Ridgecrest, CA
| Ridgecrest, California | ||
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| City | ||
College Heights Blvd., Ridgecrest
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 Location in Kern County and the state of California |
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 Ridgecrest, California
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| Coordinates: 35°37′21″N 117°40′15″W / 35.62250°N 117.67083°WCoordinates: 35°37′21″N 117°40′15″W / 35.62250°N 117.67083°W | ||
| Country |
 United States
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| State |
 California
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| County | Kern | |
| Incorporated | November 29, 1963 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Peggy Breeden | |
| • State senator | Jean Fuller (R) | |
| • Assemblymember | Vince Fong (R) | |
| • U. S. rep. | Kevin McCarthy (R) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 21.417 sq mi (55.469 km2) | |
| • Land | 20.766 sq mi (53.783 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.651 sq mi (1.685 km2) 3.04% | |
| Elevation | 2,290 ft (698 m) | |
| Population (2010) | ||
| • Total | 27,616 | |
| • Density | 1,300/sq mi (500/km2) | |
| Time zone | Pacific (UTC−8) | |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC−7) | |
| ZIP codes | 93555–93556 | |
| Area codes | 442/760 | |
| FIPS code | 06-60704 | |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1652783, 2410944 | |
| Website | www |
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Ridgecrest is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is located along U.S. Route 395 in the Indian Wells Valley in northeastern Kern County, adjacent to the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake (NAWS, or China Lake). The population was 27,616 at the 2010 census, up from 24,927 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated as a city in 1963.
Ridgecrest is surrounded by four mountain ranges; the Sierra Nevada on the west, the Cosos on the north, the Argus Range on the east, and the El Paso Mountains on the south. It is approximately 82 miles (132 km) from the Lancaster/Palmdale area and approximately 145 miles (233 km) from both Bakersfield and San Bernardino, the three nearest major urban centers. Private air travel in and out of the city is provided through the Inyokern Airport. There are currently no scheduled commercial flights in or out of Ridgecrest.
Ridgecrest is within two hours of the highest and the lowest points in the conterminous U.S.
The settlement began as a farming community called Crumville in 1912, honoring James and Robert Crum, local dairymen. The first post office opened in 1941. By 1943, Ridgecrest had grown to 115 homes and 196 residents. NOTS (Naval Ordnance Test Station) was established in November 1943, providing a strong job base for the years to come.
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