Palmdale travel guide

Palmdale, United States

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Palmdale

Introduction

Palmdale is a suburban city in northern Los Angeles County, set within the Antelope Valley of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains stand between the city and the Los Angeles Basin to the south, shaping both the landscape and the sense of distance from the larger metropolis.

Before you go

Palmdale's identity is bound up with aviation and aerospace, so a little background will help you read the landscape. Muroc Air Base, established by the U.S. government in 1933 and later renamed Edwards Air Force Base, sits nearby, and the government bought Palmdale Airport in 1952 and set up an aerospace development and testing facility there called United States Air Force Plant 42. Lockheed followed with a facility at the airport in 1953, and the aerospace industry has been the area's primary source of employment ever since. Expect that heritage to shape what you see and hear around town, from the airfield to the local pride in the place's nickname, the "Aerospace Capital of America." Many of the aircraft used by the United States military are built and tested here, so if planes and flight testing interest you, you'll find the city's story told through that lens.

Getting there

Palmdale sits about 70 miles north of Downtown Los Angeles, reached by car via California State Highway 14, the Antelope Valley Freeway, which serves as the area's main north–south route. CA-14 continues north to connect with US Highway 395 toward Reno, Nevada. For east–west travel, California State Highway 138 links the Inland Empire and the Grapevine area of Interstate 5 to Palmdale, while California State Highway 18 connects the Victor Valley via CA-138.

Palmdale Regional Airport has no scheduled passenger airline service, so most travellers fly into Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, roughly an hour's drive south, which is served by most major carriers. Los Angeles International, Ontario International and Bakersfield's Meadows Field are all about the same distance away in travel time when traffic is clear: LAX offers the most options and is generally the least expensive but is crowded with long lines and heavy traffic, Ontario is quieter and easier to use, and Bakersfield is similarly uncrowded with fewer flights and little traffic. Long Beach Municipal and John Wayne International are possible alternates if you are willing to drive 90–120 miles. Shuttle buses run to and from LAX, including Antelope Valley Airport Express.

By rail, the Palmdale Transportation Center downtown is the metropolitan area's mass-transit hub, served by Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line with weekday and weekend round trips between Lancaster and Los Angeles, and by Amtrak's Thruway Bus service. The Vincent-Grade/Acton station serves southernmost Palmdale and nearby Acton on the same Metrolink line. Beyond arriving and leaving town, rail is not heavily used here, as only two stations serve Palmdale with one more in nearby Lancaster.

Greyhound Bus Lines serves the Palmdale Transportation Center daily. The Antelope Valley Transit Authority runs daily commuter bus lines to the center from various parts of Los Angeles and also operates the city's public bus system, while Santa Clarita Transit runs a daily commuter line from Santa Clarita.

Getting around

Palmdale is a sprawling, suburban city, and that shapes how you get around: buses, trains, taxis, and rental cars cover most trips, while walking works within a single district rather than as a way to cross town. The city's public bus system, run by the Antelope Valley Transit Authority, travels most major thoroughfares and arrives on average every 15 to 20 minutes. There are two main transfer centers for switching lines — one at the Antelope Valley Mall and the primary one at the Palmdale Transportation Center, which is the anchor of the transit network. Santa Clarita Transit offers connecting service from the Transportation Center, Greyhound serves it, and AVTA runs commuter lines linking it with areas of Los Angeles. Rail is mainly a way in and out of the Antelope Valley rather than a tool for local travel: Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line runs between Lancaster and Los Angeles via Palmdale on weekdays and weekends, serving the downtown Transportation Center and the Vincent-Grade/Acton station in southernmost Palmdale. Amtrak serves the Transportation Center through its Thruway Bus service. There is no metro or tram network.

Taxis operate through several companies, but you must always call ahead — they are rarely in a position to be flagged down as in New York City or Los Angeles. If you arrive at Palmdale Regional Airport, a pay phone in the terminal lets you call one. Given the suburban layout, a car is the most flexible option, and most major rental companies have a presence here; they do not keep lots at the airport, but will pick you up there and return you the same way. California State Highway 14, the Antelope Valley Freeway, is the principal north–south route, connecting Palmdale with Downtown Los Angeles to the south and, to the north, toward Reno via US Highway 395. California State Highway 138 is the principal east–west route, linking the Inland Empire and the Interstate 5 "Grapevine" area, and California State Highway 18 connects the Victor Valley area via CA-138. Note that Palmdale Regional Airport has no scheduled passenger airline service, so most visitors arrive through Burbank, LAX, Ontario, or Bakersfield and finish the trip by shuttle, car, or Metrolink.

Where to stay

Lodging in Palmdale clusters along a few main corridors rather than in a single downtown district. On West Palmdale Boulevard you'll find the Best Western - John Jay Inn & Suites and a Motel 6, both convenient to the boulevard's commercial strip. The Rancho Vista Boulevard area is the other main cluster, home to the Courtyard Palmdale, the Hilton Garden Inn Palmdale and the Residence Inn Palmdale Lancaster.

If you want to be near the civic and business addresses on 5th Street West, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Palmdale and the Holiday Inn Palmdale-Lancaster put you there. The Hampton Inn & Suites Palmdale sits on Trade Center Drive, and the Staybridge Suites Palmdale is on West Park Drive. Several of these are all-suite or extended-stay properties, which suits longer visits to the Antelope Valley.

Food & drink

Palmdale's restaurants cluster in two main areas: around the intersection of Rancho Vista Blvd. and 10th Street West near the Antelope Valley Mall, and along Palmdale Blvd. between 20th and 30th Streets East. Between them, you'll find a spread of cuisines that covers most cravings. For American fare and barbecue, look to spots like Boulevard Cafe, Cascades Grill inside the golf course clubhouse, Schooner Saloon Restaurant, and Vincent Hill Station. Hawaiian barbecue, Indian, Italian, Japanese and sushi, Mongolian, seafood, and Thai are all represented too, with Thai options on both the west and east sides of town. Mexican food is especially well covered, from El Toreo's two locations to Los Arco's, Sharky's, Speedy Joes, and Mi Ranchito Seafood. If you're after something quick, burger stands, a Chinese express counter, and a Mexican grill round out the fast-food side.

When you want a drink, the options lean toward cantinas and clubs: Don Chato's Mexican Cantina, El Torito, and the Horseshoe Club Cantina. Note that where a restaurant name appears more than once, the listings are ordered by distance from downtown, where the hotels are concentrated — handy if you're deciding how far you want to venture for dinner.

What to see and do

For a look at the region's geology, head to the San Andreas Fault at the southern end of Palmdale, just north of where Avenue S meets the Antelope Valley Freeway. A low hill known as the Palmdale Bulge sits directly above the fault, and you can park and hike roughly half a mile through the desert to overlook rock strata warped and twisted by the shifting of the Pacific and North American plates. Stay back from the edge of the steep cutaway. You can also trace a portion of the California Aqueduct where it passes through the Antelope Valley along the San Gabriel Mountain foothills, with many vantage points and miles of bicycleways alongside the waterway. Aviation history is the city's other draw. At Blackbird Air Park, two adjacent museums next to the classified Air Force Plant 42 display carefully restored aircraft you can walk around, including the SR-71A Blackbird, the A-12 and the U-2, staffed by retirees who worked in the aerospace industry. Aircraft in flight appear irregularly, since many of the country's most advanced planes are assembled and test-flown here, and a dirt lot at Avenue N and Sierra Highway gives a straight-down-the-runway view of whatever is flying that day. Elsewhere, the Palmdale Amphitheater at Marie Kerr Park hosts performers and events, the Palmdale Playhouse and Art Gallery and the downtown Civic Center anchor the cultural side, and the Palmdale Schoolhouse at McAdam Park is the last remaining building of the original village of Palmenthal. For the outdoors, Saddleback Butte State Park to the northeast has a small camping area and is known for late-night stargazing and meteor showers on clear nights, while Littlerock Dam and Recreation Area southeast of the city offers a public-use lake and campsites. Big Rock Creek Camp sits near Devil's Punchbowl, and Mountain High is a ski resort in nearby Wrightwood. Dry Town Water Park on Avenue S opens each summer with water slides, a wave pool and a lazy river, and the Best Of The West Softball Complex regularly hosts state and national tournaments. You can also bowl, play Palmdale's PGA-class course at Rancho Vista or Desert Aire, or visit the Hammack Activity Center and Roller Hockey Rink.

When to go

Palmdale has a high desert climate, so the season you choose shapes your trip more than almost anything else. Winters are cool to mild, but don't mistake that for balmy: daily normal minimums sit at or just below freezing from late November through late January, and December is the coolest month. Expect plenty of freezing mornings if you visit in winter, and note that December has delivered the area's heaviest recorded rain — so pack layers and be ready for a wet day even in this dry region.

Summers are hot and nearly rainless, with July and August tied as the hottest months. Many afternoons climb to or above the century mark, and rain is rare in any month of the year. If you come in summer, plan around the heat and sun rather than hoping for a cool break — and keep in mind that the dry pattern holds year-round, so you won't find a rainy season to dodge.

Three days in Palmdale

Day one: Start in Palmdale itself, the heart of the Antelope Valley in Southern California. Get your bearings in the city known as the Aerospace Capital of America, where the story of flight runs deep — from Muroc Air Base to Edwards Air Force Base, and the Lockheed Plant that shaped the region. Palmdale Airport sits within the city, and the United States Air Force presence is part of the local identity. Use the day to settle in and take in the desert-edge setting, with the San Gabriel Mountains rising to the south and the vast openness of the Antelope Valley around you.

Day two: Head south into Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles Basin. The Antelope Valley Freeway and California State Highway routes connect Palmdale to the wider region, so you can travel toward Downtown Los Angeles or loop through the Inland Empire and Victor Valley. If you prefer to stay closer, explore the corridor along US Highway routes that link the valley to the Grapevine and Interstate connections. The scale of Southern California becomes clear as the mountains give way to the basin.

Day three: Plan a travel day using the region's airports. Palmdale Regional Airport serves the city directly, while Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Los Angeles International, Ontario International, and Long Beach Municipal offer alternative gateways across the basin. Farther afield, Meadows Field in Bakersfield and John Wayne International serve other parts of the region. If you're driving instead, routes toward Reno, Nevada, or down through the Victor Valley show how the Antelope Valley connects to the wider West.

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