Palm Springs is Southern California’s best known inland resort destination. Palm Springs is sheltered by the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the North, the Santa Rosa Mountains on the South, and the San Jacinto Mountains to the West with its towering 10,831 foot Mt. San Jacinto. With the protection of our mountains, Palm Springs offers more than 350 days of sunshine and less than 5.2 inches of rain. Winter daytime temperatures average the 70s with nights in the mid-40s. The dry desert heat of summer pushes daytime temperatures into the 100s, which sun seekers love. When it’s gloomy at the beach, it’s sunny in Palm Springs! This makes planning a Palm Springs adventure virtually risk free as you are almost guaranteed sunshine.

Palm Springs is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 55 mi (89 km) east of San Bernardino, 107 mi (172 km) east of Los Angeles, 123 mi (198 km) northeast of San Diego, and 268 mi (431 km) west of Phoenix, Arizona. The population was 44,552 as of the 2010 census. Palm Springs covers approximately 94 square miles (240 km2), making it the largest city in the county by land area.

Biking, golf, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, and tennis in the nearby desert and mountain areas are major forms of recreation in Palm Springs.

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Geography

Palm Springs is located at 33°49′26″N 116°31′49″W (33.823990, −116.530339) in the Sonoran Desert. The city has a total area of 95.0 square miles (246 km2), of which 94.1 square miles (244 km2) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km2) (1%) is water. Palm Springs is sheltered by the San Bernardino Mountains to the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south, by the San Jacinto Mountains to the west and by the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the east.

Climate

Palm Springs has a hot desert climate, with over 300 days of sunshine and around 4.83 inches (122.7 mm) of rain annually. The winter months are warm, with a majority of days reaching 70 °F (21 °C) and in January and February days often see temperatures of 80 °F (27 °C) and on occasion reach over 90 °F (32 °C), while, on average, there are 17 nights annually dipping to or below 40 °F (4 °C); freezing temperatures occur in less than half of years. The lowest temperature recorded is 19 °F (−7 °C), on January 22, 1937. Summer often sees daytime temperatures above 110 °F (43 °C) coupled with warm overnight lows remaining above 80 °F (27 °C). The mean annual temperature is 74.6 °F (23.7 °C). There are 180 days with a high reaching 90 °F (32 °C), and 100 °F (38 °C) can be seen on 116 days. The highest temperature on record in Palm Springs is 123 °F (51 °C), most recently achieved on July 28 and 29, 1995.

Same-sex couples

Palm Springs has one of the highest concentration of same-sex couples of any community in the United States. In the city, 7.2% of households belong to a same-sex couple compared to the national average of 1%. Palm Springs has the fifth-highest percentage of same-sex households in the nation. Former mayor Ron Oden estimated that about a third of Palm Springs is gay. Over various times, the city has catered to LGBT tourists. Palm Springs is host to the Greater Palm Springs Pride Celebration. This celebration, held every year in November, includes events such as the Palm Springs Pride Golf Classic, the Stonewall Equality Concert, and a Broadway in Drag Pageant. The city also held same sex wedding ceremonies at the iconic ‘Forever Marilyn’ statue located downtown, before its relocation in 2014.

Transportation

One of the first transportation routes for Palm Springs was on the Bradshaw Trail, an historic overland stage coach route from San Bernardino to La Paz, Arizona. The Bradshaw Trail operated from 1862 to 1877.

Palm Springs International Airport serves Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. Historical note: during World War II it was operated as the Palm Springs Army Airfield.
SunLine Transit Agency provides bus service in the Coachella Valley.
Morongo Basin Transit Authority provides bus service to and from Morongo Basin communities.
Amtrak’s Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle form a single train which stops thrice weekly at the Palm Springs Amtrak station. Amtrak’s Thruway Motorcoach connects Palm Springs to Bakersfield, Claremont, Indio, La Crescenta, Ontario, Pasadena, Riverside and San Bernardino. A city curbside Thruway bus stop is located at 3400 East Tahquitz Canyon Way.
Greyhound Bus Lines has a stop (no ticketing) at the Palm Springs Amtrak station.

Palm Springs is centrally located in Inland Southern California, and is an easy two-hour drive from Los Angeles and San Diego. Once you arrive to Palm Springs, you will find that our vibrant village is pedestrian friendly, and many of our hotel partners offer bicycle rentals and shuttle service. Just 2 hours from LA and San Diego or 4 hours from Las Vegas and Phoenix, Palm Springs is an easy addition to itineraries that include multiple locations.

Palm Springs is centrally located in Inland Southern California, and is an easy two-hour drive from Los Angeles and San Diego. Once you arrive to Palm Springs, you will find that our vibrant village is pedestrian friendly, and many of our hotel partners offer bicycle rentals and shuttle service. Just 2 hours from LA and San Diego or 4 hours from Las Vegas and Phoenix, Palm Springs is an easy addition to itineraries that include multiple locations.

Daily flights available from Palm Springs International Airport throughout the U.S. and Canada arrive into Palm Springs International with travelers from 500 places around the globe. The world-class airport welcomes over 1.5 million passengers a year who experience a new way of flying, shorter lines, friendly staff, stunning desert vistas and airport amenities including an outdoor courtyard, dining and retail.