Palm Springs is a desert city suburb of Riverside and San Bernardino in Riverside County, California, approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles (177 km) east of Los Angeles and 136 miles (225 km) northeast of San Diego. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 42,807. Golf, swimming, tennis, horseback riding and hiking in the nearby desert and mountain areas are major forms of recreation in Palm Springs. It is one of nine adjacent cities that make up the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area). Palm Springs is in the 14th largest metropolitan area in the United States, called the San Bernardino-Riverside Metropolitan Area, also known as the Inland Empire. The area code for Palm Springs is 760. The ZIP codes for Palm Springs are 92262 through 92264.
Geography and environment
Palm Springs is located at 33°49′26″N 116°31′49″W / 33.82389°N 116.53028°W / 33.82389; -116.53028 (33.823990, -116.530339).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 95.1 square miles (246.3 km 2 ), of which, 94.2 square miles (244.1 km 2 ) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.2 km 2 ) of it (0.88%) is water.
Climate
Located in the Coachella Valley desert region, Palm Springs is sheltered by the San Bernardino Mountains 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 less than 6 inches (150 mm) of rain annually. The winter months are warm, with daily high temperatures ranging from 70 °F – 80 °F (21 °C – 27 °C) and low temperatures rarely dipping below 42 °F (6 °C). The dry desert heat of summer pushes daytime temperatures well above 105 °F (41 °C) with overnight lows greater than 80 °F (27 °C) occurring often; however summer afternoon temperatures do frequently exceed 110 °F (43 °C).
The highest temperature on record in Palm Springs is 123 °F (51 °C), recorded on July 10, 1979, and August 1, 1993. A night time low temperature of 105°F, was recorded on July 13, 1985, one of highest night time lows in the western hemisphere. There are an average of 179.4 days with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 5.9 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The average annual temperature is 74.5°F (23.6°C), while the average annual high and low temperatures are 89°F (32°C) and 60°F (16°C) respectively.
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 filifera .
Demographics
As of the 2000 census, 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/km 2 ). There were 30,823 housing units at an average density of 327.0/sq mi (126.3/km 2 ). The racial makeup of the city was 78.33% White, 3.93% African American, 0.94% Native American, 3.83% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 9.78% from other races, and 3.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.72% 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 2.05 and the average family size was 2.88.
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.
History
Founding
The Agua Caliente band of Cahuilla Indians is composed of several small groups of Indians who were living 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 32,000 acres (130 km 2 ), of which 6,700 acres (27 km 2 ) 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 1800s, 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," (page 45). The current name for the area is "Palm Springs" which likely came into common usage in the mid-1860s when the land was first surveyed by U.S. Government surveyors who 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.
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 shutter for the months of July and August instead remained open all summer. As commerce grew, so too did the number of families with children.
Architecture
Palm Springs is noted for its mid-century modern architecture, a tradition that grew out of the aesthetics of the German Bauhaus and 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, 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.
Economy
Though celebrities still retreat to Palm Springs, many today establish residences in other areas of the Coachella Valley. The city's economy now relies on tourism, which occurs primarily during the winter months, and casino gambling. It is a city of numerous festivals, conventions, and international events.
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 Coachella Valley. The ascent from the desert floor to an altitude in excess of 8,500 feet (2,600 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. There are other casinos in the Coachella Valley as well, notably in the cities of Rancho Mirage, Indio, Coachella and Cabazon.
Numerous five star hotels, restaurants and attractions cater to tourists, while shoppers can find high-end boutiques i
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