Palm Springs, California
Encyclopedia
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County
, California
, within the Coachella Valley
. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino
, 111 miles (177 km) east of Los Angeles
and 136 miles (225 km) northeast of San Diego
. The population was 44,552 at the 2010 census.
Golf, swimming, tennis, horseback riding and hiking in the nearby desert and mountain areas are major forms of recreation in Palm Springs. The area code for Palm Springs is 760
. The ZIP code
s for Palm Springs are 92262 through 92264.
is a tribe composed of several smaller bands who lived in the modern day Palm Springs area when the Agua Caliente Reservation was established by the United States Government in 1896. Archaeological research has shown that the Cahuilla
have lived in the area for the past 350–500 years. The reservation occupies 32000 acres (12,950 ha), of which 6700 acres (2,711.4 ha) lie within the city limits, making the Agua Caliente band the city's largest landowner. The reservation land was originally composed of alternating squares of land laid out across the desert in a checkerboard pattern. The alternating, non-reservation squares, were provided by the United States Government to the Southern Pacific Railroad
as an incentive to bring rail lines through the open desert
. Tribal enrollment is currently estimated at between 296 and 365 people. The Cahuilla name for the area was "Se-Khi" (boiling water). In the early 19th century, Spanish explorers named the area "Agua Caliente" (hot water). One possible origin of palm in the place name is revealed in the November 1992 issue of Art of California. At least one Spanish explorer referred to the area as la Palma de la Mano de dios or "The Palm of God's hand". The current name for the area is "Palm Springs" which likely came into common usage in the mid-1860s when U.S. Government surveyors noted that a local mineral spring was located at the base of "two bunches of palms". By 1884 when San Francisco
attorney John Guthrie McCallum settled in Palm Springs, the name was already in wide acceptance.
, the village was covered in a shadow late afternoon during the summer by the San Jacinto mountains to the west and the opposite in the winter keeping out cold winds from the San Gorgonio pass. In the 1920s Hollywood movie stars were attracted by the hot dry, sunny weather and seclusion. Architectural modernists flourished with commissions from the stars, using the city to explore architectural innovations, new artistic venues, and an exotic back-to-the-land
experiences. Inventive architects designed unique vacation houses, such as steel houses with prefabricated panels and folding roofs, a glass-and-steel house in a boulder-strewn landscape, and a carousel house that turned to avoid the sun's glare.
In 1946 Richard Neutra
designed the Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann House
. A modernist classic, this mostly glass residence incorporated the latest technological advances in building materials, using natural lighting and floating planes and flowing space for proportion and detail. In recent years an energetic preservation program has protected and enhanced many classic buildings.
Culver (2010) argues that Palm Springs architecture became the model for mass-produced suburban housing, especially in the Southwest. This "Desert Modern" style was a high-end architectural style featuring open-design plans, wall-to-wall carpeting, air-conditioning, swimming pools, and very large windows. As Culver concludes, "While environmentalists might condemn desert modern, the masses would not. Here, it seemed, were houses that fully merged inside and outside, providing spaces for that essential component of Californian—and indeed middle-class American—life: leisure. While not everyone could have a Neutra masterpiece, many families could adopt aspects of Palm Springs modern."
Hollywood values permeated the resort as it combined celebrity, health, new wealth, and sex. As Culver (2010) explains: "The bohemian sexual and marital mores already apparent in Hollywood intersected with the resort atmosphere of Palm Springs, and this new, more open sexuality would gradually appear elsewhere in national tourist culture." To purify the environment city government, stimulated by real estate developers systematically removed and excluded poor people and Indians.
Palm Springs was pictured by the French photographer Robert Doisneau
in November 1960 as part of an assignment for Fortune
on the construction of golf courses in this particularly dry and hot area of the Colorado desert. Doisneau submitted around 300 slides following his ten-day stay depicting the lifestyle of wealthy retirees and Hollywood stars in the 1960s. At the time, Palm Spring counted just nineteen courses, whereas the city now has "one hundred and twenty-five golf courses, 2,250 holes, or rather continuously thirsty pits, which soak up 1.2 million gallons of water just to survive."
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 95 square miles (246 km²), of which, 94.1 square miles (243.7 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (0.90%) is water.
to the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains
to the south, by the San Jacinto Mountains to the west and by the Little San Bernardino Mountains
to the east. This geography gives Palm Springs its hot, dry climate, with 354 days of sunshine and only 4.83 inches (122.7 mm) of rain annually. The winter months are warm, with daytime highs often between 73 °F and 86 °F (23–30 °C) and corresponding nighttime lows of 50°F to 60°F (10–16 °C) while the coolest days tend to average from 62 °F to 71 °F (17–22 °C), and corresponding nights falling to the mid 40s°F (7–9°C). The lowest temperature recorded is 19 °F (-7.2 °C), on January 22, 1937. Summer often sees daytime temperatures between 106 °F (41.1 °C) and 112 °F (44.4 °C), with overnight lows ranging from 77 °F (25 °C) to 90 °F (32.2 °C). The mean annual temperature is 74.7 °F (23.7 °C). There are 180 days with a high reaching 90 °F (32.2 °C), and 100 °F (37.8 °C) can be seen on 116. The highest temperature on record in Palm Springs is 123 °F (50.6 °C), recorded on several occasions. A low of 105.1 °F (40.6 °C), was recorded on July 13, 1985, one of the highest nighttime lows recorded on earth.
.
was 469.1 people per square mile (181.1/km²). The racial makeup of Palm Springs was 33,720 (75.7%) White, 1,982 (4.4%) African American, 467 (1.0%) Native American, 1,971 (4.4%) Asian, 71 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 4,949 (11.1%) from other races
, and 1,392 (3.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11,286 persons (25.3%).
The Census reported that 44,013 people (98.8% of the population) lived in households, 343 (0.8%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 196 (0.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 22,746 households, out of which 3,337 (14.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 5,812 (25.6%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 1,985 (8.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 868 (3.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,031 (4.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 2,307 (10.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 10,006 households (44.0%) were made up of individuals and 4,295 (18.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93. There were 8,665 families
(38.1% of all households); the average family size was 2.82.
The population was spread out with 6,125 people (13.7%) under the age of 18, 2,572 people (5.8%) aged 18 to 24, 8,625 people (19.4%) aged 25 to 44, 15,419 people (34.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 11,811 people (26.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51.6 years. For every 100 females there were 129.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 133.8 males.
There were 34,794 housing units at an average density of 366.3 per square mile (141.4/km²), of which 13,349 (58.7%) were owner-occupied, and 9,397 (41.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 6.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 15.5%. 24,948 people (56.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,065 people (42.8%) lived in rental housing units.
, there were 42,807 people, 20,516 households, and 9,457 families residing in the city. The population density
was 454.2 people per square mile (175.4/km2). There were 30,823 housing units at an average density of 327.0 per square mile (126.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.3% White, 3.9% African American, 0.9% Native American, 3.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 9.8% from other races
, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.7% of the population.
16.3% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.0% were married couples
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.9% were non-families. 41.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.1 and the average family size was 2.9.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.0% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 26.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 107.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.4 males.
The median income
for a household in the city was $35,973 and the median income for a family was $45,318. Males had a median income of $33,999 versus $27,461 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $25,957. The relatively low income reflects the presence of a large retired population and a large population of owners of second homes whose income is not reported. About 11.2% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.2% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Palm Springs is also home to a relatively large gay community. In the city, 7.2% of households belong to a same-sex couple compared to the national average of 1%. This makes Palm Springs the city with the fifth largest percentage of same-sex households in the nation. Former mayor Ron Oden
estimated that about a third of Palm Springs is gay.
. The city's economy now relies on tourism
, retail sales and TOT (transient occupancy tax). It is a city of numerous festivals, conventions, and international events including the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
The world's largest rotating aerial tramcars (cable cars) can be found at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
. These cars ascend two-and-a-half miles up a steep incline to reveal views of the entire Valley. The ascent from the desert floor to an altitude in excess of 8500 feet (2,590.8 m) is accompanied by a drop in temperature of 30 degrees Fahrenheit or more, giving riders a cool respite from the heat. A wilderness area can be explored at the top of the tram and there is a restaurant with notable views.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival
presents movie star-filled, red-carpet affairs. The Palm Springs Follies stage-show features performers that are over the age of 55. Every Thursday evening downtown Palm Springs is transformed into Village Fest, featuring a diverse display of arts and crafts, a certified farmer's market, food, and live entertainment on historic Palm Canyon Drive. The Palm Springs Convention Center underwent a multi-million-dollar expansion and remodeling in 2005
The Palm Springs Art Museum presents traveling art exhibitions plus a variety of entertainment in its Annenberg Theater. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
is located downtown with the Spa Resort Hotel and Casino.
Numerous five star hotels, restaurants and attractions cater to tourists, while shoppers can find a variety of high-end boutiques in downtown and uptown Palm Springs. There is a water park and skateboard park. The city is home to 20 clothing-optional resorts catering to Gay men.
, a semi-pro league baseball team composed of college all-stars. It has a winter league baseball team, the Palm Springs Chill
of the Arizona Winter League
. The Palm Springs Stadium
, was once the spring training site of the California Angels (now Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
) American League baseball team from 1961 to 1993.
The Palm Springs area features a number of sporting events including the BNP Paribas Open, one of the most significant tennis events in the world, after the four Grand Slam tournaments. It is also home to the PGA TOUR's Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation (formerly the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic), the LPGA's Kraft Nabisco Championship
and the Canadian Tour's Desert Dunes Classic. It also hosts dozens of boxing events held throughout the valley. Palm Springs has also hosted the Easter Bowl, the national junior tennis championships, where America's top juniors in the nation go and compete for a grand prize, and several NCAA
golf tournaments.
As of January 2009, the number of golf courses in the Palm Springs area is 125.
The Palm Springs AYSO American Youth Soccer Organization
region 80 starts mid-September and ends mid-February.
, with a charter adopted by the voters in 1994. It consists of a Council-Manager government
, with a five-person city council that hires a city manager
and city attorney. The mayor is directly elected and serves a four-year term. The other four council members also serve four-year terms, with staggered elections. The City is considered a full-service city, in that it staffs and manages its own police and fire departments including a jail, parks and recreation programs, public library, sewer system and wastewater treatment plant, international airport, and planning and building services. The city council also serves as the Community Redevelopment Agency, the Housing Authority, and the Financing Authority.
The current mayor is Steve Pougnet
, but the best-known mayor in the city's history was Sonny Bono
.
, Palm Springs is located in the 37th Senate
District, represented by Republican
Bill Emmerson
and in the 80th Assembly
District, represented by Democrat V. Manuel Perez. Federally, Palm Springs is located in California's 45th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI (Partisan Voting Index)
of R +3(Republican +3%) and is represented by Republican Mary Bono Mack.
, an independent district with five board members. The District has fourteen elementary schools, four middle schools, three comprehensive high schools, one continuation high school, one independent study program, eight headstart/state preschools, three full-day headstart programs, four childcare programs, and an extensive adult education program. The PSUSD serves the Desert Communities of Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and Thousand Palms. http://www.psusd.us/schools/schools.html
The Palm Springs Unified School District has four middle schools: Desert Springs Middle School, James Workman Middle School, Nellie N. Coffman Middle School and Raymond Cree Middle School. The largest middle school in the Palm Springs Unified School District, Desert Springs Middle School, http://schools.psusd.us/dm/ is located in Desert Hot Springs and serves approximately 1,800 students in grades six through eight.
James Workman Middle School http://schools.psusd.us/jw/ is located in Cathedral City and serves the north side of Cathedral City and a small portion of Palm Springs. James Workman serves approximately 1,500 students in grades six through eight. Nellie N. Coffman Middle School http://schools.psusd.us/nc/ is located in Cathedral City and serves approximately 1,200 students in grades six through eight.
Raymond Cree Middle School is located in Palm Springs and is the smallest middle school in the Palm Springs Unified School District. Raymond Cree http://www.psusd.com/schools/raymondcree.html serves approximately 1,000 students in grades six through eight. Public school (kindergarten through twelfth grade) enrollment within Palm Springs itself has steadily declined since the early 1990s, due to an exodus of families from the city and the resulting demographic changes.
Private schools in Palm Springs and nearby communities include Desert Adventist Academy (K–8), Sacred Heart School (PS-8), Desert Chapel (K-12
), St. Teresa's (K–8), King's School (K–8), Desert Christian (K–12), and Marywood-Palm Valley School (K–12), an independent, non-denominational, college-prep school. The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino
has recently built a Catholic high school called Xavier College Preparatory High School in Thousand Palms
east of Palm Springs.
The Desert Community College District, headquartered in Palm Desert with its main campus, College of the Desert
, is located there. California State University, San Bernardino
and University of California, Riverside
used to have satellite campuses available within the College of the Desert campus, but now have their own buildings a few miles away.
serves Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley
. SunLine Transit Agency
provides bus service in the area. Amtrak
's Sunset Limited
stops at the Palm Springs Amtrak station
three times a week.
in Cathedral City.
The Jane Augustine Patencio Cemetery is maintained by the Agua Caliente Tribe.
TV stations serving the Palm Springs and Coachella Valley area include:
The CW, Fox
, My Network, PBS
and other networks are covered by low power TV stations in the market.
Additionally, Palm Springs and the surrounding area are served by a multitude of AM and FM radio stations including KCLB, KCRI, KDES-FM, KDGL
, KESQ
, KEZN
, KFUT
, KGAM, KHCS
, KJJZ
, KKUU
, KLOB
, KMRJ
, KNWQ, KNWZ
, KPLM, KPSC, KPSH
, KPSI
, KPSI-FM
, KPTR
, KRCK, KSUT
, KUNA-FM
, KVLA-FM, KWXY, and KXPS
.
The Desert Sun
is the local daily newspaper serving Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley region.
Palm Springs is noted for its mid-century modern
architecture, a tradition that grew out of the aesthetics of the German Bauhaus
.
It is reflected in the work of Albert Frey (who designed the Palm Springs city hall, aerial-tram (cable car) station, Movie Colony Hotel and airport
), Donald Wexler
, Richard Neutra
, E. Stewart Williams
, John Lautner, and others.
A home developer, Alexander Homes
, popularized this post-and-beam architectural style in the Coachella Valley. Alexander houses and similar homes feature low-pitched roofs, wide eaves, open-beamed ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Restoration projects are now being undertaken to return these homes and businesses to their original condition.
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, within the Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley is a large valley landform in Southern California. The valley extends for approximately 45 miles in Riverside County southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains to the saltwater Salton Sea, the largest lake in California...
. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino
San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California is a large city in the Inland Empire Metropolitan Area of Southern California.San Bernardino may also refer to:-Landforms:*San Bernardino , a torrent that flows through the Italian province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola...
, 111 miles (177 km) east of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and 136 miles (225 km) northeast of San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. The population was 44,552 at the 2010 census.
Golf, swimming, tennis, horseback riding and hiking in the nearby desert and mountain areas are major forms of recreation in Palm Springs. The area code for Palm Springs is 760
Area code 760
Image:Area_code_442.svg|right|Map of California area codes in blue with 442/760 in redrect 65 82 92 100 Area code 916rect 220 242 245 256 Area code 909rect 243 274 265 287 Area code 951rect 136 323 160 338 Area code 858...
. The ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
s for Palm Springs are 92262 through 92264.
Founding
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla IndiansAgua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla Indians, located in Riverside County, California.-Reservation:...
is a tribe composed of several smaller bands who lived in the modern day Palm Springs area when the Agua Caliente Reservation was established by the United States Government in 1896. Archaeological research has shown that the Cahuilla
Cahuilla
The Cahuilla, Iviatim in their own language, are Indians with a common culture whose ancestors inhabited inland areas of southern California 2,000 years ago. Their original territory included an area of about . The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California...
have lived in the area for the past 350–500 years. The reservation occupies 32000 acres (12,950 ha), of which 6700 acres (2,711.4 ha) lie within the city limits, making the Agua Caliente band the city's largest landowner. The reservation land was originally composed of alternating squares of land laid out across the desert in a checkerboard pattern. The alternating, non-reservation squares, were provided by the United States Government to the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
as an incentive to bring rail lines through the open desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
. Tribal enrollment is currently estimated at between 296 and 365 people. The Cahuilla name for the area was "Se-Khi" (boiling water). In the early 19th century, Spanish explorers named the area "Agua Caliente" (hot water). One possible origin of palm in the place name is revealed in the November 1992 issue of Art of California. At least one Spanish explorer referred to the area as la Palma de la Mano de dios or "The Palm of God's hand". The current name for the area is "Palm Springs" which likely came into common usage in the mid-1860s when U.S. Government surveyors noted that a local mineral spring was located at the base of "two bunches of palms". By 1884 when San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
attorney John Guthrie McCallum settled in Palm Springs, the name was already in wide acceptance.
20th century
The city became a fashionable resort in the 1900s when health tourists arrived with conditions that needed dry heat. The village of Palm Springs was more comfortable in its microclimateMicroclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
, the village was covered in a shadow late afternoon during the summer by the San Jacinto mountains to the west and the opposite in the winter keeping out cold winds from the San Gorgonio pass. In the 1920s Hollywood movie stars were attracted by the hot dry, sunny weather and seclusion. Architectural modernists flourished with commissions from the stars, using the city to explore architectural innovations, new artistic venues, and an exotic back-to-the-land
experiences. Inventive architects designed unique vacation houses, such as steel houses with prefabricated panels and folding roofs, a glass-and-steel house in a boulder-strewn landscape, and a carousel house that turned to avoid the sun's glare.
Richard Neutra
Richard Joseph Neutra is considered one of modernism's most important architects.- Biography :Neutra was born in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Vienna, Austria Hungary, on April 8, 1892. He was born into both-Jewish wealthy family...
designed the Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann House
Kaufmann Desert House
The Kaufmann House is a house located in Palm Springs, California that was designed by architect Richard Neutra in 1946....
. A modernist classic, this mostly glass residence incorporated the latest technological advances in building materials, using natural lighting and floating planes and flowing space for proportion and detail. In recent years an energetic preservation program has protected and enhanced many classic buildings.
Culver (2010) argues that Palm Springs architecture became the model for mass-produced suburban housing, especially in the Southwest. This "Desert Modern" style was a high-end architectural style featuring open-design plans, wall-to-wall carpeting, air-conditioning, swimming pools, and very large windows. As Culver concludes, "While environmentalists might condemn desert modern, the masses would not. Here, it seemed, were houses that fully merged inside and outside, providing spaces for that essential component of Californian—and indeed middle-class American—life: leisure. While not everyone could have a Neutra masterpiece, many families could adopt aspects of Palm Springs modern."
Hollywood values permeated the resort as it combined celebrity, health, new wealth, and sex. As Culver (2010) explains: "The bohemian sexual and marital mores already apparent in Hollywood intersected with the resort atmosphere of Palm Springs, and this new, more open sexuality would gradually appear elsewhere in national tourist culture." To purify the environment city government, stimulated by real estate developers systematically removed and excluded poor people and Indians.
Palm Springs was pictured by the French photographer Robert Doisneau
Robert Doisneau
Robert Doisneau was a French photographer. In the 1930s he used a Leica on the streets of Paris; together with Henri Cartier-Bresson he was a pioneer of photojournalism...
in November 1960 as part of an assignment for Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
on the construction of golf courses in this particularly dry and hot area of the Colorado desert. Doisneau submitted around 300 slides following his ten-day stay depicting the lifestyle of wealthy retirees and Hollywood stars in the 1960s. At the time, Palm Spring counted just nineteen courses, whereas the city now has "one hundred and twenty-five golf courses, 2,250 holes, or rather continuously thirsty pits, which soak up 1.2 million gallons of water just to survive."
Year-round living
As the 1970s drew to a close, increasing numbers of retirees moved to the Coachella Valley. As a result, Palm Springs began to evolve from a virtual ghost town in the summer to a year-round community. Businesses and hotels that used to close for the months of July and August instead remained open all summer. As commerce grew, so too did the number of families with children.Geography and environment
Palm Springs is located at 33°49′26"N 116°31′49"W (33.823990, −116.530339).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 95 square miles (246 km²), of which, 94.1 square miles (243.7 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (0.90%) is water.
Climate
Located in the Coachella Valley desert region, Palm Springs is sheltered by the San Bernardino MountainsSan Bernardino Mountains
The San Bernardino Mountains are a short transverse mountain range north and east of San Bernardino in Southern California in the United States. The mountains run for approximately 60 miles east-west on the southern edge of the Mojave Desert in southwestern San Bernardino County, north of the...
to the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains
Santa Rosa Mountains (California)
The Santa Rosa Mountains are a short mountain range in the Peninsular Ranges system, located east of the Los Angeles Basin and northeast of the San Diego metropolitan area of southern California, in the Southwestern United States.-Geography:...
to the south, by the San Jacinto Mountains to the west and by the Little San Bernardino Mountains
Little San Bernardino Mountains
The Little San Bernardino Mountains are a short mountain range of the Transverse Ranges, located in southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately 40 mi southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains through San Bernardino and Riverside Counties to near the northeast...
to the east. This geography gives Palm Springs its hot, dry climate, with 354 days of sunshine and only 4.83 inches (122.7 mm) of rain annually. The winter months are warm, with daytime highs often between 73 °F and 86 °F (23–30 °C) and corresponding nighttime lows of 50°F to 60°F (10–16 °C) while the coolest days tend to average from 62 °F to 71 °F (17–22 °C), and corresponding nights falling to the mid 40s°F (7–9°C). The lowest temperature recorded is 19 °F (-7.2 °C), on January 22, 1937. Summer often sees daytime temperatures between 106 °F (41.1 °C) and 112 °F (44.4 °C), with overnight lows ranging from 77 °F (25 °C) to 90 °F (32.2 °C). The mean annual temperature is 74.7 °F (23.7 °C). There are 180 days with a high reaching 90 °F (32.2 °C), and 100 °F (37.8 °C) can be seen on 116. The highest temperature on record in Palm Springs is 123 °F (50.6 °C), recorded on several occasions. A low of 105.1 °F (40.6 °C), was recorded on July 13, 1985, one of the highest nighttime lows recorded on earth.
Ecology
The locale features a variety of native desert flora and fauna. A notable tree occurring in the wild and under cultivation is the California Fan Palm, Washingtonia filiferaWashingtonia filifera
Washingtonia filifera , with the common names California Fan Palm , Desert Fan Palm, Cotton palm, and Arizona Fan Palm. It is a palm native to southwestern North America between an elevation range of , at seeps, desert bajadas, and springs where underground water is continuously available...
.
Demographics
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Palm Springs had a population of 44,552. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 469.1 people per square mile (181.1/km²). The racial makeup of Palm Springs was 33,720 (75.7%) White, 1,982 (4.4%) African American, 467 (1.0%) Native American, 1,971 (4.4%) Asian, 71 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 4,949 (11.1%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1,392 (3.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11,286 persons (25.3%).
The Census reported that 44,013 people (98.8% of the population) lived in households, 343 (0.8%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 196 (0.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 22,746 households, out of which 3,337 (14.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 5,812 (25.6%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 1,985 (8.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 868 (3.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,031 (4.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons 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 cohabitation in American households....
, and 2,307 (10.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 10,006 households (44.0%) were made up of individuals and 4,295 (18.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93. There were 8,665 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(38.1% of all households); the average family size was 2.82.
The population was spread out with 6,125 people (13.7%) under the age of 18, 2,572 people (5.8%) aged 18 to 24, 8,625 people (19.4%) aged 25 to 44, 15,419 people (34.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 11,811 people (26.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51.6 years. For every 100 females there were 129.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 133.8 males.
There were 34,794 housing units at an average density of 366.3 per square mile (141.4/km²), of which 13,349 (58.7%) were owner-occupied, and 9,397 (41.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 6.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 15.5%. 24,948 people (56.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,065 people (42.8%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the 2000 censusUnited States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, there were 42,807 people, 20,516 households, and 9,457 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 454.2 people per square mile (175.4/km2). There were 30,823 housing units at an average density of 327.0 per square mile (126.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.3% White, 3.9% African American, 0.9% Native American, 3.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 9.8% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.7% of the population.
16.3% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.9% were non-families. 41.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.1 and the average family size was 2.9.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.0% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 26.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 107.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.4 males.
The median income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
for a household in the city was $35,973 and the median income for a family was $45,318. Males had a median income of $33,999 versus $27,461 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $25,957. The relatively low income reflects the presence of a large retired population and a large population of owners of second homes whose income is not reported. About 11.2% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.2% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Palm Springs is also home to a relatively large gay community. In the city, 7.2% of households belong to a same-sex couple compared to the national average of 1%. This makes Palm Springs the city with the fifth largest percentage of same-sex households in the nation. Former mayor Ron Oden
Ron Oden
Ron Oden is an American, openly gay politician. In November 2003, he was elected the mayor of Palm Springs, California after serving eight years on the city council. He was born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in Los Angeles, California...
estimated that about a third of Palm Springs is gay.
Economy
Though celebrities still retreat to Palm Springs, many today establish residences in other areas of the Coachella ValleyCoachella Valley
Coachella Valley is a large valley landform in Southern California. The valley extends for approximately 45 miles in Riverside County southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains to the saltwater Salton Sea, the largest lake in California...
. The city's economy now relies on tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, retail sales and TOT (transient occupancy tax). It is a city of numerous festivals, conventions, and international events including the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
The world's largest rotating aerial tramcars (cable cars) can be found at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in Palm Springs, California is the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world. It was opened in September 1963 as a way of getting from the floor of the Coachella Valley to near the top of San Jacinto Peak and was constructed in rugged Chino Canyon...
. These cars ascend two-and-a-half miles up a steep incline to reveal views of the entire Valley. The ascent from the desert floor to an altitude in excess of 8500 feet (2,590.8 m) is accompanied by a drop in temperature of 30 degrees Fahrenheit or more, giving riders a cool respite from the heat. A wilderness area can be explored at the top of the tram and there is a restaurant with notable views.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January...
presents movie star-filled, red-carpet affairs. The Palm Springs Follies stage-show features performers that are over the age of 55. Every Thursday evening downtown Palm Springs is transformed into Village Fest, featuring a diverse display of arts and crafts, a certified farmer's market, food, and live entertainment on historic Palm Canyon Drive. The Palm Springs Convention Center underwent a multi-million-dollar expansion and remodeling in 2005
The Palm Springs Art Museum presents traveling art exhibitions plus a variety of entertainment in its Annenberg Theater. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla Indians, located in Riverside County, California.-Reservation:...
is located downtown with the Spa Resort Hotel and Casino.
Numerous five star hotels, restaurants and attractions cater to tourists, while shoppers can find a variety of high-end boutiques in downtown and uptown Palm Springs. There is a water park and skateboard park. The city is home to 20 clothing-optional resorts catering to Gay men.
Sites of interest
- The Fabulous Palm Springs FolliesThe Fabulous Palm Springs FolliesThe Fabulous Palm Springs Follies was the subject of a short documentary titled "Still Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies" which was nominated for an Academy Award...
- Knott's Soak CityKnott's Soak CityKnott's Soak City is a chain of three seasonal water parks owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company and located in Southern California.Soak City U.S.A in Orange County opened in 1999. Located East across Beach Blvd...
- Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
- Moorten Botanical Garden and CactariumMoorten Botanical Garden and CactariumThe Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium is a 1 acre family-owned botanical garden specializing in cacti and other desert plants, located at 1701 South Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, Riverside County, California, United States...
- Palm Springs Aerial TramwayPalm Springs Aerial TramwayThe Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in Palm Springs, California is the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world. It was opened in September 1963 as a way of getting from the floor of the Coachella Valley to near the top of San Jacinto Peak and was constructed in rugged Chino Canyon...
- San Jacinto MountainsSan Jacinto MountainsThe San Jacinto Mountains are a mountain range east of Los Angeles in southern California in the United States. The mountains are named for Saint Hyacinth . The Pacific Crest Trail runs along the spine of the range.The range extends for approximately from the San Bernardino Mountains southeast to...
Sports
Palm Springs is home to the Palm Springs PowerPalm Springs Power
The Palm Springs POWER is a collegiate-level baseball team based in Palm Springs, California and are members of the Southern California Collegiate Baseball Association. They play their home games at Palm Springs Stadium, also the home of the California Winter League...
, a semi-pro league baseball team composed of college all-stars. It has a winter league baseball team, the Palm Springs Chill
Palm Springs Chill
The Palm Springs Chill are an independent baseball team based in Palm Springs, California. They are co-owned by the Palm Springs Power and play their home games at Palm Springs Stadium...
of the Arizona Winter League
Arizona Winter League
The Arizona Winter League is the short-season instructional independent winter professional baseball league affiliated with the independent North American League...
. The Palm Springs Stadium
Palm Springs Stadium
Palm Springs Stadium is a stadium in Palm Springs, California. It is primarily used for baseball. It was formerly named Angels Stadium and was the home field of the Palm Springs Suns of the Western Baseball League in 1995 and 1996. Palm Springs Stadium is currently the home of the Palm Springs...
, was once the spring training site of the California Angels (now Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
) American League baseball team from 1961 to 1993.
The Palm Springs area features a number of sporting events including the BNP Paribas Open, one of the most significant tennis events in the world, after the four Grand Slam tournaments. It is also home to the PGA TOUR's Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation (formerly the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic), the LPGA's Kraft Nabisco Championship
Kraft Nabisco Championship
The Kraft Nabisco Championship is one of the four major championships on the LPGA Tour. It was founded in 1972 by Dinah Shore and has been classified as a major since 1983...
and the Canadian Tour's Desert Dunes Classic. It also hosts dozens of boxing events held throughout the valley. Palm Springs has also hosted the Easter Bowl, the national junior tennis championships, where America's top juniors in the nation go and compete for a grand prize, and several NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
golf tournaments.
As of January 2009, the number of golf courses in the Palm Springs area is 125.
The Palm Springs AYSO American Youth Soccer Organization
American Youth Soccer Organization
The American Youth Soccer Organization is a non-profit soccer organization in the United States for children aged 4 through 19. Headquartered in Torrance, California, AYSO has local programs known as "regions" in all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago...
region 80 starts mid-September and ends mid-February.
Local
The City of Palm Springs is a charter cityMunicipal charter
A city charter or town charter is a legal document establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the middle ages....
, with a charter adopted by the voters in 1994. It consists of a Council-Manager government
Council-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
, with a five-person city council that hires a city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
and city attorney. The mayor is directly elected and serves a four-year term. The other four council members also serve four-year terms, with staggered elections. The City is considered a full-service city, in that it staffs and manages its own police and fire departments including a jail, parks and recreation programs, public library, sewer system and wastewater treatment plant, international airport, and planning and building services. The city council also serves as the Community Redevelopment Agency, the Housing Authority, and the Financing Authority.
The current mayor is Steve Pougnet
Steve Pougnet
Stephen P. "Steve" Pougnet is an American politician and the current mayor of Palm Springs, California. His term will expire in 2011. Pougnet is a member of the Democratic Party.Pougnet is openly gay...
, but the best-known mayor in the city's history was Sonny Bono
Sonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American recording artist, record producer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades.-Early life:...
.
State and federal
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
, Palm Springs is located in the 37th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Bill Emmerson
Bill Emmerson
William "Bill" Emmerson is a Republican California State Senator, representing the 37th district in Riverside County, having been elected in a June 8, 2010 special election and sworn into office the next day...
and in the 80th Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Democrat V. Manuel Perez. Federally, Palm Springs is located in California's 45th congressional district
California's 45th congressional district
California's 45th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Riverside County. The district includes the communities of Palm Springs, Moreno Valley, Palm Desert, Hemet, Cathedral City, Temecula, Blythe, Rancho Mirage, Murrieta, Indio, Indian Wells,...
, which has a Cook PVI (Partisan Voting Index)
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of R +3(Republican +3%) and is represented by Republican Mary Bono Mack.
Education
Public education in Palm Springs is under the jurisdiction of the Palm Springs Unified School DistrictPalm Springs Unified School District
The Palm Springs Unified School District, or PSUSD, is one of three public education governing bodies in the Coachella Valley desert region of Southern California. PSUSD governs the western half of the valley; the Coachella Valley Unified School District and Desert Sands Unified School District...
, an independent district with five board members. The District has fourteen elementary schools, four middle schools, three comprehensive high schools, one continuation high school, one independent study program, eight headstart/state preschools, three full-day headstart programs, four childcare programs, and an extensive adult education program. The PSUSD serves the Desert Communities of Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and Thousand Palms. http://www.psusd.us/schools/schools.html
The Palm Springs Unified School District has four middle schools: Desert Springs Middle School, James Workman Middle School, Nellie N. Coffman Middle School and Raymond Cree Middle School. The largest middle school in the Palm Springs Unified School District, Desert Springs Middle School, http://schools.psusd.us/dm/ is located in Desert Hot Springs and serves approximately 1,800 students in grades six through eight.
James Workman Middle School http://schools.psusd.us/jw/ is located in Cathedral City and serves the north side of Cathedral City and a small portion of Palm Springs. James Workman serves approximately 1,500 students in grades six through eight. Nellie N. Coffman Middle School http://schools.psusd.us/nc/ is located in Cathedral City and serves approximately 1,200 students in grades six through eight.
Raymond Cree Middle School is located in Palm Springs and is the smallest middle school in the Palm Springs Unified School District. Raymond Cree http://www.psusd.com/schools/raymondcree.html serves approximately 1,000 students in grades six through eight. Public school (kindergarten through twelfth grade) enrollment within Palm Springs itself has steadily declined since the early 1990s, due to an exodus of families from the city and the resulting demographic changes.
Private schools in Palm Springs and nearby communities include Desert Adventist Academy (K–8), Sacred Heart School (PS-8), Desert Chapel (K-12
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
), St. Teresa's (K–8), King's School (K–8), Desert Christian (K–12), and Marywood-Palm Valley School (K–12), an independent, non-denominational, college-prep school. The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino
Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino is a Roman Catholic diocese centered in San Bernardino, California. It was founded on July 14, 1978, and comprises San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The Diocese of San Bernardino formerly was part of the Diocese of San Diego...
has recently built a Catholic high school called Xavier College Preparatory High School in Thousand Palms
Thousand Palms, California
Thousand Palms is a census-designated place in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 7,715 at the 2010 census, up from 5,120 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Thousand Palms is located at ....
east of Palm Springs.
The Desert Community College District, headquartered in Palm Desert with its main campus, College of the Desert
College of the Desert
College of the Desert is a public two-year community college located in Palm Desert in the Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California...
, is located there. California State University, San Bernardino
California State University, San Bernardino
California State University, San Bernardino, also known as Cal State San Bernardino or CSUSB is a public research university and one of the twenty three general campuses of the California State University system. The main campus sits on in the suburban University District of , United States, with...
and University of California, Riverside
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside, commonly known as UCR or UC Riverside, is a public research university and one of the ten general campuses of the University of California system. UCR is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically and economically diverse universities in the United...
used to have satellite campuses available within the College of the Desert campus, but now have their own buildings a few miles away.
Transportation
Palm Springs International AirportPalm Springs International Airport
Palm Springs International Airport is a public airport located two miles east of the central business district of Palm Springs, California, serving the Inland Empire Metropolitan Area of Southern California. The airport covers and utilizes two runways...
serves Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley is a large valley landform in Southern California. The valley extends for approximately 45 miles in Riverside County southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains to the saltwater Salton Sea, the largest lake in California...
. SunLine Transit Agency
SunLine Transit Agency
SunLine Transit Agency , a transit operator in Riverside County , is a transit agency providing bus service in the Coachella Valley area...
provides bus service in the area. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Sunset Limited
Sunset Limited
The Sunset Limited is a passenger train that for most of its history has run between New Orleans, Louisiana and Los Angeles, California, and that from early 1993 through late August 2005 also ran east of New Orleans to Jacksonville, Florida, making it during that time the only true transcontinental...
stops at the Palm Springs Amtrak station
Palm Springs (Amtrak station)
The Palm Springs Amtrak station is a train station in Palm Springs, California, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. It is served in each direction by thrice-weekly service provided by the Sunset Limited, combined with the Texas Eagle over this portion of its...
three times a week.
Cemeteries
The Welwood Murray Cemetery was started by hotel operator Welwood Murray in 1894 when his son died. It is maintained by the Desert Cemetery District, which also maintains the Desert Memorial ParkDesert Memorial Park
Desert Memorial Park is a cemetery in Cathedral City, California, United States, near Palm Springs. It is maintained by the Palm Springs Cemetery District...
in Cathedral City.
The Jane Augustine Patencio Cemetery is maintained by the Agua Caliente Tribe.
Media
Palm Springs is the 144th largest TV market as defined by AC Nielsen. The Palm Springs DMA is unique among TV markets as it is entirely located within only a small portion of Riverside County. Also, while most areas received their first local television stations during the 1950s, Palm Springs did not receive its first TV stations until October, 1968 when stations KPLM-TV (now KESQ) and KMIR-TV debuted almost simultaneously about three weeks apart. Prior to that time, Palm Springs was served by TV stations from the Los Angeles market, which were carried on the local cable system that has been in operation since the 1950s and predated the emergence of local broadcast stations by more than a decade.TV stations serving the Palm Springs and Coachella Valley area include:
- KESQ-TVKESQ-TVKESQ-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Coachella Valley of California licensed to Palm Springs. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter on Edom Hill northeast of Cathedral City and I-10...
ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, Channel 42 (Channel 3 on cable). - KMIR-TVKMIR-TVKMIR-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southern California's Coachella Valley. Licensed to Palm Springs, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 46 from a transmitter on Edom Hill in Cathedral City north of I-10/Redlands Freeway...
NBC-TV, Channel 36 (Channel 6 on cable). - KPSP-LPKPSP-LPKPSP-CD is a CBS-affiliated Class A low-power television station serving California's Coachella Valley . It is officially licensed to Cathedral City. Its studios and offices are in Thousand Palms, California...
CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, on Channel 38 (Channel 2 on cable).
The CW, Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, My Network, PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
and other networks are covered by low power TV stations in the market.
Additionally, Palm Springs and the surrounding area are served by a multitude of AM and FM radio stations including KCLB, KCRI, KDES-FM, KDGL
KDGL
KDGL 106.9 "The Eagle" is a Classic Hits / Classic Rock station serving the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin markets of inland Southern California...
, KESQ
KESQ (AM)
KESQ is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish Religious music format. Licensed to Indio, California, USA. The station is currently owned by the News-Press & Gazette Company and rented by a Spanish religious radio network by La Iglesia Alfa Y Omega .The radio station itself began broadcasting in...
, KEZN
KEZN
KEZN, also known as EZ-103, is a 1.9 kW Class A soft rock radio station serving the Palm Springs, California, USA market at 103.1 MHz. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of CBS Radio and is that company's smallest station in terms of market size....
, KFUT
KFUT
KFUT is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish oldies/talk format. Licensed to Thousand Palms, California, USA, it serves the Palm Springs area. The station is owned by Mcc Radio, LLC....
, KGAM, KHCS
KHCS
KHCS is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Inspirational format. Licensed to Palm Desert, California, USA, KHCS serves the Palm Springs area and is Information and Inspiration, and operates 24 hours a day, and can be heard from Banning to North Shore, CA, over most of the Coachella...
, KJJZ
KJJZ
KJJZ is a 2.6 kW Class A commercial smooth jazz radio station licensed in Indio, California, with studios in Palm Springs and which serves the greater Coachella Valley on 102.3 FM. The transmitter site is on a peak of the Indio Hills....
, KKUU
KKUU
KKUU is a commercial radio station in Indio, California, broadcasting to the Palm Springs, California, area on 92.7 FM.KKUU airs a Rhythmic Top 40 music format branded as "U 92.7" since March 1998.-History:...
, KLOB
KLOB
KLOB is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish Contemporary format. Licensed to Thousand Palms, California, USA, it serves the Palm Springs area. The station is currently owned by Entravision Holdings, LLC...
, KMRJ
KMRJ
KMRJ is a 3 kw Class A commercial FM radio station licensed in Rancho Mirage, California which broadcasts on 99.5 MHz and serves the greater Coachella Valley and parts of the Morongo Basin and Palo Verde Valley....
, KNWQ, KNWZ
KNWZ
KNWZ-970 and KNWQ-1140 is a simulcast news/talk station owned by Morris Multimedia under the name Morris Desert Media. It has an affiliation with Fox News Radio...
, KPLM, KPSC, KPSH
KPSH
KPSH is a radio station broadcasting a Gospel format. Licensed to Coachella, California, USA, it serves the Palm Springs area. The station is currently owned by Family Worship Center Church, Inc. Formerly known as "V-91"...
, KPSI
KPSI (AM)
KPSI is a radio station broadcasting a News/Talk radio format. Licensed to Palm Springs, California, USA, the station serves the Palm Springs area...
, KPSI-FM
KPSI-FM
KPSI-FM is a commercial radio station located in Palm Springs, California, broadcasting on 100.5 FM. KPSI-FM airs a Hot AC music format branded as "Mix 100.5". It is owned by R&R Broadcasting, which also operates KPSI-AM, KPTR, KDES-FM and KWXY....
, KPTR
KPTR
KPTR is a radio station broadcasting a Talk/Personality format. Licensed to Cathedral City, California, USA, it serves the Palm Springs, California, area...
, KRCK, KSUT
KSUT
KSUT is a non-commercial radio station licensed to serve the community of Ignacio, Colorado, USA. The station is owned by KSUT Public Radio, a non-profit corporation, and licensed to KUTE, Inc...
, KUNA-FM
KUNA-FM
KUNA-FM is a commercial regional Mexican music radio station in La Quinta, California, broadcasting to the Palm Springs, California, area on 96.7 FM....
, KVLA-FM, KWXY, and KXPS
KXPS
KXPS, "Team 1010," is an all-sports radio station based in Palm Springs, California, United States. It broadcasts on the 1010AM frequency.Its lineup comes from a variety of sources: the Dan Patrick Show and Jim Rome from Premiere Radio Networks, with the remainder of their non-local programming...
.
The Desert Sun
The Desert Sun
The Desert Sun is a local daily newspaper serving Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley of Southern California.It is owned by Gannett publications since 1988 and acquired the Indio Daily News in 1990 to become the sole local newspaper....
is the local daily newspaper serving Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley region.
Architecture
Mid-century modern
Mid-Century modern is an architectural, interior and product design form that generally describes mid-20th century developments in modern design, architecture, and urban development from roughly 1933 to 1965...
architecture, a tradition that grew out of the aesthetics of the German Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
.
It is reflected in the work of Albert Frey (who designed the Palm Springs city hall, aerial-tram (cable car) station, Movie Colony Hotel and airport
Palm Springs International Airport
Palm Springs International Airport is a public airport located two miles east of the central business district of Palm Springs, California, serving the Inland Empire Metropolitan Area of Southern California. The airport covers and utilizes two runways...
), Donald Wexler
Donald Wexler
Donald Wexler is an influential Mid-Century modern architect whose work is predominantly in the Palm Springs area. He is known for pioneering the use of steel in residential design. He was born in South Dakota in 1926 and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1950 and worked for Richard...
, Richard Neutra
Richard Neutra
Richard Joseph Neutra is considered one of modernism's most important architects.- Biography :Neutra was born in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Vienna, Austria Hungary, on April 8, 1892. He was born into both-Jewish wealthy family...
, E. Stewart Williams
E. Stewart Williams
Emerson Stewart Williams, FAIA was a prolific Palm Springs, California-based architect whose distinctive modernist buildings, in the Mid-century modern style, significantly shaped the Coachella Valley's architectural landscape and legacy.-History:E...
, John Lautner, and others.
A home developer, Alexander Homes
Alexander Construction Company
The Alexander Construction Company was a Palm Springs, California based residential development company that built over 2,200 houses in the Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California between 1947 and 1965....
, popularized this post-and-beam architectural style in the Coachella Valley. Alexander houses and similar homes feature low-pitched roofs, wide eaves, open-beamed ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Restoration projects are now being undertaken to return these homes and businesses to their original condition.
Notable residents
- Tom BianchiTom BianchiTom Bianchi is an American writer and photographer who specializes in male nude photography.-Career:His nineteen books of photographs, poems, and essays primarily cover the gay male experience....
, nude photographer - Tom BosleyTom BosleyThomas Edward "Tom" Bosley was an American actor. Bosley is best known for portraying Howard Cunningham on the long-running ABC sitcom Happy Days. He also was featured in recurring roles on Murder, She Wrote, and Father Dowling Mysteries...
, actor - Carl EytelCarl EytelCarl A. Eytel was a German-American artist living in Palm Springs, California, known for his paintings and drawings of desert landscapes.-Life:...
, landscape artist - Mel HaberMel HaberMel Haber is the owner and proprietor of the Ingleside Inn and Melvyn's Restaurant in Palm Springs since 1975...
, owner of the Ingleside Inn and Melvyn's Restaurant - Robert HalperinRobert HalperinRobert Sherman "Bob" Halperin , nicknamed "Buck", was an American competitive Star class sailor, and Olympic bronze medalist and Pan American Games gold medalist....
, Olympic yachting medalist, NFL football player, decorated World War II hero, co-founder of Lands' EndLands' EndLands' End is a clothing retailer based in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, that specializes in casual clothing, luggage, and home furnishings. The majority of Lands' End's business is conducted through mail order and Internet sales, but the company also runs more than a dozen retail operations, primarily in...
, and Chairman of Commercial Light Company - Frederick Loewe, Austrian-American composer
- Dinah ShoreDinah ShoreDinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
, singer, actress, and television personality - Philip "Mickey" Weintraub, Major League Baseball player
- Herman WoukHerman WoukHerman Wouk is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author of novels including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.-Biography:...
, Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning author
Further reading
- Culver, Lawrence. The Frontier of Leisure: Southern California and the Shaping of Modern America (Oxford University Press, 2010) ISBN 978-0-19-538263-1
- Wild, Peter, ed. The Grumbling Gods: A Palm Springs Reader (2007), covers the city's history
External links
- Movies filmed in Palm Springs
- City of Palm Springs -local government website
- Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Authority website
- Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism page
- Palm Springs Visitor Information
- Palm Springs Historical Society page