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Hesperia, California
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The City of Hesperia is part of San Bernardino County, California located in the Mojave Desert northeast of Los Angeles. The locals refer to the surrounding area as the High Desert. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 62,582. In 2006, the Hesperia municipal government estimated the population at 80,000.
Geography and environment
Hesperia is situated within the Mojave Desert Geomorphic Province on volcanic rock with upper soils characterized by light to dark brown silty sand.(Earth Metrics, 1989) The California Aqueduct traverses the Hesperia area.
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The City of Hesperia is part of San Bernardino County, California located in the Mojave Desert northeast of Los Angeles. The locals refer to the surrounding area as the High Desert. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 62,582. In 2006, the Hesperia municipal government estimated the population at 80,000.
Geography and environment
Hesperia is situated within the Mojave Desert Geomorphic Province on volcanic rock with upper soils characterized by light to dark brown silty sand.(Earth Metrics, 1989) The California Aqueduct traverses the Hesperia area. Much of the native flora of Hesperia is classified as California desert vegetation, dominated by junipers, joshua trees and sagebrush. The elevation rises from 3,200 in the north to about above sea level to the south. The San Andreas Fault, a major tectonic plate boundary of the Pacific and North American plates a few miles south of Hesperia in the Cajon Pass, has occasional seismic activity.
Hesperia is located at (34.412903, -117.306189) and at above sea level.
The Mojave River flows north through the east side of the city. The California Aqueduct splits the city down the center from north to south where it then heads underground on its way to Silverwood Lake.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 174.6 km² (67.4 mi²). 174.4 km² (67.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.10%) is water.
Hesperia is the 4th largest city in the Palmdale Metropolitan Area.
Also, on the southern edge of Hesperia, where the city meets the desert, is a somewhat pronounced mesa, which the locals refer to as simply "the mesa".
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,582 people, 19,966 households, and 15,773 families residing in the city. The population density was 358.8/km² (929.3/mi²). There were 21,348 housing units at an average density of 122.4/km² (317.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.28% White, 4.03% African American, 1.27% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 14.46% from other races, and 4.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 29.40% of the population.
There were 19,966 households out of which 42.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.0% were non-families. 16.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.12 and the average family size was 3.47.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.8% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,201, and the median income for a family was $43,004. Males had a median income of $39,776 versus $25,665 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,487. About 11.1% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
The Hesperia Unified School District serves the young population of Hesperia, along with the surrounding suburbs of Oak Hills, Marianas Ranchos and Summitt Valley to the south and the southern part of the city of Victorville (known as the "golden triangle") to the northwest. The District consists of three high schools (Hesperia High School, Sultana High School, Oak Hills High School), three junior high schools (Hesperia Jr High, Ranchero Middle School, the newly completed Cedar Middle School), and 14 elementary schools. Every year the Hesperia and Sultana High School football teams compete in a game known as the "Key Game," where whoever wins for that year gets the key to the city. The rivalry between the Scorpions and Sultans began shortly after Sultana was completed in 1995, eleven years after Hesperia's first high school was built. The Hesperia Scorpions currently hold the key to the city following their football teams 50-0 victory over the Sultans on October 17 2008. Although both Jay Reed Field and Scorpion Stadium have a seating capacity of 5,000, every Key Game since 1995 has drawn a crowd of at least 6,000 fans with a reported 8,000+ fans in 2008. And football is not the only highlight of this rivalry. Students, teachers, parents, fans and athletes often crowd the bleachers or sidelines at all activities between the two, whether it's basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, volleyball, wrestling, or track & field.
The district's new Oak Hills High School is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009 with freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Cedar Middle School students followed a tradition in voting on their future high school's mascot and colors as Hesperia Junior/Hesperia High and Ranchero Middle/Sultana High did in 1984 and 1995. The top three mascot choices were the Titans, Wolf Pack and Bulldogs. When voting was finalized, Oak Hills High School was home to the Bulldogs and red, black and white were the colors chosen.
History
Hesperia's origins began as a Spanish land grant: Rancho San Felipe, Las Flores y el Paso del Cajon founded in 1781. The first inhabitants were Serrano Indians who lived in the normally dormant Mojave River bed, but the land was sparsely inhabited desert during Spanish-Mexican rule in the 19th century. The U.S. annexed the region along with Southern California after the Mexican-American war in 1848 and homesteaders, especially Mormons dispatched from the Utah Territory in 1854, began to live there.
The town site was originally laid out in 1891 by railroad company land developers of the US & Santa Fe Railroad completed that year. Hesperia was named for "Hesperus", the Greek god of the west. The railroad land developers published pamphlets distributed across the country with boosterism of Hesperia, California, as a potential metropolis: to become "the Chicago of the West" or projections to have over 100,000 people by the year 1900, but only 1,000 moved in.
Hesperia grew relatively slowly until the completion of U.S. Routes 66, 91 and 395 in the 1940s followed by Interstate 15 in the late 1960s. A total of of land was laid out for possible residential development: roads were set up, but hardly any houses were built, until the wave of newcomers arrived at Hesperia in the 1980s. Suburban growth transformed the small town of 5,000 people in 1970 to a moderate-sized community of over 60,000 by the year 2000.
Places of Interest
Hesperia has its own man-made lake (Hesperia Lake) on the south-eastern edge of the town. This lake is where various town activities are held, including Fourth of July activities and Hesperia Day activities. Camping and fishing are permitted here, as well as various junior leagues for sports.
Soccer is a very popular sport often played on the soccer fields here in Spring, late Summer, and Fall. HYSL (Hesperia Youth Soccer League) is the soccer leagues that play here and practice here.
Hesperia's golf course is known for its narrow fairways and fast greens. During the 50's and 60's, this course was a stop along the PGA Tour. The course runs from the rift between the 'mesa' and the adjoining land on the other side. Here there is also the Hesperia country club. The golf course is open to the public but country club amenities are reserved for members only.
On the southern tip of Hesperia, there are several miles of barren desert. To the east of Hesperia, the Mojave River runs from south to north. The Mojave River mainly runs underground and surfaces in Victorville. Although the riverbed is usually dry, it will fill up if Hesperia experiences a rare heavy rain. Hesperia is bordered to the north by the city of Victorville, and to the east by the town of Apple Valley.
On the southern edge of Hesperia, there is the unfinished Las Flores housing project which left the desert devoid of all plant life. This unfinished project was little more than cleared out desert, with differing slopes of dirt designed for the purpose of placing a gated housing community there. Since this project fell through and was never completed, many people used this area for riding motor cycles and ATVs. As such, this area was dubbed "Honda Valley" by the locals. Recently, however, this area has undergone recent construction and all ATVs have been kept off the property, in accordance with a 2005 city ordinance prohibiting anyone from riding on private property without express written permission from the property owner.
Public Safety
The City of Hesperia contracts with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department for law enforcement services. The substation is located on Santa Fe Avenue next to the BNSF railroad tracks. The station provides full service law enforcement for the City and the southern suburbs of Oak Hills and Marianas Ranchos. Additional deputies can respond as necessary from the nearby Victorville Regional Station.
Shortly after Hesperia incorporated as a city in 1988, it created its own fire protection district lasting until 2004.
The city now contracts with the San Bernardino County Fire Department for fire and emergency medical services.
Politics
In the state legislature Hesperia is located in the 17th Senate District, represented by Republican George Runner, and in the 59th Assembly District, represented by Republican Anthony Adams. Federally, Hesperia is located in California's 41st congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +9 and is represented by Republican Jerry Lewis.
Notable people from Hesperia
- Eddy Akridge, four-time World Champion Bareback Rider, Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee, musician. Lived in Hesperia in the mid 1950's.
- Earl W. Bascom, inventor, artist/sculptor, actor, Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee, "Father of Modern Rodeo." Lived in Hesperia in 1956.
- Silas Cox, Mormon pioneer, built the first log cabin in Hesperia for his open-range cattle operation, known as the "Daniel Boone of the West"
External links
Mayor: Mike Leonard
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