Thermal, California
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Thermal Kokell |
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|---|---|
| census-designated place | |
Avenue 56 in Thermal, California
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 Thermal
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| Coordinates: 33°37′35″N 116°07′51″W / 33.62639°N 116.13083°WCoordinates: 33°37′35″N 116°07′51″W / 33.62639°N 116.13083°W | |
| Country |
 United States
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| State |
 California
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| County | Riverside |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9.451 sq mi (24.479 km2) |
| • Land | 9.451 sq mi (24.479 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | -138 ft (−42 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,865 |
| • Density | 300/sq mi (120/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP codes | 92274 |
| Area code(s) | 760 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2583161 |
Thermal is an unincorporated community within the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, California located approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Palm Springs and about 9.5 miles (15.3 km) north of the Salton Sea. The community's elevation is 138 feet (42 m) below mean sea level. It is inside area code 760 and is in ZIP Code 92274. The population was 2,865 at the 2010 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Thermal a census-designated place (CDP), which does not precisely correspond to the historical community.
Thermal (originally Kokell) began as a railroad camp in 1910 for employees of the Southern Pacific Railroad, followed by Mecca (originally called Walters) in 1915 and Arabia in between, each with about 1,000 residents. Permanent dwellings were soon established on Avenue 56 (renamed Airport Boulevard), former U.S. Route 99 (State Route 86) and State Route 111 by the 1930s.
Agricultural development from canal irrigation made the area thrive in greenery by the 1950s, followed by the former Camp Young U.S. Naval Air station converted into Thermal Airport by 1965. In the early 1990s, a four-lane highway (State Route 86) was constructed over an earlier transportation route. There is a proposal for a major commercial aviation Airport known as the Jackie Cochran-Desert Cities Regional Airport in the same site.
An auto racetrack and club, a members-only racetrack near Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (Thermal Club), is under development, and is being built on land originally owned by the Kohl family (owners of Kohl Department stores) and built in partnership with them. The Kohls still own significant property in this area.
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