Palmdale - Palmdale

Palmdale is a city in the far north of Los Angeles County in the Antelope Valley region of the Mojave Desert in SouthernCalifornia.

Understand

History

In 1933, the U. S. government established Muroc Air Base (from an original founder's name, Effie Corum, spelled backwards), 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, it's known as the "Aerospace Capital of America", where many of the aircraft used in the United States military are built and tested.

Get in

34°35′17″N 118°6′0″W
Map of Palmdale

By car

Palmdale is about 70 miles north of Downtown Los Angeles off of California State Highway 14, the Antelope Valley Freeway. The A.V. Freeway is the area's principal north - south route. The other end of CA-14 to the North connects Reno, Nevada to the Palmdale area via US Highway 395.

California State Highway 138 is the principal east - west route and connects the Inland Empire (Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario) and the "Grapevine" area of Interstate 5 to the Palmdale area.

California State Highway 18 connects the Victor Valley area to the Palmdale area via CA-138.

By plane

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operates the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) at its site near Plant 42 at Avenue P and 25th Street East. However, the 1 Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD IATA). has no scheduled passenger airline service. LA/Palmdale Regional Airport (Q6456919) on Wikidata Palmdale Regional Airport on Wikipedia 

The next closest airport is Bob Hope Airport (BUR IATA) in Burbank, approximately one hour's drive to the south, and is served by most major carriers.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX IATA), Ontario International Airport (ONT IATA), and Bakersfield Meadows Field (BFL IATA) are all approximately the same distance away timewise, assuming no traffic.

LAX has the most travel options and is generally the least expensive, but is significantly crowded and has many a long line in addition to the excessive traffic one must usually contend with to get to/from the airport.

Ontario will be much less crowded and easier to use. Traffic can be bad at times, but not nearly as bad as LAX.

Bakersfield is also an easy to use, uncrowded airport like Ontario, but has less flight options and is also generally more expensive, however, there is little to no traffic problems reaching BFL.

If you are willing to drive really far (90-120 miles), Long Beach Municipal Airport (LGB IATA) and John Wayne International (SNA IATA) may also be used as alternates.

Shuttle Buses operate to/from LAX, costing approximately $70 one way:

By train

  • 2 Palmdale Transportation Center (downtown). daily rail service to Los Angeles area destinations via Metrolink, a commuter rail line. The center is also served by Amtrak California, the national passenger rail carrier, using its Thruway Bus service. It is the metropolitan area's mass-transit hub. Palmdale Transportation Center (Q7128176) on Wikidata Palmdale Transportation Center on Wikipedia 
  • 3 Vincent-Grade/Acton Metrolink station. serves southernmost Palmdale and nearby Acton with commuter rail service to/from Los Angeles. Its on the same Metrolink line as Palmdale Transportation Center Vincent Grade/Acton (Q7931823) on Wikidata Vincent Grade/Acton station on Wikipedia 

Other than coming to or leaving town, rail service is not particularly used in this area as there are only 2 stations serving Palmdale and 1 more in nearby Lancaster.

By bus

Greyhound Bus Lines serves the Palmdale Transportation Center daily.

The Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) has daily commuter bus lines that connect to the Palmdale Transportation Center from various areas in Los Angeles. The AVTA is also the operator of the city's public bus system.

Santa Clarita Transit has a daily commuter bus line that runs to the Palmdale Transportation Center from the nearby city of Santa Clarita.

Get around

By bus

Palmdale has a local city bus system, operated by the Antelope Valley Transit Authority. These buses operate on most major thoroughfares throughout the metropolitan area and arrive on average of every 15 to 20 minutes. There are 2 major transfer centers in the city for switching bus lines, one at the Antelope Valley Mall and the primary one at the Palmdale Transportation Center. Santa Clarita Transit is the nearby city of Santa Clarita's public bus system and it offers connecting bus service from the PTC as well. Greyhound Bus also serves the Palmdale Transportation Center.

By taxi

Palmdale has taxi services by several companies. However, these taxis must always be called ahead of time, they are rarely in a position to be flagged down like in New York City or Los Angeles. If you plan on using a taxi service when arriving at Palmdale Regional Airport, there is a pay phone in the terminal that can be used to call them.

By car

Palmdale has most of the major rental car companies present. If arriving at Palmdale Regional Airport, there is a phone available to contact the rental car companies. The rental car companies do not have lots on the airport site, but they will come and pick you up from the airport and take you to the rental car facility. They will also likewise return you to the airport in the same manner.

  • Avis (661) 945-5825
  • Budget (661) 273-8140 or (661) 266-0662
  • Dollar (661) 945-1869
  • Enterprise (661) 274-2585 or (661) 266-0334
  • Hertz (661) 540-0889 or (661) 948-5496

See

Aerospace and flight

  • 1 Blackbird Air Park (United States Air Force Plant 42 airpark), 2503 E. Avenue P (Take Highway 14 or Sierra Highway to Avenue P, turn east, drive to 25th Street East.), ☏ 1 661 274-0884. F-Su 10AM-5PM. Actually, two museums adjacent to Plant 42, the classified USAF manufacturing plant, also used by NASA. The Blackbird Airpark Museum is an extension of the AFFT Museum at Edwards AFB, while the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark (formerly Palmdale Plant 42 Heritage Airpark) is operated by the municipality. Both are manned by retirees who had previously worked in the aerospace industry, some actually having worked on the aircraft displayed at the two parks. All of the aircraft have been carefully restored for public display. View and walk around retired SR-71A (Blackbird), A-12 and U-2 aircraft. 

Live entertainment & festivals

Local experience, culture & museums

Do

Outdoors, nature, camping & recreation

  • Big Rock Creek Camp. A camping area near Devil's Punchbowl southeast of the city. 
  • Joshua Ranch Trail. A natural preservation area, temporarily closed due to a housing development under construction. 
  • 1 Littlerock Dam and Recreation Area. Southeast of the city, is a county operated park with a public use lake and several campsites. Littlerock Dam (Q14683143) on Wikidata Little Rock Dam on Wikipedia 
  • 2 Saddleback Butte State Park. Located in the buttes north of Lake Los Angeles to the northeast of the city, the park has a small camping area. It is known to be an ideal location for late night stargazing and viewing meteor showers on clear nights. Saddleback Butte State Park (Q7397743) on Wikidata Saddleback Butte State Park on Wikipedia 

Sports

Baseball/Softball

  • Best Of The West Softball Complex. Regularly hosts various state and national softball tournaments. 

Bowling

  • Brunswick Vista Lanes. Is located on 30th Street East near Palmdale Blvd. 
  • Brunswick Sands Bowl. Is located on Sierra Highway north of Avenue L. 

Golf

  • Rancho Vista Golf Course. Is Palmdale's only PGA class golf course. 
  • Antelope Valley Country Club. Another major golf course which requires club membership to play. 
  • Desert Aire Golf Course. Located near the eastern side of the city. 

Skiing

  • Mountain High. A ski resort in nearby Wrightwood, southeast of the city. 

Youth activities

  • 3 Dry Town Water Park, ☏ 1 661 267-6161. On Avenue S is open each summer from May to September, it has water slides, a wave pool, and a lazy river. Dry Town Water Park (Q5309563) on Wikidata Dry Town Water Park on Wikipedia 
  • Hammack Activity Center and Roller Hockey Rink. A family-friendly facility providing various activities for youth. 

Buy

Palmdale has many of the stores found in the typical middle-class cities across the United States. Most of these stores are found at the intersection of Rancho Vista Blvd. and 10th Street West in and around the Antelope Valley Mall. There is also another heavy retail shopping cooridor growing on 47th Street East at Avenue S. The third main shopping area is located along Palmdale Blvd. between 17th Street East and 30th Street East.

As far as shopping unique to Palmdale, there really isn't any. You may find local area postcards in some of the stores like Wal-Mart or Target, but that's about as far as it goes.

Eat

Style
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Palmdale has eateries to satisfy any palate. Most of the food establishments are located at the intersection of Rancho Vista Blvd. and 10th Street West near the Antelope Valley Mall, or along Palmdale Blvd. between 20th and 30th Streets East.

Where multiple restaurants of the same name are mentioned, they are listed in order of distance from the city center where all hotels are located.

American & BBQ

  • Pines Cafe, 4343 Pearblossom Highway. 
  • Texas Cattle Company, 1233 W. Rancho Vista Blvd, ☏ 1 661 273-6642, fax: 1 661 273-6672. 

Chinese

  • Nopgow Chinese Restaurant West, 39522 10th Street West, ☏ 1 661 273-0875. 

Greek

  • 1 Mediterranean Delight, 1233 W. Rancho Vista Blvd (Exit Highway 14 at 10th St. W. Drive south one block, turn right into Antelope Valley Mall. Restaurant located inside mall.), ☏ 1 661 273-1128. 

Hawaiian

Indian

  • Malhi's Family Indian Cuisine, 39256 10th Street West, ☏ 1 661 947-4400. 

Italian

Japanese & sushi

Mexican

  • Speedy Joes Mexican Restaurant, 40205 10th Street West, ☏ 1 661 266-9625. 

Mongolian

Seafood

Soul food

Thai

Fast food

  • Philly Cheesesteak & Company, 38745 Tierra Subida Ave, ☏ 1 661 274-4864. 

Drink

  • Don Chato’s Mexican Cantina, 38350 30th Street East, ☏ 1 661 947-7166. 
  • El Dorado Restaurant Bar Dancing, 2072 E. Palmdale Blvd, ☏ 1 661 947-7611. 
  • Horseshoe Club Cantina, 38426 6th St. East 
  • Vaughn’s Billiards, 2015 E. Palmdale Blvd. 

Sleep

Go next

  • Lancaster - Palmdale's twin city to the north on Highway 14, Lancaster is the largest city in the Antelope Valley. Lancaster provides extensive services for travelers, as well as the whimsical "Musical Road", a recreation of a road built in Lancaster for a Honda commercial that has grooves cut into it that generate an approximation of the William Tell Overture when a car passes over them.
  • Santa Clarita - Located 37 miles southwest of Palmdale on Highway 14, Santa Clarita is the home of Six Flags Magic Mountain, an amusement park that is legendary among roller coaster fanatics, with many of the rides having held world records for height or speed.
Routes through Palmdale
Bishop ← Lancaster ← N California 14.svg S → Santa Clarita → Los Angeles via I-5.svg
Junction I-5.svg ← Lancaster ← W California 138.svg E → Jct California 18.svgE → Jct I-15.svg
This city travel guide to Palmdale is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page .