Trona, San Bernardino County, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Trona
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Searles Valley Minerals chemical plant dominates Trona
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 Trona
Location in California
Trona
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | San Bernardino |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes |
93562
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Trona is a small town in San Bernardino County, California. It's not officially part of a city. In 2015, about 1,900 people lived there. Trona is located next to Searles Lake, which is a dry lake bed in Searles Valley. This area is southwest of Death Valley.
The town gets its name from the mineral trona, which is found in large amounts in the dry lake bed. Trona is about 170 miles (274 km) northeast of Los Angeles. You can find it along California State Route 178. Its ZIP code is 93562. Trona is known for being far away from other places and for the cool rock formations nearby called the Trona Pinnacles. The local school even plays football on a dirt field! This is because the ground is too hot and salty for grass to grow.
Contents
History of Trona
In 1863, a man named John Searles started digging for borax in the dry lake bed. This lake was later named Searles Lake after him.
How Trona Started
Trona officially began in 1913. It was a "company town," meaning one mining company owned and ran everything. The company built homes, a school, a library, and even a grocery store for its workers. Employees were paid with special company money called "scrip" instead of regular cash.
To connect the town to the outside world, the Trona Railway was built in 1913–1914. This railway linked Trona to a larger train line. The railway is still used today!
Times of Change
Trona has seen many ups and downs. It had a big "boom" during World War I. At that time, Trona was the only reliable place in America to get potash. Potash was very important for making gunpowder.
Later, in 1974, a company called American Potash (which owned Trona) was bought by Kerr-McGee. The new owners didn't want to run a company town anymore. They tried to get people to leave, but the residents wanted to stay.
Today, Searles Valley Minerals Inc. runs the biggest business in town. They have a plant that processes soda ash. Other businesses nearby collect salt from the dry lake bed and mine for lime. Many employees of Searles Valley Minerals live in Ridgecrest, California and drive to Trona for work every day.
Over time, Trona's population has gotten smaller. More services, like shops and doctors, have moved to nearby Ridgecrest.
Geography and Unique Features
The land around Trona was shaped by powerful geologic forces. These forces created the Searles Valley and the dry Searles Lake. The lake bed is full of rich chemical deposits, including many different minerals.
Trona Pinnacles
Just a few miles south of Trona are the amazing Trona Pinnacles. This unique landscape has more than 500 tall, spiky rock formations called tufa spires. Some of them are as high as 140 feet (43 meters)! They rise up from the dry lake bed.
Earthquake Activity
Trona is in an area where earthquakes often happen. It was strongly affected by the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes. Trona is part of the Eastern California Shear Zone. This is an active area where up to 25% of the movement between the Pacific Plate and North American Plate happens.
Climate in Trona
Trona has a very dry climate. Winters are cool, and summers are very hot. In January, the average high temperature is about 58.2°F (14.6°C), and the average low is 32.9°F (0.5°C). In July, the average high is about 105.5°F (40.8°C), and the average low is 73.3°F (22.9°C).
On average, there are about 140 days a year when the temperature reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher. There are also about 45 days when the temperature drops to 32°F (0°C) or lower. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 118°F (48°C) on several dates. The coldest was 8°F (-13°C) in December 1990.
Trona gets very little rain, about 3.98 inches (101 mm) per year. It rains on about 18 days each year. Snow is very rare, averaging only 0.3 inches (7.6 mm) per year. However, in January 1974, Trona received 9.0 inches (230 mm) of snow!
Education in Trona
Public education for students from kindergarten to 12th grade is provided by the Trona Joint Unified School District. In the 2015-16 school year, 255 students were in the district. This was a decrease from 576 students in 1996-97.
The district has two schools: Trona Elementary School and Trona High School. There is no separate middle school. Instead, Trona High School includes 7th and 8th grades, along with the usual 9th through 12th grades. Students at Trona High can also take online classes from California State University, Dominguez Hills and Cerro Coso Community College.
The Dirt Football Field
In the 2014-15 school year, 95 students were enrolled at Trona High. Their sports teams are called the Tornadoes. The school's football field is famous because it's made of dirt! It's even been featured in The New York Times and on Good Morning America. The field is nicknamed "The Pit." It's the only dirt American football field in the United States. This is because the extreme heat and salty soil in the area make it almost impossible to keep grass alive.
Trona in Pop Culture
Many Hollywood movies have been filmed in the desert around Trona, especially near the Trona Pinnacles. Some famous movies include Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Planet of the Apes.
The town of Trona itself has been the setting for three films: Trona (2004), Just Add Water (2008), and Lost Lake (2012). In 2016, the music artist Toro y Moi recorded a live concert film called Toro y Moi - Live from Trona at the Trona Pinnacles.
Arts and Culture
Every October, Trona usually hosts an event called Gem-O-Rama. The Searles Lake Gem and Mineral Society puts it on to teach kids about the minerals found in Searles Lake.
In March 2014, Trona celebrated its 100th birthday with a Centennial Celebration!
Transportation
Trona doesn't have a regular bus service. However, the Victor Valley Transit Authority helps out by contracting with the Trona Community Senior Center. This provides a shuttle service once a week to Ridgecrest, California. All residents can use this shuttle for their shopping needs. The Victor Valley Transit Authority also helps the Senior Center with money for transportation services for seniors.
Trona Airport
The Trona Airport is located in the neighboring county. It serves the community as a small airport for general aviation.
Images for kids
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Piles of lime dust sit just south of Trona on the Trona Railway.
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Entrance to town
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Trona from the tourist rest stop
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A Mountain Monogram "T" sits on the hills above Trona.
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A dust storm forms over the dry Searles Lake bed, viewed from the Trona tourist stop.
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Searles Valley Minerals Facility Sign
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Weather on Trona Road
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Searles Valley Domestic Water Company
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Sunset on Trona Road
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Stockpile in Searles Lake
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Searles Valley Sign
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Trona Rest Stop
