On August 24, 1962, Palmdale became the first city in Antelope Valley. Forty-seven years later, in November 2009, voters approved making it acharter city. Palmdale's population was 169,450 at the2020 census, up from 152,750 at the2010 census. Palmdale is the33rd most populous city in California. Together with its immediate northern neighbor, the city ofLancaster, the Palmdale–Lancasterurban area had a population of 359,559 in 2020.[7]
Palmdale was first inhabited by varioustribal pre-Americans.[10] Populated by different groups for an estimated 11,000 years, the Antelope Valley was a trade route fornomadic pre-Americans traveling from what is nowArizona andNew Mexico to California's coast.[11] Before the arrival of Europeans, the Palmdale area had been occupied by theKitanemuk. TheYokuts,Chumash people andShoshone may have also been present in the area.[12]
Spanish soldier CaptainPedro Fages explored the Antelope Valley in 1772. The opening of California to overland travel through the forbearing desert was due to Captain Juan Bautista de Anza and Father Francisco Garces, a Spanish priest. They led a colonizing expedition, which included 136 settlers, across the Mojave Desert fromMexico to Monterey in 1773.
Later in 1776 while exploring the Valley, Garces, with several Indian guides from the San Gabriel Mission, recorded viewing the vast expanse of what was the El Tejon Rancheria (the Badger Ranch) of the Cuabajoy Indians. After the Shoshone Indians left the valley, new immigrants fromSpain andMexico established large cattle ranches there. In the late 1880s, the ranches were divided into smaller homesteads and farmed by settlers from Germany, France and the state of Nebraska.[13]
"Palmenthal", the first permanent settlement within the limits of Palmdale, was established as a village on April 20, 1886, by westward Lutheran travelers from the AmericanMidwest, mostly ofGerman andSwiss descent. According to area folklore, the travelers had been told they would know they were close to the ocean when they sawpalm trees. They took the localJoshua trees for palms and named their settlement after them. (Palmenthal is German forPalm Valley.)[14][15] According to David L. Durham, Joshua trees were sometimes called yucca palms at the time, which was the reason for the name.[14] The village was officially established upon the arrival of a post office on June 17, 1888.
By the 1890s (soon after the last of the indigenousantelopes, which the valley was named after, had been hunted to extinction), farming families continued to migrate to Palmenthal and nearbyHarold to grow grain and fruit. Most of these settlers were unfamiliar with farming in a desert climate, so when the drought years occurred, most abandoned theirsettlement.
By 1899, only one family was left in the original village. The rest of the settlers, along with the post office, moved closer to theSouthern Pacificrailroad tracks. This new community was renamed Palmdale and was located where the present-daycivic center is. A railroad station was built along the tracks there. This railroad was operated bySouthern Pacific and traveled betweenLos Angeles andSan Francisco. TheWells Fargo stagecoach line that ran between San Francisco andNew Orleans stopped there as well.[16]
The only remaining pieces of evidence of the original settlements of Palmenthal and Harold are the old Palmdale Pioneer cemetery located on the northeast corner of Avenue S and 20th Street East, acquired and restored by the city as part of a future historical park, and the old schoolhouse, now relocated toMcAdam Park.
Palmdale's modern development commenced in the mid-1800s due to the influence of the gold rush, cattle ranching, the introduction of stagecoaches, and the establishment of the Southern Pacific Railroad line in 1876. Significant population expansion only took place after the completion of the California aqueduct in 1913, drawing in a considerable influx of farmers.[17]
First two decades of the Town of Palmdale, 1913–1933
As the population of Palmdale began to increase after relocation, water became scarce, until November 5, 1913, when theCalifornia – Los Angeles Aqueduct system was completed byWilliam Mulholland, bringing water from the Owens Valley into Los Angeles County. During this period, crops of apples, pears and alfalfa became plentiful.[18][19]
In 1915, Palmdale's first newspaper, thePalmdale Post, was published. Today it is called theAntelope Valley Press.[20]
In 1921, the first major motor vehicle link between Palmdale and Los Angeles was completed, Mint Canyon/Lancaster Road, later designatedU.S. Route 6. Completion of this road caused the local agricultural industry to flourish and was the first major step towards defining the metropolis that exists today. Presently this road is known asSierra Highway.[21]
In 1924, theLittle Rock Dam and the Harold Reservoir, present dayLake Palmdale, were constructed to assist the agricultural industry and have enough water to serve the growing communities.[21]
Picture of Lake Palmdale with the California Aqueduct in the foreground.
Next three decades of the Town of Palmdale, 1933–1962
Agriculture continued to be the foremost industry for Palmdale and its northern neighborLancaster until the outbreak of World War II. In 1933, the United States government establishedMuroc Air Base (from an original founder's name, Effie Corum, spelled backwards) six miles (9.7 km) north of Lancaster inKern County, now known asEdwards Air Force Base.[22]They also bought Palmdale Airport in 1952 and established an aerospace development and testing facility calledUnited States Air Force Plant 42. One year later, in 1953,Lockheed established a facility at the airport. After this time, the aerospace industry took over as the primary local source of employment.[22] The city has been referred to as the "Aerospace Capital of America" because of its heritage in being the home of many of the aircraft used in the United Statesmilitary.[16]
In August 1956, an unpiloted out-of-control Navy drone flew over Palmdale while Air Force Interceptor aircraft tried to shoot it down with unguided rockets. Many rockets landed in and around the city, starting fires and damaging property.[23]
In August 1962, the township of Palmdale officially became thecity of Palmdale with the incorporation of 2 square miles (5 km2) of land around the present day civic center.[16]
In 1964, theAntelope Valley Freeway, or State Highway 14, was completed as a link between Palmdale and Los Angeles. The freeway at this time ran all the way to present-day Technology Drive. It was at this time that talk about the futurePalmdale Intercontinental Airport was seen as the way of the future. By 1965, the new city had annexed an additional 20 square miles (52 km2) of land and industry was thriving. Talk of the future commercialairport had many investors buying up large quantities of land.[21]
Antelope Valley Freeway looking southbound near downtown Palmdale on a day with sparse traffic.
In 1970, the city of Los Angeles went forward with buying 17,750 acres (71.8 km2) of land east of the city for its proposed intercontinental commercial airport. However, the United States Air Force desired to put construction of this new facility on hold until the existing airport reached its commercial capacity. So, under a joint-use agreement with the military, the Los Angeles Department of Airports, now calledLos Angeles World Airports, built a 9,000 square-foot (800 m2) terminal (on leased land) that opened in 1971, creating present-dayLA/Palmdale Regional Airport, which the City of Palmdale has taken control of in an effort to establish reliable air service in the region.[25]
By 1974, the Antelope Valley Freeway construction ended at the southern border ofMojave in Kern County. In 1977, Palmdale built its first municipal building, the Palmdale City Library. This was the same year that its northern neighbor Lancaster incorporated as a city. Since the 1920s, Lancaster had been the much larger and principal community of theAntelope Valley, as well as the rest of California'sMojave Desert.[26]
First housing market growth and recession, 1980–1990
Central Palmdale looking north along 10th Street West toward Rancho Vista Boulevard
The 1980s and 1990s were the decades that started to define the two Antelope Valley cities.Affordable housing in the area caused a dramatic spike in thepopulation. The city, like its northern neighbor Lancaster, became a bedroom community for those employed in Los Angeles. In 1980, Palmdale's population was 12,227.[21]
Satellite image showing the Antelope Valley area in relation to Los Angeles with the San Gabriel Mountains separating them.
Palmdale is located inLos Angeles County, and the urbanized centers of Palmdale and Los Angeles are separated by the San Gabriel mountain range, which is about 40 miles (64 km) wide. This range forms the southern edge of the Antelope Valley portion of theMojave Desert. Palmdale is the second-most populous city in the Antelope Valley, and fifth overall in the Mojave Desert, afterLas Vegas,Henderson,North Las Vegas, Nevada; andLancaster. Palmdale is part of atwin-city complex with its northern neighborLancaster and together they are the principal cities within the Antelope Valley region and California'sHigh Desert.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau the city has a total area of 106.2 square miles (275 km2), of which, 106.0 square miles (275 km2) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) of it is water (including man-made Lake Palmdale, the most visible and scenic part of the municipal water supply system). The total area is 0.24% water.
The city lies in proximity to theSan Andreas Fault, making it prone to severe earthquakes. Thisfault cuts across theAntelope Valley Freeway just north of the Avenue S off-ramp; running westward along the old Butterfield Stage Line (now Elizabeth Lake Road) into Leona Valley.
Looking south from the hills near Tierra Subida Avenue, January snow can be seen at the higher elevations.
Typical of theHigh Desert, Palmdale has adesert climate (Köppen climate classificationBWk), and it is part ofUSDA Plant Hardiness Zone 8b.[28] Winters are cool to mild, with daily normal minimum temperatures at or just below freezing from late November until late January, and the coolest month, December, having a normal mean temperature of 44.4 °F (6.9 °C).[29] Summers are hot and nearly rainless, with July and August, tied for the hottest month, having a normal mean temperature of 81.2 °F (27.3 °C).[29] On average, annually there are 52 mornings with a minimum at or below freezing, and 35 afternoons with a maximum at or above 100 °F (37.8 °C).[29] The normal annual rainfall is 5.90 inches (150 mm),[29] occurring on an average of only 27 days.[30]
Record temperatures range from 3 °F (−16.1 °C) on January 13, 1963, to 126 °F (52.2 °C) on July 28, 1995.[29] The "rain year" from July 1940 to June 1941 had the highest annual precipitation on record, at 18.41 inches (467.6 mm), whilst the most precipitation in a calendar month was in December 1943 at 7.55 inches (191.8 mm), as well as the most in one calendar day on December 11, 1943, at 3.43 inches (87.1 mm);[29] conversely, the lowest annual precipitation was 1.15 inches (29.2 mm) from July 2012 to June 2013.[29]
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
Palmdale city, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The census reported that 99.88% of the population lived in households, 0.12% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.01% were institutionalized.[41]
There were 48,355 households, out of which 46.0% included children under the age of 18, 51.3% were married-couple households, 7.2% werecohabiting couple households, 26.3% had a female householder with no partner present, and 15.2% had a male householder with no partner present. 14.9% of households were one person, and 6.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.5.[41] There were 39,149families (81.0% of all households).[42]
The age distribution was 27.8% under the age of 18, 11.0% aged 18 to 24, 26.1% aged 25 to 44, 24.6% aged 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 33.1years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males.[41]
There were 49,686 housing units at an average density of 468.5 units per square mile (180.9 units/km2), of which 48,355 (97.3%) were occupied. Of these, 66.5% were owner-occupied, and 33.5% were occupied by renters.[41]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $81,151, and theper capita income was $28,767. About 11.9% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line.[43]
The2010 United States census[44] reported that Palmdale had a population of 152,750. The population density was 1,438.1 inhabitants per square mile (555.3/km2). The racial makeup of Palmdale was 74,901 (49.0%)White, (24.5% Non-Hispanic White),[8] 22,677 (14.8%)African American, 1,316 (0.9%)Native American, 6,548 (4.3%)Asian (2.2% Filipino, 0.4% Indian, 0.4% Korean, 0.3% Chinese, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.2% Japanese, 0.16% Cambodian, 0.11% Thai and 0.07% Pakistani), 335 (0.2%)Pacific Islander, 38,773 (25.4%) fromother races, and 8,200 (5.4%) from two or more races. There were 83,097Hispanic orLatino residents (54.4%). 38.1% of Palmdale residents are ofMexican ancestry; 6.2% Salvadoran; and 2.4% of Guatemalan heritage and 0.79% Honduran, 0.76% Puerto Rican, 0.69% Nicaraguan, 0.50% Cuban, 0.47% Colombian and Argentinian 0.34%.[45]Spanish is spoken by 36.4% of the population andTagalog by 1.3%. The most common ancestries are German 5.2%, Irish 4.1%, English 2.9%, Italian 2.7%, French 1.1%, Polish 1.0%, Norwegian 0.7%, Scottish 0.6%, Dutch 0.6%, Russian 0.6%, Swedish 0.5%, Belizean 0.4%, Armenian 0.4% and Danish, Welsh and Greek 0.3%.[46]
According to the 2000 Census,Mexican andGerman were the most common ancestries in Palmdale.Mexico andEl Salvador were the most common foreign places of birth.[47]
The Census reported that 152,551 people (99.9% of the population) lived in households, 158 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 41 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 42,952 households, out of which 23,345 (54.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 24,199 (56.3%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 7,821 (18.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3,318 (7.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,998 (7.0%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 316 (0.7%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 5,828 households (13.6%) were made up of individuals, and 1,880 (4.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.55. There were 35,338families (82.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.87.
The age distribution of the population included 50,514 people (33.1%) under the age of 18, 17,089 people (11.2%) aged 18 to 24, 40,077 people (26.2%) aged 25 to 44, 34,963 people (22.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 10,107 people (6.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
There were 46,544 housing units at an average density of 438.2 units per square mile (169.2 units/km2), of which 29,167 (67.9%) were owner-occupied, and 13,785 (32.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.4%. 102,444 people (67.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 50,107 people (32.8%) lived in rental housing units. According to US Census Population Estimates, July 1, 2022: 15.8% of the population was living below the federal poverty line.[48]
The most important industry for Palmdale is theaerospace industry.[22] Othermanufacturing companies have relocated to Palmdale seeking more affordable land, proximity toPalmdale Airport, and special tax breaks.
The special tax breaks granted for companies that relocate to Palmdale is due to the city having theAntelope ValleyEnterprise Zone and thePalmdale FederalForeign Trade Zone. These are special zoning areas within the city that are given various state and federal tax breaks and municipal grant incentives to relocate their business there. These zones were put in effect to help Palmdale, as well as nearby Lancaster, draw more jobs to the area so that they would be less dependent on theLos Angeles Basin and theSan Fernando Valley area for employment. This will help relieve traffic congestion and pollution and stabilize the Antelope Valley economy on several industries. The local governments of the Antelope Valley seek to diversify their economies and not just depend on the aerospace industry as it is known for having "feast or famine" seasons.
A completed Lockheed L-1011; this aircraft was built and underwent testing at Palmdale
A number of world class corporations and manufacturing firms have made Palmdale home, helping to diversify the local economy. Delta Scientific, a world leader in high strength vehicle barrier systems, supplying protection for many federal, state and local buildings, and a prime supplier to the military and US State Department for embassies and other installations worldwide, and US Pole, a major manufacturer of street lighting poles, are major anchor tenants in the Fairway Business Park. The Palmdale Trade and Commerce Center is home to many other major manufacturing, industrial, corporate offices and other employers, as well as home to the PalmdaleAuto Mall. A number of medical and related support offices are coming on-line to meet the needs of the new Palmdale Regional Medical Center. On July 8, 2009, Quallion LLC, which manufactures lithium ion cells and battery packs, announced plans to build a battery manufacturing plant in Palmdale if it won a government grant being offered by the U.S. Department of Energy.[52]
Beginning in the 1960s, Palmdale was home to Don Babb's The Model A Ford Company, which became Classic Manufacturing and Supply, builder of exact reproduction and custom steel bodies and parts forhot rods andcustoms.[53]
With an $890-million contract to build 175light-rail cars forMetropolitan Transportation Authority that was behind schedule, Kinkisharyo, the El Segundo-based U.S. arm ofKinki Sharyo Co. Ltd. ofOsaka announced in December 2014 that they would retrofit an existing space in Palmdale to build theP3010 series vehicles. A major shipment was needed for theExpo Line Phase II extension toSanta Monica andFoothill Extension toAzusa which were scheduled to open in 2016. The balance of the 175 cars will be needed in the following years as theK Line andRegional Connector open.[54] Final assembly work has already occurred inhangar space the company leased in Palmdale fromLos Angeles World Airports.[55] The first car was delivered to Metro in October for testing before series production begins.[56]
The Antelope Valley Mall is the retail shopping destination in the region, with a variety of dining choices on its restaurant row.[57]
Onions are the most valued crop that grows in Palmdale.[58] Some of Antelope Valley's onions were exported toJapan,Taiwan,Dubai andAustralia.[58] Other crops grown in Palmdale and the Antelope Valley are alfalfa, wheat, fruit, oats and barley.[59][60]
Palmdale is aCharter City governed under thecouncil /manager form of localgovernment. Beginning with the November 2016 election, the City Council was subjected to districting, with councilmembers were selected from each of 4 districts. Themayor is elected at-large every two years for a two-year term. Every two years, two of the four districtcouncil members are elected to serve four-year terms. Palmdale does not have term limits for council and mayor.[2]
The City Council appoints the City Manager and City Attorney.[62]
The city also has an appointed Planning Commission divided into four separate districts. The Planning Commission was organized to help with the planning, zoning, and development of various city areas in different districts and to give the residents of those particular districts a greater voice in local land use decisions. There is also an appointed Board of Library Trustees, and Youth Council.[63]
On November 3, 2009, local residents voted in favor of a measure to change Palmdale's general law city status to that of a Charter city. This allowed Palmdale to draft a city charter and constitution, enabling it to make more decisions at the local level without interference or rules from thestate government.[64]
Palmdale has animal services, Palmdale Animal Care Center.[65]
The city provides a number of municipal services, including a Planning Department, Economic Development Department, Building and Safety Department, Public Works Department, Parks and Recreation Department, and Library Department. The city also operates thePalmdale Transportation Center which serves as the hub for public transit services includingMetrolink trains,Antelope Valley Transit Authority,Amtrak Thruway, andGreyhound Lines. Palmdale was selected as a stop for theCalifornia High-Speed Rail system that will link northern and southern California.[66] City officials have formed the Palmdale Airport Authority, as they pursue regional air service from a joint use facility at USAF Plant 42.
Recreation and cultural services include the Palmdale City Library,[67] Legacy Commons, Larry Chimbole Cultural Center, Palmdale Playhouse and Art Gallery,Dry Town Water Park, Palmdale Amphitheater, Best of the West Softball Complex, Hammack Activity Center,Palmdale Oasis Park Recreation Center, Marie Kerr Park Recreation Center,Joe Davies Heritage Airpark at Palmdale Plant 42, and four swimming pools.
TheLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the Palmdale Station in Palmdale.[69] Palmdale has the largest Sheriff's Station in Los Angeles County. Palmdale's innovative Partners Against Crime (PAC) Program, a cooperative effort between law enforcement, landlords and community members, has successfully focused on quality of life issues and crime suppression, reducing the crime rate annually. Recently, the Partners for a Better Palmdale program was initiated by the City Council, to further engage residents, schools, community groups and law enforcement in improving community quality of life.[70] The city pioneered the use of municipal Community Service Officers for low level incidents to free up Deputies for higher priority matters, and employ high-tech tools, such as Automated License Plate Recognition Systems on patrol cars, to increase officer productivity.
Palmdale Regional Medical Center handles the city's medical services.
The city is served by theLos Angeles County Fire Department for its fire and paramedic services through the Consolidated Fire Protection District. Palmdale downtown Station #37 is one of the busiest fire stations in the United States. Two new fire stations went into service in late 2008 on the east and west sides of Palmdale.[71]
Utility services within the city are provided by several public and private agencies. Water service is primarily provided by Palmdale Water District (separate public agency) and Los Angeles County Waterworks (part of the County Public Works); sewer service is provided by the County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (separate public agency, with City Council members on district board); electrical service is provided bySouthern California Edison; natural gas service is provided bySouthern California Gas;cable television service is provided byTime Warner Cable; telephone service is provided byAT&T andFrontier; refuse pickup and disposal service is provided byWaste Management, Inc of the Antelope Valley under a franchise agreement with the city. The city successfully licensed and sold permits for a hybrid natural gas and steam turbine power facility and its operator is awaiting state approval of amendments to begin construction.[72]
Palmdale has three separate elementary school districts and one high school district:
ThePalmdale School District is one of the largest elementary school districts in the nation consisting of 29 schools with about 28,000 students. This school district covers the majority of the city's kindergarten through 8th grade students. One of the unique features of this school district was its practice of naming schools after desert flora and fauna. For instance, there are Tumbleweed, Juniper, Mesquite, Manzanita and Joshua Hills schools.
TheWestside Union School District covers the schools on the far west-side of Palmdale and its western suburbs. This school district has over 8,250 students and 11 schools for K–8 education.
TheKeppel Union School District covers the schools on the far east-side of Palmdale and its eastern suburbs. This school district has six schools and nearly 3,000 students for K–8 education.
TheAntelope Valley Union High School District covers nearly all of the 9th–12th grade education for the entire metropolitan area, with the exception of private high schools. It has 12 schools with over 25,000 students.
The Palmdale Aerospace Academy is a joint venture between the city of Palmdale, the AERO Institute, and the Palmdale School District.[77] It is a new independent charter school which opened in August 2012.
Paraclete High School is a private high school that serves the greater Antelope Valley, including Palmdale.
TheAntelope Valley Community College District currently has a satellite campus in Palmdale with a student population of about 470. This temporary campus was set up until a permanent community college campus could be established within the city, which is being planned for the southside of the city on 25th Street East, south of Avenue S.[78] The district has one full service campus in nearbyLancaster with about 14,000 students.
TheCalifornia State University system also has a satellite campus from itsBakersfield facility in nearby Lancaster at the Antelope Valley College main campus.
According to the U.S. Census report released in September 2009, Palmdale has the longest average commute time in the United States at 41.5 minutes. This commute time exceeds that of even New York City. this is due to the majority of citizens commuting to nearbySanta Clarita and farther south toLos Angeles.[84]
TheLA/Palmdale Regional Airport/Air Force Plant 42 (PMD) has two runways, each over 2.25 miles (3.62 km) in length, although there is currently no commercial airline service at the airport. PMD's commercial terminal is owned and operated byLos Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a municipal department of the City ofLos Angeles, on leased land from the U.S. Air Force. Airline service has been sporadic since commercial flights were first offered in 1971. Most recently,United Express/SkyWest Airlines flew between PMD andSan Francisco from June 7, 2007, to December 6, 2008. The city of Palmdale formed the Palmdale Airport Authority to move forward to control the facilities and the lease with the USAF, to better develop regional air service in theHigh Desert.[85]
LA/Palmdale Regional Airport Terminal
LAWA also owns 17,500 acres (71 km2) of land adjacent to the existing airport. The land was acquired between 1970 and 1983 to be developed into "Palmdale Intercontinental Airport", intended to surpass the air traffic ofLAX. The land remains undeveloped. LAWA is currently developing a Master Plan for Palmdale that will guide airport land use and development decisions through 2030.[86]
NASA has consolidated its research, environmental and training aircraft, support services and facilities at the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale. From the oversized runway and the massive hangar located at Air Force Plant 42 Site 9, NASA conducts worldwide environmental research with itsER-2 (a U-2 variant) and cutting edge deep space imaging with the 747-basedSOFIA infrared telescope.[88]
State Route 18 (SR 18) heads eastward out of the Antelope Valley connecting it toVictorville and viaI-15 theBarstow area. This road is commonly used as a route toLas Vegas, Nevada.
The street system in the Antelope Valley is set out in a grid. Unless otherwise named or curved around due to terrain, east–west roads are called avenues and north–south roads are called streets. The city is essentially on a perfect grid, and the traffic signals are coordinated by a central processing facility at the Civic Center.
East–west avenues are lettered mile-by-mile from north to south, starting with Avenue A on the Los Angeles-Kern County line. One mile south of Avenue A is Avenue B, and so on. Smaller roads between major avenues carry suffixes "-1" (nearest to the lettered avenue) through "-15" (nearest to the next lettered avenue). Some "-8" avenues can be major thoroughfares, for example, Avenue R-8 is halfway between Avenue R and Avenue S.
North–south streets are numbered with an "east" or "west" suffix with respect to their distances from Division Street. The number increases by 10 for each mile, so a mile east and west of Division Street lie "10th Street East" and "10th Street West" respectively. Some streets like 5th or 15th can also be major thoroughfares.
House addresses on east–west "avenues" are numbered according to the "streets". For example, "2001 East Palmdale Boulevard" is just east of 20th Street East, and "6066 West Avenue M-2" is just west of 60th Street West on Avenue M-2, which is 2/16 of a mile south of Avenue M.
On north–south streets, numbers are counted from downtown Los Angeles (thus increase from south to north), and while in the Antelope Valley, the difference is 800 per mile. For example, Palmdale Boulevard (geographically "Avenue Q-8") is 38400, Avenue Q is 38800, Avenue P is 39600, and so on. "37200 25th Street East" would be at the corner of Avenue S.
In accordance with Los Angeles County standards, odd numbers are on west and north sides of the road, and even numbers are on east and south sides of the road.
Avenue M is the general border of the connected population between Palmdale and Lancaster. Avenue L is actually the longer border between the two cities, east of Challenger Way, but is not as heavily populated. Avenue M has recently been named Columbia Way out of respect for the astronauts on board theSpace Shuttle Columbia that disintegrated on re-entry in 2003. 10th Street East north of Columbia Way was renamed Challenger Way in 1987, in honor of those lost in theChallenger Disaster. (All of the shuttles were built in Palmdale.)
TheHigh Desert Corridor along with current and planned future rail connections in Southern California.
In June 2025, a firm was chosen “by theHigh Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency to deliver engineering and design services for a 54-mile (86.9km) rail segment of California’s high-speed rail project between Palmdale andVictorville.” The railway is expected to operate high speed trains at 180 miles per hour (289.6km/h).[92]
Joshua Ranch Trail[94] a natural preservation area, temporarily closed due to a housing development under construction.
Palmdale Amphitheater[95] is a 10,000 seat outdoor amphitheater hosting the Starlight Concert Series with world-famous performers on evenings in the summer
Joe Davies Heritage Airpark atPalmdale Plant 42[96] and next-door the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum's Blackbird Airpark Annex show off displays of various aircraft built or tested at Palmdale Air Force Plant 42
Palmdale Schoolhouse[99] at McAdam Park, the only remaining building of the original village of Palmenthal in the late 19th century
Rancho Vista Golf Course[100] Palmdale's only PGA class golf course
Thursday Night on the Square[101] features an outside market, live entertainment, various arts and crafts, refreshments, and children's activities on Thursday Nights in the summer
93543: Parts of Sun Village. Shared with town ofLittlerock.
93550: Downtown Palmdale Civic Center, Harold, Vincent-Grade, and Barrel Springs.
93551: Palmdale Central City, Anaverde, Rancho Vista, Desert-View Highlands, Portal Ridge, Leona Valley (district and adjacent town), and parts of Quartz Hill (district). Some P.O. boxes.
93552: Pearland, parts of Palmdale East, and parts of Sun Village.
93553: Parts of Sun Village. Shared with town ofPearblossom. Some P.O. boxes.
Joseph Edgar Foreman, better known by his stage nameAfroman spent time at an early age in Palmdale, and sings about it in the song Palmdale off his 2001 albumThe Good Times.
Paul George, professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers and previously for the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Indiana Pacers.
William (Pete) Knight, test pilot, astronaut, and politician who served as Palmdale's first mayor
^abDurham, David L. (1998).California's Geographic Names – A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Quill Driver Books. p. 1320.ISBN978-1-884995-14-9.
^"USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map". Agricultural Research Center, PRISM Climate Group Oregon State University.Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. RetrievedFebruary 24, 2014.
