Lake Hughes, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lake Hughes, California
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 Lake Hughes, California
Location in California
Lake Hughes, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County |  Los Angeles |
| Settled | 1873 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10.687 sq mi (27.680 km2) |
| • Land | 10.623 sq mi (27.514 km2) |
| • Water | 0.064 sq mi (0.166 km2) 0.60% |
| Elevation | 3,228 ft (984 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 649 |
| • Density | 60.73/sq mi (23.447/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes |
93532
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| Area code | 661 |
| FIPS code | 06-39556 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1660877, 2583050 |
Lake Hughes is a small community in northern Los Angeles County, California. It's not an official city, but a place where people live and gather. You can find it in the Sierra Pelona Mountains, which are northwest of Palmdale. It's also north of the Santa Clarita Valley, inside the Angeles National Forest.
The community is built around the waters of Lake Hughes and Elizabeth Lake. These lakes are special because they are "sag ponds," which are lakes formed in dips along a fault line. Lake Hughes is a quiet, rural area. It had about 649 people living there in 2010. Many people visit for fun activities around the three nearby lakes. The community of Elizabeth Lake is right next door and shares the same ZIP code.
Contents
History of Lake Hughes
Early Times and Mail Routes
A long time ago, Elizabeth Lake was called La Laguna de Chico Lopez. It was an important stop for travelers to get water. This was true during the Spanish colonial and Mexican times on a route called El Camino Viejo. It was also used during the Gold Rush era on the Stockton – Los Angeles Road.
From 1858 to 1861, the Butterfield Overland Mail route passed through Lake Hughes. This was a famous stagecoach service that delivered mail. The lake area was also near a large piece of land called Rancho La Liebre, which was granted in 1846.
How Lake Hughes Got Its Name
The community of Lake Hughes is named after Judge Griffith (Patrick) Hughes. He was one of the first settlers in the area around the early 1900s. People were drawn to this spot because it had more water than the very dry Antelope Valley nearby.
Building the Los Angeles Aqueduct
In 1907, William Mulholland started a huge project. He was the superintendent of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. His team began working on the Elizabeth Lake Tunnel. This tunnel was a key part of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which brings water from Owens Valley all the way to Los Angeles.
The tunnel is about five miles (8 km) long. It runs about 285 feet (87 meters) under the valley floor. Workers dug the tunnel from both ends, and they met almost perfectly in the middle! This 11-foot-wide (3.4 m) tunnel was dug through solid rock. It was a very fast and impressive construction project for its time.
Lake Hughes as a Resort
In 1924, a man named C.A. Austin started promoting Lake Hughes as a summer resort. He called it a "fine mountain resort on the edge of Antelope Valley." People could come here to enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings.
Recent Events
In 2020, a large wildfire called the Lake Fire started in this area.
Geography and Climate
Location and Lakes
Lake Hughes is mainly located where Elizabeth Lake Road and Lake Hughes Road meet. These are both important county roads. Two lakes, Hughes Lake and Munz Lakes, are right within the community. A third lake, Lake Elizabeth, is just to the east in the community of Elizabeth Lake.
Both Lake Hughes and Lake Elizabeth are found in canyons along the San Andreas Fault. This is a famous fault line in California. These lakes can sometimes dry up. This happens when there isn't much rain for a while. Lake Hughes used to be known as West Elizabeth Lake.
Weather in Lake Hughes
Lake Hughes has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Because it's in the San Gabriel Mountains, its temperatures are not as extreme as the nearby Mojave Desert.
In summer, temperatures are usually around 90°F (32°C) during the day. Nights are cooler, around the mid-60s°F (18°C). In winter, days are cool, around 50°F (10°C), and nights often drop below 32°F (0°C). Most of the rain falls between October and April, with about 18 inches (46 cm) per year. Snowfall is rare, but it does happen, with about 5 inches (13 cm) on average each winter.
| Climate data for Lake Hughes, California | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 83 (28) |
84 (29) |
90 (32) |
101 (38) |
102 (39) |
108 (42) |
116 (47) |
114 (46) |
113 (45) |
102 (39) |
90 (32) |
84 (29) |
116 (47) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53 (12) |
57 (14) |
60 (16) |
66 (19) |
74 (23) |
83 (28) |
90 (32) |
90 (32) |
85 (29) |
74 (23) |
62 (17) |
54 (12) |
71 (22) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 35 (2) |
38 (3) |
40 (4) |
43 (6) |
50 (10) |
58 (14) |
65 (18) |
64 (18) |
59 (15) |
50 (10) |
41 (5) |
35 (2) |
48 (9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 13 (−11) |
20 (−7) |
23 (−5) |
21 (−6) |
31 (−1) |
36 (2) |
40 (4) |
43 (6) |
35 (2) |
28 (−2) |
22 (−6) |
17 (−8) |
13 (−11) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.64 (92) |
4.30 (109) |
3.50 (89) |
1.00 (25) |
0.43 (11) |
0.08 (2.0) |
0.07 (1.8) |
0.15 (3.8) |
0.32 (8.1) |
0.47 (12) |
1.18 (30) |
2.43 (62) |
17.56 (446) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.5 (3.8) |
1.0 (2.5) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2.5 (6.4) |
5.2 (13.21) |
People of Lake Hughes
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, the United States Census counted 649 people living in Lake Hughes. Most people lived in homes, while a small number lived in group housing.
The community has a mix of different people and families. The average household had about two people. The average family had almost three people. The population included people of all ages, from kids under 18 to seniors over 65. The median age was about 47 years old.
Education in Lake Hughes
Local Schools and History
The first school district in the area was set up in 1869 by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. It was called the Elizabeth Lake School District. This school was the only one between Los Angeles and Bakersfield for a long time.
The first school building was made of wood. In the early 1930s, a new school was built. It was made of adobe, a type of sun-dried brick. This new school was on the east side of Elizabeth Lake Road. Later, the district's name was changed to Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union School District.
Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union School District
Today, the Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union Elementary School District is known as a "California Distinguished School." This means it's recognized for its excellent programs. It serves students from kindergarten all the way through 8th grade.
Children from Lake Hughes, Elizabeth Lake, and Green Valley attend this school. Some students also come from parts of Leona Valley and Pine Canyon. The district has about 330 students in total.
Famous People from Lake Hughes
In the spring of 1947, the famous cowboy actor and singer Roy Rogers bought a new home in Lake Hughes. He called his home the "Sky Haven Ranch." People still call it that today. Roy Rogers' first child of school age, Cheryl Rogers, started 1st grade at the Lake Hughes School. This school was a large one-room building. It was located "up the school road," which was a dirt road, from the local trading post. The trading post had the post office and a gas station.
See also
In Spanish: Lake Hughes para niños
