Antelope Valley

The valley was named for the graceful animals that are said to have roamed there until being eliminated by hunters and bad weather in the 1880s. The principal cities in the Antelope Valley are Palmdale and Lancaster.

Western Antelope Valley - Mojave Desert

The Antelope Valley, nestled between the San Gabriel and Tehachapi Mountains, marks the western edge of the Mojave Desert. It spans about 3,000 square miles, stretching across northern Los Angeles and southeastern Kern Counties. Today, cities like Palmdale, Lancaster, Mojave, and Rosamond are its hubs, but people have lived and traveled through this valley for thousands of years—traders, hunters, and eventually settlers.

Long before it became known for aerospace, this valley was named for the antelope that once roamed freely until overhunting and harsh weather wiped them out by the 1880s. Native people had used this route for trade between the Southwest and California’s coast. Spanish explorers first arrived in the 1770s, but permanent non-native settlement took off in the 1850s, after California joined the U.S.

Key milestones came quickly: gold mining nearby, cattle ranching, and the Butterfield stage route in 1858. A telegraph line followed in 1860, then the railroad in 1876. Early farming boomed thanks to generous rainfall—until a crushing drought in the 1890s forced many off their land. Still, irrigation and electricity revived agriculture by the early 1900s. The 1913 Owens Valley Aqueduct helped too, feeding the growth of both Los Angeles and the Antelope Valley.

Today, though farming still lingers, the valley’s economy runs on aerospace and defense, with wide skies and open land perfect for high-tech flight and testing.

Timeline

c. 9000 BCE – Native peoples begin using the valley as a trade and travel route. 1770s – Spanish explorers arrive, marking first non-native contact.

1840s – American settlers reach the area after U.S. annexation.

1854 – Fort Tejon is established, improving access through Grapevine Canyon.

1858 – Butterfield Overland Mail crosses the valley.

1860 – Telegraph line links Los Angeles to San Francisco via the valley.

1876 – Southern Pacific Railroad connects the valley to the state network.

1880s–1890s – Wet years spark a wave of farming and homesteading.

1880s – Antelope herds disappear due to hunting and weather.

1894 – A decade-long drought forces many off their land.

Early 1900s – Irrigation and electricity revive agriculture.

1913 – Owens Valley Aqueduct brings more water to the region.

Mid-1900s – Aerospace and defense industries transform the economy.

Today – A mix of high-tech industry and lingering agriculture defines the valley.