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Joshua Tree, California

14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1982. It stands in the Twentynine Palms-Yucca Valley census division. It lies in ZIP code area 92252. It lies near Coyote Hole Canyon. The Survey maps it on the Joshua Tree North quadrangle. 6,489 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,736 feet above sea level.

Joshua Tree within San Bernardino County

Then and now

1953 to 1982

The same ground, surveyed 29 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Joshua Tree, surveyed 1982
Topographic sheet of Joshua Tree, surveyed 1953

On record in Joshua Tree

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

Joshua Tree fell from 7,414 to 6,489 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
20107,414
20206,489-925 (-12%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

9 surveys from 14 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

98 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 98 fires within 5 miles of Joshua Tree between 1992 and 2020, burning about 2,389 acres in total. 14 started naturally. 4 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/undetermined41
Equipment and vehicle use16
Natural14
Misuse of fire by a minor10
Smoking6
Debris and open burning4
Arson/incendiarism4
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Fireworks1
Other causes1

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
9 September 2006Equipment and vehicle use3.0 acresCalifornia Desert DistrictWILLOW
9 September 2006Equipment and vehicle use3.0 acresCalifornia Department of Forestry & Fire Protectionnot named
9 September 1992Misuse of fire by a minorunder an acreSan Bernardino UnitRED EYE
29 September 2008Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreCalifornia Department of Forestry & Fire Protectionnot named
29 September 1992Other causesunder an acreCalifornia Desert DistrictBORDER
26 September 1992Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreSan Bernardino UnitGRANADA
19 September 2005Naturalunder an acreCalifornia Desert DistrictMELTON
19 September 1998Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreJoshua Tree National MonumentBDCASST#5

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in San Bernardino County

Storms near this place

32 since 1997

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Joshua Tree in 32 storm reports between 1997 and 2025: 20 flash flood, 5 hail, 2 flood, 2 thunderstorm wind. 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
August 2011Thunderstorm WindJoshua Tree$150,000Thunderstorm winds in Joshua Tree blew down several trees, power poles, and power lines; blew down a 36 foot wide billboard; blew the roof and porch off a mobile home; blew off part of the roof of the library; and blew over at least two small buildings.
July 2017Flash FloodJoshua Tree$25,000Scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of Joshua Tree National Park during the afternoon hours on July 29th, and some of them produced intense, flash flood producing rains across northern portions of the park. According to reports from Joshua Tree park rangers, flash flooding was observed along Indian Cove Road at 1404PST. The road drains to the north towards California highway 62 but it originates within the park. Park rangers and dispatch also indicated flash flooding on area roads between Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree; there was significant debris left behind on the roads due to the excessive runoff. Fortunately there were no reports of accidents or injuries due to the flash flooding. A Flash Flood Warning was in effect at the time of the flooding.
October 2015LightningJoshua Tree$25,000Lightning set fire to five trees and one power pole in Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms.
September 2022Flash FloodJoshua Tree$10,000Multiple roads were flooded, and one van was stuck in flowing water.
July 2001Tornado (F0)Joshua Tree$10,000A tornado touched down in Joshua Tree causing minor damage to homes and businesses. The most significant damage reports included damage to a roof of an abandoned house and a patio cover torn off another home.
July 2015Flash FloodJoshua Tree$5,000Thunderstorms developed across portions of Joshua Tree National Park during the afternoon hours on July 19th. Due to an infusion of tropical moisture from former hurricane Dolores, the storms generated torrential rainfall with peak rain rates well in excess of 2 inches per hour. The intense rainfall led to flash flooding across the western portion of the park. At about 1500PST, local law enforcement reported flash flooding of Park Boulevard, Route 12, near and just southeast of the western entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. In addition, the flooding washed debris onto portions of Park Boulevard. No injuries were reported due to the flash flooding.
August 2012LightningJoshua Tree$5,000Lightning struck and killed a horse, and also started a smoldering fire in a barn which burned to the ground three days later.
August 2004HailJoshua Tree$5,000Three quarter inch hail was reported at the north entrance to Joshua Tree National Park.
August 2023Flash FloodJoshua Tree$2,000Mud and debris washed onto Highway 62 just east of Olympic Rd.
November 2019Flash FloodJoshua Tree$2,000Highway 62 was flooded from Hallee Road to Mile Square Road.
August 2012Flash FloodJoshua Tree$2,000Water flowed over Highway 62 at Sunburst Street, leaving mud and debris on the highway.
February 2025FloodJoshua Tree$1,000There was minor flooding of Highway 62 in several low spots between Hallee Rd and White Feather Rd.
September 2022Flash FloodJoshua Tree$1,000Park Blvd was closed just outside the west entrance to Joshua Tree National Park.
August 2022Flash FloodJoshua Tree$1,000Highway 62 was flooded near Hillview Road.
November 2022Flash FloodJoshua Tree$1,000Chollita Rd was flooded.
July 2018Flash FloodJoshua Tree$1,000Highway 62 was flooded west of Joshua Tree.
August 2018Flash FloodJoshua Tree$1,000Water seven inches deep flowed over Sunburst along Broadway.
October 2015Flash FloodJoshua Tree$1,000The intersection of Sunfair Road and Aberdeen Drive was flooded.
August 2013Flash FloodJoshua Tree$1,000Highway 62 was closed at Sunburst Circle, and a truck and trailer were stranded in swift water.
August 2011Flash FloodJoshua Tree$1,000Debris flowed across Highway 62 in Joshua Tree.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindJoshua Tree$500An awning was damaged by thunderstorm winds.
October 2018HailJoshua Tree-Multiple sources reported hail up to one inch in diameter fell for 15 minutes in Joshua Tree, accumulating about an inch deep on the ground.
August 2015Flash FloodJoshua Tree-Thunderstorms developed across portions of Joshua Tree National Park during the early afternoon hours on August 26th, and some of the stronger ones produced very intense rainfall which quickly led to flash flooding across the northern portion of the park. According to local law enforcement, flash flooding was reported at 1325PST in the north central portion of the park, around the popular Queen Valley Mountain bike area near the Sheep Pass group camp along highway 12. This area is east of Ryan Mountain. A Flash Flood Warning had been issued shortly before the flash flooding was reported. Fortunately no injuries were reported due to the flash flooding.
September 2014HailJoshua Tree-Trained spotter reported one inch hail 2 miles south of Joshua Tree.
January 2010Flash FloodJoshua Tree-Water and debris were on several roads in the Joshua Tree area. An elderly care center was also flooded.
December 2004Flash FloodJoshua Tree-A park ranger in Joshua Tree National Park reported that all low water crossings have at least one foot of water running through. Several roads are closed.
August 2004Flash FloodJoshua Tree-Heavy rains from a thunderstorms caused flash flooding along the west entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. Several roads and trails were flooded for several hours.
July 2001Flash FloodJoshua Tree-Heavy rain caused severe flooding of area roadways in Joshua Tree. Flooding was reported to be over one foot deep in many areas.
June 2025HailJoshua Tree-no account filed
July 1999FloodJoshua Tree-no account filed
August 1997HailJoshua Tree-no account filed
August 1997Flash FloodJoshua Tree-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
Hidden River3.0 miles14
Sunfair4.0 miles15
Panorama Heights4.9 miles17
Yucca Valley6.5 miles15
Sunfair Heights8.8 miles15
Pioneertown9.8 miles15
Flamingo Heights9.9 miles15
Landers10.0 miles13

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 Joshua TreeAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q168308The 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 1652731. 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.

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.