The Antelope Valley is located in northern

Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...

, United States, and the southeast portion of California's Kern County, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert. It is situated between the Tehachapi, Sierra Pelona, and the

San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains ( es, Sierra de San Gabriel) are a mountain range located in northern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Tr ...

. The valley was named for the pronghorns that roamed there until they were all eliminated in the 1880s, mostly by hunting, or resettled in other areas. The principal cities in the Antelope Valley are Palmdale and Lancaster.

Geography

The Antelope Valley comprises the western tip of the Mojave Desert, opening up to the Victor Valley and the

Great Basin The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic basin, endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja California ...

to the east. Lying north of the

, southeast of the Tehachapis, and east of the Sierra Pelona Mountains, this

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

ecosystem spans around . The valley is bounded by the Garlock and San Andreas fault systems. Precipitation in the surrounding mountain ranges contributes to groundwater recharge.

Flora and fauna

The Antelope Valley is home to a wide range of plants and animals. This includes hundreds of plants such as the California juniper, Joshua tree, California scrub oak, creosote, and wildflowers, notably the California poppy. Winter brings much-needed rain, which slowly penetrates the area's dry ground, bringing up native grasses and wildflowers. Poppy season depends completely on the precipitation, but a good bloom can be killed off by the unusual weather in the late winter and early spring. The Antelope Valley gets its name from its history of pronghorn grazing in large numbers. In 1882-85, the valley lost 30,000 head of antelope, almost half of the species for which it was named. Unusually heavy snows in both the mountains and the valley floor drove the antelope toward their normal feeding grounds in the eastern part of the valley. Since they would not cross the railroad tracks, many of them starved to death. The remainder of these pronghorns were hunted for their hides by settlers. Once abundant, they either died off or migrated into the Central Valley. A drought in the early 1900s caused a scarcity in bunch grass, their main food source. Now, the sighting of a pronghorn is rare, although a small number remain in the western portion of the valley. Common game species in the Antelope Valley include mule deer and

mountain quail The mountain quail (''Oreortyx pictus'') is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. This species is the only one in the genus ''Oreortyx'', which is sometimes included in ''Callipepla''. This is not appropriate, however, as t ...

. Other common species in the Antelope Valley include the

golden-mantled ground squirrel The golden-mantled ground squirrel (''Callospermophilus lateralis'') is a ground squirrel native to western North America. It is distributed in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Alberta, and through much of the western United States. ...

Beechey ground squirrel The California ground squirrel (''Otospermophilus beecheyi''), also known as the Beechey ground squirrel, is a common and easily observed ground squirrel of the western United States and the Baja California Peninsula; it is common in Oregon and ...

, red-tailed hawk, Cooper's hawk, Stellar's jay,

leopard frog Leopard frog is a generic name used to refer to various species in the true frog genus Lithobates. They all have similar coloration: brown or green with spots that form a leopard pattern. They are distinguished by their distribution and behavior ...

, and

rattlesnake Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera ''Crotalus'' and ''Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small anim ...

Water issues

Human water use in the Antelope Valley depends mainly on pumping of groundwater from the valley's aquifers and on importing additional water from the

California Aqueduct The Governor Edmund G. Brown California Aqueduct is a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines that conveys water collected from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and valleys of Northern and Central California to Southern California. Named after Cali ...

. Long-term groundwater pumping has lowered the water table, thereby increasing pumping lifts, reducing well efficiency, and causing land

subsidence Subsidence is a general term for downward vertical movement of the Earth's surface, which can be caused by both natural processes and human activities. Subsidence involves little or no horizontal movement, which distinguishes it from slope move ...

. While aqueducts supply additional water that meets increasing human demand for agricultural, industrial, and domestic uses, diversion of water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in northern California has caused and causes adverse environmental and social effects in the delta:

"Over decades, hecompeting uses for water supply and habitat have jeopardized the Delta's ability to meet either need. All stakeholders agree the estuary is in trouble and requires long-term solutions to ensure reliable, quality water supplies and a healthy ecosystem."

The Antelope Valley's population growth and development place considerable stress on the local and regional water systems. According to David Leighton of the United States Geological Survey:

"A deliberate management effort will be required to meet future water demand in the Antelope Valley without incurring significant economic and environmental costs associated with overuse of the ground-water resource."

Human history

The first peoples of the Antelope Valley include the

Kawaiisu The Kawaiisu (pronounced: ″ka-wai-ah-soo″) are a Native Californian ethnic group in the United States who live in the Tehachapi Valley and to the north across the Tehachapi Pass in the southern Sierra Nevada, toward Lake Isabella and Walker ...

Kitanemuk The Kitanemuk are an indigenous people of California. They traditionally lived in the Tehachapi Mountains and the Antelope Valley area of the western Mojave Desert of southern California, United States. Today some Kitanemuk people are enrolled in ...

, Serrano, and Tataviam. Europeans first entered in the 1770s, during the

colonization Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. Father Francisco Garcés, a Spanish Franciscan friar, is believed to have traveled the west end of the valley in 1776. The Spanish established

El Camino Viejo El Camino Viejo a Los Ángeles ( en, the Old Road to Los Angeles), also known as El Camino Viejo and the Old Los Angeles Trail, was the oldest north-south trail in the interior of Spanish colonial Las Californias (1769–1822) and Mexican Alta Cali ...

through the western part of the valley between Los Angeles and the missions of the

San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water from a ...

in the 1780s. By 1808, the Spanish had moved the native people out of the valley and into missions.

Jedediah Smith Jedediah Strong Smith (January 6, 1799 – May 27, 1831) was an American clerk, transcontinental pioneer, frontiersman, hunter, trapper, author, cartographer, mountain man and explorer of the Rocky Mountains, the Western United States, and ...

came through in 1827, and

John C. Fremont John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

made a scientific observation of the valley in 1844. After Fremont's visit the 49ers crossed the valley via the Old Tejon Pass into the San Joaquin Valley on their way to the gold fields. Later, a better wagon road, the

Stockton – Los Angeles Road Stockton may refer to: Places Australia * Stockton, New South Wales * Stockton, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region New Zealand *Stockton, New Zealand United Kingdom *Stockton, Cheshire *Stockton, Norfolk *Stockton, Chirbu ...

route to

Tejon Pass The Tejon Pass , previously known as ''Portezuelo de Cortes'', ''Portezuela de Castac'', and Fort Tejon Pass is a mountain pass between the southwest end of the Tehachapi Mountains and northeastern San Emigdio Mountains, linking Southern Californ ...

, followed in 1854. Stagecoach lines across the southern foothills came through the valley along this wagon road, and were the preferred method for travelers before the coming of the

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

in 1876. The rail service linking the valley to the Central Valley and Los Angeles started its first large influx of white settlers, and farms and towns soon sprouted on the valley floor. The aircraft (now called aerospace) industry took hold in the valley at Plant 42 in 1952. Edwards AFB, then called Muroc Army Air Field, was established in 1933. The area was once under Mexican rule and was named after the large herds of antelope.

Demographics

In recent decades, the valley has become a bedroom community to the Greater Los Angeles area. Major housing-tract development and population growth took off beginning in 1983, which has increased the population of Palmdale around 12 times its former size as of 2006. Neighboring Lancaster has increased its population since the early 1980s to around three times its former level. Major retail has followed the population influx, centered on Palmdale's

Antelope Valley Mall Antelope Valley Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Palmdale, California, in the Antelope Valley. Opened in September 1990, its buildings take up around . Its physical main building, parking lots, and ring road businesses encompass an area a bi ...

. The Lancaster—Palmdale urbanized area is home to 372,287 people. Some long-term residents living far out in the desert have been cited by Los Angeles County's nuisance abatement teams for code violations, forcing residents to either make improvements or move. One of the properties is a church building that was used as a filming location for '' Kill Bill''. The code enforcers have arrived on some of their visits in

SWAT In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...

-team formats. Hispanics and Whites make up the majority of the population. Spanish and

Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...

are the most common foreign languages spoken in the Antelope Valley. According to

Mapping L.A. Mapping L.A. is a project of the ''Los Angeles Times'', beginning in 2009, to draw boundary lines for 158 cities and unincorporated places within Los Angeles County, California. It identified 114 neighborhoods within the City of Los Angeles and 42 ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

and English were the most common ancestries and Mexico and the Philippines were the most common foreign places of birth in 2000 in Northwest Antelope Valley. Mexico and El Salvador were the most common foreign places of birth in the northwest. German and English were the most common ancestries in the northeast. German and Irish were the most common ancestries in Southeast Antelope Valley. Mexico and

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

were the common foreign places of birth in the southeast.

Military base

Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County. The hub of the base is E ...

lies east of Rosamond, 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Palmdale. Edwards AFB's dry lakebeds are the lowest geographic elevation in the valley. Significant numbers of U.S. military test flights are performed there, and it has been the site of many important aeronautical accomplishments, including the first flight to break the sound barrier, accomplished by Chuck Yeager. NASA Space Shuttles originally landed at Edwards because the lake beds offer a vast landing area. Although NASA later built a landing strip at Kennedy Space Center, Edwards was retained as the backup in case of bad weather at

Cape Canaveral , image = cape canaveral.jpg , image_size = 300 , caption = View of Cape Canaveral from space in 1991 , map = Florida#USA , map_width = 300 , type =Cape , map_caption = Location in Florida , location ...

. NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center is a tenant organization at Edwards AFB. The center is best known for the X-15 experimental rocket ship program. It has been the home of NASA's high-performance aircraft research since it was founded for the X-1 program. The Space Shuttle orbiter was serviced there when it landed at Edwards.

Industry

Aerospace

Kluft-photo-SS1-landing-June-2004-Img 1406c

U. S. Air Force Plant 42 United States Air Force Plant 42 is a classified aircraft manufacturing plant owned by the United States Air Force in the Antelope Valley, about from downtown Los Angeles. It is also used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (N ...

in northeast Palmdale is home to

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...

, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...

, among other aerospace-related companies. Notable projects assembled and/or designed there include the Space Shuttle orbiters, B-1 Lancer bombers, B-2 Spirit bombers,

F-117 Nighthawk The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a retired American single-seat, twin-engine stealth attack aircraft developed by Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works division and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). It was the first operational airc ...

fighters, F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, and Lockheed L-1011 Tristar passenger jets. This region also houses the newly dedicated Mojave Air and Space Port. The spaceport is famous as the base of operations for Scaled Composites, the company that designed SpaceShipOne and won the X-Prize. Much of the work done at these facilities is performed in coordination with Edwards Air Force Base and the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (see above), from the creation and testing of proof-of-concept X-planes, to Space Shuttle operations, to the manufacturing and integration and testing of new military aviation equipment. With the size of the industry there, Antelope Valley has been nicknamed the Aerospace Valley.

Agriculture

The valley's first main industry as a part of the United States was agriculture. Historically known in the region for its extensive

alfalfa Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as w ...

fields and fruit crops, farmers now are growing a wider variety of crops, such as carrots, onions, lettuce, and potatoes. As housing tracts continue to build in the middle of the valley, the farm operations are found farther to the west and east sides than in earlier decades.

Electricity generation

Alta Wind Energy Center from Oak Creek Road

The northern reaches of Antelope Valley are part of the

Tehachapi Wind Resource Area The Tehachapi Wind Resource Area (TWRA) is a large wind resource area along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi Mountains in California. It is the largest wind resource area in California, encompassing an area of approximately and ...

, the largest wind resource area in California. The valley also has numerous

solar farm Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

s, some of which are among the largest in the United States.

Manufacturing

* U.S. Pole Company Inc. * Senior Systems Technology *

Delta Scientific Delta Scientific Corporation, also known just as Delta Scientific, is a company based in Palmdale, California, United States. As a worldwide corporation, Delta Scientific Corp. has been developing and making vehicle access control equipment since ...

* Lance Camper Manufacturing Corporation * Harvest Farms Inc. * BYD Company

Mining

The world's largest open-pit borax mine is located near

Boron Boron is a chemical element with the symbol B and atomic number 5. In its crystalline form it is a brittle, dark, lustrous metalloid; in its amorphous form it is a brown powder. As the lightest element of the ''boron group'' it has th ...

Education

Colleges and universities

* The

Antelope Valley Community College District Antelope Valley College (AVC) is a public community college in Lancaster, California. It is part of the California Community College system. It is operated by the Antelope Valley Community College District, with a primary service area of cov ...

is the local public, regionally accredited, college system that covers the area with a primary service area of covering portions of Los Angeles and Kern Counties. Instruction is offered at multiple sites, including Palmdale and Lancaster, as well as through online and instructional television courses. It has two campuses. The main one, Antelope Valley College, is a comprehensive community college located in Lancaster. It offers associate in arts and associate in science (two-year) degrees in 67 fields, as well as certificate programs in 56 vocational areas. It also hosts a satellite location of California State University, Bakersfield-Antelope Valley, where students can obtain bachelor's and master's degrees. * University of Antelope Valley, formerly known as Antelope Valley Medical College, is a private, for-profit, incorporated company. The corporation is owned and operated by Lancaster city councilwoman, Sandra Johnson. The facility was featured on a local news report titled "University of Antelope Valley pays employers for jobs", regarding payouts to local businesses that would hire or place graduated students for $2,000. UAV, INC., must place at least 65 percent of its graduates in jobs, or lose accreditation. * California State University Bakersfield has a satellite campus in Lancaster offering eight bachelor's degrees, five master's degrees, and the multiple, single, and special-education teaching credentials. * University of Phoenix has a satellite campus in Lancaster. * University of La Verne has a satellite campus in Palmdale. * DeVry University and its

Keller Graduate School of Management DeVry University () is a private for-profit university with its headquarters in Naperville, Illinois. It was founded in 1931 by Herman A. DeVry and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. DeVry is predominantly an online educator but ...

have a satellite campus in Palmdale. *

Chapman University Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California. It encompasses ten schools and colleges, including Fowler School of Engineering, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Law, and Schmid College of Scie ...

has a satellite campus in Palmdale. * The

AERO Institute Aero is a Greek prefix relating to flight and air. In British English, it is used as an adjective related to flight (e.g., as a shortened substitute for aeroplane). Aero, Ærø, or Aeros may refer to: Aeronautics Airlines and companies * Aero (Po ...

at the

Palmdale Institute of Technology Palmdale is a city in northern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. The city lies in the Antelope Valley region of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south. On Au ...

is a facility in Palmdale at the Civic Center. It is operated by NASA and the City of Palmdale, and distance learning through a number of universities is available, including

Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

, the University of Southern California, the

University of San Diego The University of San Diego (USD) is a private Roman Catholic research university in San Diego, California. Chartered in July 1949 as the independent San Diego College for Women and San Diego University (comprising the College for Men and Schoo ...

, Pepperdine University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Caltech, and Cal Poly Pomona. This specialized school offers graduate and undergraduate education in aerospace science, engineering, and technical skills. *

West Coast Baptist College West Coast Baptist College is an independent Baptist Bible college in Lancaster, California, offering graduate and undergraduate degrees. West Coast opened in 1995 and is a member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and School ...

in Lancaster is an accredited Independent Fundamental Baptist Bible college offering graduate and undergraduate degrees in pastoral studies, evangelism, missions, church ministries, music, Christian education, youth ministry, and secretarial studies. West Coast opened in 1995, and now has about 1,000 students. * The

Lancaster University Center Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...

in Lancaster provides local students education in engineering and technology from

California State University, Long Beach California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a public research university in Long Beach, California. The 322-acre campus is the second largest of the 23-school California State University system (CSU) and one of the largest universities i ...

. The $3.5 million reconstruction of Challenger Hall, located at the old Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, gave the new campus 13 classrooms, two of which are high-tech distance-learning rooms and two of which are lab classrooms, as well as office space. The school was created through partnerships with California State University, Bakersfield, California State University, Fresno, and local aerospace companies. They offer Bachelor of Science degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering.

High schools

* The

Antelope Valley Union High School District The Antelope Valley Union High School District (A.V.U.H.S.D.) is located in the Antelope Valley area of California, in northern Los Angeles County. The union high school district includes eight public high schools, one trade school, and two con ...

is the primary public school district covering the vast majority of high-school education in the metropolitan Palmdale and Lancaster area. The district has 25,000 students in eight regular high schools in Palmdale and Lancaster, a continuation school in each city, a trade school in Palmdale, and a specialized early college education school on the Lancaster Antelope Valley College campus. These are: **

Antelope Valley High School Antelope Valley High School is located in Lancaster, California, and is part of the Antelope Valley Union High School District, in northernmost Los Angeles County, California. It was founded in 1912, and had its first graduating class in 1912. I ...

- Lancaster ** Antelope Valley Regional Occupational Program (AV ROP) - Palmdale ** Desert Winds High School - Lancaster ** Eastside High School - Lancaster ** Highland High School - Palmdale ** Lancaster High School - Lancaster **

Littlerock High School Littlerock High School is a public, co-educational high school built in 1989. It is located in Littlerock, California, United States. The school serves Littlerock and the surrounding communities of Lake Los Angeles, Pearblossom, and Llano. It ...

- Littlerock, California **

Palmdale High School Palmdale High School is located in Palmdale, California and is part of the Antelope Valley Union High School District. About 4,000 students attend Palmdale High School in grades 9 through 12. Palmdale High School was founded in 1956. Notable alumn ...

- Palmdale **

Pete Knight High School Knight High School is a four-year public high school located in Palmdale, California and is part of the Antelope Valley Union High School District. Knight High was the 7th general education school to join the district. The high school opened it ...

- Palmdale **

Quartz Hill High School Quartz Hill High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Quartz Hill, California. Founded in 1964, it is the third oldest comprehensive high school in the Antelope Valley Union High School District. Campus The basic layout of Qua ...

- Quartz Hill ** R. Rex Parris Continuation High School - Palmdale **

SOAR High School Students On Academic Rise (SOAR) High School is an early college high school in Lancaster, California. The high school is a joint project of the Antelope Valley Union High School District and Antelope Valley College. SOAR stands for Students on Aca ...

- Lancaster * The Southern Kern Unified School District provides all public school education in Rosamond. * The Muroc Joint Unified School District provides all public school education for

, and the northern Antelope Valley communities of North Edwards, and

. * The

Mojave Unified School District Mojave Unified School District is a school district in Eastern Kern County that serves the town of Mojave and The City of California City, California (USA). List of schools High schools * California City High School * Mojave Junior/Senior High ...

provides all public school education in the northern Antelope Valley communities of Mojave and

California City California City is a city located in northern Antelope Valley in Kern County, California, United States. It is north of the city of Los Angeles, and the population was 14,973 at the 2020 census. Covering , California City has the third-largest ...

. Also, several private and home-school high schools arein the area, most notably: * Abraham Lincoln High School - Rosamond *

Paraclete High School Paraclete High School is a private Roman Catholic college preparatory high school in Lancaster, California, United States, affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It was established in 1963. On May 24, 2011, Paraclete grad ...

* Bethel Christian High School * Antelope Valley Christian School - Lancaster * Desert Christian High School * Empowered Learning Academy - Palmdale * Palmdale Academy Charter School * Pearblossom High School * Desert Sands Charter Schools - Lancaster * Desert Sands Charter Schools - Palmdale * Options for Youth Charter Schools - Lancaster * Options for Youth Charter Schools - Palmdale * The Palmdale Aerospace Academy

School districts

* The

Palmdale School District The Palmdale School District is a school district in Palmdale, California. History The Palmdale School District was formed in 1888. Schools Approximately 18,000 students are enrolled in the Palmdale School District. The district consists o ...

is the area's largest school district, with an enrollment of over 28,000 in 29 schools. The district covers the central portion of the city. * The Lancaster School District is the area's third largest school district after Palmdale and the A.V. High School District. This school district covers most of central and part of eastern Lancaster with 15,000 students in 19 schools. * The

Westside Union School District The Westside Union School District in Southern California serves the western parts of Palmdale and Lancaster and their immediate suburbs, including Quartz Hill, Del Sur, Leona Valley, Antelope Acres, and Neenach. It enrolls transitional kin ...

covers western Palmdale and Lancaster and their immediate suburbs including

Quartz Hill Quartz Hill is a census-designated place (CDP) in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 10,912 at the 2010 census, up from 9,890 at the 2000 census. The name is also shared with the neighboring district areas of its bo ...

Del Sur Del, or nabla, is an Operator (mathematics), operator used in mathematics (particularly in vector calculus) as a vector (geometry), vector differential operator, usually represented by the nabla symbol ∇. When applied to a function (mathema ...

Leona Valley Leona Valley (''Leona'', Spanish for "Lioness") is a census-designated place located in the geographic Leona Valley of northern Los Angeles County, California, in the transition between the Sierra Pelona Mountains and Mojave Desert, just west of ...

, and Antelope Acres. It has over 8,250 students in 11 schools. * The

Eastside Union School District The Eastside Union School District is a school district that serves the eastern part of the city of Lancaster, California (USA). The Eastside Union School District has approximately 3,500 students enrolled in four elementary schools and one ...

covers eastern Lancaster with 3,500 students in 4 schools. * The

Keppel Union School District The Keppel Union School District is a school district that serves the far eastern parts of the city of Palmdale, California, USA, and its immediate suburbs including Littlerock, Pearblossom, Sun Village, Llano, and Lake Los Angeles. The Kep ...

covers eastern Palmdale and its immediate suburbs, including the eastern Antelope Valley communities of

Lake Los Angeles Lake Los Angeles is a census-designated place (CDP) in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 12,328 at the 2010 census, up from 11,523 at the 2000 census. It is located east of Palmdale's Civic Center. According to the ...

, Pearblossom, Littlerock, Sun Village, Llano, and Valyermo. It has 6 schools with over 3,000 students. * The Southern Kern Unified School District provides all public school education in Rosamond. * The Muroc Joint Unified School District provides all public school education for

, and the northern Antelope Valley communities of North Edwards, and

. * The

provides all public school education in the northern Antelope Valley communities of Mojave and

Culture

The Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra is a professional ensemble that performs four concerts each year at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center. It is an auxiliary of Antelope Valley College, and performs regularly with the Antelope Valley College Civic Orchestra.

In popular culture

Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park The Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park is a state historic park of California, United States, interpreting Native American cultures of the Great Basin and surrounding regions. The park and its grounds are situated on the Antelo ...

has been featured in films such as ''

The Magnificent Seven Ride! ''The Magnificent Seven Ride!'' (also known as ''The Magnificent Seven 4'') is a 1972 Western film and is the third and last sequel of the 1960 western, ''The Magnificent Seven''. It stars Lee Van Cleef as Chris Adams, succeeding Yul Brynner and ...

'' (1972) and ''

The Stone Killer ''The Stone Killer'' is a 1973 American action neo noir thriller film produced and directed by Michael Winner and starring Charles Bronson. It came out in between '' The Mechanic'' (1972) and '' Death Wish'' (1974), all three of which teamed up ...

'' (1973). '' Mackenna's Gold'' (1964) was also partly filmed in Antelope Valley. The video to the R.E.M. song " Man on the Moon" was shot in Antelope Valley in October 1992.

Parks

* Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, home to California's state flower * Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park *

* Saddleback Butte State Park * Devil's Punchbowl County Park

Hospitals

Major hospitals include: *

Antelope Valley Hospital Antelope Valley Medical Center (AVMC) is a public hospital located in Lancaster, California specializing in acute care. It has 420 beds and is accredited by the Joint Commission. In March 2010 AVMC was declared one of the 14 trauma centers in Los ...

Palmdale Regional Medical Center Palmdale Regional Medical Center is a private hospital located in Palmdale, California. This hospital was the most expensive hospital project Universal Health Services has ever undertaken at US$200 million. Adjacent to the hospital itself is a m ...

The Antelope Valley was formerly served by a county hospital, High Desert Hospital, which was converted into an urgent care clinic in 2003 due to the county's budget problems. As a result, indigent patients with serious but non-life-threatening medical conditions must seek treatment at Olive View – UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar, which is over away.

Transportation

Major highways and roads

Include: * Angeles Forest Highway, a key county road, connects Palmdale with Angeles Crest Highway as an alternate route to the Los Angeles basin. * The

Antelope Valley Freeway The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mammals ...

( State Route 14) * State Route 18 (connects SR 138 east of Palmdale to Victor Valley and U.S. Route 395) There is currently a proposal to turn this into a freeway. * State Route 138 (of which

Pearblossom Highway State Route 138 (SR 138) is an east–west state highway in the U.S. state of California that generally follows the northern foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and the western Mojave Desert. The scenic highway begins in the west at its ...

comprises the eastern leg) *

State Route 58 The following highways are numbered 58: International * European route E58 Australia * Riverina Highway Canada * Alberta Highway 58 * Highway 58 (Ontario) * Saskatchewan Highway 58 Finland * Finnish national road 58 India * National Highw ...

(connects the Antelope Valley with

Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...

and Barstow as a freeway/expressway) *

U.S. Route 395 U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road be ...

(which technically lies east of the Valley proper) On the ridgeline of the San Gabriel Mountains, the Angeles Crest Highway (

State Route 2 The following highways are numbered 2. For roads numbered A2, see list of A2 roads. For roads numbered B2, see list of B2 roads. For roads numbered M2, see list of M2 roads. For roads numbered N2, see list of N2 roads. International * AH2, As ...

) snakes 60 miles (100 km) through the Angeles National Forest to

La Cañada Flintridge LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

and the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan region.

Rail

* The Union Pacific Railroad serves the Antelope Valley with freight service on their route between Palmdale and Mojave, with continuing service to points south, southeast and north.

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

serves Mojave with freight service to/from the east, and to/from

Richmond, California Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was municipal corporation, incorporated on August 7, 1905, and has a Richmond, California City Council, city council.

to the northwest. * Metrolink passenger rail service to the Los Angeles Basin and other parts of Southern California on its Antelope Valley Line at its Lancaster, Palmdale, and Vincent Grade/Acton stations. * Amtrak passenger rail service has a commuter bus that stops at the

Palmdale Transportation Center The Palmdale Transportation Center is a multi-modal transportation center featuring a Metrolink rail station, a local bus hub, and commuter bus hub in the city of Palmdale, California. The center was completely rebuilt in April 2005. It featur ...

and the Lancaster Metrolink station, connecting Antelope Valley residents to the national rail network. * The California High-Speed Rail Authority has designated Palmdale as a stop on the future rail line between San Francisco and San Diego.

Bus

* The Antelope Valley Transit Authority is the local city-bus system for metropolitan Palmdale and Lancaster. The service also operates a commuter bus network from its hubs at the

and the Lancaster Park & Ride to several locations in Los Angeles. * Greyhound Bus has stops at the Palmdale Transportation Center and the Lancaster Metrolink station.

Airports

* Palmdale Regional Airport, co-sited with

USAF Plant 42 United States Air Force Plant 42 is a classified aircraft manufacturing plant owned by the United States Air Force in the Antelope Valley, about from downtown Los Angeles. It is also used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (N ...

is by far the largest and busiest airport in the valley and is owned by the City of Palmdale via Palmdale Airport Authority (it was previously owned by Los Angeles World Airports which owns and operates

LAX Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...

up until 2013). Although mostly military flights occur at this airport, it also has an unused commercial terminal. *

General William J. Fox Airfield General William J. Fox Airfield is a county-owned, public airport in Los Angeles County, California, five miles northwest of Lancaster, California, United States. Locally known as Fox Field, the airport serves the Antelope Valley. The airport i ...

in Lancaster is the valley's busiest general aviation airport. It is the fourth largest airport in the valley. Charter air service and helicopter rides are available. This airport also has the valley's only aviation school. *

Inyokern Airport Inyokern Airport is a public use airport located northwest of the central business district of Inyokern, in Kern County, California, United States. It is owned by the Indian Wells Valley Airport District and serves the Indian Wells Valley area. ...

in Inyokern, near Ridgecrest, is a large general aviation airport with limited commercial airline service to

Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...

, serving the northern Antelope Valley and Indian Wells Valley communities. Charter service is also available. It is the area's third largest airport. *

Mojave Air & Space Port The Mojave Air and Space Port at Rutan Field is in Mojave, California, United States, at an elevation of . It is the first facility to be licensed in the United States for horizontal launches of reusable spacecraft, being certified as a sp ...

in Mojave is a large civil aviation center and the second largest airport in the valley.

Voyager Voyager may refer to: Computing and communications * LG Voyager, a mobile phone model manufactured by LG Electronics * NCR Voyager, a computer platform produced by NCR Corporation * Voyager (computer worm), a computer worm affecting Oracle ...

and SpaceShipOne were developed and flown from its location. *

Mountain Valley Airport Mountain Valley Airport is a privately owned public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) southeast of the central business district of Tehachapi, in Kern County, California, United States. The airport is used for glider operations a ...

in Tehachapi is a gliderport, privately owned but open to the public, which offers glider training for civilian and military pilots *

Tehachapi Municipal Airport Tehachapi Municipal Airport is in Tehachapi, Kern County, California. It covers and has one runway. The airport was established in 1929 originally to support an air mail route between Tehachapi and Bakersfield. After the 1952 Kern County e ...

in Tehachapi is a small general aviation airport. *

Agua Dulce Airpark Agua Dulce Airpark , also known as Agua Dulce Airport, is a public-use airport located east of the central business district of Agua Dulce, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The plans for an airport at Agua Dulce began in 1958. ...

in Agua Dulce is a medium-sized general aviation airport. * Rosamond Skypark Airport in Rosamond is a small general aviation airport, privately owned and operated. *

California City Municipal Airport California City Municipal Airport is located in the city of California City, in the Fremont Valley of Kern County, California. Facilities The airport covers ; its one runway, 6/24, is asphalt. See also * List of airports in Kern County, Calif ...

in California City is a small general aviation airport. * Crystalaire Airport in Llano is a small airstrip principally dedicated to glider flights.

Notable people

Some people of note have spent time in the valley, including: * The 1990s R&B group All-4-One was from the AV. * Erik Audé, actor-stuntman turned professional poker player, went to

before transferring over to Bethel Christian. *

Pancho Barnes Florence Lowe "Pancho" Barnes (July 22, 1901 – March 30, 1975) was a pioneer aviator and a founder of the first movie stunt pilots' union. In 1930, she broke Amelia Earhart's air speed record. Barnes raced in the Women's Air Derby and was a m ...

, the aviator and friend to the U.S. Air Force's test pilots of what is now called Edwards Air Force Base, established the celebrated

Happy Bottom Riding Club The Happy Bottom Riding Club (1935–1953), was a dude ranch, restaurant, and hotel operated by aviator Florence "Pancho" Barnes near Edwards Air Force Base in the Antelope Valley of California's Mojave Desert. Barnes and her club were featured ...

near Rogers Dry Lake in 1935, later living in Cantil and

. *

Linda Blair Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. She played Regan MacNeil in the horror film ''The Exorcist'' (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for an Academy Award. The film ...

, award-winning actress notable for her lead in the 1973 film ''The Exorcist'', currently resides in Acton, where she leads the Linda Blair World Heart Foundation. * Spade Cooley was a Western swing musician, big band leader, actor, and television personality (Willow Springs). * Michael Deaver, former aide to

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

, is a former Mojave resident. *

R. Lee Ermey Ronald Lee Ermey (March 24, 1944 – April 15, 2018) was an American actor and U.S. Marine drill instructor. He achieved fame for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the 1987 film '' Full Metal Jacket'', which earned him a Golden Glob ...

of ''

Full Metal Jacket ''Full Metal Jacket'' is a 1987 war drama film directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Herr and Gustav Hasford. The film is based on Hasford's 1979 novel ''The Short-Timers'' and stars Matthew M ...

'' and ''

Mail Call ''Mail Call'' is a television program that aired on the History Channel. It was hosted by R. Lee Ermey, a retired United States Marine Corps staff sergeant and honorary gunnery sergeant. The show debuted on August 4, 2002 as part of the "Fightin ...

'' fame was a Palmdale resident. * Joseph Foreman, more frequently known as Afroman, lives in Palmdale. *

Daniel Fry Daniel William Fry (July 19, 1908 – December 20, 1992) was an American contactee who claimed he had multiple contacts with an Nordic aliens, alien and took a ride in a remotely piloted alien UFO, spacecraft on July 4, 1949. He was born in Verdon ...

, a contactee, attended Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster during the 1920s. * Judy Garland, then known in the valley as Frances Gumm. As a girl, she would sing in public to her Lancaster neighbors. *

Paul George Paul Clifton Anthony George (born May 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "PG-13", he is a seven-time NBA All-Star and six-time member of th ...

, NBA player born and raised in

Palmdale, California Palmdale is a city in northern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. The city lies in the Antelope Valley region of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south. On Aug ...

Donald Glover Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American entertainer, writer, director, and producer. After working in Derrick Comedy while studying at New York University, Glove ...

, singer/songwriter known by his stage name Childish Gambino, was born in

. *

Ezra M. Hamilton Ezra M. Hamilton (1833–1914) was a pioneer known for his role in the development of Antelope Valley, California. In 1896 he discovered gold in Rosamond, California and began a successful mining operation that spurred growth in the area. He foun ...

, a pioneer known for his role in the development of Antelope Valley, California. In 1896, he discovered gold in Rosamond, California and began a successful mining operation that spurred growth in the area. He founded and developed the nearby town of Willow Springs in 1897. * Tippi Hedren, who made her major motion picture debut in '' The Birds,'' is an Acton resident since at least 1981 (Acton not being in the valley proper, but nearby to the south). * Aldous Huxley drew writing inspiration from the solitude found at his Llano home. A little known children's book, ''The Crows of Pearblossom'', is set in the valley and is the only children's book he is known to have written. * Home to members of the punk band Killradio. * Terence McKenna, noted writer, public speaker, philosopher, psychonaut, and ethnobotanist, graduated from Antelope Valley High School in 1965. * Debbie Rowe, second wife of Michael Jackson lives in

* Burt Rutan and his brother Dick Rutan of Scaled Composites, the firm which produced SpaceShipOne and the

aerospace vehicles, work out of

in Mojave. * Home to members of the punk band

Slick Shoes Slick Shoes is an American punk rock band from Antelope Valley, California, United States. The band formed in 1994 and made their first release as a self-titled EP in 1996. In 2022, Loudwire magazine named the "Wake Up Screaming" album one of t ...

. *

Kathleen Soliah Sara Jane Olson (born Kathleen Ann Soliah on January 16, 1947) is an American far-left activist who was convicted of an attempted murder charge related to a failed bombing plot and a second-degree murder charge related to a botched bank robber ...

, who achieved notoriety as a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army in the 1970s and then as a fugitive living a quiet, middle-class life in Saint Paul, Minnesota, grew up in Desert View Highlands, graduating from Palmdale High School in 1965. *

Don Van Vliet Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name *Don, Benin, a town in Benin *Don, Dang, a vill ...

(Captain Beefheart) attended

in Lancaster, with

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...

. *

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

, then known as Marion Morrison, was briefly a Lancaster schoolboy who was known not to tie up his horse properly when he left it by the street, as was the old time custom. * Chuck Yeager was an early USAF test pilot at Muroc Army Air Field, now Edwards Air Force Base, where he became the first to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947. *

attended

in Lancaster, graduating in 1958. He met

(Captain Beefheart) there, a fellow student.

Cities and communities

Cities over 100,000 population

* Lancaster (population as of 2018, 159,053) - incorporated in 1977 * Palmdale (population as of 2018, 156,667) - incorporated in 1962

Cities less than 100,000 population

(population as of 2018, 14,217) - incorporated in 1965

Unincorporated towns and districts

Over 10,000 population * Rosamond (18,150) *

(12,328) *

(10,912) * Sun Village (11,302) Under 10,000 population *

Acton Acton may refer to: Places Antarctica * Mount Acton Australia * Acton, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Acton, Tasmania, a suburb of Burnie * Acton Park, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, formerly known as Acton Canada ...

(technically in the

) (7,596) * Agua Dulce (technically in the San Gabriel Mountains) (4,254) * Antelope Acres (3,059) *

(2,253) * Cantil *

(1,750) * Desert View Highlands * Elizabeth Lake (technically in the Leona Valley) (1,756) * Hi Vista (1,056) *

Inyokern Inyokern (formerly Siding 16 and Magnolia) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States. Its name derives from its location near the border between Inyo and Kern Counties. Inyokern is located west of Ridgecrest, a ...

(technically in the Indian Wells Valley) * Johannesburg * Juniper Hills (1,101) *

Lake Hughes Lake Hughes is an unincorporated community in northern Los Angeles County, California. It is in the Sierra Pelona Mountains, northwest of Palmdale and north of the Santa Clarita Valley, in the Angeles National Forest. It is on the sag pond wate ...

(technically in the Leona Valley) *

(technically in the Leona Valley) * Littlerock (1,377) * Llano (739) * Mojave (4,238) * Monolith (technically in the Tehachapi Valley) * Neenach (560) * North Edwards * Pearblossom (2,435) * Piñon Hills (technically in the Victor Valley) *

Randsburg Randsburg (formerly Rand Camp) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States. Randsburg is located south of Ridgecrest, at an elevation of . The population was 69 in the 2010 census, down from 77 in the 2000 census ...

* Saltdale * Valyermo (691) * Wilsona Gardens (210) * Willow Springs (1,784)

References

External links

Antelope Valley Conservancy

Antelope Valley Business Directory

Antelope Valley Press

Antelope Valley Indian Museum and State Historical Park

The Geography of Suburban Sprawl in the Antelope Valley
— ''In-depth study of the Valley's historical development and recent (1990s) urban conditions''.
Groundwater Quality in the Antelope Valley, California
United States Geological Survey {{Authority control Valleys of the Mojave Desert Valleys of Los Angeles County, California Valleys of Kern County, California Geography of Palmdale, California Los Angeles County, California regions Valleys of California