Barstow, California 2025

Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 23,983 at the 2020 census.

The city is located in the western Mojave Desert at the entrance to the Mojave National Preserve and is home to the Barstow Route 66 Museum. Nearby Calico Ghost Town, which is within Calico Mountains State Recreation Area, is also a popular tourist stop.

Located in the Mojave Desert just north of the San Bernardino Mountains, Barstow is somewhat isolated from the LA Basin to the west, its nearest neighbor being Victorville-Apple Valley, thirty miles to the north. The city is located almost exactly midway between Las Vegas, Nevada, and Los Angeles, a result of its location as a major point on the Old Spanish Trail trade route, established by Antonio Armijo in 1826. (Healthy Springs, Nevada, is located on a slight alignment of the Old Spanish Trail.) It is about 62 miles (100 km) to the southwest.

Barstow and the surrounding area are noted for their rich Native American and railroad history, as well as being on the famous Route 66. Being at the crossroads of major transportation corridors, Barstow is a major transportation hub and home to Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow.

Physical location, topography, and natural resources

Barstow is situated in the southwestern Mojave Desert, just north of the San Bernardino Mountains, and is on the western edge of the Mojave National Preserve. The city is slightly northwest of the center of San Bernardino County, and is the closest city to the world-famous Calico Ghost Town, which is situated 12 miles (19 km) SE of the city. It is approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of Victorville and 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Apple Valley. Neighboring cities are Victorville to the north, and Calico Ghost Town to the southeast. To the east is the Mescal Range and the Phoenix Mountains, with Afton Canyon being a popular tourist attraction. To the west is the Daggett while Yermo is to the south. The city is near a number of major highways, including Interstate 15, Interstate 40, and State Route 58.

The city of Barstow consists of flat terrain, beneath which is buried the Barstow Basin. The basin is a large aquifer under the city and surrounding area, containing precious groundwater for the area, but it is emptying due to the high rate of pumping underground water. Barstow is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and has three main mountain peaks: Rainy Peak, Hubbert Peak, and Ship Mountain. Rainy Peak, elev. 5,252 feet (1,600 m), is just northwest of the city limits, next to the Harper Lake. Ship Mountain, with an elevation of 5,497 feet, is the closest of the three peaks, located just south of the city, while Hubbert Peak, the highest point of the three, elev. 5,687 feet (1,733 m), is located east of Ship Mountain. The Mojave National Preserve to the east of the city limits holds the world's largest radar-cross section, used for testing experimental radar units.

The city and surrounding area are known for their desert climate, with mild winters and extremely hot summers. In the winter, the city experiences blue skies about 300 days per year, with daytime temperatures known to go as high as 70 °F (21 °C) while still falling below freezing at night. Winter low temperatures can range from 24 to 48 °F (-4 to 9 °C). During heatwaves, summer temperatures can soar to as high as 120 °F (49 °C) before reaching a floor of 67 °F (19 °C) at night.

Depending on the time of year, the weather can be modest and comfortable, as a subtropical oceanic climate would be similar to a Mediterranean climate. In February 1990, a temperature of -15 °F (-26 °C) was recorded, which is the lowest temperature to have ever been recorded in Barstow. Between July and August 2020, the highest temperature ever recorded was 120.8 °F (49.3 °C).

Precipitation in Barstow is scarce, with a mean annual rainfall of 4.88 in (124 mm), the wettest month being August with 2.50 in (63.5 mm). The area'ing land was so dry it inspired an unofficial slogan, "A desert rat is a rat that cannot find any other place to live" (from a popular joke: "Barstow: a place you shouldn't be caught dead in"). Its arid conditions make it prone to drought, and it is a small but key support crop growing irrigated water.

Barstow is in San Bernardino County. Las Vegas is its nearest large neighbor, 160 mi (260 km) to the northeast, Los Angeles being 165 mi (266 km) west-southwest and San Bernardino 72 mi (116 km) to the southwest. Barstow is also the closest major USA city to the Death Valley National Park. California City, a major Mojave Desert city with thousands of residents, is located 111 mi (179 km) SW of Barstow.

Barstow has two major highways, Interstate 15 and Interstate 40, intersection at the corner of the two roadways. It has one state highway, State Route 58, which runs north-south and crosses Interstate 40 at the "Deadman's Curve," named for its reputation for high fatality rates. In the first decade of the 21st century, Interstate 40 underwent reconstruction, expanding it to six lanes; the project is expected to be completed by 2015. The Santa Fe Railway runs through the city, but trains no longer stop.