City Background

The City of Twentynine Palms is a unique community with numerous natural resources. The City's municipal limits encompass 58.8 square miles, which includes 3.9 square miles of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center.

 

A total of 30.5 square miles of unincorporated area have been designated as part of the City's "Sphere of Influence" for possible future expansion of the City limits. Together, the 89.3 square mile area comprises the General Plan's planning area, as shown in Land Use Element.

 

Given the City's location in relation to the region, Twentynine Palms enjoys exceptional weather, good air quality, dark night skies, vast open lands, and stunning scenic views/vistas. Major national landmarks and facilities such as the Joshua Tree National Park and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (Marine Base) are located on our north and south borders, respectively. These landmarks/facilities add to the exceptional economic opportunities of Twentynine Palms. The overall vision of the General Plan is to protect and preserve existing natural resources for future generations while enhancing and promoting the economic development of Twentynine Palms.

 

The City of Twentynine Palms is located in the Morongo Basin, which forms the southwestern corner of the Mojave Desert. This basin includes Joshua Tree National Park and the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, which visitors pass through Twentynine Palms to reach. The Mojave Desert is separated from the Sonoran Desert to the south by the Little San Bernardino and Eagle Mountains, extensions of the Transverse Ranges. The western Mojave Desert is a flat, sparsely vegetated region interspersed with mountain ranges and dry lakes. The area is part of the high desert, large portions of which are at elevations between 2,500 and 4,000 feet above mean sea level.