Imperial, California
Imperial is a city of 21,430 people in Imperial County, California, founded in July 12, 1904.
Why visit Imperial
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 23 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Movies 10 and El Centro Main Post Office.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 108°F; December lows average 41°F.
Weather in Imperial
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Imperial
Imperial is a city in Imperial County, California, 4 miles (6.4 km) north of El Centro.
From the Wikipedia article Imperial, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks2
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El Centro Main Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Post office in El Centro, California
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes23
The Broken Yolk Cafe
Restaurant · American, Breakfast · 1.6 mi
3049 North Imperial Avenue, El Centro
Mo-Su,PH 07:00-14:00
Cold Stone Creamery
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 1.9 mi
2049 North Imperial Avenue, El Centro
Golden Corral
Restaurant · American, Buffet · 1.9 mi
2018 North Imperial Avenue, El Centro
11 more on the map.
History
Imperial was created by the Imperial Land Company and was named by George Chaffey. Imperial's first post office opened in 1901. Imperial incorporated in 1904. The first mayor of Imperial was Allison Peck.
The town-site of Imperial was plotted in 1902 for home and commercial businesses. Its first buildings included a printing press, drug store, grocery store, brick building, and church. The city can also boast of having the first school in the valley and the first Chamber of Commerce.
The City of Imperial was incorporated July 12, 1904, thus being the first city in the valley to incorporate. The city was originally thought to become the county seat, but lost out to the City of El Centro in 1907.
Imperial through the years became the location for the home of the Imperial Irrigation District, the California Mid-Winter Fair and the Imperial County Airport. Also several businesses were established in the city. Imperial was devastated by earthquakes in 1916 and 1940. In 1979, Another earthquake destroyed many of the old buildings in the downtown business area, including City Hall. The city was slow to rebuild the business district following the quake, taking several years.
In June 2014, a McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma crashed in a residential area. The pilot ejected safely, and no residents were injured.
From the History section of Imperial, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship5
Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.5 mi
211 West 6th Street, Imperial
La Luz Del Mundo
Church · La Luz Del Mundo · 2.0 mi
1901 North Imperial Avenue, El Centro
Shopping9
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries39
Ballington Academy For The Arts And Sciences
School · 3.3 mi
1525 West Main St., El Centro
Healthcare2
Map of Imperial
93 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°F | 42°F | 0.4 in |
| Feb | 74°F | 45°F | 0.4 in |
| Mar | 80°F | 51°F | 0.3 in |
| Apr | 86°F | 56°F | 0.1 in |
| May | 94°F | 62°F | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 104°F | 70°F | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 108°F | 78°F | 0.1 in |
| Aug | 108°F | 79°F | 0.1 in |
| Sep | 102°F | 72°F | 0.2 in |
| Oct | 90°F | 60°F | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 78°F | 48°F | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 69°F | 41°F | 0.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Imperial Co Ap (0 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Imperial County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2023-11-21: Tropical Storm Hilary (Hurricane)
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2010-05-07: Earthquake (Earthquake)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Imperial County Airport (IPL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- El Centro 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Seeley 7 mi southwest, about 12 min by car
- Heber 8 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Brawley 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Holtville 11 mi east, about 18 min by car
- Calexico 12 mi southeast, about 19 min by car
- Salton City 39 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Somerton 53 mi east, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Avenue B and C 54 mi east, about 1 h 30 min by car
- San Luis 55 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- City Hall for Imperial, JacobSA2019, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Imperial County Airport (12971685924), BriYYZ, CC BY-SA 2.0
- U.S. Post Office Building, El Centro, California, Cbl62, CC BY-SA 3.0
- California Mid Winter Fair, JacobSA2019, CC BY-SA 4.0
- On Final (12971410683), BriYYZ, CC BY-SA 2.0
- El Centro city limits, JacobSA2019, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.