Editing Yucca Valley, California

{{Short description|Town in California, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Yucca Valley, California
|settlement_type          = [[List of municipalities in California|Town]]

|image_skyline            = {{Photomontage
  | photo1a                   = Yucca Valley California 2017 (cropped).jpg
  | photo1b                   = St. Mary of the Valley -Yucca Valley 03.jpg
  | spacing                   = 2
  | position                  = center
  | color_border              = white
  | color                     = white
  | size                      = 260
  | foot_montage              = View of Yucca Valley (left) and St. Mary of the Valley Church (right).
}}
|image_flag               = [[File:Flag of Yucca Valley, California.png|100px]]
|image_seal               = [[File:Seal of Yucca Valley, California.png|Town of Yucca Valley, CA seal|100px]]

|image_map                = San Bernardino County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Yucca Valley Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location in [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino County]] and the state of [[California]]
|image_map1               = 
|map_caption1             =

|coordinates              = {{coord|34|06|51|N|116|25|56|W|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
|coordinates_footnotes    = <ref name=GNIS>{{Cite GNIS|1667939|Yucca Valley|access-date=November 18, 2014}}</ref>
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[California]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in California|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino]]

|government_type          = [[Council-Manager]] 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Jeff Drozd<ref>{{cite web |title=Town Council |url=https://www.yucca-valley.org/our-town/town-council |website=Yucca Valley, CA |access-date=May 15, 2025}}</ref>
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = November 27, 1991<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.calafco.org/docs/Cities_by_incorp_date.doc |title = California Cities by Incorporation Date |format = Word |publisher = California Association of [[Local Agency Formation Commission]]s |access-date = August 25, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131017052413/http://www.calafco.org/docs/Cities_by_incorp_date.doc |archive-date = October 17, 2013 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

<!-- Area------------------>
|total_type               = Total
| unit_pref               = Imperial
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_06.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 27, 2024}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi        = 39.83
| area_land_sq_mi         = 39.83
| area_water_sq_mi        = 0.00
| area_total_km2          = 103.16
| area_land_km2           = 103.16
| area_water_km2          = 0.00
| area_water_percent      = 0

|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 3258
|elevation_m              =

<!-- Population ----------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=QuickFacts: Yucca Valley town, California|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/yuccavalleytowncalifornia|access-date=March 27, 2024}}</ref>
|population_total         = 21,738
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           = 
|population_density_sq_mi = 545.8
|population_density_km2   = 210.7

|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone]]
|utc_offset               = -8
|timezone_DST             = PDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -7
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code              = 92284–92286
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area codes]]
|area_code                = [[Area codes 442 and 760|442/760]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS]] code
|blank_info               = {{FIPS|06|87056}}
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature IDs
|blank1_info              = 2413524<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2413524}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|https://www.yucca-valley.org/|yucca-valley.org}}
}}

'''Yucca Valley''' is an [[List of municipalities in California|incorporated town]] in [[San Bernardino County, California]], United States. The population was 21,738 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. Yucca Valley lies {{convert|20|mi}} north of [[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]], and {{convert|49|mi}} east of [[San Bernardino, California|San Bernardino]]. Bordered to the south by the [[Joshua Tree National Park]] and to the west by the [[San Bernardino Mountains]], the town of Yucca Valley is located in the [[Mojave Desert]] at roughly {{convert|3300|ft}} above sea level.

==History==
{{More citations needed section|date=January 2025}}
Native Americans inhabited the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://georgehbalazs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/1984-Part-1-of-3-The-Heritage-of-Yucca-Valley-California-Including-Giant-Rock-by-Joan-Wilson.pdf|title=The Heritage of Yucca Valley}}</ref>

Norman J. Essig was key in the late 1950s in working towards establishing Yucca Valley as a place for entertainment celebrities to come and live in privacy. He personally acquired hundreds of acres of land during this time and owned and ran Glenn Realty. He helped to put in the main roads that are running throughout the town off of Hwy 62. He was personal friends with [[Jimmy Van Heusen]] the composer and gave him prime real estate in Yucca Valley to build his house which can still be seen atop the highest hill in the center of the town.

In 1992, three large earthquakes occurred near the city, the magnitude 6.1 Joshua Tree earthquake on April 22, and on June 28 the [[1992 Landers earthquake|7.3 Landers]] and [[1992 Big Bear earthquake|6.5 Big Bear]] earthquakes.

The 7.1 magnitude [[Hector Mine earthquake]] on October 16, 1999, had an epicenter {{convert|30|mi}} north of town.

On July 11, 2006, a wildfire started by lightning raced through neighboring [[Pioneertown, California|Pioneertown]].  The blaze, named the [[Sawtooth Complex fire]], also burned into [[Yucca Valley]] and nearby [[Morongo Valley]] and destroyed roughly {{convert|64,000|acres}} of desert landscape.

==Geography==
[[File:Yucca Valley Hwy 247.jpg|thumb|left|Yucca Valley looking north from the intersection of Highways 62 and 247]]
Yucca Valley lies in the middle of the [[Morongo Basin]] at a base elevation of 3,300 feet.  Joshua Tree National Park is adjacent to its southern border.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|40.0|sqmi|km2}}. All of it is land and none of it is covered in water. Yucca Valley is located north of the [[Joshua Tree National Park]], while the [[Little San Bernardino Mountains]] and many hills cover a large percentage of city area.

This High Desert community has an elevation (city hall) at {{convert|3224|ft}} above sea level. Snowfall occurs almost annually whenever the snow level drops to elevations under {{convert|4000|ft}}. The area's terrain is prone to wildfires (such as the Pioneertown fire in July 2006), resulting from plant growth during the rainy seasons and flash floods. The plants within the town and among the chaparral in the mountains outside of the San Bernardino National Forest wilt and perish from the summer heat, providing ample fuel during a fire.

Yucca Valley has experienced high levels of seismic activity. Fault lines criss-cross the town and the Morongo basin.

===Climate===
According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Yucca Valley has a [[Desert climate#Cold desert climates|cold desert climate]], abbreviated "BWk" on climate maps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=504440&cityname=Yucca+Valley%2C+California%2C+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Climate Summary for Yucca Valley, California|publisher=WeatherBase.com|access-date=November 12, 2014}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Yucca Valley, CA
|single line = Y
<!-- Average high temperatures -->
| Jan high F  = 61.1
| Feb high F  = 61.1
| Mar high F  = 69.1
| Apr high F  = 74.4
| May high F  = 86.3
| Jun high F  = 92.3
| Jul high F  = 102.0
| Aug high F  = 99.0
| Sep high F  = 95.8
| Oct high F  = 80.1
| Nov high F  = 70.1
| Dec high F  = 58.3
| year high F = 79.13
<!-- Average low temperatures -->
| Jan low F  = 38.5
| Feb low F  = 38.8
| Mar low F  = 40.2
| Apr low F  = 44.4
| May low F  = 54.1
| Jun low F  = 59.9
| Jul low F  = 71.6
| Aug low F  = 67.5
| Sep low F  = 64.1
| Oct low F  = 52.8
| Nov low F  = 43.9
| Dec low F  = 36.3
| year low F = 51.01
| Jan precipitation inch  = 0.7
| Feb precipitation inch  = 0.5
| Mar precipitation inch  = 0.4
| Apr precipitation inch  = 0.1
| May precipitation inch  = 0.2
| Jun precipitation inch  = 0
| Jul precipitation inch  = 0.3
| Aug precipitation inch  = 0.4
| Sep precipitation inch  = 0.4
| Oct precipitation inch  = 0.4
| Nov precipitation inch  = 0.6
| Dec precipitation inch  = 0.8
| year precipitation inch = 4.8
| source 1 = Weatherbase<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=504440 | title=Yucca Valley, California Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase)}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1970= 3893
|1980= 8294
|1990= 13701
|2000= 16865
|2010= 20700
|2020= 21738
|estyear= 
|estimate= 
|estref= 
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020===
The [[2020 United States census]] reported that Yucca Valley had a population of 21,738. The population density was {{convert|545.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Yucca Valley was 71.3% [[White Americans|White]], 3.7% [[African Americans|African American]], 1.5% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 2.7% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], 0.3% [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]], 8.1% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 12.5% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 23.3% of the population.<ref name=DP1>{{cite web |title=Yucca Valley town, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=1600000US0687056 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 15, 2025}}</ref>

The census reported that 99.0% of the population lived in households, 0.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.6% were institutionalized.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 8,807 households, out of which 27.2% included children under the age of 18, 41.1% were married-couple households, 8.0% were [[cohabitation|cohabiting]] couple households, 29.8% had a female householder with no partner present, and 21.1% had a male householder with no partner present. 30.2% of households were one person, and 15.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44.<ref name=DP1/> There were 5,494 [[family (U.S. Census)|families]] (62.4% of all households).<ref>{{cite web |title=Yucca Valley town, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDHC2020.P16?g=1600000US0687056 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 15, 2025}}</ref>

The age distribution was 21.5% under the age of 18, 7.1% aged 18 to 24, 23.8% aged 25 to 44, 25.9% aged 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65{{nbsp}}years of age or older. The median age was 42.9{{nbsp}}years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 9,896 housing units at an average density of {{convert|248.4|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}, of which 8,807 (89.0%) were occupied. Of these, 66.4% were owner-occupied, and 33.6% were occupied by renters.<ref name=DP1/>

===2023 estimates===
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 8.9% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 80.8% spoke only English at home, 15.3% spoke [[Spanish language|Spanish]], 2.2% spoke other [[Indo-European languages]], 1.4% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.4% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 89.6% were high school graduates and 20.9% had a bachelor's degree.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yucca Valley town, California; CP02: Comparative Social Characteristics in the United States - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSCP5Y2023.CP02?g=1600000US0687056 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 15, 2025}}</ref>

The median household income was $55,302, and the [[per capita income]] was $32,643. About 13.2% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yucca Valley town, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2023.DP03?g=1600000US0687056 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 15, 2025}}</ref>

==Economy==

===Personal income===
The median [[income]] for a household in the town was $30,420, and the median income for a family was $36,650. Males had a median income of $35,037 versus $25,234 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $16,020, lower than most of [[Southern California]].  About 16.2% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 27.3% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

===Employment===
Yucca Valley has the [[Twentynine Palms Base]] ([[US Marine Corps]]) 20 miles to the east and the [[Morongo Basin]] is home to temporary residents who work on the base.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.29palms.marines.mil//|title=Marines|access-date=November 12, 2014|publisher=United States Marine Corps}}</ref>

===Tourism===
[[File:Joshua Tree National Park border in Yucca Valley, CA.jpg|thumb|A Joshua Tree National Park border sign in Yucca Valley, CA]]

{{more citations needed section|date=January 2011}}

Yucca Valley borders [[Joshua Tree National Park]]. Amenities include a [[bowling alley]], various retail stores and an "Old Town" area. On Grubstakes Day, held the day before [[Memorial Day]], there is a parade.

Old Town Yucca Valley is located on Highway 62 at the intersection of Pioneertown Road.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://californiawelcomecenter.com/hello-world/|title=Old Town Yucca Valley Antique Malls – California Welcome Center}}</ref> The California Welcome Center is located at 56711 Twentynine Palms Highway in Yucca Valley; it provides information on where to stay, eat and play while in the area.

Yucca Valley is home to the [[Desert Christ Park]] [[sculpture garden]], as well as the [[geoglyph]] "Atlatl", created by artist [[Andrew Rogers (artist)|Andrew Rogers]].

==Government==

===Municipal===
Yucca Valley is governed by a Town Council.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Town Council |url=https://www.yucca-valley.org/our-town/town-council |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=City of Yucca Valley |language=en}}</ref> The community's Mayor is Jeff Drozd. Other town council members are Mayor [[Pro tempore|Pro-Tem]] Merl Abel and Council Members Jim Schooler, Rick Denison and Robert Lombardo.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.yucca-valley.org/townhall/council.html|title=Yucca Valley Town Council|access-date=May 20, 2015}}</ref>

Yucca Valley contracts its police and public safety services from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Fire suppression and ambulance services are provided by the San Bernardino County Fire Department and Cal Fire.

===State and federal===
In the [[California State Legislature]], Yucca Valley is in {{Representative|casd|19|fmt=sdistrict}}, and {{Representative|caad|47|fmt=adistrict}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Find Your California Representatives |url=https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/ |access-date=May 14, 2025}}</ref>

In the [[United States House of Representatives]], Yucca Valley is in {{Representative|cacd|23|fmt=district}}.<ref>{{Cite GovTrack|CA|23}}</ref>

==Education==
Public education in Yucca Valley is under the administration of the Morongo Unified School District. Yucca Valley has three neighborhood elementary schools (Onaga Elementary, Yucca Mesa Elementary, and Yucca Valley [Hope] Elementary), one middle school (La Contenta Middle School), and two high schools ([[Yucca Valley High School]] and Black Rock Continuation High School).

[[Private schools]] in Yucca Valley include Our Lady of the Desert, a Christian school for K–12; Valley Community Chapel School and Daycare offering Preschool, Kindergarten and before and after school Daycare; Joshua Springs Christian School, non-denominational affiliation for PK–12; Grace Christian School, Brethren affiliation for K–12; Hi-Desert SDA Elementary, a 1–6, Seventh Day Adventist affiliation school; and Yucca Valley Christian School, affiliated with The Assembly of God, for PK–12.  Hope Academy lost its charter with the Morongo Unified School District in 2016 and was unable to find another charter and subsequently closed.  Adult [[tutor]]ing is also available in Yucca Valley, with tutoring information available at the Yucca Valley Public Library.

==Transportation==
Yucca Valley has two major means of highway access; [[California State Route 62]] (Twentynine Palms Highway) runs east–west and is the main thoroughfare through town and terminates at the south end at Interstate 10 and [[Parker Dam]] on the Arizona border at the east end. [[California State Route 247]] (Old Woman Springs Road) begins in Yucca Valley and extends north through Barstow and terminates at Interstate 15. [[Basin Transit]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mbtabus.com |title=Morongo Basin Transit Authority |access-date=November 12, 2014 |publisher=The Basin Transit Authority (MBTA)}}</ref> serves the area with scheduled bus service around town and the lower desert. The service connects passengers to the [[Palm Springs International Airport]] direct bus lines to [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://yucca-valley.org |title=Yucca Valley.org |access-date=November 12, 2014}}</ref>  The area is served locally by the [[Yucca Valley Airport]].

== Media ==
Yucca Valley is served by the bi-weekly Hi Desert Star newspaper.

There are several commercial radio stations with studios located in the [[Coachella Valley]] ([[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]]) with local broadcast signals located in the [[Morongo Basin]].
* 91.7 [[KHCS]] (Christian) broadcasts on 92.1,
* 92.1 [[KXCM]] (country) broadcasts on 96.3,
* 94.3 [[KNWZ]] "K-News" on 103.7 FM and 1250 AM,
* 106.9 [[KDGL]] (70s-90s hits) 
* 106.1 [[KPLM]] (country)

There is one local station on 107.7 [[KCDZ]] (z107) with studios located in Joshua Tree.

There are several county run television repeaters (from Palm Springs, [[Riverside, California|Riverside]]/[[San Bernardino, California|San Bernardino]] and [[Greater Los Angeles]]) broadcasting from Pinto Mountain south of Twentynine Palms that can be received in the Yucca Mesa area but not in the city proper. Television service (and high speed cable internet) in town is provided by Charter Spectrum. [[Wireless Internet service provider|WISP]] (wireless internet service provider) is offered from Mojave WiFi, Frontier and Flashbyte Digital.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Yucca Valley, California}}
* {{official website}}
* [https://www.yuccavalley.org/ Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce]

{{San Bernardino County, California}}{{Inland Empire}}
{{Greater Los Angeles Area}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Yucca Valley, California| ]]
[[Category:1971 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Populated places in San Bernardino County, California]]
[[Category:Incorporated cities and towns in California]]
[[Category:Populated places in the Mojave Desert]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1971]]