Inyokern, California
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Inyokern (formerly Siding 16 and Magnolia) is a
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, su ...
(CDP) in
Kern County Kern County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield. Kern County comprises the Bakersfield, California, Metropolitan statistical area. The county ...
,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
. Its name derives from its location near the border between
Inyo Inyo may refer to: Places California * Inyo County, California * Inyo National Forest, USA * The Inyo Mountains * The Mono–Inyo Craters Other uses * Japanese for yin and yang Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophy, Chinese p ...
and Kern Counties. Inyokern is located west of Ridgecrest, at an elevation of . It is on the western side of the Indian Wells Valley. The population was 988 in the 2020 census, down from 1,099 in the 2010 census. It was a railroad town established along the Southern Pacific railroad's Lone Pine Branch (now removed). It is served by Inyokern Airport.


Geography

Inyokern is located at . It lies in the Indian Wells Valley, with the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada rising to the west. It is on U.S. Route 395, the main north-south artery connecting the Inland Empire to
Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the c ...
. US 395 also connects Inyokern to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
via State Route 14 through Palmdale.
State Route 178 The following highways are numbered 178: Canada *Prince Edward Island Route 178 Japan * Japan National Route 178 United States * Interstate 178 (former proposal) * U.S. Route 178 * Alabama State Route 178 * Arkansas Highway 178 * California ...
, the main east-west artery, connects Inyokern to Bakersfield, the county seat, via Lake Isabella in the west, and to
Death Valley Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. During summer, it is the hottest place on Earth. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the point of lowest elevation in North Am ...
via Ridgecrest in the east. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...
, the CDP has a total area of , over 99% of it land.


Demographics


2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Inyokern had a population of 1,099. The population density was . The racial makeup of Inyokern was 930 (84.6%)
White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 14 (1.3%)
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 24 (2.2%) Native American, 25 (2.3%) Asian, 2 (0.2%)
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...
, 49 (4.5%) from other races, and 55 (5.0%) from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino of any race were 116 persons (10.6%). The Census reported that 1,099 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 484 households, out of which 111 (22.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 219 (45.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 38 (7.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 21 (4.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 29 (6.0%)
unmarried opposite-sex partnerships POSSLQ ( , plural POSSLQs) is an abbreviation (or acronym) for "Person of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters", a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of ...
, and 4 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 179 households (37.0%) were made up of individuals, and 73 (15.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27. There were 278 families (57.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.01. The population was spread out, with 222 people (20.2%) under the age of 18, 74 people (6.7%) aged 18 to 24, 201 people (18.3%) aged 25 to 44, 406 people (36.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 196 people (17.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.8 males. There were 537 housing units at an average density of , of which 355 (73.3%) were owner-occupied, and 129 (26.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%. 776 people (70.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 323 people (29.4%) lived in rental housing units.


2000

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 984 people, 418 households, and 270 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 519 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 87.70%
White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 0.41%
Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...
or
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 4.88% Native American, 2.24% Asian, 1.02% from other races, and 3.76% from two or more races. 6.50% of the population were
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino of any race. There were 418 households, out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,046, and the median income for a family was $41,500. Males had a median income of $50,938 versus $33,889 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the CDP was $21,707. About 10.5% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.


Climate

The
climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologica ...
of Inyokern, California, is predominantly influenced by its high desert location. The
climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologica ...
is characterized by hot days and cool nights with extremely arid conditions prevailing throughout the
summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, ...
months. The mean annual
temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied on ...
for the Inyokern area is . Wide annual temperature fluctuations occur from a high of to a low of . January is the coolest month with an average maximum temperature of and an average minimum temperature of . The all-time minimum temperature of was recorded on December 23, 1972, and January 7, 1973. Inyokern is in a desert, with an average of less than of "equivalent rainfall" per year, which includes less than of snow. July is the hottest month with an average maximum temperature of and an average minimum temperature of . The all-time maximum temperature of was recorded on July 31, 1985.


History

Inyokern was founded in the mid-19th century as an agrarian community located in the northernmost corner of the Mojave Desert. It expanded during construction of the Owens Valley aqueduct. The first post office opened in 1910. The Inyokern Elementary School was founded in 1913. The original building was replaced in the mid-1930s by a larger building with a stage and indoor restrooms. This building was demolished in the early 1970s. In the 1930s, half a dozen irrigated farms were scattered around Indian Wells Valley, growing mostly alfalfa and livestock. Community events were held in Inyokern Hall, which still stands. With the onset of World War II, the US Navy located its new Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in Inyokern. This accounts for the length of the runways and the size of the county airport. The military base was subsequently moved to the east and the city of Ridgecrest was established as a commercial support center for that base. Today Inyokern serves as a sparsely-populated bedroom community for workers on the base desiring a more rural lifestyle. The town infrastructure consists of two churches, a post office, market and gas station, convenience store and gas station, a variety store, hardware store, welding and blacksmith shop, a county park, two restaurants, a motel, an autobody shop and several antique shops. In the 1990s the building which formerly housed the library was demolished and replaced by a Senior Citizen's Center. Inyokern also had a now-closed Kern County Sheriff's Office substation and a
Caltrans The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is an executive department of the U.S. state of California. The department is part of the cabinet-level California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA). Caltrans is headquartered in Sacra ...
road maintenance center and a motorcycle shop and blanket store. The town water and sewer system is managed by the Community Services Center. The population of the town peaked circa 1988 following a period of expansion on the naval base, but has dwindled since then, and many properties were abandoned during the military downsizing of the 1990s. Until the 1990s, the main commercial block of the town along highway 178 was a somewhat picturesque street of older buildings constructed of local rock and bricks, including a vintage post office, cafe, three bars, and a small Chinese restaurant. This street is sometimes used in filming Hollywood westerns. The Inyokern airport is used to film commercials.


Environment

Characterized by extreme aridity, Inyokern is situated in a wide valley at the base of the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Rugged mountains more than in elevation west of the area create a pronounced rain-shadow effect, resulting in a shrub-steppe habitat zone with annual rainfall of less than . The flora of the valley floor consists primarily of Creosote Bush (''Larrea tridentata''),
Burrobush ''Ambrosia dumosa'', the burro-weed or white bursage, a North American species of plants in the family Asteraceae. It is a common constituent of the creosote-bush scrub community throughout the Mojave desert of California, Nevada, and Utah and ...
(''Ambrosia dumosa''), and several varieties of native bunch grasses. The transition zone of the nearby foothills also contain mixtures of pinyon pine, Joshua tree forests, and concentrated riparian habitat surrounding the small streams descending from the mountain peaks. Wildlife ranges from black bear, mountain lion, and whitetail deer in the mountain and transition zones to the kangaroo rat and the endangered desert tortoise on the valley floor. A special note on the local wildlife is the local subspecies of rattlesnake, the Mojave rattlesnake (also called the Mojave green rattlesnake). This snake, which is common in the area, produces pit viper venom common to the general species but also produces a neuro-toxin that paralyzes the victim within 15 minutes. The subspecies is docile, and fatal bites are rare.


Unique features

Inyokern has the highest insolation of any locale on the North American continent, having over 355 days of sunshine each year. The town is home to the past and current world champion musical saw players. The Inyokern Airport is a popular location for car commercials, with the Sierra Nevada Mountains as a backdrop. Indigenous animals that found in the valley floor are kit foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and roadrunners. Bears and mountain lions occasionally descend from the Sierra Nevada Mountains seeking food.


Transportation

* Inyokern Airport *Kern Transit *Eastern Sierra Transit


Notable locations

*Inyokern Town Hall *Inyokern Senior Citizens Building


Churches

*Bethel Missionary Baptist Church *Inyokern Baptist Church *Inyokern Community Methodist Church


Media

Inyokern is served by two newspapers, ''The Daily Independent'' and the ''News Review'', as well as a mixture of local broadcast stations and repeaters from radio and TV stations based in Los Angeles, California. The repeaters are operated by the IWV TV Booster.


AM radio stations

*KIRN (670 AM; 35 kW; Simi Valley, CA; Owner: Lotus Oxnard) *KLOA (1240 AM; 1 kW; Ridgecrest, CA; Owner: Adelman Communications) *KLAC (570 AM; 50 kW; Los Angeles, CA; Owner: AMFM Radio Licenses) *KSPN (710 AM; 50 kW; Los Angeles, CA; Owner: KABC-AM Radio) *KWDJ (1360 AM; 1 kW; Ridgecrest, CA) *KMJ (580 AM; 50 kW; Fresno, CA; Owner: Infinity Radio Operations) *KFI (640 AM; 50 kW; Los Angeles, CA; Owner: Capstar TX Limited Partnership) *KPLS (830 AM; 50 kW; Orange, CA; Owner: CRN Licenses) *KFWB (980 AM; 50 kW; Los Angeles, CA; Owner: Infinity Broadcasting Operations) *KDIS (1110 AM; 50 kW; Pasadena, CA; Owner: ABC) *KTNQ (1020 AM; 50 kW; Los Angeles, CA; Owner: KTNQ-AM License Corp.) *KERI (1180 AM; 50 kW; Wasco-Greenacres, CA; Owner: KWSO) *KWRU (940 AM; 50 kW; Fresno, CA)


FM radio stations

*KZIQ-FM (92.7 FM; Ridgecrest, CA; Owner: James Knudsen and Donna Knudsen) *KLOA-FM (104.9 FM; Ridgecrest, CA; Owner: Adelman Communications) *KRAJ (100.9 FM; Johannesburg, CA; Owner: Adelman Broadcasting) *KGBM (89.7 FM; Randsburg, CA; Owner: Educational Media Foundation) *K266AH (101.1 FM; Bena, CA; Owner: Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls) *KTQX (90.1 FM; Bakersfield, CA; Owner: Radio Bilingue) *KMYX-FM (92.5 FM; Arvin, CA; Owner: Farmworker Educational Radio Network) *KKZQ (100.1 FM; Tehachapi, CA; Owner: High Desert Broadcasting) *KVLI-FM (104.5 FM; Lake Isabella, CA; Owner: Robert J. and Katherine M. Bohn) *KCNQ (102.5 FM; Kernville, CA; Owner: Robert J. and Katherine M. Bohn) *K218DU (90.9 FM; Ridgecrest, CA; Owner: Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls) *KCEL (106.9 FM; California City, CA; Owner: KCEL Radio) *K206CO (89.1 FM; Ridgecrest, CA; Owner: Educational Media Foundation)


Notable residents

*
Lorien Stern Lorien Stern is an American visual artist, designer, and illustrator. She is known for her whimsical and colorful drawings and ceramic sculptures of animals. Work Lorien Stern attended California College of the Arts in Oakland, graduating wit ...
, artist


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inyokern, California Census-designated places in Kern County, California Populated places in the Mojave Desert Ridgecrest, California Census-designated places in California