The Antelope Valley is a large area located in the northern section of Los Angeles County extending into the southeastern section of Kern County. It is generally located between the Tehachapi Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains, and is directly north of the Angeles National Forest, Pasadena, and the City of Los Angeles. The Santa Clarita Valley and the City of Santa Clarita are to the southwest. Victor Valley and Victorville are to the west.

The two largest cities in the Antelope Valley are Palmdale and Lancaster. Other incorporated cities include California City, Rosamond, Lake Los Angeles, Quartz Hills, and Sun Village.

 

Rosamond, California

Rosamond is a census-designated place located approximately 11 miles north of Lancaster and to the west of Edwards Air Force Base at the far north end of the Antelope Valley. The community was first settled in 1885 and has a population approaching 20,000

 

Pearblossom

Pearblossom is a small unincorporated community in the Antelope Valley region of northern Los Angeles County. Pearblossom is approximately 15 miles southeast of Palmdale, southwest of Lake Los Angeles, and north of the Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains.

 

Leona Valley

Leona Valley is a census-designated area in northern Los Angeles County, just west of Palmdale, south of Quartz Hill, at the far west and of the Antelope Valley. Leona Valley is home to both Lake Hughes and Lake Elizabeth. The Angeles National Forest is to the southwest. Leona Valley is known for its wine grapes and cherries. The original inhabitants were the Tatavian people.

 

California City

California City, incorporated in 1965, is a city in the northern part of the Antelope Valley. Edwards Air Force Base, which is just south of California City, is the largest employer. Lancaster, which is a major source of employment, is approximately 40 miles to the south. A large percentage of the residents are retired senior citizens. While California City has a small population, it is the third largest city in the state by area. There is one PGA golf course and a small municipal airport in the city. Central Park Lake is a 20 acre man-made lake in the center of the city.

 

Soledad Canyon

Soledad Canyon is a long canyon located between Palmdale in the Antelope Valley and the City of Santa Clarita in the Santa Clarita Valley. Soledad Canyon is part of the Santa Clara River Valley. The upstream section of the Santa Clarita River runs through the canyon. The canyon lies between the Sierra Pelona Mountains to the northwest and the San Gabriel Mountains to the southeast. The canyon terminates at Soledad Pass just south of Lake Palmdale.

 

Soledad Pass

Soledad Pass is a mountain pass in northern Los Angeles County located at the highest point (3,209 feet above sea level) along Soledad Canyon. The pass provides a direct route between the Antelope Valley and the Santa Clara River watershed.

 

Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base (AFBl, established in 1933, is a major U.S. Air Force installation in the Antelope Valley region of Southern California located about twenty-two miles northeast of Lancaster and east of Rosamond. Edwards is home to the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, the Air Force Test Center, and the Air Force Material Command. Edwards Air Force Base is a major employer in the Antelope Valley. Public tours are available and the base has an excellent museum.

 

United States Air Force Plant 42

United States Air Force Plant 42, also known as Palmdale Plant 42, is a classified aircraft manufacturing plant in the Antelope Valley located about 60 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. The plant covers over 5,800 acres of land and shares a runaway with the Palmdale Regional Airport. Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin operate at the facility, making It the second largest employer in the Antelope Valley. The facility is controlled by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and has been operating since 1935. The Blackbird Airpark Museum is open to the public.

 

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Dryden Flight Research Center

The Armstrong Flight Research Center, also known as the Dryden Flight Research Center is an aeronautical research center located on Edwards Air Force Base in the Antelope Valley region of northern Los Angeles County. The facility is operated by NASA and is a major employer.

 

Antelope Valley Conservancy

The Antelope Valley Conservancy is a non-profit public benefit corporation that preserves the natural habitats and watershed resources in the Antelope Valley which includes Palmdale and Lancaster. The conservancy sponsors research, community service, and environmental education.

 

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, consisting of 1,781 acres, is a California state poppy reserve located in the western Antelope Valley which is in the northern section of Los Angeles County.

The reserve, established in 1976, is to the northwest of Santa Clarita and the Santa Clarita Valley, and approximately 15 miles west of Lancaster. California Poppies, the state flower, are usually in bloom from late winter to early spring depending upon the amount of rain. The fields are absolutely beautiful. There are more than eight miles of trails.

 

Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park

The Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park is a California State Park located in the western Antelope Valley which is in the northern section of Los Angeles County. The park is approximately 20 miles west of Lancaster and about 5 miles from the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. The Santa Clarita Valley is a few miles to the southwest. The park protects the Joshua Trees and California Juniper Trees.

 

Antelope Valley Fairgrounds

The Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, located on 134 acres, is located in Lancaster just off the 14 Freeway in the heart of the Antelope Valley. The fairgrounds is a major events location for both special and year-round events such as a Bridal Show, a Home Show, an Outdoor Expo, a Jazz Festival, a spectacular Fireworks Show, a Rodeo, and a Landscape Show. The facility is also used regularly for trade shows, large corporation events, concerts, graduation celebrations, and more.

 

Alpine Butte Wildlife Sanctuary

The Alpine Butte Wildlife Sanctuary is a 320 acre wildlife sanctuary and open nature preserve in Lake Los Angeles, approximately 17 miles east of Palmdale's Civic Center in the eastern Antelope Valley section of Los Angeles County. Edwards Air Force Base is to the north and the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest are to the south. The area is covered with beautiful wildflowers each year after the winter and spring rains.

 

Antelope Valley Senior Center

The Antelope Valley Senior Center, located in Lancaster, California, serves people 50 years of age or older living in the Antelope Valley. The center provides educational, social, and recreational services including an extensive library.

 

Antelope Valley Indian Museum

The Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park, established in 1979, is a 397 acre state historic park located in the Antelope Valley region of northern Los Angeles County. The museum which is in the state park was built in 1928 and is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The museum is open to the public and contains collections relating to the Chumash People, the Tongva People, the Tataviam People, and other tribes of California Indians.

 

Desert Aire Golf Course

Desert Aire Golf Course is a 9 hole course in Palmdale with tree lined fairways. Amenities include a practice putting green and a large practice chipping green area. Clinics and lessons are available.

 

Little Rock Dam

Little Rock Creek and Reservoir

Little Rock Creek is a 16.7 mile stream originating in the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County and ends at Little Rock Dam which forms the 108 acre Little Rock Reservoir south of Palmdale. Water flowing out of the reservoir forms Little Rock Wash which ends in the Antelope Valley. The nearby community name is Littlerock.

 

Saddleback Butte State Park

Saddleback Butte State Park, created in 1960, is a state park in the Antelope Valley section of northern Los Angeles County. The 2,955 acre state park is named for the 3,651 foot high butte located within the park. The Southern California park is located east of Palmdale and Lancaster, south of Edwards Air Force Base, and north of Lake Los Angeles.

 

California State University Bakersfield - Antelope Valley

California State University Bakersfield - Antelope Valley (CSUB-AV) located in Lancaster, California, offers more than 50 different Bachelor's and Master's degree programs. CSUB-AV is a satellite campus of the California State University, Bakersfield, established in 1965.

 

University of Antelope Valley

The University of Antelope Valley, established in 1997, is an accredited private, for-profit university located in Lancaster. It offers associate, bachelors, and masters degrees and numerous certificate programs. From 1997 to 2009, the university's name was Antelope Valley Medical College. Enrollment averages 1,300 students.

 

Antelope Valley College

Antelope Valley College, established in 1929, is a public community college located on 135 acres in the City of Lancaster which is in the northern section of Los Angeles County within the Antelope Valley. The college offers two year Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees in more than 75 fields and certificate programs in 60 vocational fields. The college has an enrollment exceeding 14,000.

 

West Coast Baptist College

West Coast Baptist College is a 80 acre accredited Baptist Bible college, established in 1995, in Lancaster, California which is in the northern section of Los Angeles County in the Antelope Valley. The private college offers graduate and undergraduate degrees for men and women seeking to serve as pastors, assistant pastors, evangelists, Christian educators, and missionaries. The college teaches that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. The college has more than 1,200 students and a staff exceeding 50.

 

Antelope Valley Hospital

Antelope Valley Hospital, founded in 1955, is a 420 bed public community hospital in Lancaster, California. The hospital specializes in acute care and is one of 14 trauma centers in Los Angeles County. The hospital is a major source of employment and serves the entire Antelope Valley.

 

Antelope Valley Solar Ranch

The Antelope Valley Solar Ranch is a photovoltaic power plant in the Antelope Valley in the Mojave Desert near Lancaster. The facility covers 2,100 acres and was commissioned in 2014. It produces 230 megawatts. On anlage, one megawatt can power 750 homes.

 

Antelope Valley Chambers of Commerce

For over 115 years, the Lancaster and Palmdale Chambers of Commerce have served the interests of local businesses in the greater Antelope Valley. They have now joined together to create the new Antelope Valley Chambers of Commerce. The new chamber has an excellent website, offers its members regular networking and educational opportunities, and publishes a valuable business directory.

 

Timeline - Antelope Valley