ZIP Code 92345

Hesperia is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is located 35 miles (56 km) north of downtown San Bernardino in Victor Valley and surrounded by the Mojave Desert. Because of its relatively high elevation and the unique and moderate weather patterns of the region, Hesperia is part of what is locally called the High Desert. The 2019 census report estimates that the city has a population of 95,750. The name Hesperia means "western land" and was named for Hesperus, the Greek god of the West. The elevation rises from 3,200 feet (980 m) in the north to about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level to the south. The San Andreas Fault, a major tectonic plate boundary of the Pacific and North American plates a few miles south of Hesperia in the Cajon Pass, has occasional seismic activity. The city is located at 3,186 feet (971 m)Above sea level and is a neighbor of Victorville, Oak Hills, and Apple Valley. The Mojave River flows northerly through the east side of the city, while the California Aqueduct splits the city from north to south en route to Silverwood Lake. On the southern edge, where the city meets the desert by the airport to the east, is a somewhat pronounced mesa classification, with a Köppen climate classification, BWk. Winter snowfall is not uncommon, but heavy rain is not common in winter.

History

Hesperia is the primary city name, but also Oak Hills are acceptable city names or spellings. Hesperia began as a Spanish land grant: Rancho San Felipe, Las Flores y el Paso del Cajon, founded in 1781. The land was sparsely inhabited desert during Spanish-Mexican rule in the 19th century. The U.S. annexed the region along with Southern California after the Mexican-American War in 1848. In 1869, Max Stobel purchased 35,000 acres (14,000 ha) from the United States Government Land Office for $40,000. The town site was laid out in 1891 by railroad company land developers of the Santa Fe Railroad, which was completed that year. In the early 1950s, land developer M. Penn Phillips and his silent financial partner, boxer Jack Dempsey, financed the building of roads and land subdivisions. The Hesperia Inn and golf course, which attracted a variety of Hollywood celebrities, also housed the Jack Dempsey Museum. The main wave of newcomers, though, arrived at Hesperia in the 1980s. Suburban growth transformed the small town of 5,000 people in 1970 to a moderate-sized city with a population over 60,000 by 2000, and an estimated population over 95,000 as of July 1, 2018. Hesperia was named for Hesperus, the Greek god of the West. It is located in the Mojave River Valley, near the border with Imperial County, California, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is located on the California-Nevada border.

Geography

Hesperia is a city in the Mojave Desert. The elevation rises from 3,200 feet (980 m) in the north to about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level to the south. Much of the native flora of Hesperia is classified as California desert vegetation, dominated by junipers, joshua trees, and sagebrush. The San Andreas Fault, a major tectonic plate boundary of the Pacific and North American plates, has occasional seismic activity. The city has a total area of 73.2 square miles (190 km²), with 73.1 square miles of land (189 km²) covered by water. The Mojave River flows northerly through the east side of the city, while the California Aqueduct splits the city from north to south en route to Silverwood Lake. According to the Köppen climate classification, Hesperia has a cold desert climate, BWk on climate maps. Winter snowfall is sporadic - the average yearly snowfall amount is 4.4 inches. Summer days are very hot, with high temperatures typically nearing 100 °F (38 °C) The rain shadow caused by the mountain ranges to the. south and west shields Hesperia from the majority of winter rainfall, but heavy rain is not uncommon. In the later part of the season, sporadic summer thunderstorms associated with the North American monsoon can bring power outages and local flash floods. The average low temperatures for December and January are around freezing. It is also the area's wet season.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, 62,582 people, 19,966 households, and 15,773 families were living in the city. The racial makeup of Hesperia was 55,129 (61.1%) White (41.1% non-Hispanic White), 5,226 (5.8%) African American, 1,118 (1.2%) Native American, 1,884 (2.1) Asian, 270 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 22,115 (24.5%) from other races, and 4,431 (4.9%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 44,091 persons (48.9%). The median income for a household was $40,201 and for a family was $43,004. The per capita income for the city was $15,487. About 15.3% were one-person households and 6.3%. The average household size was 3.41. The age distribution was 32.8% under 18, 9.3. from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% 65 or older. The median age was 30.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. ForEvery 100 females 18 and over there were 94.1 males. The population density was 1,231.7 inhabitants per square mile (475.6/km²).

Economy

According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the principal employers in the city are: The city's largest employers are: the state, county, city and county government. The city is also home to a number of private-sector companies, such as a bank, a hospital, a bank and an insurance company. The economy is the second-largest employer, followed by the construction industry. The top employers are the state and county governments, the city and the county. The largest employer is the city itself, which is home to the state's largest government, the county, and the city of the same name. It is also the largest employer in the town's history, according to the 2020 Comprehensive annual financial report. The biggest employer in its history is the state of the city, which was founded in 1776. The state's economy is based on the growth of the railroads, which began in the late 19th century. It was the first city to be incorporated in 1858. It has been the largest city in the state since the early 20th century, with a population of 1.2 million in 1881. The population has grown to 1.3 million in the last 20 years. The growth rate is expected to continue to grow in the coming decades. The unemployment rate has been in the low to mid-teens since the 1970s and 1980s. The U.S. unemployment rate is about 6.7 percent. The number of people living in poverty is about 4.8 percent. It's the lowest in the country.

Arts and culture

Hesperia's golf course is known for its narrow fairways and fast greens. During the 1950s and 1960s, this course was a stop along the PGA Tour. To the east of Hesperia, the Mojave River runs from south to north, mainly under ground, and it surfaces in Victorville. Although the river bed is usually dry, it fills up if Hesperia experiences a rare heavy rain. Hesperia is the home of Cal-Earth, a nonprofit organization demonstrating and teaching a method of home construction, particularly for arid hot areas, called Superadobe. The town is bordered to the north by the city of Victorville, and to the east by the town of Apple Valley. It is located in the eastern part of the San Diego County, California, foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains, and the San Francisco Bay area of the California foothills. It has a population of about 2,000 people, about half of whom live in or near the downtown area. The city is located on the California-Nevada border, and is about 30 miles from San Diego. It was founded in 1883. The name Hesperia comes from the Spanish word "hesperia" which means "lake" or "ditch" and refers to a manmade lake in the town's southeastern part. The current name for the lake is Hesperia Lake Park, which is where various town activities are held, including the annual Hesperia Day activities. It's also home to the Radio Control Model Aircraft Park, home of the Victor Valley R/C Flyers.

Parks and recreation

Established in 1957, Hesperia Recreation and Park District has facilities, both indoors and outdoors. The Southern California Hardball Association is a 28 and over, adult baseball league that serves Hesperia residents. The district also offers a 24-hour fitness center and a personal fitness center. The park district is open seven days a week and is open to the public.

Government

Cameron Gregg is the mayor of the city, with Brigit Bennington as the mayor pro tem. The other three council members are Larry Bird, Bill Holland, and Rebekah Swanson. The city's various funds had $92.1 million in revenues, $98.7 million in expenditures, $520.5 million in total assets, and $44.4 million in cash and investments. The Victor Valley Family Resource Center sued Hesperia and the San Bernardino County Sheriff for closing transitional houses that the center operated in Hesperia. The suit was settled in April 2018 for $484,831. On December 2, 2019, the United States Department of Justice filed suit against Hesperia for "discrimination against residents and prospective residents of Hesperia because of race and national origin" The suit alleged that after the center opened a house in January 2015 to provide housing for felons on probation, the city and sheriff discriminated illegally against the center's tenants and houses. In the California State Legislature, Hesperia is in the 21st Senate District, represented by Republican Scott Wilk, and in the 33rd Assembly District,represented by Republican Thurston Smith. In California's 8th congressional district, Hes Xperia is in California's 21st House of Representatives district, representedby Republican Jay Obernolte. Hesperia also has these advisory committees: City Council Advisory Committee, Planning Commission, and Public Safety Advisory Committee composed of citizens assigned to provide advisory resources to the city council.

Education

The Hesperia Unified School District serves city. The district consists of three high schools, two continuation high schools and three junior high schools. Hesperia is also served by several charter and private schools. Mirus Secondary School is a 6-12 charter school in Hesperia with an independent study program. The Hesperia Christian School was founded in 1966 as a K-12 Christian School. It is now a charter school for 6- to 12-year-olds. The school is located in the town of Hesperia, California. The city is home to 14 elementary schools, three middle schools, and three middle school schools. It also has a high school, a junior high, and a continuation high school. The high school is called Sultana High School, and the junior high is called Canyon Ridge High School. The continuation high School is called Mojave High and is located near the city's downtown area. The middle school is known as Ranchero Middle School, which is also in the city. It has a middle school, Cedar Middle, and an elementary school, which are all in the Hesperia area. It was also known as Cedar Middle School before it became Cedar Middle. The elementary schools are called Cedar Middle and Cedar High. The junior high school was also called Cedar High, and it is in the community of Cedar Springs. The senior high school has been known as Canyon Ridge Junior High since the 1970s. It opened in the 1980s and is now known as Oak Hills Junior High.

Infrastructure

The city is located on Interstate 15, directly north of the Cajon Pass. BNSF Railway provides rail service through the city on a line which connects Los Angeles to Barstow and points east. Several of the major streets feature bike lanes and there are also several recreational trails within city limits. The city of Hesperia contracts with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department for law-enforcement services. The new 43,000 sq ft (4,000 m2) substationopened October 13, 2010is located at 15840 Smoketree in the city's Civic Plaza, across the street from City Hall. Shortly after Hesperia incorporated as a city in 1988, it created its own fire protection district, which lasted through 2004. The City now has a contract with theSan Bernardino County Fire Department for fire and emergency medical services. It is also home to the Victor Valley Transit Authority, which controls public transit operations in the area. The nearest Amtrak station is in Victorville, 13 miles north, and the city is on the San Diego-San Diego rail line, which runs from San Diego to Los Angeles and San Francisco. The San Diego area has a long history of rail service, dating back to at least the 1800s, when the San Francisco Bay Area was the only rail hub in the United States. There are no Amtrak stations in Hesperia, but there is a station in the nearby town of Victorville. The closest Amtrak station to Hesperia is in San Diego, which is 13 miles away.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Hesperia, San Bernardino County, California = 1. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 48. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Hesperia = 5.7 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 99,818 individuals with a median age of 31 age the population grows by 45.56% in Hesperia, San Bernardino County, California population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,317.31 residents per square mile of area (508.62/km²). There are average 3.24 people per household in the 27,943 households with an average household income of $53,336 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 17.90% of the available work force and has dropped -6.49% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 9.12%. The number of physicians in Hesperia per 100,000 population = 133.8.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Hesperia = 5.5 inches and the annual snowfall = 1.5 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 25. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 283. 98 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 30.4 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 26, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Hesperia, San Bernardino County, California which are owned by the occupant = 67.90%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 20 years with median home cost = $101,480 and home appreciation of -19.71%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $9.16 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,018 per student. There are 23.7 students for each teacher in the school. 13686.97% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 5.53% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 2.62% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).