Open Accessibility Menu
Hide
Patient Portal
760-446-3551

Our Community

Ridgecrest offers:

Ridgecrest is a growing community that offers a wide range of activities, especially for the outdoor enthusiast.

A major tourist attraction for Ridgecrest is being located within two hours of the highest (Mount Whitney) and lowest points (Death Valley) in the contiguous U.S.

  • Parks
  • Local shopping
  • Restaurants
  • China Lake Golf Course (18 holes)
  • Ridgecrest Cinemas (8 screens)
  • Bowling
  • Public library
  • Historic USO Building
  • Historic Rand Mining District
  • Parade of 1,000 Flags
  • Museums (Maturango Museum and China Lake Museum)
  • Desert Tortoise Natural Area (California’s State Reptile)
  • Festivals and Fairs
Points of Interest:
  • Death Valley National Park
  • Fossil Falls
  • Sequoia National Forest
  • Petroglyphs
  • Trona Pinnacles
  • Robbers Roost
  • Red Rock Canyon State Park
  • Kennedy Meadows
  • Walkers Pass
Community Facts:
  • Population 2018: 28,880
  • 2,290 feet above sea level
  • Commute time: 13.8 minutes one-way, shorter than the US average of 26 minutes.
  • As the only incorporated community in the Indian Wells Valley, Ridgecrest acts as the urban center for northeastern Kern, Inyo and San Bernardino Counties.
  • The City’s incorporated area includes approximately 13,300 acres and is located in the Mojave Desert, east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and west of Death Valley National Park.
  • NAWS China Lake is an airborne weapons testing and training range located adjacent to Ridgecrest and operated by the United States Navy and its contractors.
  • California is the 3rd largest state in the U.S. and has a very diverse geography. Ridgecrest is just a car ride away to mountains, beaches, Death Valley and major cities.
Weather:
  • Average annual rainfall...4” (The US average is 39” of rain per year)
  • Average days of sunshine per year...279 (The US average is 205 sunny days)
  • Annual high temperature...103°F
  • Annual low temperature...32°F
Market Data:
  • Average household income $59,780 (median)
  • The median home value in Ridgecrest...$188,700.
  • Average monthly rent cost of a 2BR apartment...$737
Education:
  • Ridgecrest offers many educational opportunities for all ages.
  • Sierra Sands Unified School District serves a student population of 4,962 students with a 73% graduation rate and offers: 6 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and 1 high school.
  • The district’s primary high school is Sherman E Burroughs High School, serving 1,403 students. Mesquite High School is an alternative high school in the area.
  • Ridgecrest Charter School is a tuition-free public school supported by the California State Board of Education. Opened in 2001, the school educates children from Transitional K to the 8th grade. It is the only public school in Ridgecrest that combines both elementary and junior high.
  • There are a number of private school options in the area, including Immanuel Christian School , which has a 100%high school graduation rate and 90% of students attend colleges and universities.
  • Cerro Coso Community College is one of three colleges in the Kern Community College District.