Hesperia () is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is located north of downtown San Bernardino in Victor Valley and surrounded by the Mojave Desert. Because of its relatively high elevation and the unique and moderate weather patterns of the region, Hesperia is part of what is locally called the High Desert. The name "Hesperia" means "western land". At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 99,818.
History The first inhabitants of the area were the Serrano people (Yuhaaviatam), and possibly their Desert Serrano Vanyume subgroup.. The village of Wá’peat, among several other villages that were located along the Mojave River, were within the vicinity of what is now Hesperia. These villages were occupied into the early 1800s and had deep ties with one another. An acorn-gathering festival was held at Wá’peat that involved villagers from across the Mojave River area.
Hesperia began as a Spanish land grant: Rancho San Felipe, Las Flores, y el Paso del Cajon, founded in 1781. 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.
In 1869, Max Stobel purchased from the United States Government Land Office for $40,000. While several attempts were made to subdivide and encourage colonization, the land was primarily used for agricultural purposes, with raisin grapes the primary product.
The town site was laid out in 1891 by railroad company land developers of the Santa Fe Railroad, which was 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 Omaha of the West" or projections to have over 100,000 people by 1900, but only 1,000 moved in.
Hesperia grew relatively slowly until the completion of US Routes 66, 91, and 395 in the 1940s, followed by Interstate 15 in the late 1960s. About of land were laid out for possible residential development.
In the early 1950s, land developer M. Penn Phillips and his silent financial partner, boxer Jack Dempsey, financed the building of roads and land subdivisions, promoting lots sales on television. They built the Hesperia Inn and golf course, which attracted a variety of Hollywood celebrities. The Hesperia Inn also housed the Jack Dempsey Museum.
The main wave of newcomers, though, arrived at Hesperia in the 1980s. Suburban growth transformed the small town of 5,000 people in 1970 to a moderate-sized city with a population over 60,000 by 2000, and a population of 100,000 by 2020.
Geography
Hesperia is a city in the Mojave Desert, and the California Aqueduct traverses the area.Earth Metrics, 1989 Much of the native flora of Hesperia is classified as California desert vegetation, dominated by junipers, joshua trees, and sagebrush. The elevation rises from 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 above sea level and is a neighbor of Victorville, Oak Hills, and Apple Valley. The Mojave River flows northerly through the east side of the city, while the California Aqueduct splits the city from north to south en route to Silverwood Lake.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , with of land and (0.13%) covered by water.
On the southern edge of Hesperia, where the city meets the desert by the airport to the east, is a somewhat pronounced mesa.
Climate According to the Köppen climate classification, Hesperia has a cold desert climate, BWk on climate maps.
Winter days are cool with high temperatures averaging around , but temperatures get cold overnight, as the average low temperatures for December and January are around freezing. It is also the area's wet season. The rain shadow caused by the mountain ranges to the south and west shields Hesperia from the majority of winter rainfall, but heavy rain is not uncommon. The city officially receives a yearly average of of precipitation. Winter snowfall is sporadic - the average yearly snowfall amount is .
Summer days are very hot, with high temperatures typically nearing . This excessive heat is typical of the Mojave Desert as a whole. The large diurnal temperature variation, though, provides substantial relief overnight. In the later part of the season, sporadic summer thunderstorms associated with the North American monsoon can bring power outages and local flash floods.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Hesperia, California – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)39,05737,02729,44462.41%41.06%29.50%Black or African American alone (NH)2,3884,8535,2553.82%5.38%5.26%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)4694124270.75%0.46%0.43%Asian alone (NH)6191,7042,1930.99%1.89%2.20%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)1022052050.16%0.23%0.21%Other race alone (NH)911645650.15%0.18%0.57%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)1,4561,7173,0812.33%1.90%3.09%Hispanic or Latino (any race)18,40044,09158,64829.40%48.90%58.75%Total62,58290,17399,818100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Hesperia had a population of 99,818 and a population density of . The racial makeup of Hesperia was 40.3% White, 5.6% African American, 1.9% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 33.9% from other races, and 15.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 58.8% of the population.
The age distribution was 28.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% aged 18 to 24, 26.4% aged 25 to 44, 22.7% aged 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males age 18 and over.
The census reported that 99.9% of the population lived in households, 0.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.0% were institutionalized. Additionally, 98.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.7% lived in rural areas.
There were 29,144 households, out of which 45.1% included children under the age of 18, 52.2% were married-couple households, 7.8% were cohabiting couple households, 23.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, and 16.7% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. About 16.0% of households were one person households, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.42. There were 23,023 families (79.0% of all households).
There were 30,344 housing units at an average density of , of which 29,144 (96.0%) were occupied. Of the occupied units, 65.4% were owner-occupied and 34.6% were occupied by renters. About 4.0% of housing units were vacant, with a homeowner vacancy rate of 1.1% and a rental vacancy rate of 4.6%.
2023 ACS 5-year estimates In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $68,971, and the per capita income was $25,683. About 14.3% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010 census At the 2010 census, Hesperia had a population of 90,173. The population density was . The racial makeup of Hesperia was 55,129 (61.1%) White (41.1% non-Hispanic White), 5,226 (5.8%) African American, 1,118 (1.2%) Native American, 1,884 (2.1%) Asian, 270 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 22,115 (24.5%) from other races, and 4,431 (4.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44,091 persons (48.9%).
The census reported that 90,145 people lived in households, 22 lived in noninstitutionalized group quarters, and six were institutionalized.
Of the 26,431 households, 49.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 56.0% were opposite-sex married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.1% had a male householder with no wife present; 7.6% were unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 0.7% were same-sex married couples or partnerships. About 15.3% were one-person households and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.41. The average family size was 3.76.
The age distribution was 29,156 people (32.3%) under 18, 9,465 people (10.5%) from 18 to 24, 23,243 people (25.8%) from 25 to 44, 20,157 people (22.4%) from 45 to 64, and 8,152 people (9.0%) 65 or older. The median age was 30.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.
The 29,004 housing units averaged 396.2 per square mile; of the occupied units, 17,688 (66.9%) were owner-occupied and 8,743 (33.1%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.4%; 58,320 people (64.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 31,825 people (35.3%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Hesperia had a median household income of $46,027, with 23.1% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
Economy According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the principal employers in the city are:
# Employer # of Employees1Hesperia Unified School District2,8172County of San Bernardino6483Walmart Supercenter4054Super Target3205Stater Bros. Markets3206City of Hesperia2617Arizona Pipeline Company2138In-N-Out Burger1439Robar Ent/Hi Grade Material12910Double Eagle Transportation12611Hesperia Recreation & Park District106
Arts and culture
Hesperia has a manmade lake (Hesperia Lake Park) on the southeastern edge of the town. This lake is where various town activities are held, including the annual Hesperia Day activities. Camping and fishing are permitted here, as well as day camp and various junior leagues for sports.
Just south of Hesperia Lake Park is the Radio Control Model Aircraft Park, located at 1700 Arrowhead Lake Road. Home of the Victor Valley R/C Flyers, the R/C Park is open on a daily basis by its members.
Hesperia's golf course is known for its narrow fairways and fast greens. During the 1950s and 1960s, 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.
To the east of Hesperia, the Mojave River runs from south to north, mainly under ground, and it surfaces in Victorville. Although the river bed is usually dry, it fills 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.
Hesperia is the home of Cal-Earth, a nonprofit organization demonstrating and teaching a method of home construction, particularly for arid hot areas, called Superadobe.
Parks and recreation Hesperia Recreation and Park District serves the recreational needs of the citizens. Established in 1957, Hesperia Recreation and Park District has facilities, both indoors and outdoors. The Southern California Hardball Association is a 28 and over, adult baseball league that serves Hesperia residents.
Government State and federal In the California State Legislature, Hesperia is in , and is split between and .
In the United States House of Representatives, Hesperia is in .
Municipal , Allison Lee is the mayor of the city, with Cameron Gregg as the mayor pro tem. The other three council members are Chris Ochoa, Brigit Bennington, and Josh Pullen.
According to the city's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $92.1 million in revenues, $98.7 million in expenditures, $520.5 million in total assets, $284.5 million in total liabilities, and $44.4 million in cash and investments.