Zzyzx, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zzyzx, California
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Zzyzx, showing Lake Tuendae (left) and the Desert Studies Center
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 Zzyzx, California
Location in California
Zzyzx, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County |  San Bernardino |
| Elevation | 290 m (951 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
92309
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| Area codes | 442/760 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1662336 |
Zzyzx (pronounced ZY-ziks) is a small, undeveloped area in San Bernardino County, California. It is located inside the Mojave National Preserve, which is a large protected area of desert land. The National Park Service manages this land.
Zzyzx used to be home to the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa. Today, it is the site of the Desert Studies Center. This center is a place where students and scientists can study the desert.
The area also has Lake Tuendae. This lake was part of the old spa. Now, it is a special safe place for the Mohave tui chub, a type of fish that is in danger of disappearing.
Zzyzx Road is a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) long road in the Mojave Desert. Part of the road is paved, and part is dirt. It runs from Interstate 15 south to the Zzyzx area.
The closest town is Baker, about 7 miles (11 km) north on Interstate 15. The big city of Las Vegas is about 100 miles (160 km) northeast.
The Story of Zzyzx
A man named Curtis Howe Springer created the name Zzyzx in 1944. He said it was the very last word in the English language. In 1944, he started the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa here.
The land was owned by the government. Springer claimed about 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) around the springs. He used the spring water to bottle and sell drinks to people traveling through the hot desert. He also brought animals from other places to attract families to his ranch. Springer ran the Zzyzx spa until 1974. That year, the government took the land back.
Zzyzx Today: A Study Center
In 1976, two government groups, the Bureau of Land Management and the California State University, agreed to work together. They decided to manage the land around Zzyzx and create the CSU Desert Studies Center.
Later, in 1994, the United States Congress passed a law called the California Desert Protection Act. This law created the Mojave National Preserve on the land that used to be managed by the Bureau of Land Management. This law also made the partnership between the National Park Service and the California State University Desert Studies Center official.
Why the Name Zzyzx?
The unusual name "Zzyzx Springs" first appeared in a book in 1967. The author said he found it on an old map of San Bernardino County. He described it as a water source and a private spa.
Later, atlases (books of maps) started showing the place as "Zzyzx" without "Springs." The United States Board on Geographic Names officially approved "Zzyzx" as a place name on June 14, 1984.
Zzyzx, California, is special because it is the very last place name alphabetically in the United States. This makes it unique! Many people have noted Zzyzx on lists of strange or unusual place names. Reader's Digest magazine even said Zzyzx was the "most difficult to pronounce" place name in California.
Zzyzx in Pop Culture
Zzyzx has appeared in books and movies.
- In 2004, the mystery novel The Narrows by Michael Connelly had a crime that happened in Zzyzx. This story was also shown in an episode of the TV show Bosch: Legacy.
- The community was featured on a TV show called California's Golden Parks with Huell Howser.
- Two movies from 2006, Zzyzx and Zyzzyx Road, used the empty desert area for their stories.
- The American rock band Stone Sour named a song "Zzyzx Rd." in 2007. It's on their album Come What(ever) May.
