LOCATION
Palm Desert is in the heart of California’s Coachella Valley, about 2 hours drive from Los Angeles, San Diego, or Tijuana. Interstate 10 runs from Los Angeles to Phoenix via the Coachella Valley, and State Highways 74 and 86 come to an end at this point. The Palm Springs International Airport is a 25-minute drive from Palm Desert and Amtrak has railway stations in nearby Palm Springs and Indio.
BRIEF HISTORY
Incorporated in 1973, Palm Desert is considered the cultural and retail center for the surrounding desert communities. In 1997, voters approved changing Palm Desert's designation from general law to a Charter City; in doing this they chose a greater degree of self-governance, particularly in social and economic fields.
ABOUT EDUCATION
The Palm Springs Unified School District is one of California’s finest. Currently it has fourteen elementary schools, four middle schools, three comprehensive high schools, one continuation high school, one independent study program, eight headstart/state preschools, three full-day headstart programs, four childcare programs, and an extensive adult education program. A wide range of programs serve a diverse student body, including special education, instruction for English Learners, Tech Prep, athletics, advanced placement, SBCP, Title I, school-to work transition, and GATE. Palm Desert itself has three of these elementary schools, one middle school, and a high school. A range of private schools grants more choices to residents; higher education is found at Palm Desert’s two-year community college and the recently opened satellite branch of the California State University San Bernardino.
WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT AREA?
Residents and visitors alike are drawn to Palm Desert for its gorgeous sunny weather, desert beauty, and outdoor lifestyle. With some of the best courses in the world, Palm Desert is a golfer’s paradise; the annual Golf Cart Parade attracts visitors from all over and Palm Desert is the only city in the world to grant golf carts street legal! The city has amazing public art and the region’s most exciting shopping; El Paseo is often referred to as the “Rodeo Drive of the desert”. Palm Desert is the region’s economic center, generating over one billion dollars in yearly retail sales and driving the current rapid growth enjoyed by the entire Palm Springs region. The city runs a Business Support Center which attracts further business to the area.
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