

Niland (formerly Old Beach, Imperial Junction, and Hobgood ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Imperial County, California, United States. The town is located 8 mi north of Calipatria, 2 mi southeast of the Salton Sea. The population was 1,006 at the 2010 census, down from 1,143 in 2000. The 2020 census reported Niland's population at 756. By June 2020, however, after a major fire, the estimated population had diminished to 500. It is part of the El Centro, California Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
The Old Beach post office operated from 1905 to 1907. The Imperial Junction post office opened in 1910, changed its name to Hobgood in 1913, and to Niland in 1914. The name Hobgood honors pioneer Richard H. Hobgood. The name Niland was coined by the Imperial Farm Lands Association from "Nile Land", a commendatory name for the supposed fertility of the place.

From 1904 to 1960, Niland was the northern terminus of the Inter-California Railway.

The community
A visitor to Niland in 2018 found "quirky decorations, graffiti, and some questionable structural integrity" but also "establishments like motels, RV parks, laundromats, and a diner".

Government and Utilities
The Niland County Service area, operated by the Imperial County Department of Public Works, provides street lighting to Niland.

Niland is served by Golden State Water Company's Calipatria system.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,143 people, 422 households, and 281 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,813.3 PD/sqmi. There were 530 housing units at an average density of 1,304.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was  55.3% of the population were Hispanic / Latino of any race, 54.8% White, 3.2% Black or African American, 2.0% Native American, 4.6% Asian, 28.1% from other races, and 7.4% from two or more races.

There were 422 households, out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.7 and the average family size was 3.3.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $25,592, and the median income for a family was $27,500. Males had a median income of $36,786 versus $26,250 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $11,297. About 15.1% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Niland had a population of 1,006. The population density was 2,504.8 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Niland was 539 (53.6%) White, 36 (3.6%) African American, 20 (2.0%) Native American, 36 (3.6%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 315 (31.3%) from other races, and 60 (6.0%) from two or more races. There were 618 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (61.4%).

The Census reported that 1,006 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 367 households, out of which 131 (35.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 143 (39.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 83 (22.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 30 (8.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 25 (6.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 5 (1.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 99 households (27.0%) were made up of individuals, and 49 (13.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74. There were 256 families (69.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.27.

The population dispersal was 248 people (24.7%) under the age of 18, 99 people (9.8%) aged 18 to 24, 215 people (21.4%) aged 25 to 44, 284 people (28.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 160 people (15.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

There were 489 housing units at an average density of 1,217.5 /sqmi, of which 367 were occupied, of which 189 (51.5%) were owner-occupied, and 178 (48.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 7.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 23.3%. 497 people (49.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 509 people (50.6%) lived in rental housing units.

2020
In the 2020 US Census the community's population was reported as 756.

Politics
In the state legislature, Niland is in, and.

Federally, Niland is in.

Climate
This area has a large amount of sunshine year round due to its stable descending air and high pressure. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Niland has a hot desert climate, BWh on climate maps.

title: Niland, California


text:
Ocotillo, California

Ocotillo (Spanish for "Vine cactus") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Imperial County, California. Ocotillo is located 26 mi west of El Centro, The population was 215 at the 2020 census, down from 266 at the 2010 census and 296 at the 2000 census. It is part of the El Centro, California Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Ocotillo was devastated by floods from Hurricane Kathleen in 1976; 3 people died. There is a cafe, a church, a small park, a community center, a small market, two bars, OHV rentals and a gas station. There is a Desert Museum with displays about the desert terrain, flora, etc. and artifacts from the Kumeyaay culture that inhabited the area which is located on the north side of Interstate 8.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 8.9 sqmi, all of it land.

Climate
Ocotillo has a hot-desert climate with long, extremely hot summers, and mild to warm winters. The average yearly temperature is one of the highest out of any inhabited place in California. Days of 100 °F and over are quite common from late spring into early fall. Since winters, although milder, in Octillo average highs of over 70 °F, the town becomes the only inhabited place in California to not have a month averaging a high of less than  70 °F throughout the year

Precipitation is very little as Ocotillo sees about less than 3 inches of rain on average per year on average, making it the driest place in California and one of the driest in the United States. The winter months, which tend to be the wettest in California, see roughly a couple inches in Ocotillo. However, late summers may see some occasional monsoonal showers, but they still also come in minimal amounts.

History
Ocotillo is located on a site that originally sat on the edge of ancient Lake Cahuilla and is the traditional territory of the Kumeyaay. The town originated as a retirement community. The post office was opened in 1957. In March 2012, a museum, the Imperial Valley Desert Museum opened in Ocotillo after many years of fundraising and construction.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Ocotillo had a population of 266. The population density was 30.0 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Ocotillo was 242 (91.0%) White, 1 (0.4%) African American, 1 (0.4%) Native American, 2 (0.8%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 17 (6.4%) from other races, and 3 (1.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 61 persons (22.9%).

The Census reported that 266 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 138 households, out of which 24 (17.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 50 (36.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 13 (9.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 5 (3.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 3 (2.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 2 (1.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 60 households (43.5%) were made up of individuals, and 25 (18.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93. There were 68 families (49.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.60.

The population was spread out, with 44 people (16.5%) under the age of 18, 9 people (3.4%) aged 18 to 24, 33 people (12.4%) aged 25 to 44, 109 people (41.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 71 people (26.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.5 males.

There were 323 housing units at an average density of 36.5 /sqmi, of which 138 were occupied, of which 98 (71.0%) were owner-occupied, and 40 (29.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 14.9%. 189 people (71.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 77 people (28.9%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 296 people, 145 households, and 79 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 33.3 PD/sqmi. There were 253 housing units at an average density of 28.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 87.8% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 1.7% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 4.4% from other races, and 4.7% from two or more races. 19.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 145 households, out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were non-families. 42.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.0 and the average family size was 2.8.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 18.9% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $23,438, and the median income for a family was $43,125. Males had a median income of $24,196 versus $55,556 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $14,849. None of the families and 16.6% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 26.2% of those over 64.

Government
In the California State Legislature, Ocotillo is in, and.

In the United States House of Representatives, Ocotillo is in.

Utilities
Two nonprofit utilities provide water service to Ocotillo. Ocotillo Mutual Water Company provides service to the main part of the community and Coyote Valley Mutual Water Company provides service to outlying areas.

title: Ocotillo, California


text:
Palo Verde, California

Palo Verde (Spanish for "Green Stick"; Mojave: Hanyomalivah) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Imperial County, California. Its name comes from the native desert tree, Palo Verde (Parkinsonia Florida), which in turn takes its name from the Spanish for stick (palo) and green (verde), sharing its name with the Palo Verde Valley, the valley it is located.

The Imperial County line passes just north of the town. A community named Ripley, in Riverside County lies along SR78 between Blythe and Palo Verde.

The ZIP Code for the community is 92266 and there is no postal delivery; residents use post office boxes. There is a U.S. Postal Service post office and an Imperial County Sheriff's substation. The first post office to operate at Palo Verde opened in 1903 as Paloverde, changed its name to Palo Verde in 1905, and closed in 1940. A post office was re-established in 1949.

Geography
Palo Verde is located on the Riverside County line 65 mi northeast of El Centro, The population was 171 at the 2010 census, down from 236 in 2000. It is part of the 'El Centro, California Metropolitan Statistical Area'. State Route 78 (Ben Hulse Highway) runs north–south through the community. The majority of its population lives east of SR78 and west of the nearby Colorado River. It is also in the southern portion of the Palo Verde Valley.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.6 sqmi, all land.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Palo Verde had a population of 171. The population density was 289.6 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Palo Verde was 124 (73%) White, 2 (1%) African American, 5 (3%) Native American, 1 (1%) Asian, 0 (0%) Pacific Islander, 26 (15%) from other races, and 13 (8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33 persons (19%).

The Census reported that 171 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 84 households, out of which 11 (13%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 28 (33%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 4 (5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7 (8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 7 (8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 40 households (48%) were made up of individuals, and 17 (20%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04. There were 39 families (46% of all households); the average family size was 2.90.

The population was spread out, with 25 people (15%) under the age of 18, 15 people (9%) aged 18 to 24, 23 people (14%) aged 25 to 44, 65 people (38.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 43 people (25%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 119.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 121.2 males.

There were 211 housing units at an average density of 357.3 /mi2, of which 84 were occupied, of which 35 (41.7%) were owner-occupied, and 49 (58.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 17%; the rental vacancy rate was 17%. 63 people (37% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 108 people (63%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 236 people, 130 households, and 60 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 401.2 PD/sqmi. There were 218 housing units at an average density of 370.6 /mi2. The racial makeup of the CDP was 79% White, 1% Black or African American, 15% from other races, and 6% from two or more races. 19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 130 households, out of which 17% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35% were married couples living together, 6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54% were non-families. 50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 33% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.82 and the average family size was 2.63.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 17% under the age of 18, 1% from 18 to 24, 20% from 25 to 44, 29% from 45 to 64, and 32% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 55 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $12,772, and the median income for a family was $14,333. Males had a median income of $13,281 versus $9,792 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $7,275. About 45% of families and 47% of the population were below the poverty line, including 71% of those under the age of eighteen and 13% of those 65 or over.

Politics and Government
In the state legislature, Palo Verde is in, and.

Federally, Palo Verde is in.

Palo Verde receives water from the Palo Verde County Water District.

title: Palo Verde, California


text:
Salton City, California

Salton City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Imperial County, California. It is the largest Imperial County development on the Salton Sea coast. It is part of the El Centro, California Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,763 at the 2010 census, up from 978 in 2000. The reported population for 2020 was 5,155.

Although planned and developed as a large resort community with an extensive road, water, sewer and power grid capable of supporting 40,000 residents on 12,000 residential lots, demand for property in Salton City fell drastically short of the planners' expectations. According to the 2010 census, 81% of the surveyed lots in Salton City remain undeveloped, and 38% of the habitable residences in Salton City are unoccupied. Despite Salton City's higher population compared to nearby Salton Sea communities such as Bombay Beach and Desert Shores, the eerie, mostly-abandoned appearance of the area has led some to call it a modern ghost town.

History

Salton City was developed in the 1960s and established in 1958 primarily by M. Penn Phillips and the Holly Corporation, the Texas-based oil refiner and land developer. It was intended to be a resort community on the Salton Sea, a saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the San Andreas Fault, yet by 1965 limited development was achieved due to its isolation and lack of local employment opportunities and the downfall of the town began.

In the 1970s, most of the buildings constructed along the shoreline, including the city's marina were abandoned due to rising sea elevation. In the 1980s, the Imperial Irrigation District took proactive water conservation measures to reduce the flow of unused canal water into the Salton Sea. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, as salinity and suspected pollution levels in the Salton Sea increased, the attraction of the Salton Sea as a recreational destination diminished. Most of the original tourist related structures fell during this time, including the Truckhaven Cafe, the Salton Bay Yacht Club hotel and restaurant, and the Holly House motel and restaurant (later renamed Desser House and then the Sundowner).

In the 2000s, development in Salton City began to rise as a result of the escalating California housing market. Cheap land and housing costs, improvements to Highway 86, and a casino opened by Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians attracted new residents.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 21.1 sqmi, all land. This area makes Salton City the largest city or town in terms of land area in the Imperial Valley.

Salton City is located on relatively flat ground. Several washes flow from the mountains to the west creating small gorges where any flowing run-off will drain into the Salton Sea. The vegetation consists of mostly sparse desert shrubs; however, in developed areas a variety of palm trees as well as other deciduous trees survive. Salton City is positioned between the eastern slope of the Peninsular Ranges and the western coast of the Salton Sea.

Earthquakes are an extremely common occurrence around the Salton Sea, and in Salton City, due to dozens of fractured fault lines that run through Imperial County. Salton City is also mere miles from major, destructive fault lines, such as the Imperial Fault, the San Andreas Fault, and the San Jacinto Fault. The Superstition Faults also pose a major risk to the area, as well as the Brawley Seismic Zone, which produces frequent yet mostly non-damaging earthquake swarms. At certain times, this area can experience dozens of felt earthquakes in a time period lasting from one day to over one week. Most of the earthquakes are minor to moderate and pose no hazard due to strict seismic codes; however, the area is notorious for earthquake swarms and other major seismic events. The San Andreas Fault begins at Bombay Beach where the southern terminus of the San Andreas transitions into the Brawley Seismic Zone, about ten miles across the Salton Sea from Salton City. Most residents are fully accustomed to minor and moderate earthquakes, but are prepared for a large one.

To the north of the CDP are Salton Sea Beach and Desert Shores. Salton City is approximately 50 mi from the Imperial County seat of El Centro and 110 and 115 miles respectively from the coastal San Diego County cities of Oceanside and San Diego.

Climate
This area has a large amount of sunshine throughout the year, due to the amount of descending high pressure aloft. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Salton City has a hot desert climate. However, Salton City experiences its own microclimate due to the proximity of the warm lake waters. Humidity is significantly higher along the shore during the warmer months, from May through September. Its climate can mimic a tropical climate at times, with exceptionally high dewpoints for an arid desert, but this typically happens for only a part of the day, or a few days in a row at the most. Once winds prevail from the northwest, the climate is similar to other areas in Imperial County that are not along the Salton Sea. Salton City itself is extraordinarily dry, and did not measure an inch of rain between September 2016 and August 2021. Any rain is rare, and even moderate rain can cause road closures, roads washed out, and other damage. The area is not equipped to handle any rainfall.

Demographics
Despite a long period of population decline, the population of Salton City has been increasing in recent years.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Salton City had a population of 3,743. The population density was 175.6 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Salton City was 2,260 (60.1%) White, 80 (2.1%) African American, 61 (1.6%) Native American, 61 (1.6%) Asian, 5 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,159 (30.8%) from other races, and 137 (3.6%) from two or more races. There were 2,368 Hispanic or Latino people of any race (62.9%).

The Census reported that 3,763 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,204 households, out of which 513 (42.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 653 (54.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 134 (11.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 91 (7.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 67 (5.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 12 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 269 households (22.3%) were made up of individuals, and 133 (11.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.13. There were 878 families (72.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.73.

The population was spread out, with 1,247 people (33.1%) under the age of 18, 350 people (9.3%) aged 18 to 24, 890 people (23.7%) aged 25 to 44, 813 people (21.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 463 people (12.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.1 males.

There were 2,026 housing units at an average density of 94.5 /sqmi, of which 1,204 were occupied, of which 833 (69.2%) were owner-occupied, and 371 (30.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 18.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 20.3%. 2,425 people (64.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,338 people (35.6%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
According to the 2000 United States Census, 978 people, 416 households, and 267 families resided in the CDP. The population density was 45.2 PD/sqmi. There were 730 housing units at an average density of 33.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 73.6% White, 0.8% African American, 1.9% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 17.4% from other races, and 5.5% from two or more races. 32.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 416 households, out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 2.9.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 18.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 30.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $21,563, and the median income for a family was $20,208. Males had a median income of $26,458 versus $4,886 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $14,106. About 26.3% of families and 29.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 71.8% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

From 2004 to 2007, Salton City experienced a housing boom. Several hundred new houses were built.

Local
Salton City and the neighboring communities of Desert Shores and Salton Sea Beach are governed by the Salton Community Services District (SCSD), a special district per California Code. The SCSD provides sewage treatment, fire protection, emergency medical services, recreational centers, street lighting, and landscaping to Salton City and its neighboring communities.

The legislative body of the SCSD is a five-member Board of Directors who are elected every two years. Aside from acting as the architectural committee for architectural compliance with the covenants, conditions, and restrictions of the 80-plus tracts within the district, the SCSD has no land use authority under existing law; that responsibility falls on the Imperial County Board of Supervisors. The SCSD also has no jurisdiction over the unincorporated community of Sea View Beach (formerly the Salton Sea Test Base B-1), which borders the southernmost neighborhoods of Salton City.

Fire protection and emergency medical services in Salton City are provided by the Imperial County Fire Department and the Salton Community Services District Volunteer Fire Department.

Law enforcement in Salton City is provided by the Imperial County Sheriff's Office North County Patrol Division, which operates a substation in Salton City.

Water service is provided by the Coachella Valley Water District.

State and Federal
In the state legislature, Salton City is in, and.

Federally, Salton City is in.

Literature
The 1996 non-fiction book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer mentions Salton City as a place where Chris McCandless stopped in his travels.

J. A. Jance's novel Trial by Fire is partly set in Salton City.

In Sue Grafton's 1982 novel, A is for Alibi, Kinsey Millhone travels to the Salton Sea (presumably Salton City) for an interview with Greg Fife, who is living in a trailer by the sea.

Salton City was a location for a gambling loan in Norm Macdonald's pseudo-biographical book Based on a True Story: Not a Memoir.

Music
"Salton City" is the name of a track on the Hot Snakes' 2000 album Automatic Midnight.

Television
Salton City has been featured in various television series due to its "ghost town"-like nature. Salton City has been featured in the sixteenth episode of the television series Life After People, the "Los Angeles" episode of the Travel Channel series Off Limits, an episode of Forgotten Planet, and an episode of the Viceland series Abandoned.

Salton City was featured in an episode of the Discovery Channel series Wheeler Dealers when the team converted a Land Rover Series II into a "bug-out" vehicle.

Salton City was featured in an episode of the television series S.W.A.T..

title: Salton City, California


text:
Seeley, California

Seeley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Imperial County, California. Seeley is located 7.5 mi west of El Centro. The population was 1,823 at the 2010 census, up from 1,624 in 2000. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area.

History
The first post office at Seeley was opened in 1909. The name honors Henry Seeley, an early developer of Imperial County.

Seeley is one of the oldest established communities in Imperial County, tracing its history back to the early years of the 20th century. It was originally established as a stage stop on the shores of the now dead Blue Lake.

NAF El Centro, the winter home of the Blue Angels, was built adjacent to Seeley in 1946. In 1964, Interstate 8 was run a mile south of Seeley, marking the lowest elevation on the Interstate Highway System at -52 feet.

Geography
Bordered on the west by the New River, Seeley sits astride the Imperial Fault and above what was once the basin of the "Blue Lake". Like much of the Imperial Valley, Seeley lies entirely below sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.2 sqmi, of which 1.2 sqmi is land and 0.02 sqmi (1.9%) is water.

Climate
This area has a large amount of sunshine year-round due to its stable descending air and high pressure. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Seeley has a desert climate, abbreviated "Bwh" on climate maps.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Seeley had a population of 1,823. The population density was 1,399.9 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Seeley was 746 (42.9%) White, 19 (1.1%) African American, 7 (0.4%) Native American, 21 (1.2%) Asian, 2 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 793 (45.6%) from other races, and 151 (8.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,489 persons (85.6%).

The Census reported that 1,823 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 493 households, out of which 276 (56.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 268 (54.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 114 (23.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 28 (5.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 40 (8.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 2 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 66 households (13.4%) were made up of individuals, and 27 (5.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.53. There were 410 families (83.2% of all households); the average family size was 3.83.

The population was spread out, with 577 people (33.2%) under the age of 18, 195 people (11.2%) aged 18 to 24, 421 people (24.2%) aged 25 to 44, 373 people (21.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 173 people (9.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.

There were 556 housing units at an average density of 447.6 /sqmi, of which 49e were occupied, of which 246 (49.9%) were owner-occupied, and 247 (50.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.5%. 892 people (51.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 847 people (48.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,624 people, 438 households, and 382 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,346.3 PD/sqmi. There were 460 housing units at an average density of 381.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 54.7% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 1.0% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 35.9% from other races, and 5.2% from two or more races. 81.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 438 households, out of which 54.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.6% were non-families. 9.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.7 and the average family size was 4.0.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 38.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $31,058, and the median income for a family was $31,667. Males had a median income of $28,654 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $9,539. About 22.2% of families and 26.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.0% of those under age 18 and 18.0% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
In the state legislature, Seeley is in, and.

Federally, Seeley is in.

Infrastructure
Seeley County Water District, a special district, provides water and sewer service to Seeley.

California Historical Landmark
Near Seeley is California Historical Landmark number 1008, Yuha Well. Juan Bautista de Anza visited the well on March 8, 1774.

The California Historical Landmark marker reads: "NO. 1008 YUHA WELL - Known as Santa Rosa de Las Lajas (Flat Rocks), this site was used on March 8, 1774 by the Anza Exploring Expedition, opening the land route from Sonora, Mexico, to Alta California. On December 11 to 15, 1775, the three divisions of Anza's colonizing expedition used this first good watering spot beyond the Colorado River on the way from Sonora to San Francisco."

title: Seeley, California


text:
Westmorland, California

Westmorland (formerly, Westmoreland) is a city in Imperial County, California. Westmorland is located 8.5 mi southwest of Calipatria. The population was 2,014 at the 2020 census, down from 2,225 at the 2010 census, up from 2,131 in 2000. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area. The mayor of Westmorland is Ana Beltran.

Westmorland is on State Route 86, which was upgraded to a new six-lane highway to reduce its infamous auto accident and fatality risk, while it connects with Brawley, El Centro and Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico.

The post office, originally called Westmoreland, opened in 1909; it closed in 1912 and re-opened in 1919. It was renamed to Westmorland in 1936. Westmorland incorporated in 1934.

From the 1920s through the 1950s Westmorland was the site of illegal gaming establishments and many brothels, but these were later destroyed in an attempt to improve the town's image.

Westmorland has dealt with the image of high poverty rates, and prior to the 1990s North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) economic boom, a nearly dormant farm food shipping industry.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.4 sqmi, all land.

Westmorland is below sea level and sits behind a number of active faults. Seismic activity has been recorded several times during the 20th century, with tremors occurring in 1907, 1916, 1925, 1940, 1948, 1965, and 1979. The 1987 Superstition Hills event caused serious damage in Westmorland and the Imperial Valley.

2010
At the 2010 census Westmorland had a population of 2,225. The population density was 3,769.7 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Westmorland was 1,038 (46.7%) White, 21 (0.9%) African American, 38 (1.7%) Native American, 11 (0.5%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 1,042 (46.8%) from other races, and 75 (3.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,938 persons (87.1%).

The whole population lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized.

There were 631 households, 336 (53.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 299 (47.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 174 (27.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 61 (9.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 61 (9.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 4 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 89 households (14.1%) were one person and 42 (6.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.53. There were 534 families (84.6% of households); the average family size was 3.82.

The age distribution was 765 people (34.4%) under the age of 18, 234 people (10.5%) aged 18 to 24, 527 people (23.7%) aged 25 to 44, 449 people (20.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 250 people (11.2%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 29.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.

There were 678 housing units at an average density of 1,148.7 /sqmi,of which 631 were occupied, 299 (47.4%) by the owners and 332 (52.6%) by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%. 1,066 people (47.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,159 people (52.1%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 2,131 people in 625 households, including 501 families, in the city. The population density was 5,263.6 PD/sqmi. There were 667 housing units at an average density of 1,647.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 55.8% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 39.4% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. 82.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 625 households 47.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.7% were non-families. 17.0% of households were one person and 8.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.4 and the average family size was 3.9.

The age distribution was 35.8% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% 65 or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,365, and the median family income was $26,667. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $19,107 for females. The per capita income for the city was $8,941. About 27.3% of families and 27.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.9% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
In the state legislature, Westmorland is in, and.

Federally, Westmorland is in.

Schools
Westmorland children (grades K-8) are part of the Westmorland Elementary School District, while high-school age students are members of the neighboring Brawley Union High School District.

Public safety
Westmorland has one of the smallest police departments in California, with a chief and five full-time officers with only five patrol cars. The Imperial County Fire Department provides fire and paramedic services.

Utilities
The city's public works department operates its own water and wastewater system.

title: Westmorland, California


text:
Winterhaven, California

Winterhaven (formerly, Karmack) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Imperial County, California. Winterhaven is 6.5 mi east of Pilot Knob, The population was 394 at the 2010 census, down from 529 at the 2000 census. It is part of the El Centro, CA Metropolitan Area. North of Interstate 8 and bordering Yuma, Arizona, the town is partly in the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation. The Colorado River marks the town's southern border.

Telephone and mail service
Telephone service is provided by Winterhaven Telephone Company, a subsidiary of TDS Telecom, and wired telephones in the area have numbers following the format (760) 572-xxxx. These numbers are assigned to subscribers in Winterhaven, Bard, and Felicity.

The communities of Bard and Felicity appear in the US Geological Survey, National Geographic Names Database, and the US Postal Service database and adjoin the community of Winterhaven. The communities of Felicity and Winterhaven share a ZIP code: 92283. Bard does not have postal delivery, and post office boxes for the community have a ZIP code of 92222.

The first post office at Winterhaven operated from 1916 to 1921. It was re-established in 1934.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.2 sqmi, all land. Winterhaven is the southeasternmost settlement in California.

Climate
This area has a large amount of sunshine year round due to its stable descending air and high pressure. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Winterhaven has a desert climate, abbreviated "Bwh" on climate maps.

2010
The 2010 census reported that Winterhaven had a population of 394. The population density was 1,655.3 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup was 245 (62.2%) White, 4 (1.0%) African American, 37 (9.4%) Native American, 1 (0.3%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 84 (21.3%) from other races, and 23 (5.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 261 people (66.2%).

The whole population lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized.

There were 151 households, 59 (39.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 53 (35.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 34 (22.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 10 (6.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 11 (7.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 1 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 48 households (31.8%) were one person and 27 (17.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.61. There were 97 families (64.2% of households); the average family size was 3.30.

The population was spread out, with 116 people (29.4%) under the age of 18, 39 people (9.9%) aged 18 to 24, 63 people (16.0%) aged 25 to 44, 110 people (27.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 66 people (16.8%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 39.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.

There were 186 housing units at an average density of 781.4 /sqmi,of which 151 were occupied, 62 (41.1%) by the owners and 89 (58.9%) by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%. 154 people (39.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 240 people (60.9%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 529 people, 183 households, and 118 families in the CDP. The population density was 2,203.9 PD/sqmi. There were 219 housing units at an average density of 912.4 /sqmi. The racial makup of the CDP was 45.6% White, 3.0% Black or African American, 6.8% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 38.4% from other races, and 5.9% from two or more races. 56.3%. were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 183 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 32.8% of households were one person, and 19.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.9 and the average family size was 3.7.

The age distribution was 35.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.

The median household income was $11,563 and the median income for a family was $16,417. Males had a median income of $26,458 versus $20,750 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $7,220. About 41.9% of families and 47.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 60.4% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
In the state legislature, Winterhaven is in, and.

Federally, Winterhaven is in.

Government
The Winterhaven County Water District provides water service to Winterhaven.

Sites of interest

 * Museum of History in Granite

Nearby

 * Felicity, California
 * Yuma, Arizona
 * Los Algodones, Baja California
 * Chocolate Mountains

title: Winterhaven, California


text:
Big Pine, California

Big Pine (formerly Bigpine) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Inyo County, California, United States. Big Pine is located approximately 15 mi south-southeast of Bishop. The population was 1,756 at the 2010 census, up from 1,350 at the 2000 census. The Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine Reservation operates their tribal headquarters from here.

Geography
Big Pine is located in the Owens Valley of California between the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains, just west of the Owens River upstream of its diversion into the Los Angeles Aqueduct. It lies on U.S. Route 395, the main north–south artery through the Owens Valley, connecting the Inland Empire to Reno, Nevada. US 395 also connects Big Pine to Los Angeles via State Route 14 through Palmdale.

To the East, CA route 168 crosses the White Mountains over Westgard Pass to the basin and range province of Nevada, while Death Valley Road leads to Death Valley. The plaque beneath the young giant sequoia (pictured), referred to as the Roosevelt Pine,  at the road junction says it was planted in 1913 to commemorate the opening of Westgaard Pass to auto traffic. The landmark giant sequoia was felled on September 28, 2020, after most of its foliage had died following its sole water source drying up in the 2017-18 drought. North from Westgaard Pass lies the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to the oldest trees in the world.

To the West, Glacier Lodge Road leads high up Big Pine Creek into the Sierra, to lakes, hiking trails, fishing, and rock climbing underneath the Palisades Range and the Palisade Glacier.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.0 sqmi, over 99% of its land.

History

The Big Pine post office first opened in 1870, closed for a time during 1877, changed its name to Bigpine in 1895, and reverted to Big Pine in 1962.

Big Pine has a significant geologic feature (an earthquake scarp) related to the 1872 Lone Pine earthquake.

In 1958, the Owens Valley Radio Observatory was established just north of Big Pine.

Matt Williams, a professional baseball player and manager, lived there for part of his life. Hollywood character actor Elisha Cook, Jr., known for such classic films as The Maltese Falcon and Shane, had a home in Big Pine and died here in 1995.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Big Pine had a population of 1,756. The population density was 594.0 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Big Pine was 1,192 (67.9%) White, 3 (0.2%) African American, 438 (24.9%) Native American, 13 (0.7%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 52 (3.0%) from other races, and 57 (3.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 182 persons (10.4%).

The Census reported that 1,756 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 764 households, out of which 184 (24.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 360 (47.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 100 (13.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 37 (4.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 49 (6.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 7 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 219 households (28.7%) were made up of individuals, and 100 (13.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30. There were 497 families (65.1% of all households); the average family size was 2.78.

The population was spread out, with 341 people (19.4%) under the age of 18, 118 people (6.7%) aged 18 to 24, 381 people (21.7%) aged 25 to 44, 571 people (32.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 345 people (19.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

There were 871 housing units at an average density of 294.7 /sqmi, of which 764 were occupied, of which 586 (76.7%) were owner-occupied, and 178 (23.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%. 1,357 people (77.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 399 people (22.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,350 people, 571 households, and 403 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 556.4 PD/sqmi. There were 668 housing units at an average density of 275.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.07% White, 0.15% Black or African American, 4.30% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 3.19% from other races, and 5.70% from two or more races. 8.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 571 households, out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.70.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 20.4% under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 26.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $37,115, and the median income for a family was $46,094. Males had a median income of $41,827 versus $26,500 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $20,109. About 7.1% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Big Pine students are served by Big Pine Unified School District which features an elementary school, middle school, high school and a continuation high school. The Big Pine high school mascot is the Warrior.

Representation
In the state legislature, Big Pine is in, and.

Federally, Big Pine is in.

Piper v. Big Pine (1924) 193 Cal. 664
In 1923, Alice Piper, a 15-year-old Native American living in Big Pine, wanted to attend Big Pine school, but was denied on grounds of her ethnicity. Piper, the daughter of Pike and Annie Piper, sued the school district, claiming the state law establishing separate schools for “Indian children” and other children of Asian parentage was unconstitutional.

The State Supreme Court ruled unanimously that because Alice Piper's father was a tax-paying citizen, that Alice Piper therefore qualified as a citizen under the Dawes Act. The court did not, in fact, find that her 14th Amendment rights had been violated. Nonetheless, Alice Piper was invited as a pupil and her victory along with the passage the Indian Citizenship Act, on the same day opened the door for her and other Native American children to attend public schools in the state of California. Because of this, the Big Pine School District is memorialized as a major player in the constitutional battle over the rights of Native Americans to attend public schools segregated for “whites only.”

The Piper case has become a landmark case and is viewed as the legal authority guaranteeing Native American children the right to attend public schools. It has been used as precedent in other cases such as Brown v. Board of Education.

title: Big Pine, California