Palmdale, California

Palmdale, California
Palmdale, looking southeast toward the Antelope Valley Freeway and the San Gabriel Mountains
Motto: 
"A Place to Call Home"
Palmdale located in red
Coordinates: 34°34′52″N 118°6′2″W / 34.58111°N 118.10056°W / 34.58111; -118.10056
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyLos Angeles
Established1886
IncorporatedAugust 24, 1962[1]
Named afterAn anglicization of "Palmenthal", in turn named for Joshua trees, at the time referred to as "yucca palms"
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager[2]
 • BodyCity council:
  • Vacant (mayor)[2]
  • Richard J. Loa, (mayor pro tem)[3]
  • Laura Bettencourt, Dist-3
  • Eric Ohlsen, Dist-4
  • Andrea Alarcón, Dist-5
Area
 • City
106.32 sq mi (275.37 km2)
 • Land106.08 sq mi (274.74 km2)
 • Water0.24 sq mi (0.63 km2)  0.24%
Elevation2,657 ft (810 m)
Population
 • City
169,450
 • Rank6th in Los Angeles County
33rd in California
 • Density1,600/sq mi (620/km2)
 • Urban
359,559 (US: 115th)[6]
 • Urban density4,240.9/sq mi (1,637.4/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes[8]
93550–93552, 93590–93591, 93599
Area code661
FIPS code06-55156
GNIS feature IDs1652769, 2411359
Websitewww.cityofpalmdaleca.gov

Palmdale is a city in northern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city lies in the Antelope Valley of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south.

On August 24, 1962, Palmdale became the first city in Antelope Valley. Forty-seven years later, in November 2009, voters approved making it a charter city. Palmdale's population was 169,450 at the 2020 census, up from 152,750 at the 2010 census. Palmdale is the 33rd most populous city in California. Together with its immediate northern neighbor, the city of Lancaster, the Palmdale–Lancaster urban area had a population of 359,559 in 2020.[6]

  1. ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  2. ^ a b
    James Purtee (City Manager)"City Council". City of Palmdale. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  3. ^ City of Palmdale official web page http://www.cityofpalmdale.org/Your-City-Hall/City-Council Archived December 26, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  5. ^ "Palmdale". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  6. ^ a b United States Census Bureau (December 29, 2022). "2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications". Federal Register. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  7. ^ "Palmdale (city) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  8. ^ "ZIP Code(tm) Lookup". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2014.