Baker, California | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Baker looking north: I-15 jogs south around the town, leaving Baker Boulevard, the main street, to show where the pre-interstate highway (US 91 andUS 466) went.Baker Airport sits just north of the city alongside northboundCA 127, the "Death Valley Road". | |
 Location inSan Bernardino County and the state ofCalifornia | |
  Baker, California Location within the state of California Show map of California Baker, California Baker, California (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:35°16′37″N116°04′18″W / 35.27694°N 116.07167°W /35.27694; -116.07167 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | San Bernardino |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.69 sq mi (6.96 km2) |
| • Land | 2.69 sq mi (6.96 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 942 ft (287 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 442 |
| • Density | 164.4/sq mi (63.49/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes | 92309 |
| Area codes | 442/760 |
| FIPS code | 06-03512 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2628708[2] |
Baker is acensus-designated place located inSan Bernardino County, California, US.[2] As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a total population of 442. Baker'sZIP Code is 92309 and the community is withinarea codes 442 and 760.
Baker was founded as a station on theTonopah and Tidewater Railroad in 1908 and was named forRichard C. Baker, business partner ofFrancis Marion Smith in building the railroad. Baker later became president of the T&T himself.[3][4]
Baker was established in 1929 byRalph Jacobus Fairbanks (1857–1942), who was an American prospector, entrepreneur, and pioneer who established several towns in theDeath Valley area of California, including Fairbanks Springs (1904–05) andShoshone (1910).
It is the site of a vacant, 223-bedfor-profit prison formerly operated by Cornell Corrections which experienced a major riot on December 2, 2003, four weeks before it was temporarily closed.[5] It was permanently closed on December 25, 2009.GEO Group purchasedCornell Companies, its owner, on August 12, 2010.[6] It had previously experienced escapes in August and November 1995 and two on July 15, 1997.[7]
Baker is located in theMojave Desert at the junction ofInterstate 15 andSR 127 (Death Valley Road). Its elevation is approximately 930 feet (283.5 m) above sea level, which is much lower than eitherBarstow orLas Vegas, due to its location at the southern end of theDeath Valley geological depression. TheCronese Mountains are located southwest of the community. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2), all of it land.Summer temperatures in Baker routinely exceed 110 °F (43.3 °C); 2007 saw a record of 125 °F (51.7 °C).
| Climate data for Baker, California | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) | 92 (33) | 96 (36) | 106 (41) | 116 (47) | 119 (48) | 124 (51) | 124 (51) | 119 (48) | 110 (43) | 92 (33) | 82 (28) | 124 (51) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 63.1 (17.3) | 68.6 (20.3) | 76.8 (24.9) | 84.3 (29.1) | 94.9 (34.9) | 104.8 (40.4) | 110.2 (43.4) | 107.9 (42.2) | 100.2 (37.9) | 87.1 (30.6) | 72.6 (22.6) | 62.4 (16.9) | 86.1 (30.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.6 (1.4) | 39.4 (4.1) | 45.6 (7.6) | 51.7 (10.9) | 61.3 (16.3) | 70.2 (21.2) | 77.0 (25.0) | 75.4 (24.1) | 67.2 (19.6) | 54.7 (12.6) | 42.8 (6.0) | 33.9 (1.1) | 54.5 (12.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 16 (−9) | 21 (−6) | 24 (−4) | 34 (1) | 38 (3) | 43 (6) | 53 (12) | 54 (12) | 42 (6) | 32 (0) | 23 (−5) | 14 (−10) | 14 (−10) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.47 (12) | 0.71 (18) | 0.51 (13) | 0.20 (5.1) | 0.11 (2.8) | 0.07 (1.8) | 0.27 (6.9) | 0.46 (12) | 0.41 (10) | 0.25 (6.4) | 0.31 (7.9) | 0.41 (10) | 4.19 (106) |
| Source: The Western Regional Climate Center[8] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 735 | — | |
| 2020 | 442 | −39.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1850–1870[10][11] 1880-1890[12] 1900[13] 1910[14] 1920[15] 1930[16] 1940[17] 1950[18] 1960[19] 1970[20] 1980[21] 1990[22]2000[23] 2010[24] | |||
Baker first appeared as acensus designated place in the2010 U.S. census.[24]
The2020 United States census reported that Baker had a population of 442. The population density was 164.4 inhabitants per square mile (63.5/km2). The racial makeup of Baker was 21.3%White, 0.5%African American, 36.9%Native American, 1.8%Asian, 1.1%Pacific Islander, 28.1% fromother races, and 10.4% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 78.1% of the population.
The whole population lived in households. There were 125 households, out of which 40.8% included children under the age of 18, 52.8% were married-couple households, 8.8% werecohabiting couple households, 16.8% had a female householder with no partner present, and 21.6% had a male householder with no partner present. 21.6% of households were one person, and 5.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.54. There were 89families (71.2% of all households).
The age distribution was 33.7% under the age of 18, 11.1% aged 18 to 24, 24.7% aged 25 to 44, 24.4% aged 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males.
There were 167 housing units at an average density of 62.1 units per square mile (24.0 units/km2), of which 125 (74.9%) were occupied. Of these, 28.0% were owner-occupied, and 72.0% were occupied by renters.[25][26]
Baker's economy is based primarily ontourism. The town is frequently used as a stop for food and fuel by drivers onInterstate 15 betweenLos Angeles andLas Vegas. Baker is approximately 90 miles (144.8 km) southwest of Las Vegas. It is the last town for those traveling on SR 127 north toDeath Valley National Park or south to theMojave National Preserve. Until recently there was one motel in Baker, the Santa Fe Motel, formerly the Wills Fargo Motel, but as of 2023 the motel has closed.
Baker Airport is a small facility owned by theU.S. Department of the Interior,Bureau of Land Management, but it is managed by San Bernardino County Department of airports[27]
In theCalifornia State Legislature, Baker is inthe 19th senatorial district, represented byRepublican Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, and inthe 34th Assembly district, represented byRepublican Tom Lackey.[28]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, Baker is inCalifornia's 23rd congressional district, represented byRepublican Jay Obernolte.[29]
Since Baker is an unincorporated community of San Bernardino County, County CEO, Leonard X. Hernandez, would be considered the Chief Administrator of Baker.
Water, Sanitary Sewers, Trash Collection Services, Fire Protection, Television Translators, Road Maintenance, Street Lighting, Park and Recreation is administered by the Baker Community Services District[30]
The Mars Science Laboratory Team tested an engineering model of theCuriosity rover in the desert near Baker.[31]
The CDP is in theBaker Valley Unified School District.[32]
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