Ocotillo, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ocotillo
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Location in Imperial County and the state of California
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 Ocotillo, California
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Imperial |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.857 sq mi (22.941 km2) |
| • Land | 8.857 sq mi (22.941 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 377 ft (115 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 215 |
| • Density | 24.27/sq mi (9.372/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
92259
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| Area codes | 442/760 |
| FIPS code | 06-53378 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1656587, 1656587 |
Ocotillo is a small community in Imperial County, California. Its name comes from a Spanish word for a type of vine cactus. Ocotillo is located about 26 miles (42 km) west of El Centro.
In 2020, about 215 people lived here. The town was hit hard by floods from Hurricane Kathleen in 1976, and some people sadly died. Today, Ocotillo has a cafe, a church, a small park, a community center, a market, two bars, and a gas station. You can also rent off-highway vehicles (OHV) here. There's a Desert Museum nearby that shows off the desert's plants and land, plus items from the ancient Kumeyaay culture.
Contents
Geography and Climate
Ocotillo is located in a desert area. The community covers about 8.9 square miles (23 square kilometers) of land.
Ocotillo's Hot Desert Climate
Ocotillo has a very hot desert climate. Summers are extremely hot and long. Winters are mild to warm. The average yearly temperature here is one of the highest in California. It's common for temperatures to reach 100°F (38°C) or more from late spring to early fall. Even in winter, the average high temperature is over 70°F (21°C). This makes Ocotillo the only place in California where no month has an average high temperature below 70°F.
Very Little Rain in Ocotillo
Ocotillo is a very dry place. It gets less than 3 inches (7.6 cm) of rain each year on average. This makes it the driest spot in California and one of the driest in the United States. While other parts of California get more rain in winter, Ocotillo only sees a couple of inches. Sometimes, in late summer, there might be small monsoon showers, but they don't bring much rain.
| Climate data for Ocotillo (380 feet above sea level) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 90 (32) |
93 (34) |
101 (38) |
109 (43) |
116 (47) |
121 (49) |
122 (50) |
120 (49) |
120 (49) |
112 (44) |
98 (37) |
95 (35) |
122 (50) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 71 (22) |
74 (23) |
80 (27) |
86 (30) |
95 (35) |
103 (39) |
107 (42) |
106 (41) |
101 (38) |
91 (33) |
78 (26) |
70 (21) |
89 (31) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 57 (14) |
61 (16) |
66 (19) |
71 (22) |
79 (26) |
87 (31) |
93 (34) |
93 (34) |
87 (31) |
76 (24) |
64 (18) |
57 (14) |
74 (24) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 43 (6) |
47 (8) |
51 (11) |
56 (13) |
63 (17) |
70 (21) |
78 (26) |
79 (26) |
72 (22) |
61 (16) |
50 (10) |
43 (6) |
59 (15) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 18 (−8) |
24 (−4) |
29 (−2) |
34 (1) |
36 (2) |
47 (8) |
52 (11) |
54 (12) |
48 (9) |
33 (1) |
24 (−4) |
22 (−6) |
18 (−8) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.49 (12) |
0.47 (12) |
0.30 (7.6) |
0.05 (1.3) |
0.02 (0.51) |
0.00 (0.00) |
0.06 (1.5) |
0.27 (6.9) |
0.28 (7.1) |
0.34 (8.6) |
0.17 (4.3) |
0.41 (10) |
2.86 (71.81) |
| Source: Weather Channel | |||||||||||||
History of Ocotillo
Ocotillo is built on land that was once at the edge of an ancient lake called Lake Cahuilla. This area was traditionally home to the Kumeyaay people. The town of Ocotillo first started as a place for people to retire. A post office was opened here in 1957. In March 2012, the Imperial Valley Desert Museum opened in Ocotillo. This museum was built after many years of hard work and fundraising.
Population and People
Ocotillo's Population in 2010
In 2010, the population of Ocotillo was 266 people. Most of the people living here were White (91.0%). About 22.9% of the people were of Hispanic or Latino background.
There were 138 households in Ocotillo. About 17.4% of these households had children under 18 living in them. The average household had about 1.93 people. Many households (43.5%) were made up of single individuals. About 26.7% of the population was 65 years old or older. The average age in Ocotillo was 56.1 years.
Ocotillo's Population in 2000
In 2000, Ocotillo had 296 people living there. The population density was about 33.3 people per square mile (12.9 people per square kilometer). Most residents (87.8%) were White. About 19.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
There were 145 households. About 22.8% of these had children under 18. The average household size was 2.0 people. Many households (42.1%) were made up of individuals. About 23.6% of the people were 65 years old or older. The average age was 48 years.
Utilities
Two local non-profit companies provide water service to Ocotillo. The Ocotillo Mutual Water Company serves the main part of the community. The Coyote Valley Mutual Water Company provides water to the areas outside the main town.
See also
In Spanish: Ocotillo (California) para niños
