High Desert (California)

The High Desert is a vernacular region with non-discrete boundaries covering areas of the western Mojave Desert in Southern California. The region encompasses various terrain with elevations generally between 2,000 and 4,000 ft (610 and 1,220 m) above sea level, and is located just north of the San Gabriel, San Bernardino, and Little San Bernardino Mountains.

The term "High Desert" is commonly used by local news media,^[1] especially in weather forecasts, because of the high desert's unique and moderate weather patterns compared to its low desert neighbors. The term "High Desert" serves to differentiate it from southern California's Low Desert, which is defined by the differences in elevation, climate, animal life, and vegetation native to these regions. For instance, Palm Springs, at 500 feet (150 m) above sea level, is considered "Low Desert"; in contrast, Landers at 3,100 feet (940 m) above sea level, is considered "High Desert".

The High Desert, along with the "Mojave River Valley" and the Victor Valley, is mostly used to describe the area centered around Victorville. The region extends as far west as Lancaster, as far northwest as Palmdale, and north to the Barstow desert.^[2] "High Desert" has also been incorporated into the names of businesses and organizations in these areas.^[3][4] The term "High Desert" is also erroneously used to refer to the communities north and west of Joshua Tree National Park—Twentynine Palms and the Morongo Basin (Yucca Valley), which are actually in an area called the Hi-Desert.^[5] These communities are at a higher elevation than the Low Desert that encompasses the Coachella Valley and Imperial Valley in far southern California.

The area was even proposed to become a new county due to cultural, economic and geographic differences relative to the rest of the more urban region.^[6][7][8]