Because of the Antelope Valley’s unique air corridors and excellent flying weather, the Air Force and NASA have chosen it as a location for important aviation/aerospace research. This unique aeronautical testing cannot be done anywhere else in the world.

The Antelope Valley Triangle

The Antelope Valley is about the size of Connecticut. There are three points to the Antelope Valley: To the north are the old mining towns of Randsburg and Johannesburg, to the west are the quaint hamlets of Gorman and Frazier Park, and to the southeast is Wrightwood, featuring close-by skiing slopes. Beautiful, pristine desert scenery separates the large and small communities of the Antelope Valley. Mixed in with occasional sand dunes, sage and unlimited groves of Joshua trees, there are green areas with trees and lakes tucked between tall, scenic mountains. In the winter, snow caps the High Sierras to the north and San Gabriel Mountains to the south. In the spring, the foothills turn bright orange with California Golden Poppies.

Highways and Roads of the Antelope Valley

Highways 14, 58 and 138 lead into and out of the Antelope Valley. Highway 14 is the main route to Los Angeles, while Highways 58 and 138 connect to Bakersfield and San Bernardino, respectively. Also, Highway 138 will take you to Wrightwood and its ski resorts. Highway 58 connects with 395, which is the way north to Mammoth Mountain and more ski resorts.

One can drive to most points in the Los Angeles area within an hour, or slightly more. Other favorite locations such as San Francisco, the Pacific Ocean coastline, Mammoth Mountain, Lake Tahoe, Reno, Laughlin and Las Vegas can be reached in several hours.

Newcomers to the valley will find it easy to find their way around. Lettered streets are alphabetical and run east and west. Numbered streets are consecutive and run north and south.

Climate/Weather of the Antelope Valley

Clear blue skies and seasonal weather – that is the Antelope Valley weather story. If you like sunshine, there is plenty to go around. Snow falls lightly in the wintertime. Rain comes between December and March.

Ranging in elevation from 2,500 to 3,975 feet above sea level, the Antelope Valley features a semi-arid climate with four seasons and low humidity. But sunshine is typically the order of the day; one can expect rain just 14 days a year.

The average daily high temperature from July 1 to Aug. 31 is 94 degrees F (about 10 degrees cooler than Palm Springs). The overnight low summertime average is 63. The winter daily average high is 62, with a daily average wintertime low of 36. Light winter snow can occur anywhere in the Antelope Valley, but snowfall is not common.

Each year in the Antelope Valley, there are approximately 225 clear days, with 140 cloudy to partly cloudy days. If you are a pilot, you can anticipate an average of 360 flying days yearly. The average monthly temperature is 61 degrees, which is quite pleasant. In the winter, temperatures reach 50 and 60 degrees during the day, and drop into the teens and 20s overnight.

In the summer, the weather is hot and dry, with temperatures hovering around 100. Generally, summer nights cool off, with temperatures dropping into the 60s and 70s.

Population Profile

The population of the Antelope Valley has evolved from a number of sources. A small percentage of residents are thought to have descended from immigrant farmers and miners who settled here in the late 1800s. Later, the World War II years (1940s) attracted a large number of people to work in defense jobs at Muroc Air Field (now Edwards Air Force Base) and the Marine Auxiliary Training Base (now Mojave Airport).

Many of those defense workers stayed in the Valley and had children. Those offspring went to work at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale in the late ‘50s, and some of that labor force is still here. Eventually, over the years more people moved in to work on the Lockheed L-1011 commercial airliner project, the B1 and B2 bombers, space shuttles and the stealth fighter.

While aviation/aerospace jobs have accounted for many of the Antelope Valley’s newcomers in recent years, other people migrated to the Valley for different reasons.

One of the surges in population growth came after the 1994 earthquake in Los Angeles. Thousands of people were displaced by Mother Nature’s fury. They needed affordable, easy-to-buy homes, and the Antelope Valley fulfilled their needs.
Other groups of people moved to the Antelope Valley from Los Angeles, too. They were looking for a safer and more secure environment to raise their children. Service-type businesses followed those increases in population, which created a self-perpetuating growth momentum. That momentum continues to this day.

Transportation

For those without cars, the best way to travel is by bus. The Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) has a comprehensive schedule of buses running throughout the Valley, from south Palmdale to north Lancaster, and into Littlerock. Also, there are AVTA commuter bus routes to Los Angeles, West Los Angeles and San Fernando. The AVTA is “large enough to serve and small enough to care” about its ridership, and its riders receive a welcome relief from the escalating cost of gasoline. With a comprehensive route schedule, it has become easier for riders and commuters to get to the many destinations around town and to the Los Angeles basin.

Since its first year of operation in 1992, ridership has grown from 910,000 to nearly 3 million today. The fleet of buses has grown considerably, as well. AVTA has about 40 local transit coaches, each seating 38 to 40 passengers. The local, fixed-route buses utilize a low-floor design that makes it easier to get on and off the vehicles. Each bus also has two wheelchair positions. They are lift-equipped, and the front steps can be lowered for passengers who have difficulty boarding. Operating hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Transfer centers are located at Lancaster City Park and the Palmdale Transportation Center. Service is not available on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Those with AVTA monthly passes don’t need to buy local transfers. Monthly passes offer unlimited travel and savings. AVTA’s customer service staff offers complimentary trip planning to help you make those important connections. Assistance is available by calling (661) 945-9445, Ext. 200.

AVTA offers additional services, as well. It operates commuter routes on 25 coaches, three of which are double-deckers, and seat 53 to 68 passengers each. All commuter coaches feature comfortable high-back seats, restrooms, interior lights and tables. Senior citizens have several options available through AVTA, including the Seniors Ride Free program, Dial-A-Ride and Medical Shuttle services. The service has 19 Dial-a-Ride vehicles, all Ford or Chevrolet vans that can seat up to 18 passengers and four wheelchairs. The Medical Shuttle, available to the general public as well as seniors, provides passengers with a convenient way to get to major medical centers in the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles. AVTA also offers ACCESS service to persons with disabilities as determined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Hailed as a transportation hub of the Antelope Valley, the Palmdale Transportation Center opened in April 2005. The $14.85 million center, located near Sierra Highway and 6th Street East just south of Technology Drive, features Metrolink commuter rail service, bus service, and van-pool and park-and-ride services. The Clock Tower Plaza at the Palmdale Transportation Center showcases an indoor passenger waiting area with concessions, public telephones, comfortable seating, restrooms and security service. Metrolink passengers may also utilize partially enclosed outdoor waiting accommodations on the rail platform. Bus patrons will find eight centrally located bus stops providing convenient connections between regional service providers and local bus routes.

Taxi service also is available. There are several cab companies in the Antelope Valley catering to cab users. The average fare is generally $5 to most points, at about $1.60 per mile. A drop fee of $1.90 is charged to all persons when they first enter a cab. Please check with individual taxi companies to determine their exact rates.

Commuting

As more and more Antelope Valley residents become part of the growing number of workers who commute to the Los Angeles basin, AVTA’s express service to downtown Los Angeles, the West San Fernando Valley, Century City and West Los Angeles provides a great opportunity for riders to sit back, relax and enjoy a stress-free ride. All AVTA commuter buses are equipped with comfortable high-back reclining seats, onboard restrooms and individually controlled lighting for those who want to take advantage of the time for reading or to catch a few extra minutes of sleep. The double-deck commuter coaches also feature meeting tables and great visibility. Monthly passes are available online (www.avta.com). You can receive great savings from AVTA’s discounted online pricing. For specific routes and schedule information, call 661/945-9445, Ext. 200, or visit the website listed above.

If you become one of the approximately 57,000 workers commuting from the Valley, you may drive your own car, join a carpool or ride a bus or train. Many ride the Metrolink trains that depart the Lancaster and Vincent Grade/Acton stations as early as 4:33 a.m. and return as late as 8:28 p.m. Others take the AV Transportation Agency buses to various destinations.

If you are one of those who like to ride the train, you will be pleased to know that Metrolink service is available to Union Station in Los Angeles. Antelope Valley Metrolink stations are located at:

For additional information about commuting by train, call 800/371-LINK (5465). For those who drive their own cars or carpool “down below,” park-and-ride lots are located at Avenue K and the AV Freeway, Lancaster City Park and the Metrolink Station on Sierra Highway in Lancaster, at Avenue S and the AV Freeway, and Pearblossom Highway and the AV Freeway in Palmdale.

Many in government predict that within 10 years a high-speed bullet train will travel through the Antelope Valley, transporting commuters to and from Los Angeles and other places in the Southland. A project to construct just such a train has been in the planning stage for several years.

Air Service

Air service at Palmdale Regional Airport has been sporadic at best. The last airline to serve the airport was Scenic Airways, which launched service to and from Las Vegas in December 2004. Unfortunately, demand was low and the airline backed out in early 2006. The airport is located 41000 20th St. East in Palmdale.

Adjacent to Air Force Plant 42, the 60-acre airport could eventually see more services in the future, depending on conditions at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The land for the Palmdale airport is owned by the City of Los Angeles, which decades ago predicted this would make an ideal location for a major airport in the event LAX could no longer meet demand. Indeed, LAX is landlocked on 3,500 acres, making it one of the smallest major airports in the country. Palmdale Airport is certainly equipped to handle daily flights; it features a modern, 9,000-square-foot terminal capable of handling up to 300,000 passengers annually.

Antelope Valley Airport Express offers van service to LAX. The fare is approximately $30 one-way and $55 roundtrip. The AV Airport Express (AVAE) van makes seven trips a day to LAX and departs from the Antelope Valley Inn on Sierra Highway in Lancaster. The AVAE van also stops at the Holiday Inn in Palmdale, off Palmdale Boulevard, and at the Union 76 Station on Crown Valley Road in Acton.

As is the case throughout most of Southern California, the car is king. Having your own motor vehicle will give you the highest level of mobility.