Palmdale

Over the last 20 years this city has consistently been ranked in the top 10 fastest growing cities in the United States (based on percentage change). As of spring 2005 the population is estimated at 143,227, making Palmdale the sixth largest city in Los Angeles County. For most of its existence it has had a small population; however it now is arguably the largest "desert city" (from an Angeleno viewpoint) in California. With 105 square miles (272 km²) of land in its incorporated boundaries, the cityis in the top 100 largest cities in the United States in geographic area and as of 2005 ranks 150th by population in the U.S. The city has worked hard to maintain its image and upgrade its infrastructure during its rapid growth. A first-class medical campus is under construction (expected to open in 2007), which will include the region's largest emergency department, a helipad, medical office towers, and a senior housing complex. A new multi-modal transportation center, serving local and commuter bus and train services, opened in 2005. A voter-initiated and approved bond has funded major park and recreation expansions, including an earthen outdoor amphitheater (capacity 7,000), two new pools, other recreation buildings and a water park. Downtown revitalization includes hundreds of new senior housing units, a new senior center, and expanded open space. A new 48,000 sq. ft. sheriff station recently opened, the largest in Los Angeles County. Two new fire stations are being developed, one on the east side and one on the west side.

In the movie Bubble Boy, Palmdale was depicted as a small strip of houses and a bus stop—a 1970s view of what Hollywood film moguls remember Palmdale as being. Famous people from Palmdale include rapper Afroman, famous for his song "Because I Got High", and the music group All 4 One, known for the hit songs "I Swear, I Can Love You Like That", and "She's Got Skillz". More recently, the Tom Hanks movie The Terminal was filmed at the massive hangar at Plant 42, and filming for the two Pirates of the Caribbean sequels also took place in Palmdale.

While Palmdale is still a part of Los Angeles County, the urbanized centers of Palmdale and Los Angeles are separated by the San Gabriel mountain range, which is about 40 miles (60 km) wide. This range forms the southern edge of the Antelope Valley portion of the Mojave Desert. Palmdale is one of the two principal cities of the Antelope Valley, and the third largest city in the Mojave Desert by population, outstripped only by Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada.

Palmenthal, the first European settlement within the limits of Palmdale, was established as a village in 1886 by westward travelers from the American Midwest, mostly of German and Swiss descent. According to area folklore, the travelers had been told they would know they were close to the ocean when they saw Palm Trees. Never actually having seen palm trees before, they mistook the local Joshua Trees for palms and so called their settlement after them. (Palmenthal is German for Palms Valley.) The village was officially established upon the arrival of a post office on June 17, 1888.

In the 1890s many families continued to migrate to Palmenthal and nearby Harold to grow grain and fruit. However, most of these settlers were unfamiliar with farming in a desert climate, so when the drought years occurred, most abandoned their settlement. By 1899, only one family was left in the original village. The rest of the settlers, including the post office, moved closer to the Southern Pacific railroad tracks. This new community was renamed Palmdale and was located where the present day civic center is. A railroad station was built along the tracks there. This railroad was operated by Southern Pacific and traveled between Los Angeles and San Francisco. There was also the Wells Fargo stagecoach line that ran between San Francisco and New Orleans that stopped there as well. The only remaining pieces of evidence of the original settlements of Palmenthal and Harold are the old cemetery located on the northeast corner of Avenue S and 20th Street East, and the old schoolhouse now relocated to McAdam Park.

As the population of Palmdale began to increase after relocation, water became scarce, until in 1914 when the California – Los Angeles Aqueduct system was completed. During the 1910s, crops of apples, pears, and alfalfa became plentiful.

In 1915, Palmdale’s first newspaper, the Palmdale Post, was published. Today it is called The Antelope Valley Press.

In 1921, the first major link between Palmdale and Los Angeles was completed, U.S. Highway 6, or Mint Canyon Road. Completion of this road caused the local agricultural industry to flourish and was the first major step towards defining the metropolis that exists today. Presently this road is known as Sierra Highway.

In 1924, the Littlerock Dam and the Harold Reservoir, present day Lake Palmdale, were constructed to assist the agricultural industry and have enough water to serve the growing communities.

Agriculture continued to be the foremost industry for Palmdale and its northern neighbor Lancaster until the outbreak of World War II. In 1933, the United States government established Muroc Air Base north of Lancaster in Kern County, now known as Edwards Air Force Base. They also bought Palmdale Airport in 1952 and established an aerospace development and testing facility called United States Air Force Plant 42. One year later, in 1953, Lockheed established a facility at the airport. After this point in time, the aerospace industry took over as the primary local source of employment, where it has remained ever since. Today the city is even referred to as the “Aerospace Capital of America” because of its rich heritage in being the home of many of the aircraft used in the United States military.

In 1956, Palmdale’s first high school was established, making it easier for youths to not have to travel to Antelope Valley High School in nearby Lancaster.

In August 1962, the township of Palmdale officially became the city of Palmdale with the incorporation of 2 square miles (5 km²) of land around the present day civic center.

In 1963, the Antelope Valley Freeway, or State Highway 14, was completed as a link between Palmdale and Los Angeles. The freeway at this time ran all the way to present day Technology Drive. It was at this time that talk about the future Palmdale Intercontinental Airport was seen as the way of the future. By 1965 the new city had annexed an additional 20 square miles (52 km²) of land and industry was thriving. Talk of the future commercial airport had many investors buying up large quantities of land.

In 1970, the City of Los Angeles went forward with buying 17,500 acres (71 km²) of land east of the city for its proposed commercial airport. However, the United States Air Force desired to put a hold on the construction of this new facility until the existing airport reached its commercial capacity. So under a joint use agreement with the military, the Los Angeles Department of Airports, now called Los Angeles World Airports, built a 9,000 square foot (800 m²) terminal on leased land that opened in 1971, creating present day Palmdale Regional Airport.

By 1974, the Antelope Valley Freeway was completed all the way to Mojave. In 1977, Palmdale built its first municipal building, the Palmdale City Library. This was the same year that its northern neighbor Lancaster incorporated itself into a city. Since the 1920s, Lancaster had been the much larger and principal community of the Antelope Valley, as well as the rest of California's Mojave Desert, and Palmdale had always played second fiddle to it. The 1980s and 1990s were the decades that really started to define the two Antelope Valley cities. Affordable housing in the area caused a dramatic spike in the population. The city became a bedroom community for those employed in Los Angeles. Palmdale's population continued to approach Lancaster's. Throughout the eighties and even the nineties, Palmdale was the fastest growing city in California and second fastest growing city in the nation. In 1980, Palmdale's population was 12,177. By 1990, it had soared to 68,842. It was in 1990 that the Antelope Valley Mall opened at Rancho Vista Blvd. and 10th Street West, presently the busiest intersection in the entire Mojave Desert. In 1991, the Palmdale Auto Center complex opened. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, central Palmdale has become the commercial center of the California High Desert. In 2000, the city's population was 116,670. In 2002, Palmdale's population finally eclipsed its northern neighbor Lancaster, with over 140,000 residents today. The city continues to look forward to quality managed growth in the future.

The most important industry for Palmdale is the aerospace industry. However in recent times, other manufacturing companies have relocated to Palmdale seeking more affordable land, close proximity to Palmdale Airport, and special tax breaks.

The special tax breaks granted for companies that relocate to Palmdale is due to the city having the Antelope Valley Enterprise Zone and the Palmdale Federal Foreign Trade Zone. These are special zoning areas within the city that are given various state and federal tax breaks and municipal grant incentives to relocate their business there. These zones were put in effect to help Palmdale and nearby Lancaster draw more jobs to the area so that they would be less dependent on the Los Angeles Basin area for employment, thus relieving pollution and traffic congestion, and stabilizing the local economy on several industries instead of just aerospace which is known for it’s “feast or famine” seasons.

Palmdale refers to itself with the nickname the "aerospace capital of the United States", and has been the site of research, development, final assembly, flight testing and/or servicing/modifications of the Space Shuttle, X-15, B-2 Spirit & F-117 Nighthawk, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, SR-71 Blackbird, Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, and many other aircraft that have been used in the United States Air Force, NASA and air forces and airlines around the world. USAF Plant 42, where the aforementioned aerospace projects occurred / occur is home to major operations of the following aerospace companies: Boeing, Lockheed Martin and its famed Skunk Works, Northrop Grumman, and BAE Systems. The Boeing building (formerly North American Rockwell) at Plant 42 / Palmdale Regional Airport is one of the largest buildings in the world. It was used in the Tom Hanks movie The Terminal to house the duplicate JFK terminal set since it was the only building in the Southland area large enough to house it.