Salton City, California
Salton City is a community of 5,988 people in Imperial County, California.
Why visit Salton City
Townapedia lists 1 park or trail, 9 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 108°F; December lows average 47°F.
Weather in Salton City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Salton City
Salton City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Imperial County, California. It is the largest Imperial County development on the Salton Sea coast. It is part of the El Centro, California Metropolitan Statistical Area. The 2020 census reported a population of 5,155, up from 3,763 at the 2010 census and 978 in 2000.
From the Wikipedia article Salton City, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes9
Serrano’s Juice Bar and Grill
Restaurant · Barbecue, Mexican · 1.3 mi
2108 Salton Arena Street
Where to stay4
Ray & Carol's Motel by The Sea
Motel and hotel · 2.1 mi
1008 Ontario Avenue, Salton City
Seaview Estates Mobile Home & RV Spa & Resort
Campground · 1.9 mi
336 Seaview Drive, Salton City
West Shores Marina & RV Park
Campground · 2.2 mi
559 Sea Garden Avenue, Salton City
History
Salton City was developed in the 1960s and established in 1958 primarily by M. Penn Phillips and the Holly Corporation, the Texas-based oil refiner and land developer. It was intended to be a resort community on the Salton Sea, a saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the San Andreas Fault, yet by 1965 limited development was achieved due to its isolation and lack of local employment opportunities and the downfall of the town began.
In the 1970s, most of the buildings constructed along the shoreline, including the city's marina were abandoned due to rising sea elevation. In the 1980s, the Imperial Irrigation District took proactive water conservation measures to reduce the flow of unused canal water into the Salton Sea. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, as salinity and suspected pollution levels in the Salton Sea increased, the attraction of the Salton Sea as a recreational destination diminished. Most of the original tourist related structures fell during this time, including the Truckhaven Cafe, the Salton Bay Yacht Club hotel and restaurant, and the Holly House motel and restaurant (later renamed Desser House and then the Sundowner).
From the History section of Salton City, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Map of Salton City
20 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°F | 49°F | 0.7 in |
| Feb | 73°F | 52°F | 0.8 in |
| Mar | 80°F | 58°F | 0.5 in |
| Apr | 86°F | 61°F | 0.1 in |
| May | 94°F | 69°F | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 102°F | 76°F | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 108°F | 83°F | 0.3 in |
| Aug | 108°F | 84°F | 0.4 in |
| Sep | 102°F | 78°F | 0.3 in |
| Oct | 91°F | 68°F | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 79°F | 56°F | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 68°F | 47°F | 0.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ocotillo Wells 2W (16 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
Salton Sea Base B-2 is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Oasis 18 mi northwest, about 30 min by car
- Mecca 20 mi north, about 32 min by car
- Borrego Springs 23 mi west, about 37 min by car
- Thermal 25 mi northwest, about 40 min by car
- Vista Santa Rosa 26 mi northwest, about 43 min by car
- Coachella 29 mi north, about 47 min by car
- La Quinta 29 mi northwest, about 47 min by car
- Brawley 33 mi southeast, about 54 min by car
- Indio 34 mi northwest, about 54 min by car
- Palm Desert 38 mi northwest, about 1 h 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
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
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