Victorville, California

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Victorville is a city located in the Victor Valley of western San Bernardino County, California, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 census, the city has a total population of 64,029. The July 1, 2005 population estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau is 91,264. It's estimated the rapidly growing city's population surpassed the 100,000 mark, one of California's fastest growing cities after two decades of new homes across desert land and move-ins from the Los Angeles area.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 History
4 Sources/external links

[edit] Geography

Victorville is located at 34°31'14" North, 117°20'40" West (34.520459, -117.344525)^GR1.

Victorville is located at the southern edge of the Mojave Desert, 81 miles northeast of Los Angeles, 34 miles south of Barstow, 48 miles east of Palmdale, and 37 miles north of San Bernardino through the Cajon Pass on Interstate 15. Victorville has the Mojave Desert branch of the San Bernardino county government offices.

It is bordered by Apple Valley on the east, Hesperia on the south, and Adelanto on the west. The Mojave River flows through Victorville. The elevation of city hall is 3,620 feet above sea level. The summer climate for this area in the Mojave Desert may be hotter than the Los Angeles basin or the Inland Empire, but actually 10 or 15 degrees cooler than in the Colorado Desert.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 189.8 km² (73.3 mi²). 188.5 km² (72.8 mi²) of it is land and 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.71% water.

[edit] Demographics

As of 2005, there is an estimated population of 86,473 people, 30,000 households, and 21,000 families residing in the city. The population density is 339.7/km² (879.7/mi²). There are 22,498 housing units at an average density of 119.4/km² (309.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 61.05% White, 11.92% African American, 1.11% Native American, 3.48% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 16.26% from other races, and 5.98% from two or more races. 33.46% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 30,000 households out of which 43.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% are married couples living together, 16.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% are non-families. 19.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.03 and the average family size is 3.47.

In the city the population is spread out with 34.2% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $36,187, and the median income for a family is $39,988. Males have a median income of $40,149 versus $26,138 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,454. 18.7% of the population and 15.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.6% of those under the age of 18 and 10.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

[edit] History

About 1895 the town was named Victor after California Southern Railroad General Manager Jacob Nash Victor. In 1901, the United States Post Office Department changed the name to Victorville to avoid confusion with the town of Victor, Colorado.

In 1926, Route 66 was established and passed through Victorville. Today, the former route is the primary road through downtown Victorville, forming Seventh Street.

Victorville Army Airfield was constructed in 1941 and later named George Air Force Base. In 1992, the base was deactivated and is now Southern California Logistics Airport.

The city was incorporated on September 21, 1962.

On August 14, 1977, actor Ron Haydock was struck and killed while hitch-hiking near Victorville.

Today it is the home of the Route 66 Museum and the San Bernardino County Fair.