Baker, California
21 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1933 and the latest in 1993. It stands in the Newberry Springs-Baker census division. It lies in ZIP code area 92309. It lies near Nickel Mountain. The Survey maps it on the Baker quadrangle. 442 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 942 feet above sea level.
Then and now
1933 to 1993The same ground, surveyed 60 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.


On record in Baker
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 5 records
Soda Springs Historic Districtlisted 2022- Black Tank Corrallisted 2021
- Mojave Roadlisted 2021
- Natural Corrallisted 2021
- Rock Tank Corrallisted 2021
Population over time
2 figuresBaker fell from 735 to 442 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 735 | |
| 2020 | 442 | -293 (-40%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 21 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1933 USGS Avawatz Mountains quadrangle1:250000, 5 printings
- 1947 USGS Trona quadrangle1:250000
- 1948 USGS Trona quadrangle1:250000
- 1953 USGS Trona quadrangle1:250000
- 1956 USGS Baker quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Trona quadrangle1:250000, 5 printings
- 1960 USGS Trona quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1983 USGS Baker quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1993 USGS Soda Mountains quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
14 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 14 fires within 5 miles of Baker between 1992 and 2018, burning about 28 acres in total. 1 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Equipment and vehicle use | 9 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 July 2000 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | California Desert District | ENGLAND |
| 4 July 1994 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | San Bernardino Unit | LADYFINGER |
| 3 July 1996 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 25 acres | San Bernardino Unit | PONDS |
| 18 July 1993 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 1.0 acres | San Bernardino Unit | ROMAN |
| 14 July 1994 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | California Desert District | SODA |
| 1 July 1993 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | California Desert District | CANYON 2 |
| 5 June 2018 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection | not named |
| 26 June 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | California Desert District | FRENCH FRY |
Mines and quarries near this place
5 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Baker: 3 prospects, 2 occurrences. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Gold, Lead, Copper, Gold, Silver, Silver, Copper, Gold, Lead. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aga Mine | Lead, Copper, Gold, Silver | Prospect | ||
| Aga Prospect | Silver, Copper, Gold, Lead | Occurrence | Vein | |
| Baker | Limestone, General | Occurrence | ||
| Rat Hole Mine | Gold, Tungsten | Prospect | ||
| Preema | Gold | Prospect |
Storms near this place
31 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Baker in 31 storm reports between 1997 and 2024: 24 flash flood, 4 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | Flash Flood | Baker | $1,000,000 | Four feet of rushing water trapped people in their cars on Highway 127. The road was severely damaged. |
| September 2022 | Flash Flood | Baker | $50,000 | Zzyzx Rd was damaged, and Mojave Rd was impassable from Rasor Rd to Kelbaker Rd. |
| September 1999 | Hail | Baker | $40,000 | Large hail fell over Interstate 15 near Baker. Numerous cars reportedly sustained dents and broken windshields. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Baker | $25,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew over a big rig and blew down power lines. |
| September 2024 | Flash Flood | Baker | $20,000 | Highway 127 was impassable due to being flooded with 1.5 feet of water plus rocks and debris. One car with four occupants was stuck and water was coming into the car. |
| September 2012 | Flash Flood | Baker | $20,000 | On Highway 127 north of Baker, one vehicle was stuck in flood waters up to the dashboard. |
| July 2022 | Flash Flood | Baker | $15,000 | Hwy 127 was flooded with lots of rocks and debris in the road, and one vehicle was stuck in the water. |
| July 2024 | Flash Flood | Baker | $10,000 | Highway 127 was flooded near mile marker 15. One car was stranded due to water getting into the ignition. |
| August 2023 | Flash Flood | Baker | $10,000 | Flash flooding in Baker was up to vehicle hoods. |
| August 2018 | Flash Flood | Baker | $10,000 | Highway 127 was flooded between Power Line Road and Riggs Road. The water nearly submerged an empty vehicle. |
| August 2016 | Flash Flood | Baker | $5,000 | A vehicle was stuck in water and debris on Highway 127 at mile marker 15. |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | Baker | $5,000 | A car was stalled in floodwaters along Highway 127 15 miles NNW of Baker. |
| September 2014 | Flash Flood | Baker | $5,000 | Highway 127 was flooded and closed, with two cars stuck in the water. |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Baker | $5,000 | Highway 127 washed out just north of Powerline Road. |
| July 2012 | Flash Flood | Baker | $5,000 | Kelbaker Road was flooded with water and debris just south of Baker. |
| July 2022 | Flash Flood | Baker | $2,000 | Water and mud flowed over I-15. |
| October 2018 | Flash Flood | Baker | $2,000 | Highway 127 was flooded with water, mud, and debris. |
| August 2022 | Flash Flood | Baker | $1,000 | Highway 127 was flooded at Baker Blvd. |
| August 2022 | Flash Flood | Baker | $1,000 | Highway 127 was closed between mile markers 15 and 21. |
| July 2021 | Flash Flood | Baker | $1,000 | Highway 127 was flooded and impassable. |
| November 2019 | Flood | Baker | $1,000 | Standing water was on Highway 127 just north of the I-15 off ramp. |
| October 2018 | Flash Flood | Baker | $1,000 | Water flowed over Highway 127 15 miles N of Baker. |
| July 2017 | Flash Flood | Baker | $1,000 | Highway 127 was flooded at mile marker 12. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Baker | - | At Red Pass Lake mesonet station. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Baker | - | Also dust storm with visibility down to 50 feet. |
| July 2005 | Flash Flood | Baker | - | State Highway 127 washed out, with cars stuck in water up to the doors. |
| October 2005 | Flash Flood | Baker | - | State Highway 127 flooded at Dumont Dunes Rd. |
| July 2003 | Flash Flood | Baker | - | CHP reported a car stuck in flash flooding on Highway 127 south of Baker. Occupants were safe. |
| July 2001 | Flash Flood | Baker | - | Strong thunderstorms produced 1.54 inches of rain in a two hour period which caused several roads to flood. |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Baker | - | A weather spotter in Baker reported winds estimated at 55 to 60 mph from a nearby thunderstorm. No damage was reported. |
| September 2011 | Hail | Baker | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zzyzx | 8.6 miles | 21 | |
| Beacon Station | 11.6 miles | 20 | |
| Halloran Springs | 12.2 miles | 28 | |
| Cronise (historical) | 14.7 miles | 24 | |
| Talc (historical) | 14.9 miles | 21 | |
| Belfast (historical) | 15.2 miles | 21 | |
| Cronese Valley | 15.5 miles | 24 | |
| Balch | 15.5 miles | 21 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Baker | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q633459 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 238894. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.








