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Palmdale is a city in northern
Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
in the U.S. state of California. The city lies in the Antelope Valley region of Southern California. 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 ...
separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south. On August 24, 1962, Palmdale became the first city in the Antelope Valley. Forty-seven years later, in November 2009, voters approved making it a charter city. Palmdale's population was 169,450 at the 2020 census, up from 152,750 at the 2010 census. Palmdale is the 32nd most populous city in California. Together with its immediate northern neighbor, the city of Lancaster, the Palmdale/Lancaster urban area had an estimated population of 513,547 as of 2013.


History

Palmdale was first inhabited by Native Americans. Populated by different cultures for an estimated 11,000 years, the Antelope Valley was a trade route for Native Americans traveling from Arizona and New Mexico to California's coast. Spanish soldier Captain Pedro 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 padre. They led a colonizing expedition including 136 settlers across the Mojave Desert from Mexico 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, immigrants from Spain and Mexico established large cattle ranches there. Then, in the late 1880s, the ranches were broken up into smaller homesteads by farmers from Germany, France and the state of Nebraska.


Palmenthal (the first settlement of Palmdale), 1886 to 1913

"Palmenthal", the first European settlement within the limits of Palmdale, was established as a village on April 20, 1886, by westward Lutheran travelers from the American
Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
, mostly of
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
Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...
descent. According to area folklore, the travelers had been told they would know they were close to the ocean when they saw
palm trees Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...
. They took the local Joshua trees for palms and named their settlement after them. (''Palmenthal'' is German for ''Palm Valley.'') According to David L. Durham Joshua trees were sometimes called yucca palms at the time, which was the reason for the name. 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 indigenous
antelope 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 ...
s, which the valley was named after, had died), farming families continued to migrate to Palmenthal and nearby '' Harold'' to grow grain and fruit. However, most of these settlers were unfamiliar with farming in a desert climate, so when the drought years occurred, most abandoned their
settlement Settlement may refer to: *Human settlement, a community where people live *Settlement (structural), the distortion or disruption of parts of a building *Closing (real estate), the final step in executing a real estate transaction *Settlement (fina ...
. By 1899, only one family was left in the original village. The rest of the settlers, including the post office, moved closer to the ''
Southern Pacific 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 ...
'' railroad tracks. This new community was renamed Palmdale and was located where the present day civic center is. A railroad station was built along the tracks there. This railroad was operated by
Southern Pacific 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 ...
and traveled between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The '' Wells Fargo'' stagecoach line that ran between San Francisco and New Orleans stopped there as well. 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, recently acquired and restored by the city as part of a future historical park, and the old schoolhouse now relocated to ''McAdam Park''.


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 the California – Los Angeles Aqueduct system was completed by
William Mulholland William Mulholland (September 11, 1855 – July 22, 1935) was an Irish Americans, Irish American self-taught civil engineer who was responsible for building the infrastructure to provide a water supply that allowed Los Angeles to grow into the la ...
, bringing water from the Owens Valley into Los Angeles County. During this period, crops of apples, pears and alfalfa became plentiful. In 1915, Palmdale's first newspaper, the ''Palmdale Post'', was published. Today it is called the
Antelope Valley Press The ''Antelope Valley Press'', colloquially referred to as the ''Valley Press'' or ''AV Press'' by its staff and Antelope Valley residents, is the largest-circulation daily newspaper in Palmdale, California, United States. It had been a family-ow ...
. In 1921, the first major motor vehicle link between Palmdale and Los Angeles was completed, Mint Canyon/Lancaster Road, later designated
U.S. Route 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...
. 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 as Sierra Highway. In 1924, the Little Rock Dam and the Harold Reservoir, present day Lake Palmdale, were constructed to assist the agricultural industry and have enough water to serve the growing communities.


Next three decades of the Town of Palmdale, 1933–1962

Agriculture continued to be the foremost industry for Palmdale and its northern neighbor Lancaster until the outbreak of World War II. In 1933, the United States government established Muroc Air Base (from an original founder's name, Effie Corum, spelled backwards) six miles (10 km) north of Lancaster in Kern County, now known as
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 ...
. They also bought Palmdale Airport in 1952 and established an aerospace development and testing facility called United States Air Force Plant 42. One year later, in 1953, Lockheed established a facility at the airport. After this point in time, the aerospace industry took over as the primary local source of employment. The city has been referred to as the "Aerospace Capital of America" because of its rich heritage in being the home of many of the aircraft used in the United States military. 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. In 1957, Palmdale's first high school,
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 ...
, was established, making it easier for youths to not have to travel to
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 ...
in nearby Lancaster.


Incorporation, 1962–1980

In August 1962, the township of Palmdale officially became the ''
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
'' of Palmdale with the incorporation of of land around the present day civic center. In 1964, 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 ...
, 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 future ''Palmdale Intercontinental Airport'' was seen as the way of the future. By 1965, the new city had annexed an additional of land and industry was thriving. Talk of the future commercial airport had many investors buying up large quantities of land. In 1970, the city of Los Angeles went forward with buying 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 called Los Angeles World Airports, built a 9,000 square foot (800 m2) terminal on leased land that opened in 1971, creating present day
LA/Palmdale Regional Airport : ''See: United States Air Force Plant 42 for the United States Government use of the facility'' Palmdale Regional Airport is an airport in Palmdale, California, United States. The city of Palmdale took over the airport at the end of 2013, mana ...
which the City of Palmdale has taken control of in an effort to establish reliable air service in the region. By 1974, the Antelope Valley Freeway construction ended at the southern border of Mojave 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 the Antelope Valley, as well as the rest of California's Mojave Desert.


First housing market growth and recession, 1980–1990

The 1980s and 1990s were the decades that really started to define the two Antelope Valley cities. Affordable housing in the area caused a dramatic spike in the population. 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.


Geography

Palmdale is located in
Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
, and the urbanized centers of Palmdale and Los Angeles are separated by the San Gabriel mountain range, which is about wide. This range forms the southern edge of the Antelope Valley portion of the Mojave Desert. Palmdale is the second-most populous city in the Antelope Valley, and fifth overall in the Mojave Desert, after Las Vegas,
Henderson Henderson may refer to: People *Henderson (surname), description of the surname, and a list of people with the surname *Clan Henderson, a Scottish clan Places Argentina *Henderson, Buenos Aires Australia *Henderson, Western Australia Canada *He ...
,
North Las Vegas, Nevada North Las Vegas is a suburban city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, in the Las Vegas Valley. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 216,961, with an estimated population of 251,974 in 2019. The city was incorporated on May 1, 19 ...
; and Lancaster. Palmdale is part of a twin-city complex with its northern neighbor Lancaster and together they are the principal cities within the Antelope Valley region and California's High Desert. Downtown Palmdale is located at , at an elevation of above sea level. According to the United States Census Bureau the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 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 the San Andreas Fault, making it prone to severe earthquakes. This fault cuts across 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 ...
just north of the Avenue S off-ramp; running westward along the old Butterfield Stage Line (now Elizabeth Lake Road) into Leona Valley.


Climate

Typical of the High Desert, Palmdale has an arid climate ( Köppen climate classification ''BWk''), and it is part of
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...
8b. 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 . Summers are hot and nearly rainless, with July and August, tied for the hottest month, having a normal mean temperature of . On average, annually there are 52 mornings with a minimum at or below freezing, and 35 afternoons with a maximum at or above . The normal annual rainfall is , occurring on an average of only 27 days. Record temperatures range from on January 13, 1963 to on August 5, 1990. The “rain year” from July 1940 to June 1941 had the highest annual precipitation on record, at , whilst the most precipitation in a calendar month was in December 1943 at , as well as the most in one calendar day on December 11, 1943, at ; conversely, the lowest annual precipitation was from July 2012 to June 2013. ''Notes'':


Flora and fauna

Plants native to Palmdale are
big berry manzanita ''Arctostaphylos glauca'' is a species of Arctostaphylos, manzanita known by the common name bigberry manzanita. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in the chaparral and woodland of coastal and inland hills. Descriptio ...
,
fremont cottonwood ''Populus fremontii'', commonly known as Frémont's cottonwood, is a cottonwood (and thus a poplar) native to riparian zones of the Southwestern United States and northern through central Mexico. It is one of three species in ''Populus'' sect. ...
, California aster,
White Sage ''Salvia apiana'', the white sage, bee sage, or sacred sage is an evergreen perennial shrub that is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, found mainly in the coastal sage scrub habitat of Southern California and Baja C ...
,
Giant wildrye ''Leymus condensatus'', the giant wildrye, is a wild rye grass native to eastern Oregon, California and northern Mexico. Description ''Leymus condensatus'' also commonly referred to as ''Canyon Prince'' is a type of wild rye that is part of t ...
,
Deerbrush ''Ceanothus integerrimus'', known by the common name deer brush, is a species of woody shrub in the family Rhamnaceae, native to the western United States in Arizona, New Mexico, California, Oregon, and Washington (U.S. state), Washington. It gro ...
,
California buckwheat ''Eriogonum fasciculatum'' is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common names California buckwheat and flat-topped buckwheat. Characterized by small, white and pink flower clusters that give off a cottony effect, this species grows vari ...
, Black Sage,
California Goldfields ''Lasthenia californica'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name California goldfields. It is native to western North America. Description ''L. californica'' is an annual herb approaching a maximum he ...
,
Antelope Bitterbrush ''Purshia tridentata'', with the common name bitterbrush, is a shrub in the genus ''Purshia'' of the family Rosaceae. It is native to mountainous areas of western North America. Common names include antelope bitterbrush, antelope bush, buckbrus ...
, Golden Yarrow,
Desert Globemallow ''Sphaeralcea ambigua'', is a species of flowering plant commonly known as desert globemallow or apricot mallow, is a member of the genus ''Sphaeralcea'' in the mallow family (biology), family (Malvaceae). It is a perennial shrub native to parts ...
and more. Animals in the area are golden mantled ground squirrel,
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 ...
. Coyotes are found throughout Palmdale. The California condor, a rare species of bird occupies Palmdale. Palmdale was a juniper berry processing area.
California poppies California Poppies were a British speedway team based at Longmoor Speedway California in England, California Country Park, Nr Wokingham, Berkshire. History The California Poppies raced in the California Country Park in an area known as Califor ...
are grown near Palmdale.


Demographics

The
2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
reported that Palmdale had a population of 152,750. The population density was . The racial makeup of Palmdale was 74,901 (49.0%) White, (24.5% Non-Hispanic White), 22,677 (14.8%) African American, 1,316 (0.9%) Native American, 6,548 (4.3%)
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
(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%) from other races, and 8,200 (5.4%) from two or more races. There were 83,097 Hispanic or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
residents (54.4%). 38.1% of Palmdale residents are of
Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
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%. Spanish is spoken by 36.4% of the population 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 ...
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%. 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%) were opposite-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 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 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 35,338 families (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 , 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. During 2009–2013, Palmdale had a median household income of $53,922, with 21.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line. 26.30% are foreign born, 88.7% from Latin America. Most refugees in Palmdale came from Iran and Iraq. The most common foreign born places of birth in Palmdale is Mexico 49.3%
El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
15.8%, Philippines 6.4%,
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
6.2%, Korea 1.7%, Nicaragua 1.6% ,
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
1.6%, Vietnam 1.5%, Iran 1.1% 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 ...
1.1%.
Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
(25.6%) and
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 ...
(6.9%) are the most common ancestries in Palmdale.


Changing demographics

Palmdale was mostly white up until the late 1970s.
African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
have moved to the city in significant numbers due to gentrification of
Compton Compton may refer to: Places Canada * Compton (electoral district), a former Quebec federal electoral district * Compton (provincial electoral district), a former Quebec provincial electoral district now part of Mégantic-Compton * Compton, Que ...
and South Los Angeles. Palmdale has a growing Latino and minority population.


Health

Valley fever A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...
, a disease endemic to some desert areas of the United States in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and northern Mexico is known to appear in Palmdale. The Antelope Valley has the highest
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
rate in Los Angeles County. Palmdale residents are more at risk for depression. Palmdale is the fifth most stressful city in California. African Americans living in Palmdale are more likely to have a lower life expectancy and shorter life. In 2020, a 24 year old black man named Robert Fuller was found hung and committed suicide in Palmdale.


Religion

37.0% of people are Catholic in Palmdale. 53.4% in the city are religious.


Economy

The most important industry for Palmdale is the aerospace industry. Other manufacturing companies have relocated to Palmdale seeking more affordable land, proximity to Palmdale Airport, and special tax breaks. The special tax breaks granted for companies that relocate to Palmdale is due to the city having the Antelope Valley Enterprise Zone and the Palmdale Federal
Foreign Trade Zone A free-trade zone (FTZ) is a class of special economic zone. It is a geographic area where goods may be imported, stored, handled, manufactured, or reconfigured and re-exported under specific customs regulation and generally not subject to cust ...
. 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 the Los Angeles Basin and the
San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
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. Palmdale refers to itself with the nickname the "aerospace capital of the United States", and has been the site of research, development, final assembly, flight testing and/or servicing/modifications of the Space Shuttle, B-1 Lancer, X-15, B-2 Spirit, B-21 Raider,
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 ...
, F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II,
SR-71 Blackbird The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. It was operated by the United States Air Force ...
,
Lockheed L-1011 Tristar The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, also known as the L-1011 (pronounced "El-ten-eleven") and TriStar, is an American medium-to-long-range, wide-body trijet airliner built by the Lockheed Corporation. It was the third wide-body airliner to enter comme ...
, and many other aircraft that have been used in the United States Air Force, NASA and air forces and airlines around the world.
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 ...
, where the aerospace projects occurred / occur is home to major operations of the following aerospace companies: Boeing,
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 ...
and its famed Skunk Works, and Northrop Grumman. The Los Angeles World Airports owns the former Boeing hangar (formerly North American Rockwell) at Plant 42 near
LA/Palmdale Regional Airport : ''See: United States Air Force Plant 42 for the United States Government use of the facility'' Palmdale Regional Airport is an airport in Palmdale, California, United States. The city of Palmdale took over the airport at the end of 2013, mana ...
which is one of the largest buildings in the world. The hangar was used for the set of the 2004 film '' The Terminal'', which featured an enormous replica of a JFK International Airport terminal. NASA's SOFIA program relocated its operation to this hangar at Site 9 from
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 ...
. 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 Palmdale Auto 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. 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 for
hot rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimised for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and made ...
s and customs. With an $890-million contract to build 175 light-rail cars for Metropolitan Transportation Authority that was behind schedule, Kinkisharyo, the El Segundo-based U.S. arm of Kinki Sharyo Co. Ltd. of Osaka announced in December 2014 that they would retrofit an existing space in Palmdale to build the P3010 series vehicles. A major shipment was needed for the Expo Line Phase II extension to Santa Monica and
Gold Line Foothill Extension The Foothill Extension is an extension of the Los Angeles Metro Rail L Line light rail line from its former terminus in Pasadena, California, east through the "Foothill Cities" of Los Angeles County. The first stage of the plan, Phase 2A, exten ...
to Azusa which were scheduled to open in 2016. The balance of the 175 cars will be needed in the following years as the K Line and Downtown Connector open. Final assembly work has already occurred in hangar space the company leased in Palmdale from Los Angeles World Airports. The first car was delivered to Metro in October for testing before series production begins. The Antelope Valley Mall is the retail shopping destination in the region, with a variety of dining choices on its restaurant row.
Onions An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...
are the most valued crop that grows in Palmdale. Some of Antelope Valley's onions were exported to
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, Taiwan, Dubai and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. Other crops grown in Palmdale and the Antelope Valley are alfalfa, wheat, fruit, oats and barley.


Largest employers

Employers include: *
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 ...
3,700 * Northrop Grumman 2,100 *
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 ...
1,800 *
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 ...
1,792 * Walmart 1,242 *
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 ...
1,160 *
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 ...
1,116 * Boeing 850 *
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 ...
800+ *
Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
500 * CarMax


Government


Local government

Palmdale is a Charter City governed under the
council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
/
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...
form of local government. Beginning with the November 2016 election, the City Council was subjected to districting, with councilmembers were selected from each of 4 districts. The mayor is elected at-large every two years for a two-year term. Every two years, two of the four district council members are elected to serve four-year terms. Palmdale does not have term limits for council and mayor. The City Council appoints the City Manager and City Attorney. 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. 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 the state government. Palmdale has animal services, Palmdale Animal Care Center.


Municipal services

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 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 ...
which serves as the hub for public transit services including Metrolink trains, Antelope Valley Transit Authority, Amtrak California's
Thruway Motorcoach Amtrak Thruway is a system of through-ticketed transportation services to connect passengers with areas not served by Amtrak trains. In most cases these are dedicated motorcoach routes, but can also be non-dedicated intercity bus services, tran ...
and Greyhound. Palmdale was selected as a stop for the California High-Speed Rail System that will link northern and southern California. 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, Legacy Commons, Larry Chimbole Cultural Center, Palmdale Playhouse and Art Gallery,
Dry Town Water Park Dry Town Water Park is a waterpark located in Palmdale, California that opens each year from the Memorial Day weekend in May through Labor Day in September. The park features a 35-foot tower structure that holds three waterslides with a three fo ...
, 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.


Public safety

The city is policed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department under a formal contract with the County of Los Angeles and has its municipal judicial system intertwined with the
Los Angeles County Superior Court The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, is the California superior court with jurisdiction over Los Angeles County, which includes the city of Los Angeles. It is the largest single unified trial court in the United States. The ...
. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the Palmdale Station in Palmdale. 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. 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. The city is served by the Los 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.


Public utilities

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 by Southern California Edison; natural gas service is provided by
Southern California Gas The Southern California Gas Company (trading as SoCalGas) is a utility company based in Los Angeles, California, and a subsidiary of Sempra Energy. It is the primary provider of natural gas to Los Angeles and Southern California. Overview Its ...
; cable television service is provided by Time Warner Cable; telephone service is provided by AT&T and
Frontier A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts o ...
; refuse pickup and disposal service is provided by Waste 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.


County representation

The
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (abbreviated DHS and LADHS) operates the public hospitals and clinics in Los Angeles County, and is the United States' second largest municipal health system, after NYC Health + Hospitals. DHS op ...
operates the Antelope Valley Health Center in Lancaster, serving Palmdale. In the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Palmdale is in the 5th District, represented by Kathryn Barger.


State and federal representation

In the
California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legisla ...
, Palmdale is in , and in . In the United States House of Representatives, Palmdale is in .


Education


Kindergarten – grade 12 schools

Palmdale has three separate elementary school districts and one high school district: * 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 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. * 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 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. * 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 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. * 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 ...
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. 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.


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 ...
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. The district has one full service campus in nearby Lancaster with about 14,000 students. * The California State University system also has a satellite campus from its
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 ...
facility in nearby Lancaster at the Antelope Valley College main campus. * DeVry University has a campus in Palmdale that includes 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 ...
. *
Brandman University University of Massachusetts Global (UMass Global), formerly Brandman University, is a private university with 25 campuses throughout California and Washington and a virtual campus. The university offers more than 90 degree, certificate, cred ...
has a satellite campus in Palmdale. * University of Antelope Valley (private 4yr college) * University of La Verne has a satellite campus in Palmdale. * University of Phoenix has a satellite campus in nearby Lancaster. * The AERO Institute at the Palmdale Institute of Technology is a facility in Palmdale at the Civic Center. It is operated by the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding th ...
(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 ...
,
USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...
,
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.


Media


Newspapers

* ''
Antelope Valley Press The ''Antelope Valley Press'', colloquially referred to as the ''Valley Press'' or ''AV Press'' by its staff and Antelope Valley residents, is the largest-circulation daily newspaper in Palmdale, California, United States. It had been a family-ow ...
'' * ''
The Antelope Valley Times ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
'' * ''
Aerotech News and Review ''Aerotech News and Review Inc.'', established in February 1986, is a bi-weekly aerospace trade journal and publishing company with corporate headquarters in Lancaster, California in the heart of America's “Aerospace Valley”. Aerotech News is ...
'' * '' AV Political Observer'' * ''
El Sol Del Desierto EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American ...
''


Online newszine

Antelope Valley New Press 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 mamm ...

www.thepalmdalejournal.com


Radio stations


AM

* KAVL 610 AM Sports * KTPI 1340 AM Adult Standards *
KOSS KOSS (1380 AM, "NewsTalk 1380") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Lancaster, California and serves the Antelope Valley area. The station is owned by High Desert Broadcasting and broadcasts a news/talk format, featuring programm ...
1380 AM News/Talk * KUTY 1470 AM Spanish Oldies


FM

* KCRY 88.1 FM NPR (KCRW Santa Monica) *
KTLW KTLW (88.9 FM, "Air1") is an affiliate of the Educational Media Foundation's nationally syndicated Air1 Christian worship music radio network serving parts of the greater Los Angeles area. The station's primary signal broadcasts to the Antelop ...
88.9 FM Religious/Christian *
KLXP KLXP (89.7 FM, "K-Love") is a non-commercial radio station that is licensed to Randsburg, California and serves Ridgecrest, California City, and the Antelope Valley. The station is owned by Educational Media Foundation and broadcasts the Christi ...
89.7 FM Religious/Christian (simulcast of Hollister KHRI 90.7) *K211EY 90.1 FM Religious/Christian (simulcast of Victorville
KHMS KHMS (88.5 FM), "''Sounds of the Spirit''", is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian format. Licensed to Victorville, California, United States, it serves the Victor Valley The Victor Valley is a valley in the Mojave Desert and ...
88.5) *K216FA 91.1 FM Religious/Christian (simulcast of Twin Falls KAWZ 89.9) * KWTD 91.9 FM Religious/Christian (simulcast of Bishop KWTW 88.5) * KQAV 93.5 FM Classic Rock *
KFXM-LP KFXM-LP (98.3 FM) is a low-power FM radio station broadcasting oldies spanning the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, with more than 36,000 selections in rotation, including novelties and instrumentals. Licensed to Lancaster, California, United States, th ...
96.7 FM Oldies * KTPI-FM 97.7 FM Country *
KKZQ KKZQ (100.1 FM, "100.1 The Quake") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Tehachapi, California, United States and serves the Antelope Valley area. The station is owned by High Desert Broadcasting and broadcasts a classic rock format ...
100.1 FM Modern Rock * KRAJ 100.9 FM Hip Hop * KSRY 103.1 FM Modern Rock (simulcast of Los Angeles
KYSR KYSR (98.7 FM) is a commercial alternative radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, serving the Greater Los Angeles area. Owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., KYSR is the flagship station of syndicated morning drive program ''The Woody Show''. T ...
98.7) *
KGBB KGBB (103.9 FM, "Bob FM") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Edwards, California and serves the Antelope Valley area. The station is owned by Adelman Broadcasting, Inc. and broadcasts an adult hits format under the "Bob FM" monik ...
103.9 FM Adult Hits * KEPD 104.9 FM Country *
KVVS KVVS (105.5 FM) is a simulcast radio station in Rosamond, California owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.. The station carries the Top 40 (CHR) format of KIIS-FM (102.7) from Los Angeles for listeners in northern Los Angeles County and southeastern Kern ...
105.5 FM Top 40 (simulcast of Los Angeles KIIS 102.7) * KGMX 106.3 FM Adult Contemporary *
KMVE KMVE (106.9 FM) is a commercial radio station that is licensed to California City, California, United States and serves the Antelope Valley area. The station is owned by High Desert Broadcasting and broadcasts a top 40 format as a simulcast of ...
106.9 FM Regional Spanish


Internet radio

*
Surge Radio Surge Radio is an English student radio station based at the University of Southampton. Founded in 1976 as Radio Heffalump, the station was renamed Radio Glen the following year and originally broadcast from the university's Glen Eyre Halls comp ...
Online Radio Dance Hits


Television stations

* ''TW Cable'' 3 Local Events / News * ''Palmdale'' 27 City's cable information channel *
KPAL-LP KPAL-LP was a low-power Class A television station in Palmdale, California, broadcasting locally in analog on UHF channel 38 as an Independent station. Founded September 27, 1989, and its studios in Lancaster. History On September 27, 1989, the ...
38 Home Shopping / Local Events


Transportation

According to the latest 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 nearby Santa Clarita and farther south to Los Angeles.


Airport

The
LA/Palmdale Regional Airport : ''See: United States Air Force Plant 42 for the United States Government use of the facility'' Palmdale Regional Airport is an airport in Palmdale, California, United States. The city of Palmdale took over the airport at the end of 2013, mana ...
/ Air Force Plant 42 (PMD) has two runways, each over in length, although there is currently no commercial airline service at the airport. PMD's commercial terminal is owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a municipal department of the City of Los 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 SkyWest Airlines is an American regional airline headquartered in St. George, Utah, United States. SkyWest is paid to staff, operate and maintain aircraft used on flights that are scheduled, marketed and sold by a partner mainline airline. The ...
flew between PMD and San 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 the High Desert. LAWA also owns 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 of
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 ...
. The land remains undeveloped. LAWA is currently developing a Master Plan for Palmdale that will guide airport land use and development decisions through 2030. The FAA's
Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center is an air traffic control center located in Palmdale, California, United States. It is located at the northeast corner of 25th Street East and Avenue P adjacent to USAF Plant 42 and the LA/Palmdale R ...
is located adjacent to the airport. 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 its ER-2 (a U-2 variant) and cutting edge deep space imaging with the 747-based SOFIA infrared telescope.


Highways

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 ...
(SR 14) is the major north–south highway connecting Palmdale to Los Angeles and Mojave. State Route 138 (SR 138) is the major east–west highway connecting Palmdale to the
Inland Empire The Inland Empire (IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County to the west. It includes the cities o ...
and Frazier Park. State Route 18 (SR 18) heads eastward out of the Antelope Valley connecting it to Victorville and via
I-15 I15 may refer to: * Interstate 15, a north–south Interstate Highway in the United States of America * Polikarpov I-15, a Soviet fighter aircraft * I15 (band) "Soulja Girl" is the second single from American rapper Soulja Boy's studio album '' ...
the Barstow area. This road is commonly used as a route to Las Vegas, Nevada.


Future highways

Caltrans The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is an Executive (government), executive department of the U.S. state of California. The department is part of the Government of California#State agencies, cabinet-level California State Tran ...
only recently began upgrades to SR 138 (nicknamed "Blood Alley" due to the high rate of accidents that occur). Caltrans has had plans on the table for several years for SR 138 and SR 18 to create an east–west freeway between Palmdale and I-15. Due to State funding constraints, however, this expressway will probably not be completed. There has been discussion of creating the High Desert Corridor tollway in its place. Caltrans put the freeway project on hold in 2019. There is also a plan to continue the freeway from Palmdale along the southern foothills of the Antelope Valley to I-5 in Gorman. State Route 48 (SR 48) is a planned east–west freeway connecting the Antelope Valley Freeway (SR 14) at Avenue D, the current segment terminus for the western SR 138 branch, to Interstate 5 in Gorman. This freeway is planned to come after SR 138 has its new southern realignment through Palmdale completed, and will follow the existing SR 138 right of way. State Route 122 (SR 122) is a planned north–south freeway from eastern Palmdale, passing east of
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 ...
to SR 58 near
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 ...
. State Route 249 (SR 249) is a planned north–south freeway from southern Palmdale through 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 ...
to I-210 in
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 ...
, near
Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. Its ...
.


Street system

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 the Space 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 the Challenger Disaster. (All of the shuttles were built in Palmdale.)


Public transportation

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 ...
, completed in March 2005, is the central mass transit center for the Antelope Valley. It serves as the transit hub for the Antelope Valley Transit Authority, the city's public bus system, as well as an Amtrak, Greyhound Bus, and commuter rail Metrolink station. The station is also designated a stop on the proposed California High Speed Rail System and the proposed Orangeline Maglev rail from
Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier *Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia *Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada *Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...
.


Cycling

Palmdale is developing a network of bike lanes and bike paths throughout its boundaries. The backbone of the system is a new, grade separated Class A bike path on Avenue S, between 5th Street East and 25th St East, that was included as part of a $20 million highway improvement project, and a similar path on Sierra Highway, that runs from Technology Drive (Avenue P-8) north to meet with the Lancaster segment up to Avenue J. There are also bike lanes on some local streets, leading to parks and schools, as well. Cycling in certain areas of Palmdale carries an increased risk due to higher speed limits for vehicles and also due to the presence of large vehicles. Palmdale is also a location frequently used in staging of the Tour of California.


Sites of interest

*
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 ...
More than a million square feet of shopping space with chain stores like
Bath & Body Works Bath & Body Works, LLC. is an American retail store chain that sells soaps, lotions, fragrances, and candles. It was founded in 1990 in New Albany, Ohio and has since expanded across 6 continents. In 1997, it was the largest bath shop chain in ...
, Claire's, Hot Topic, Macy's, Victoria's Secret, H&M and more. *Best Of The West Softball Complex *
Dry Town Water Park Dry Town Water Park is a waterpark located in Palmdale, California that opens each year from the Memorial Day weekend in May through Labor Day in September. The park features a 35-foot tower structure that holds three waterslides with a three fo ...
on Avenue S, open each summer from May to September * Joshua Ranch Trail a natural preservation area, temporarily closed due to a housing development under construction. * Palmdale Amphitheater 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 at Palmdale Plant 42 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 Playhouse and Art Gallery * Barrel Springs Equestrian Center * Palmdale Schoolhouse at McAdam Park, the only remaining building of the original village of Palmenthal in the late 19th century * Rancho Vista Golf Course Palmdale's only PGA class golf course * Thursday Night on the Square features an outside market, live entertainment, various arts and crafts, refreshments, and children's activities on Thursday Nights in the summer


ZIP Codes

The Palmdale vicinity currently has a total of ten ZIP Codes: * 93536: Most of
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 ...
(district and adjacent town). Shared with cities and towns of Lancaster (westside), Neenach,
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 ...
, and Antelope Acres. * 93543: Parts of Sun Village. Shared with town of Littlerock. * 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 of Pearblossom. Some P.O. boxes. * 93590: Palmdale Regional Airport, USAF Plant 42, and some of Palmdale's P.O. boxes. * 93591:
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 ...
(district and adjacent town), parts of Palmdale East, and some P.O. boxes. * 93592: Only P.O. Boxes * 93599: Only P.O. Boxes


In popular culture


Films

* '' Mac and Me'' (1988): Palmdale was mentioned in the film as a nearby city to the location of the alien, Mac's, landed spacecraft. They search this area of open desert for the alien's other family members. * '' Volcano'' (1997): The film opens with a sign out in the middle of nowhere that says "Palmdale 15 MILES" which begins to shake due to an earthquake. The next scene in the film shows
seismologist Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other ...
s trying to determine the epicenter of the earthquake shown in the scene with the sign. They determine that Palmdale was the location of the epicenter. * '' Bubble Boy'' (2001): Palmdale was the hometown of the star character, Jimmy Livingston, a boy with a medical condition in which he has no immune system, who is forced by his parents to live in a plastic bubble in his bedroom to prevent him from being infected by various things of the outside world. * '' The Fast and the Furious'' (2001): Palmdale was mentioned as the location of a drag strip. * '' The Day After Tomorrow'': During the film when tornadoes are going through Los Angeles, a news report is shown on a T.V. The reporter mentions "Palmdale and Lancaster are reporting wind speeds in excess..." * '' CHiPs'' (2017): The
Devil's Punch Bowl The Devil's Punch Bowl is a visitor attraction and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest situated just to the east of the village of Hindhead in the England, English county of Surrey. It is part of the Wealden Heaths Phase II Special P ...
, where the climax of the movie takes place, is mentioned as being 12 miles east of Palmdale. * ''
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
'' (2008) was filmed in Palmdale. * '' The Apparition'' (2012):
Ashley Greene Ashley Michele Greene Khoury (born February 21, 1987) is an American actress. She is known for playing Alice Cullen in the film adaptations of Stephenie Meyer's ''Twilight'' novels. Early life Greene was born on February 21, 1987, in Jack ...
shot some scenes in Palmdale.


Books

* ''
Bad Luck and Trouble ''Bad Luck and Trouble'' is the eleventh book in the Jack Reacher series written by Lee Child. It was published in 2007, and written in the third person. The title is derived from the song lyrics by singer Albert King "Born Under a Bad Sign". ...
'' (2007), a book in the '' Jack Reacher'' series by '' Lee Child'', mentions Palmdale multiple times, and the book's final encounter takes place at a house in the desert south of the city. *
Kylie Jenner Kylie Kristen Jenner (born August 10, 1997) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She starred in the E! reality television series ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'' from 2007 to 2021 and is the founder and owner of ...
did a photoshoot in the Palmdale desert for her cover on
Teen Vogue ''Teen Vogue'' is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'', targeted at teenagers. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since ...
magazine in 2015.


Music

* Village of the Sun (1974): a song by
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 ...
mentioned Palmdale "Out in back of Palmdale where the turkey farmers run" from the album
Roxy and Elsewhere ''Roxy & Elsewhere '' is a double live album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers, released on September 10, 1974. Most of the songs were recorded on December 8, 9 and 10, 1973 at The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California. Overview The material take ...
. In the introduction he mentions Lancaster, California, Palmdales twin city where Zappa spent his teenage years. * "Palmdale" (2001): A song by rapper Afroman about his life growing up in Palmdale on the album '' The Good Times''. * " Crazy Rap" (1999): Another song by rapper Afroman where he mentions Palmdale in the first verse and the choruses. In the music video him and his crew also wear Palmdale football Jerseys. * Korean pop girl group Red Velvet shot their music video for their song "Ice Cream Cake" in Palmdale. *
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
filmed a video in Palmdale for " Perfume". * One Direction filmed a video in Palmdale. *
Lea Michele Lea Michele Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway (theatre), Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables (musical), Les Misérab ...
filmed a video in Palmdale. * Louisa Johnson filmed a video in Palmdale. * Taylor Swift shot her video for her song " I Knew You Were Trouble" in Palmdale. *
Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...
filmed a music video in Palmdale for her song
Rock n Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
.


Television

* The '' Perry Mason'' show (1957–1966) occasionally made reference to Palmdale, particularly when Paul Drake was given an investigatory assignment. The implication was that Palmdale was a great distance from Los Angeles. * ''
The Outer Limits ''The Outer Limits'' or ''Outer Limits'' may refer to: Television * ''The Outer Limits'' (1963 TV series), a black-and-white science fiction series that aired from 1963 to 1965 * ''The Outer Limits'' (1995 TV series), a revival of the older series ...
'' (1963–65): The episode " The Premonition" takes place at Palmville Air Force Base, with Palmville being a fictional counterpart to Palmdale. * '' The Greatest American Hero'' (1981–1983): Most of Ralph Hinkley, Bill Maxwell, and Pam Davidson's encounters with the aliens, or "little green guys", take place in Palmdale, with the exception of the episode "Don't Mess Around with Jim". * ''
Scrubs Scrub(s) may refer to: * Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland * Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff * ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program * Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," o ...
'' (2003): Dr. Cox recommends Turk goes "all the way down to Palmdale" to relieve some of his stress in reference to masturbation. * '' Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'' (Season 2, episode 4, 2008): Cameron's human counterpart Alison will be born in Palmdale. In the present, Cameron phones Alison's future mother, who already lives in Palmdale, during a period of memory loss or forgetfulness. * ''
FlashForward A flashforward (also spelled flash-forward, and more formally known as prolepsis) is a scene that temporarily takes the narrative forward in time from the current point of the story in literature, film, television and other media. Flashforwards a ...
'' (2010): The main character tries to find something in a hangar. * '' The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez'' (2020): A six-part miniseries released on Netflix on the case involving the systematic torture, child abuse and murder of eight-year old Gabriel Fernandez by his mother and her boyfriend from Palmdale. Four social workers were also charged with felony counts of child abuse and falsifying public records.


Notable people

* Carlos Aguilar, soccer player * Richard Butler, engineer and white supremacist * Kurt Caselli, professional off-road motorcycle racer * Afroman, hip-hop artist *
Eric Calvillo Eric Santana Calvillo Ramirez (born 2 January 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for USL Championship club El Paso Locomotive. Born in the United States, he represents the El Salvador national team. Club career New Y ...
, soccer player * Robert Castellanos, soccer player * Larry Chimbole, California State Assemblyman and first mayor of Palmdale *
Tyrone Culver Lanell Tyrone Culver (born July 6, 1983) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State. Early years Culver attended Palmdale ...
, NFL player *
Christopher Daniels Daniel Christopher Covell (born March 24, 1970), better known by the ring name Christopher Daniels, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is the Head of Talent Relations. He is best kno ...
, professional wrestler *
Marcus Demps Marcus L. Demps (born August 19, 1983) is a former American football safety who played college football at San Diego State. He is the younger brother of safety Will Demps. High school career Demps attended Highland High School in Palmdale, Cali ...
,
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
player *
Will Demps William Henry Demps, Jr. (born November 7, 1979) is a former American football safety who was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at San Diego State. Demps also played for the New York G ...
, NFL player * Dana Eveland, MLB player *
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 ...
, actor and military veteran * Matt Eskandari, film director * Gabriel Fernandez, 8 year old boy who was murdered * Steve Fox, politician *
Sean Franklin Sean Michael Franklin (born March 21, 1985) is an American former soccer player who played as a defender. Career Youth and amateur Franklin was a three-time letter-winner at Highland High School in Palmdale, California. He was named the Gold ...
, MLS player, 2008 MLS Rookie of the Year * Rachel Garcia, softball player pitcher *
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 The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers *
Derek Hagan Derek Steven Hagan Jr. (born September 21, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State University. Hagan has also pr ...
, NFL player * Raymond Hatton, actor *
Bubba Harris Burlin Buntster Harris III (born August 7, 1985 from Palmdale, California United States, U.S.) is an American professional "New/Current School" BMX, Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years are from 1999 to the present. Usually ...
, professional BMX racer * Lance Hooper, NASCAR driver *
Ron Hornaday Jr. Ronald Lee Hornaday Jr. (born June 20, 1958) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He is the father of former NASCAR driver Ronnie Hornaday and son of the late Ron Hornaday Sr., a two-time Winston West Champion. Hornaday is ...
, NASCAR driver * Arin Ilejay, former drummer of Avenged Sevenfold *
William J. Knight William John "Pete" Knight (November 18, 1929 – May 7, 2004) (Colonel (United States), Col, United States Air Force, USAF) was an American aeronautical engineer, politician, Vietnam War combat aviator, pilot, test pilot, and astronaut. ...
, former pilot,
astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
, and politician and first elected Palmdale Mayor * Steve Knight, politician *
Jason Kubel Jason James Kubel (born May 25, 1982) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Cleveland Indians. A Belle Fourche, South Dakota native, Kube ...
, MLB player * Randy Kutcher, MLB player * Rory Markas, former sportscaster and announcer for the Los Angeles Angels *
Kiel McClung Kiel McClung (born May 1, 1985 in Fresno, California) is an American former soccer player. Career Youth and College McClung was a three-time letterwinner at Quartz Hill High School under coach Tony Bruce. McClung was named the Golden League’ ...
, USL First Division player *
Alyssa Miller Alyssa Elaine Miller (born July 4, 1989) is an American model. She has done print and runway work for numerous leading companies. Among her highlights are cover appearances for ''Vogue'' (Germany) and '' Elle'' (Italy), work as a featured model ...
, model *
Buddy Montgomery Charles "Buddy" Montgomery (January 30, 1930 – May 14, 2009) was an American jazz vibraphonist and pianist. He was the younger brother of Wes and Monk Montgomery, a guitarist and bassist respectively. Buddy and brother Monk formed The Masters ...
, musician, pianist and jazz, member of the Montgomery Brothers * Chuck Murphy, country singer * Paul Picerni, actor The Untouchables *
Bobby Reiss Bobby Reiss (born 30 September 1990) is a retired American professional soccer player. Career In May 2017 Reiss was named Head Coach, Women's Soccer, Midamerica Nazarene University, Olathe, KS. He had served 3 years as assistant coach and the te ...
, soccer player * Debbie Rowe, mother of two of Michael Jackson's children and Jackson's ex-wife * Victor Salva, Mexican-American filmmaker *
DeShawn Shead DeShawn Anthony Shead (born June 28, 1989) is a former American football cornerback and current coach. He is a defensive assistant/assistant defensive backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He signed with th ...
, cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl Champion * Larenz Tate, actor *
Michael Tonkin Michael Harvey Tonkin (born November 19, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously has played for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Hokkaido Ni ...
, professional baseball pitcher *
Justin Tryon Justin Deaon Tryon (born May 29, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He also played for the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants. Early life Try ...
, cornerback for the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
of the National Football League * Eugena Washington, from '' America's Next Top Model'' and Playboy model * Pac Div, hip hop group consisted of brothers * Bighead on the beat, Producer for Lil Pump's hit song "Gucci Gang" lived in Palmdale, CA. *
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 ...
, actor *
Linda Manz Linda Manz (August 20, 1961 – August 14, 2020) was an American actress. She made her feature film debut at age 15 in Terrence Malick's acclaimed period drama ''Days of Heaven'' (1978), playing an adolescent girl growing up in rural Texas in 19 ...
, actress * Chuck Murphy, country singer * Niecy Nash, actress


Sister cities

Palmdale has one sister city: *
Poncitlán Poncitlán is a town and municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 672.31 km2. As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 43,817. Place Names Poncitlán means "place of cilacayotes", ...
,
Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...
, Mexico


See also

*
List of cities in Los Angeles County, California There are 88 cities in Los Angeles County, California. Each city has a mayor and a city council. Cities See also *List of cities and towns in the San Francisco Bay Area *List of municipalities in California References * * {{Los Angeles Count ...
* List of cities and towns in California *
List of largest cities on the United States West Coast This list of the largest cities on the United States West Coast includes the largest cities by population within the West Coast states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California. Historically, the largest population hubs along the West Coast h ...
* List of cities in the Mojave Desert * Greater Los Angeles * Lake Palmdale *
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 ...


References


Further reading

*


External links

*
Palmdale Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Antelope Valley Cities in Los Angeles County, California Cities in the Mojave Desert California Enterprise Zones Populated places established in 1886 Populated places established in 1962 1962 establishments in California Incorporated cities and towns in California Chicano and Mexican neighborhoods in California