Palm Desert, CA
Overview | Where To Stay |Things To Do | Shopping| Nearby Resources

Description/Location

Located in the Coachella Valley of Riverside County, Palm Desert, CA is a resort destination.   Just east of Palm Springs, Palm Desert lies between the cities of Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells, CA.  The city has more than 30 golf courses, hiking trails, resorts, shopping and much more.

As you walk the streets of Palm Desert you will see public art installed along the streets and walkways.  There are numerous galleries located on El Paseo and other shopping districts located within the city.  The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, College of the Desert, The McCallum Theatre are a few of the local attractions.  In nearby desert cities you will find a large selection of museums, attractions and points of interest.  Please refer to the “Nearby Points of Interest” towards the bottom of this page for more details.

History
Formerly known as Old MacDonald Ranch, Palm Desert has transitioned from a village into a booming city that has doubled its population about every 10 years since 1980.  In the 1920 the Old MacDonald Ranch was renamed Palm Village after the date palms became a popular crop here in the Coachella Valley.  Prior to 1950, Palm Village’s main residents were Cahuilla Indians who farmed in the area. 

The Army used Palm Desert for training purposes for General George Patton’s Third Army troops and tank battalions.  After World War II the Palm Village was developed to include residential areas and was renamed Palm Desert in 1973 when it was incorporated.  At the time of incorporation there were 1500 residents living in the City of Palm Desert. (Source:  Wikipedia.org). Photo: Desert Willow Golf Course credit www.desertwillow.com.

Resorts and Golf Clubs
The first golf course developed within the City of Palm Desert was Shadow Mountain that was built in 1952 followed by Marrakesh a couple years later.  By the late 1970’s and 1980’s there were approximately 30 golf courses within the City making it the “Golf Capital of the World.” 

Desert Willow Golf Resort is one of the most popular golf clubs in the Coachella Valley.  It is a public facility that has two championship golf courses, The Firecliff and The Mountain View. Desert Willow Golf Resort is owned by the City of Palm Desert and carries a 4.5 star rating as one of the “Best Places to Play” by Golf Digest Magazine. 

If you play golf and plan to visit Palm Desert, please visit our sister website http://www.desertcaddie.com for a map of golf resorts and clubs in the area, reviews and golf specials

Snowbirds

Seasonal tourists and residents (aka snowbirds) flock to Palm Desert during the mild winter months.  They come to the desert to escape the cold weather in other areas of the U.S. and Canada.  Many snowbirds take advantage of the numerous vacation rentals in the area.  Others have bought second homes here in the Valley.  For more information on vacation rentals homes for sale in Palm Desert and other tips for snowbirds, visit our Desert Road Trippin’ Snowbird Tips pages. http://www.desertusa.com/dusablog/category/explore-the-desert/blogs/staff-blogs/desert-road-trippin/snowbird-tips

Temperature/Climate

There are approximately 50,907 permanent residents and 32,000 seasonal residents. 
Average rainfall is 3.38 inches
Average Sunshine: 350 days per year
Mean temperature is 73.1 degrees

Palm Desert Visitor’s Center
72-567 Highway 111
Palm Desert, CA 92260
(800) 873-2428
(760) 568-1441
http://www.palm-desert.org/

Palm Desert Weather Facts & Graph (source:  weather.com)

Palm Desert, CA Weather Facts

• On average, the warmest month is July.

• The highest recorded temperature was 123°F in 1970.

• On average, the coolest month is December.

• The lowest recorded temperature was 13°F in 1937.

• The maximum average precipitation occurs in January.

Local Blogs & Links

Golf

Things To Do - DesertRoadTrippin Blog

Real Estate

Accomodations

Hotels Indio, CA 92201 Hotels La Quinta, CA 92253 Hotels Indian Wells, CA 92210 Hotels Palm Desert, CA 92211

Transportation

Palm Springs International Airport (23 miles to Indio, CA) 3400 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs, CA 92262 760-323-8161 Ontario International Airport (92 miles to Indio, CA) Terminal Bldg #200 Ontario, CA 91761 909-937-2700 Los Angeles International Airport (146 miles to Indio, CA) 1 World Way Los Angeles, CA 90045 310-646-5252 Desert Resorts Regional Airport 56-850 Higgens Dr. Thermal, CA 92274 1-800-235-9876 Nearest Private Airport: Bermuda Dunes Airport Indio, CA 92201

Local Taxi Services

AAA TAXI 760-668-2900 AIRPORT TAXI 760-862-9000 A VALLEY CABOUSINE 760-340-5845 CITY CAB 760-416-2594 CLASSIC YELLOW CAB 760-321-8294 COUNTRY CLUB TAXI 760-779-5937 INDIAN WELLS CAB 760-641-0955 LA QUINTA CAB 760-347-4141 R & C EXPRESS CAB 760-567-2780 UNITED TAXI 760-601-6283 USA CAB 760-251-5803 YELLOW CAB CO. 760-345-8398

Overview | Where To Stay |Things To Do | Shopping |Golf Courses | Nearby Resources