Thermal, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thermal, California
Kokell
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Thermal with the Santa Rosa Mountains in the Background
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Location within Riverside County
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 Thermal, California
Location in California
Thermal, California
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Riverside |
| Incorporated | April 20, 1938 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9.451 sq mi (24.479 km2) |
| • Land | 9.451 sq mi (24.479 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0.00% |
| Elevation | -138 ft (-43 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,676 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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2,700 |
| • Density | 283.14/sq mi (109.318/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Codes |
92274
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| Area codes | 442/760 |
| FIPS code | 06-55254 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 2583161 |
Thermal is a small community in Riverside County, California, United States. It's located in the Coachella Valley, about 25 miles southeast of Palm Springs. Thermal is also about 9.5 miles north of the Salton Sea.
This area is unique because it's 138 feet (43 meters) below mean sea level. In 2010, about 2,865 people lived here.
Contents
Thermal's Story: A Brief History
Thermal started as a camp for railroad workers in 1910. It was first called Kokell. Over time, more people moved in and built homes.
Growing with Agriculture and Aviation
By the 1950s, the area became green and fertile thanks to irrigation canals. This helped farming grow a lot. Later, a former U.S. Naval Air station became the Thermal Airport in 1965. In the early 1990s, a new four-lane highway, State Route 86, was built. There are plans for a major airport, the Jackie Cochran-Desert Cities Regional Airport, at the same site.
The Thermal Club: A Place for Race Cars
The Thermal Club is a special place for car enthusiasts. It's a private motorsports racetrack and club south of the airport. It opened in 2012. In 2024, it hosted a big IndyCar Series race.
Where is Thermal? Geography and Climate
Thermal covers about 9.5 square miles (25.5 square kilometers) of land.
Thermal's Desert Climate
Thermal has a desert climate, which means it's very hot and dry. High mountains around the area help keep it warm all year. Winters are mild, with daytime temperatures rarely dropping below 60°F (16°C). However, light freezes can happen each year.
Summers are extremely hot, with temperatures often going above 110°F (43°C). It can even reach over 120°F (49°C) every other year. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 126°F (52°C) in July 1995. The coldest was 14°F (-10°C) in December 1990. Thermal gets very little rain, less than 3 inches (76 mm) per year, and enjoys over 348 sunny days.
| Climate data for Thermal, California (Desert Resorts Regional Airport, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1950–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 94 (34) |
100 (38) |
103 (39) |
110 (43) |
116 (47) |
123 (51) |
126 (52) |
122 (50) |
123 (51) |
114 (46) |
98 (37) |
93 (34) |
126 (52) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 82.8 (28.2) |
86.4 (30.2) |
94.1 (34.5) |
101.9 (38.8) |
106.8 (41.6) |
114.4 (45.8) |
116.9 (47.2) |
116.0 (46.7) |
112.3 (44.6) |
103.4 (39.7) |
91.5 (33.1) |
80.8 (27.1) |
119.0 (48.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 71.0 (21.7) |
74.3 (23.5) |
81.1 (27.3) |
87.2 (30.7) |
94.6 (34.8) |
103.0 (39.4) |
106.9 (41.6) |
106.2 (41.2) |
101.5 (38.6) |
90.9 (32.7) |
78.7 (25.9) |
69.3 (20.7) |
88.7 (31.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 55.0 (12.8) |
58.6 (14.8) |
65.0 (18.3) |
71.0 (21.7) |
78.7 (25.9) |
86.1 (30.1) |
91.2 (32.9) |
90.6 (32.6) |
84.8 (29.3) |
73.9 (23.3) |
61.7 (16.5) |
53.5 (11.9) |
72.5 (22.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 39.0 (3.9) |
42.9 (6.1) |
49.0 (9.4) |
54.8 (12.7) |
62.9 (17.2) |
69.1 (20.6) |
75.6 (24.2) |
74.9 (23.8) |
68.2 (20.1) |
56.9 (13.8) |
44.7 (7.1) |
37.7 (3.2) |
56.3 (13.5) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 27.2 (−2.7) |
30.5 (−0.8) |
36.6 (2.6) |
41.7 (5.4) |
50.5 (10.3) |
58.2 (14.6) |
64.0 (17.8) |
63.1 (17.3) |
55.6 (13.1) |
43.1 (6.2) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
23.4 (−4.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 17 (−8) |
19 (−7) |
24 (−4) |
32 (0) |
41 (5) |
50 (10) |
57 (14) |
52 (11) |
48 (9) |
28 (−2) |
20 (−7) |
14 (−10) |
14 (−10) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.64 (16) |
0.61 (15) |
0.34 (8.6) |
0.08 (2.0) |
0.01 (0.25) |
0.01 (0.25) |
0.13 (3.3) |
0.12 (3.0) |
0.32 (8.1) |
0.19 (4.8) |
0.17 (4.3) |
0.34 (8.6) |
2.96 (74.2) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 15.3 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Who Lives in Thermal? Demographics
In 2010, Thermal had a population of 2,865 people. Most people in Thermal are of Hispanic or Latino background, making up about 95.3% of the population.
There were 684 households in Thermal. Many households (66.1%) had children under 18 living in them. The average household size was about 4 people. About 37.3% of the population was under 18 years old. The average age in Thermal was 25.9 years.
Learning in Thermal: Education
Thermal is part of the Coachella Valley Unified School District. There are several schools in and around the community:
- Westside Elementary (Kindergarten to 6th grade)
- Oasis Elementary (Kindergarten to 8th grade)
- Mountain Vista Elementary (Kindergarten to 6th grade)
- Saul Martinez Elementary (Kindergarten to 6th grade)
- Mecca Elementary (Kindergarten to 6th grade)
- Edward Park Elementary (Kindergarten to 5th grade)
- Toro Canyon Middle (6th to 8th grade)
- Bobby Duke Middle (6th to 8th grade)
- John Kelley Elementary (Kindergarten to 6th grade)
- Cesar Chavez Elementary (Kindergarten to 6th grade)
- Cahuilla Desert Academy (Junior High: 7th and 8th grade)
- Coachella Valley High (9th to 12th grade)
- Desert Mirage High School (9th to 12th grade)
- West Shores High School (9th to 12th grade)
- La Familia Continuation High (9th to 12th grade)
College of the Desert also has a campus nearby, called the East Valley Educational Center.
Getting Around Thermal: Transportation
Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport is very close to Thermal. The Union Pacific Railroad also has a main line that runs through the community.
Major roads like California State Route 86 and California State Route 111 help connect Thermal to other places. These roads are important for shipping fruits and for trucks traveling to Interstate 10 in Indio.
Local Cemeteries
- The Toro Cemetery is on Monroe Street.
- The Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians also have a small cemetery on Martinez Road.
The Thermal Club: More Than Just a Racetrack
The Thermal Club is a huge private facility for people who love cars and racing. It's located south of Thermal and covers 344 acres. The club plans to have a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) racing track. Members can even build their own garages and villas there.
As of 2014, part of the racing course was already being used. In 2017, BMW opened its Performance Driving Center West at the club. In March 2024, the Thermal Club hosted a special non-championship all-star race for the 2024 IndyCar Series. This race will become a points-paying race in 2025.
See also
In Spanish: Thermal (California) para niños
