Palmdale, California
About Palmdale
Set in the southeastern part of California, Palmdale is a mid-size city, home to 162,536 residents as of the latest Census estimates. It stands among the 500 most populous places in the United States (#163 nationwide).
Officially, Palmdale is an incorporated city with its own municipal government. The community covers 106.06 square miles, giving it a balanced suburban layout with room to breathe at roughly 1,532 residents per square mile.
📰 Palmdale News Today
- San Bernardino County sheriff's detective wounded, suspect killed in shooting near Palmdale ABC7 Los Angeles · Aug 5
- Palmdale Air Quality Index (AQI) and USA Air Pollution IQAir · Jun 22
- Mega Millions Ticket Worth $7.3 Million Sold At Palmdale Gas Station VVNG · Jul 23
- Mystery Mega Millions ticket sold in Southern California worth $7.3M KTLA · Jul 22
- Cop shot during investigation; Other person dead FOX 11 Los Angeles · Aug 5
Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.
What Makes Palmdale Unique
- Unusually large footprint: 106.06 sq mi of land — bigger than many US counties' seats.
- Positioned in southeastern California, convenient to the region's corridors and crossings.
- Part of the fabric of California — one of 1,618 recognized communities statewide.
Why People Love It Here
- Full urban amenities: dining, healthcare, education, and employment in one place.
- Serious economic gravity — one of the region's employment and cultural hubs.
- Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 8 miles.
🍽️ Where to Eat in Palmdale
- Dutch Bros. Coffee — coffee shop (café)
- IHOP — breakfast
- Pizza Hut — pizza
- Starbucks — coffee shop (café)
- Buffalo's Cafe (café)
- Dragon Garden — chinese
- El Carbonero — mexican
- Jasmine Thai
- Kung Fu Tea — bubble tea (café)
- Las Islas Marias Mariscos — mexican
Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🎡 Fun Things to Do
- Blackbird Airpark · Museum
- Joe Davies Heritage Airpark · Museum
- A-12 · Attraction
- B-52 · Attraction
- D-21 · Attraction
- Dry Town Water Park · Water park
- SR-71 · Attraction
- Shuttle Carrier Aircraft · Attraction
- U-2 · Attraction
Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Palmdale
- Avenue S Park reviews ★
- Courson Park reviews ★
- Desert Sands Park reviews ★
- Doctor Robert C Saint Clair Parkway reviews ★
- Harold Park reviews ★
- Joshua Hills Park reviews ★
- McAdam Park reviews ★
- Old Town Community Garden · Garden reviews ★
- Poncitlán Square reviews ★
- Skytower Park reviews ★
- Tejon Park reviews ★
Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.
🏫 Schools in Palmdale
- Antelope Valley Learning Academy
- Antelope Valley ROP
- Barrel Springs Elementary
- Daisy Gibson Elementary
- Highland High
- Lake Los Angeles Elementary
- Manzanita Elementary
- Ocotillo Elementary
- Palmdale Aerospace Academy
- Palmdale High
- Palmdale Learning Plaza
- R. Rex Parris High
- Tamarisk Elementary
- William J. (Pete) Knight High
Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.
🏥 Hospitals & Healthcare
- Palmdale Regional Medical Center ★★★ (3/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER
Medicare-registered hospitals with official CMS star ratings.