Palm Springs

Resort and spa in Riverside County, southern California; population (1990) 40,200. It is 169 km/105 mi east-southeast of Los Angeles, at the western end of the Coachella Valley. The resort is protected from rain and fog by the San Jacinto and the Santa Rosa Mountains, and its dry climate attracts many visitors. Though situated in the Colorado Desert, it has mineral springs and palm trees; the Spanish who explored the area in 1774 called it Agua Caliente (‘hot water’). The Cahuilla, who then inhabited the area, still own much of the land.

Palm Springs was developed as a resort in the 1920s, and soon became fashionable with movie stars. Today it is known for its golf courses and for the homes of the rich and famous. The Desert Museum, an art centre, the Moorten Botanical Garden, exhibiting desert flora, and an aerial tramway into the San Jacinto Mountains are additional attractions that draw many tourists to the town.