Cabazon, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cabazon
Unincorporated community Census-designated place
One of the Cabazon dinosaurs
Location in Riverside County and the state of California
Cabazon, California Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Riverside
Area
• Total	4.89 sq mi (12.67 km2)
• Land	4.89 sq mi (12.67 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0.52%
Elevation	1,834 ft (559 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,629
• Density	537.30/sq mi (207.45/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	92230, 92282
Area code	951
FIPS code	06-09360
GNIS feature IDs	1652679, 2407936

Cabazon (which means Cabezón in Spanish) is a small area in Riverside County, California, United States. It's called an unincorporated community, meaning it doesn't have its own city government. Cabazon is located along the famous Pacific Crest Trail.

Today, Cabazon is a popular stop for tourists. Many people visit the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa and the Desert Hills Premium Outlets for shopping. In 2020, about 2,629 people lived in Cabazon. The United States Census Bureau counts Cabazon as a census-designated place (CDP) for statistics.

History of Cabazon

Cabazon started as a small settlement in the 1870s. This happened after the Southern Pacific Railroad built a train station there. The station was first called Jacinto. Later, it was renamed Cabezone after a nearby Native American village. The Spanish had named the village after a Cahuilla Indian chief who was known for his large head.

In the late 1800s, a camp for railroad workers called Hall's Siding grew up. It had a hotel and a dance hall. But when the railroad moved its facilities, the camp was left empty. In 1884, a new town was planned by a Scottish company. They started a fruit farm and sold some land, but later bought it back.

The large piece of land stayed together until 1910. A new developer bought it and tried to make it a bigger town. They built a school and a post office, but not many people moved there.

Becoming a City and Disappearing

Cabazon officially became a city on November 1, 1955. Under California law, only official cities could have certain types of businesses, like cardrooms. Some business owners hoped these cardrooms would bring more people and money to Cabazon.

For the next 16 years, the city faced many problems. There were disagreements and changes in local government. Business owners who ran cardrooms often argued with other landowners and residents. Everyone wanted control of the city government.

In its first seven years, Cabazon had many different police chiefs and city council members. They served for only short times. One big argument was between residents who wanted Cabazon to become a fancy resort city like Palm Springs. Others, especially cardroom owners, wanted to keep the population small. This would keep the city's costs and their taxes low.

The city also used to make money by giving out speeding tickets on U.S. Route 60. This was a "speed trap" that brought in a lot of money. But when Interstate 10 was built around 1964, the old highway was no longer used. This meant the city lost that money.

Because of all these problems, the people of Cabazon voted on September 14, 1971. They decided to stop being an official city. The vote was 192 to 131. The state courts agreed, and Cabazon stopped being a city in 1972.

Today, with new people and businesses, some locals have talked about making Cabazon a city again.

Esperanza Fire

In October 2006, a very large fire started near Cabazon. This fire was caused by arson (someone purposely started it). It was called the Esperanza Fire. Over five days, the fire burned more than 40,000 acres (about 160 square kilometers). Sadly, five firefighters lost their lives trying to put out the fire. To honor them, California State Route 243 was renamed the "Esperanza Firefighters Memorial Highway."

Geography of Cabazon

Cabazon is located in a desert area. The United States Census Bureau says the total area of Cabazon is about 4.9 square miles (12.7 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a very small amount of water.

Climate

Cabazon has a hot desert climate. This means it gets very hot and dry.

People in Cabazon

The United States Census Bureau collects information about people living in places like Cabazon. This helps us understand the community.

2010 Census Information

In 2010, Cabazon had a population of 2,535 people.

• About 69% of the people were Caucasian.
• About 45% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.
• The average household had about 3 people.
• About 31.5% of the population was under 18 years old.
• The average age was 31.4 years.
• About 58% of homes were owned by the people living in them.
• The median household income was $33,333.
• About 22% of the people lived below the poverty line.

2000 Census Information

In 2000, there were 2,229 people living in Cabazon.

• About 70.9% of the people were White.
• About 13.4% were from other races.
• About 30.5% of the population was under 18 years old.
• The average age was 34 years.
• The median household income was $20,598.
• About 32.3% of the people lived below the poverty line.

Major Landmarks in Cabazon

Cabazon is famous for a few special places that attract visitors.

Dinny the Dinosaur, one of the famous Cabazon Dinosaurs.

Giant Roadside Dinosaurs

One of the most famous sights in Cabazon is Claude Bell's giant dinosaur sculptures. These huge dinosaurs are a classic example of roadside attractions in America. There are two main sculptures:

• A 150-ton building shaped like a huge Brontosaurus (named "Dinny"). It was started in 1964 and finished in 1975.
• A 100-ton Tyrannosaurus rex structure (named "Mr. Rex"). It was built in 1981.

These dinosaurs were originally built to attract customers to Claude Bell's Wheel Inn Cafe. Many people who grew up in southern California remember seeing them. The dinosaurs also appeared in movies, like Pee-wee's Big Adventure. In 2005, a developer bought the dinosaurs for $1.2 million.

Shopping Centers

Cabazon is a popular place for outlet shopping. You can find two large outlet malls here:

• Desert Hills Premium Outlets
• Cabazon Outlets

Native American Resort and Casino

Cabazon is on the land of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, a federally recognized Native American tribe. They have built the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa. This resort has a 27-story hotel tower that stands out in the San Gorgonio Pass. It is one of the largest Native American resorts and casinos in the United States.

The tribe also partnered with Arrowhead Mountain Springwater in 2003. They built a large water-bottling factory on the edge of Cabazon. This building was designed to be very eco-friendly.

Cabazon Library

The Cabazon Library opened in 2013. It is part of the Riverside County Library System.

Transportation

You can get to Cabazon using the Amtrak Thruway bus service. Route 39 provides daily connections to Fullerton station and Palm Springs.

Education

Cabazon is part of the Banning Unified School District.

See also

In Spanish: Cabazon para niños