BlockBefore

Barstow, California

21 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1932 and the latest in 1982. It stands in the Barstow census division. It lies in ZIP code area 92311. It lies near B Hill. The Survey maps it on the Barstow quadrangle. 25,415 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,175 feet above sea level.

Barstow within San Bernardino County

Then and now

1932 to 1982

The same ground, surveyed 50 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Barstow, surveyed 1982
Topographic sheet of Barstow, surveyed 1932

Compare 1932 against another survey:

On record in Barstow

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 1 record

Population over time

2 figures

Barstow grew from 22,639 to 25,415 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.

YearPeople Change
201022,639
202025,415+2,776 (+12%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

11 surveys from 21 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

79 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 79 fires within 5 miles of Barstow between 1992 and 2020, burning about 189 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 9 were 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined47
Misuse of fire by a minor10
Arson/incendiarism9
Debris and open burning5
Equipment and vehicle use3
Smoking2
Fireworks2
Natural1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
3 September 2007Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreCalifornia Department of Forestry & Fire Protectionnot named
29 September 2010Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreCalifornia Department of Forestry & Fire Protectionnot named
17 September 2007Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreCalifornia Department of Forestry & Fire Protectionnot named
6 August 2009Arson/incendiarismunder an acreCalifornia Department of Forestry & Fire Protectionnot named
3 August 2009Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreCalifornia Department of Forestry & Fire Protectionnot named
29 August 2008Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreCalifornia Department of Forestry & Fire Protectionnot named
28 August 2010Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreCalifornia Department of Forestry & Fire Protectionnot named
25 August 2009Misuse of fire by a minorunder an acreCalifornia Department of Forestry & Fire Protectionnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in San Bernardino County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 73 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 73 workings within 5 miles of Barstow: 33 prospects, 27 past producers, 5 occurrences, 5 producers. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Gold, Barium-Barite, Silver, Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
American Borax MineBoron-BoratesPast Producer1900
Birdseye Granite QuarryGranitePast Producer
Brubaker-Mann Roofing Granule PlanStonePast Producer
Nw Barstow DolomiteDolomite, MagnesiteOccurrence
Nw Waterman ProspectGold, Lead, SilverProspect
Pacific Coast Mill and Mining Co.Gold, Copper, SilverPast Producer
Piper GroupGold, CopperUnknown
Unnamed LocationGemstoneUnknown
Unnamed LocationIronUnknown
Unnamed ProspectCalciumProspect

Every working recorded in San Bernardino County

Storms near this place

42 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Barstow in 42 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 24 flash flood, 10 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 2 heavy rain. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2016Flash FloodBarstow$100,000Eight to 12 inches of water flowed over Rimrock Road near and east of H Street. A swift water rescue occurred at Center St. and Upton Dr. Water, mud, and debris overflowed the Guadalupe Channel, causing significant damage to two homes on Creosote Ct.
July 2016Flash FloodBarstow$100,000Eight to 12 inches of water flowed over Rimrock Road near and east of H Street. A swift water rescue occurred at Center St. and Upton Dr. Water, mud, and debris overflowed the Guadalupe Channel, causing significant damage to two homes on Creosote Ct. Flooding and debris covered all lanes of Highway 247 at mile marker 77.
October 2010Thunderstorm WindBarstow$50,000Several homes and apartments had roof damage, two fences were blown down, and numerous tree limbs were blown down.
July 2008Flash FloodBarstow$50,000In Barstow, CA, flood waters overtopped a six foot high fence above a five foot deep concrete culvert, sweeping away the fence along with portions of the culvert. At least three homes were flooded, and several vehicles got stuck in floodwaters.
June 2000Thunderstorm WindBarstow$25,000A fierce thunderstorm damaged a hanger at Barstow-Daggett Airport and knocked out electricity for runway lights. The wind tore a 50-foot-long section of vent cap from the roof or a World War II vintage hanger and caused several powerlines to fall, cutting power to the two airport runways.
August 2023LightningBarstow$10,000Lightning struck a utility pole next to I-15, closing the highway for a period.
July 2013Flash FloodBarstow$10,000Deep water flowing on Highway 247 south of Barstow caused two cars to get stuck.
August 2010Flash FloodBarstow$10,000Water and debris flowed over several roads in the eastern part of Barstow.
July 2008Flash FloodBarstow$10,000Flash flooding at Highway 58 and Soap Mine Road in the Barstow, CA area trapped five people in vehicles. They were rescued by helicopter.
August 2025Flash FloodBarstow$5,000Highway 247 was closed south of Barstow due to large amounts of water, debris, and rocks over the road.
May 2023Flash FloodBarstow$5,000Flooding and a mudslide affected the East Main Street off ramp of Interstate 15 South.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindBarstow$5,000Thunderstorm winds blew down power lines on Highway 58 at Irwin Road.
July 2003Thunderstorm WindBarstow$5,000A short but intense thunderstorm with winds gusting to an estimated 60 mph knocked down several trees and powerlines near Barstow.
November 2025Flash FloodBarstow$2,000Soapmine Road was flooded with water, mud, and debris.
September 2023Flash FloodBarstow$2,000Mountain View St was covered with water and mud.
July 2021Flash FloodBarstow$2,000Water, rocks, and mud flooded the intersection of Old Fort Irwin Road and Old Highway 58.
August 2010LightningBarstow$2,000Lightning struck a house.
August 2000Thunderstorm WindBarstow$2,000Strong thunderstorm winds caused about two thousand dollars damage to a temporary house by moving it off its foundation. An 18 inch diameter tree also fell on the house.
September 2025Flash FloodBarstow$1,000Highway 247 was flooded near mile marker 72.
February 2024Flash FloodBarstow$1,000One lane of I-15 northbound in Barstow was closed due to flooding.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindBarstow$1,000Thunderstorm winds blew down a 20-foot pine tree.
July 2021Flash FloodBarstow$1,000Main Street was flooded with water and debris.
September 2011Flash FloodBarstow$1,000Irwin Road was flooded west of Fort Irwin Road with about six inches of flowing water.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindBarstow$500The public reported an electrical tower blew over by strong winds.
May 2023FloodBarstow-Water and debris on the ramp from Interstate 15 North to Interstate 40 East contributed to a vehicle spinout.
July 2016HailBarstow-Quarter to golf ball size hail fell at Rimrock Road and H Street, and dime to quarter size fell 2 miles SSW of Barstow.
October 2010Thunderstorm WindBarstow-A spotter estimated wind gusts to 60 mph.
July 2008Flash FloodBarstow-Highway 247 was flooded out with lots of debris on the road at San Bernardino County mile marker 76.
August 2005Flash FloodBarstow-One to two feet of water and debris crossing roadways, and up to one foot of water in businesses.
July 2005HailBarstow-One inch hail on Interstate 40 at mile marker 23. Reported by Caltrans.
October 2005Flash FloodBarstow-Flooding in several areas of Barstow.
October 2005Flash FloodBarstow-Interstate 15 flooded.
October 2005Flash FloodBarstow-Fort Irwin Rd. flooded due to heavy rain on a burn area. Yermo Cutoff Rd. also flooded.
September 2004Flash FloodBarstow-A 10 mile stretch of Fort Irwin Rd was under 12 to 14 inches of water. Huge boulders and mud all over the road and is completely impassable.
September 2002Heavy RainBarstow-A trained storm spotter in Barstow recorded 0.45 inches of rain in 20 minutes. This caused several intersections around town to become flooded and were closed.
July 1999Heavy RainBarstow-The California Highway Patrol reported heavy rain with near zero visibility contributed to a traffic accident along Interstate 40 east of Barstow. The extent of damage and injuries was unknown.
July 1999Flash FloodBarstow-The California Highway Patrol reported flooding on Interstate 15 near Barstow and zero visibility along Interstate 40 near Newberry Springs.
July 1999Flash FloodBarstow-Thunderstorms rolled into the Barstow area from the northwest dumping up to 1.4 inches of rain which quickly filled washes and inundated streets with water and mud. More than 5,000 people lost electricity for an hour or two and I-15 was blocked by mud near Highway 58 for a short period.
July 1998Flash FloodBarstow-Heavy rain showers around Barstow produced flash flooding making several streets impassable due to water and debris. One vehicle was stranded on Interstate 40 east of Montera Road. The passengers were assisted by officers from the California Highway Patrol.
September 1997Thunderstorm WindBarstow-The Barstow Fire Dept. reported winds estimated at 60 to 70 mph.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindBarstow-no account filed
October 2010HailBarstow-no account filed

Every storm recorded in San Bernardino County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
North Barstow1.3 miles21
Irwin Estates1.6 miles21
Skyline North1.9 miles21
Barstow Heights2.7 miles18
Hutt2.9 miles21
Eniwetok Housing Area3.7 miles14
Nebo3.7 miles16
Desert View Housing Area3.7 miles14

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 BarstowAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q499174The 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 1652670. 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.