When you think of California—you think of big cities like Los Angeles and San Diego.
In fact, those are California’s two largest cities by population, with Los Angeles hovering above 3.7 million and San Diego at around 1.3 million people.
They’re also California’s two largest cities by area, each occupying over 300 square miles of space.
But California’s third largest city, by area, is one you’ve never heard of.
It’s the size of San Jose and San Francisco—combined.
And it’s named after the state itself.
Tucked above Edwards AFB in the northern Antelope Valley of California, an area that you’ll pass on your right as you drive up I-5 from LA to Northern CA, an city of few people and enormous size called California City was created in the late 1950s as California’s “next great city”.
The brainchild of developer and sociology professor Nat Mendelsohn, California City was designed around a 26-acre artificial lake—the size of nearly 35 football fields.
However, the mantra of “if you build it, they will come” never materialized. Entire neighborhoods slated for development lay barren. The population of the enormous city is a mere 14,120. To give some perspective, the tiny 1-square-mile Pico-Robertson neighborhood of LA has more residents.
So what’s the allure of this city? And will it ever grow?
With temperatures ranging from an average of freezing (33 degrees F) to 97 degrees F in the middle of the summer, people certainly won’t move there for the weather.
However, for the first time in five decades—business is showing signs of growth.
Hyundai/Kia recently opened proving grounds outside the city, and Cerro Coso Community College has broken ground to provide educational opportunities for Edwards AFB.
The Mojave Air and Space Port, located just outside of town, is currently the only private spaceport in the United States, known for being the launch point for the Virgin Galactic rocket and the future space tourism boom.
50 years ago, California City was hailed as the future.
Perhaps 50 years in the future it actually will be.