kids encyclopedia robot

Rosamond, California facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Rosamond
View of part of Rosamond, CA
View of part of Rosamond, CA
Location in Kern County and the state of California
Location in Kern County and the state of California
Rosamond, California is located in the United States
Rosamond, California
Rosamond, California
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  California
County Kern
Area
 • Total 52.336 sq mi (135.550 km2)
 • Land 52.121 sq mi (134.993 km2)
 • Water 0.215 sq mi (0.557 km2)  0.41%
Elevation
2,517 ft (767 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 18,150
 • Density 346.80/sq mi (133.90/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
93560
Area code(s) 661
FIPS code 06-62826
GNIS feature ID 1661329

Rosamond is a unincorporated community in Kern County, California, US, near the Los Angeles county line. Rosamond is part of Greater Los Angeles and is located in the Mojave Desert just north of Lancaster and Palmdale, two of the largest cities in Antelope Valley. As of the 2010 Census, Rosamond's population was 18,150. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Rosamond as a census-designated place (CDP).

Rosamond is a suburban bedroom community with many residents employed by nearby Edwards Air Force Base or commuting to Los Angeles, Lancaster, and Palmdale for work. The town is about 15 minutes north of the Lancaster Metrolink station providing direct access to Los Angeles Union Station in just two hours.

History

Rosamond was originally established in 1877 as a townsite which was owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was named 'Rosamond' after the daughter of one of the railroad officials. The first local industries were mining and cattle. During the 1890s, gold was discovered and miners quickly traveled to the area and populated it in order to strike it rich; however, the industry waned for many years, yet later had some success with a small boom during the 1930s. In 1933 Muroc Army Air Field was established, which has since been renamed Edwards Air Force Base in honor of fallen test pilot Glenn Edwards.

The Rosamond post office opened in 1885, closed in 1887, and re-opened in 1888.

Geography

Rosamond is situated on the northern end of the Antelope Valley, the westernmost valley of the Mojave Desert. Because the elevation is in the range of 2000 to 3,000 feet (910 m) above sea level, the area, like the other parts of the Mojave Desert region, is alternatively referred to as the High Desert. Some cities and communities within the trading area of Rosamond include Lancaster, Palmdale, Hi Vista, Roosevelt, Redman, Lake Los Angeles, Quartz Hill, Ridgecrest, and Santa Clarita. Residents of these desert cities and unincorporated communities share Sierra Highway, Angeles Forest Highway, Angeles Crest Highway (State Route 2), and the Antelope Valley Freeway (State Route 14) for commutes to the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles Basin in order to get to work.

Willow Springs lies west of central Rosamond and was a watering hole for stagecoach travelers for generations. Due to the water now not available at the surface as it once was, the age-old springs are but a memory. Today Willow Springs Raceway is nearby, which hosts a variety of motor racing events, attracting people from all over Southern California and beyond.

Rosamond is located at 34°51′51″N 118°09′48″W / 34.86417°N 118.16333°W / 34.86417; -118.16333.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 52.3 square miles (135 km2), of which, 52.1 square miles (135 km2) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) of it (0.41%) is water.

Demographics

2010

At the 2010 census Rosamond had a population of 18,150. The population density was 346.8 people per square mile (133.9/km2). The racial makeup of Rosamond was 11,294 (62.2%) White, 1,476 (8.1%) African American, 221 (1.2%) Native American, 658 (3.6%) Asian, 66 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 3,258 (18.0%) from other races, and 1,177 (6.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6,230 persons (34.3%)

The census reported that 18,145 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 5 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 6,197 households, 2,603 (42.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,254 (52.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 843 (13.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 390 (6.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 432 (7.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 40 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,317 households (21.3%) were one person and 342 (5.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.93. There were 4,487 families (72.4% of households); the average family size was 3.43.

The age distribution was 5,290 people (29.1%) under the age of 18, 1,956 people (10.8%) aged 18 to 24, 4,708 people (25.9%) aged 25 to 44, 4,716 people (26.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,480 people (8.2%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 32.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.

There were 6,968 housing units at an average density of 133.1 per square mile, of the occupied units 4,202 (67.8%) were owner-occupied and 1,995 (32.2%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 12.7%. 12,388 people (68.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,757 people (31.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

At the 2000 census there were 14,349 people, 4,988 households, and 3,626 families in the CDP. The population density was 274.7 people per square mile (106.1/km2). There were 5,597 housing units at an average density of 107.2 per square mile (41.4/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 72.0% White, 6.6% Black or African American, 1.3% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 11.7% from other races, and 5.2% from two or more races. Of the 4,988 households 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 21.9% of households were one person and 6.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.38.

The age distribution was 32.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.5 males.

The median household income was $42,307 and the median family income was $46,918. Males had a median income of $42,484 versus $26,745 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $17,440. About 11.6% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

People

People from Rosamond include:

  • Kay Ryan


Education

There are five schools in Rosamond: Rosamond Elementary School, West Park Elementary School, Tropico Middle School, Rosamond High School and Rare Earth High School (alternative education).

Transportation

Rosamond sits along the California State Route 14, also known as the Antelope Highway, providing direct access to Los Angeles to the south and Mojave to the north.

Bus service from Rosamond to Bakersfield and Lancaster is provided by Kern Transit. The nearest Metrolink station is located about 15 minutes south in Lancaster. Expansion of the Metrolink train north to Rosamond has been discussed in a 2012 Kern County Council of Governments report.

Notable people

  • Kay Ryan, poet and writer
  • John Quade, actor

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Rosamond (California) para niños

kids search engine
Rosamond, California Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.