About Twentynine Palms, California

	Bucklin Park downtown plaza

The City of Twentynine Palms, California, in the southern Mojave Desert, is the home of Joshua Tree National Park headquarters and proud host of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, the world's largest Marine Corps training base. Known for its clear skies, brilliant star-filled nights, desert and mountain vistas, wide open spaces, and world-class murals and public art, the city offers a haven for artists and nature lovers, a unique getaway destination for visitors, a scenic location for photography and filming, a supportive climate for small businesses, a family-friendly lifestyle for residents, and a healthy environment for retirees.

Developed as a desert homesteading community in the 1920s, the City of Twentynine Palms was incorporated on November 23, 1987. Situated in the Morongo Basin area of San Bernardino County, about 140 miles east of Los Angeles and 50 miles northeast of Palm Springs, the city encompasses 58 square miles and has a population of approximately 30,000 residents.

Twentynine Palms serves as a gateway community to the nearly 800,000-acre Joshua Tree National Park on the south and the 932-square-mile Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center on the north, as well as the Mojave National Preserve, Amboy Crater, Route 66, and other desert destinations. With a variety of restaurants and lodging properties, from historic inns to modern hotels and RV facilities, the city offers ample accommodations for some of the 1.4 million annual visitors to the park and convenient lodging for contractors and families visiting the Marine base.

Among the city’s amenities are two community parks with playgrounds, picnic cabanas, ball fields, youth and adult sports programs, public swimming pool and skateboard park, plus three downtown plaza parks, two golf courses, a visitor center, a host of annual events, and cultural attractions including a museum, library, art galleries, murals and public art, a community theater, and one of America’s last drive-in movie theaters.

Twentynine Palms is proud of its dark night sky and premier stargazing locale. Currently under development is Sky's the Limit Observatory & Nature Center in Twentynine Palms, next to the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park, one of the best places in the world for stargazing.

Less than 5 miles from the park entrance and the main gate of the Marine base is the main business district of Twentynine Palms. Besides abundant lodging and dining, a variety of small businesses form the backbone of the local economy, with independent retail and service businesses supplemented by several national chains and corporate entities. More than 600 business licenses are issued in the city each year.

Public education is provided by the Morongo Basin Unified School District, with four elementary schools and three secondary schools in Twentynine Palms. Copper Mountain College in nearby Joshua Tree offers associate's degrees and nursing programs, and Chapman University, a private institution with its main campus in Orange County, has a campus located on the Marine base. 

Health care is provided by the 29 Palms Naval Hospital aboard the Marine base, which treats active duty and retired military personnel, and the public hospital in Joshua Tree, which consists of Hi Desert Medical Center, a modern, 59 bed primary care hospital, and the Continuing Care Center, a 120 bed skilled nursing facility. Several family health clinics are available in Twentynine Palms, and Hi-Desert Memorial Health Care District operates diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation services, home health, Hospice, and other services in the area.

Housing in Twentynine Palms is affordable for families, singles, seniors, and retirees. Homes range from large modern residences, custom homes, ranches and rural living properties to medium-sized subdivision dwellings, apartment complexes, and artist studios. Median home sales price is in the mid-$100,000 range, and rentals are plentiful in all price ranges.

The call of the desert has lured many artists, musicians, early retirees, and urban escapees to become desert denizens in recent years. And, because of its friendly community spirit, Twentynine Palms is a wonderful place to make a home while being stationed at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center.

Welcome to Twentynine Palms, where our motto is "Life is Fine in 29!" 
 

To learn more, visit the City of Twentynine Palms website.

Click here for the Twentynine Palms history page (a brief overview).