El Centro

Town and administrative headquarters of Imperial County, south California; population (1990) 31,400. It is located 142 km/88 mi east of San Diego. Its name refers to its central location in the Imperial Valley. The area has many canals, aiding the farming of melons, lettuce, tomatoes, and sugar beets; other fruits and vegetables, grain, livestock, and cotton are produced. Founded in 1907, at 16 m/53 ft below sea level, El Centro is the valley's major shipping point. The El Centro Naval Air Station, 10 km/6 mi to the northwest, is home to the Navy's Blue Angels precision flying team.