Mount Signal, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mount Signal
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 Mount Signal
Location in California
Mount Signal
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Imperial County |
| Elevation | -13 ft (-4 m) |
Mount Signal is a small place in Imperial County, California, United States. It's called an unincorporated community, which means it's not an official city or town with its own local government. Instead, it's part of the larger county.
This area is located along California State Route 98, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) west of Calexico. It sits in the southern part of the Imperial Valley. Mount Signal is also about 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) north of the Mexico border. It's quite low, actually 4 meters (13 feet) below sea level!
The land around Mount Signal is mostly used for farming. You'll see many green fields and canals that bring water for irrigation. There are also a few homes and businesses. A large solar power plant, the Centinela Solar Energy Project, is also located here. Other nearby communities include Heber, El Centro, and Seeley.
The ZIP Code for Mount Signal is 92231. This area uses the 760 area code for phones.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The community of Mount Signal gets its name from a mountain about 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) southwest. This mountain is actually located inside Mexico. People in Mexico call it El Cerro Centinela. The Kwapa: Cocopah people, who are Native Americans, call it Wi'Shspa.
Long ago, both early pioneers and Native Americans used Mount Signal as an important landmark. It helped them find their way through the desert. Today, many of the fields in this area grow crops like alfalfa (a plant used to feed animals) and sugar beets.
Mount Signal Road leads towards the mountain and the international border. However, there isn't a regular border crossing for cars there. There is a special area for off-road vehicles.
Even though the community of Mount Signal is in the United States, the actual Mount Signal mountain is in Mexico. If you wanted to climb its 700 meters (2,300 feet) to the top, you would need to start from the Mexican side. There are no official trails, so climbers need to be careful. Back in the 1870s, U.S. engineers climbed the mountain to measure its height, so there should be a special marker at the top.
A Look Back: History
Mount Signal once had its own post office. It was open from 1916 until 1934.
Places to See
There used to be a school called Mount Signal School. It was located about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) north on Brockman Road. However, it's believed the school no longer exists today.
At the corner of State Route 98 and Brockman Road, there was once a place called the Mount Signal Café. This café is now closed. It was even featured on an episode of a TV show called "California's Gold".
How Mount Signal is Represented
Even though it's a small community, Mount Signal is part of larger political areas. For the state government in California, it's in the 40th Senate District and the 80th Assembly District. For the federal government, Mount Signal is in California's 51st congressional district. These districts are represented by elected officials who speak for the people living there.
More to Explore
- Mount Signal Solar — This is a very large solar farm, or power station, located in the area.
- Natural history of the Colorado Desert
