thumb|View of Baker from the east on I-15

Baker is a census-designated place located in San Bernardino County, California, US.

Baker was established in 1929 by Ralph Jacobus Fairbanks (1857–1942), who was an American prospector, entrepreneur, and pioneer who established several towns in the Death Valley area of California, including Fairbanks Springs (1904–05) and Shoshone (1910).

It is the site of a vacant, 223-bed for-profit prison formerly operated by Cornell Corrections which experienced a major riot on December 2, 2003, four weeks before it was temporarily closed. It was permanently closed on December 25, 2009. GEO Group purchased Cornell Companies, its owner, on August 12, 2010. It had previously experienced escapes in August and November 1995 and two on July 15, 1997.

Geography and climate

Baker is located in the Mojave Desert at the junction of Interstate 15 and SR 127 (Death Valley Road). Its elevation is approximately above sea level, which is much lower than either Barstow or Las Vegas, due to its location at the southern end of the Death Valley geological depression. The Cronese Mountains are located southwest of the community. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km), all of it land.

Summer temperatures in Baker routinely exceed ; 2007 saw a record of .

Demographics

Baker first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. census.

There were 125 households in Baker, of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.8% were married-couple households, 8.8% were cohabiting couple households, 21.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 16.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.54. There were 89 families (71.2% of all households).

thumb|Former prison staff housing rentals

Government

State and federal representation

In the California State Legislature, Baker is in , and in .

In the United States House of Representatives, Baker is in .

Since Baker is an unincorporated community of San Bernardino County, County CEO, Leonard X. Hernandez, would be considered the Chief Administrator of Baker.

Water, Sanitary Sewers, Trash Collection Services, Fire Protection, Television Translators, Road Maintenance, Street Lighting, Park and Recreation is administered by the Baker Community Services District

Mars rover test site

The Mars Science Laboratory Team tested an engineering model of the Curiosity rover in the desert near Baker.

Education

The CDP is in the Baker Valley Unified School District<!--UNI 03610-->.

Attractions

thumb|upright|"World's tallest thermometer", in November 2003 in Baker, California

  • The town's most prominent feature is a thermometer, dubbed "the world's tallest thermometer". Its height commemorates the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth, , in nearby Death Valley on July 10, 1913. It was created by Willis Herron, who owned many businesses in Baker and, at one point, was said to have employed half of Baker's population. Hoping to draw more visitors into Baker, Herron partnered with Young Electric Sign Co. in 1991 to build the monument. It originally cost $750,000 to build and was blown over by high winds before it was officially lit. It was quickly rebuilt with a sturdier design. In 2005, Herron sold several of his businesses to Matt Pike in 2005 before dying in 2007. Visible for miles, Pike temporarily stopped its operation in 2012 due to expensive electric bills of $8,000/month and inaccurate temperature readings. When Herron's widow Barbara learned that the beloved landmark was being considered for demolition, she repurchased and refurbished it. The thermometer was relighted following restoration on July 10, 2014.
  • The thermometer was featured on the television show Strange Inheritance season 1 episode 13 on the Fox Business Network.
  • Alien Fresh Jerky, a quirky store selling various types of jerky and alien-themed merchandise. The store is itself a tourist attraction with statues of aliens and architecture resembling galactic ships. Billboards on I-15 commonly feature the store. In 2020, the store came under fire for controversial racist remarks against Asians.
  • Abandoned structures, such as the tiki-inspired Arnie's Royal Hawaiian Motel (opened in 1957, closed in 2009, formerly known as Grace's Oasis) and Bun Boy Restaurant and Motel (opened in 1926, closed in 2013),
  • Just a few miles to the west along I-15 lies the exit for Zzyzx Road. This dirt road leads to Soda Springs, the site of the health resort established by Curtis Springer in the late 1940s and now the Desert Study Center maintained by the California State University.
  • A yearly race is held called "The Challenge Cup Relay: Baker to Vegas" or commonly referred as "Baker to Vegas" where law enforcement do a relay running race from Baker, CA to Las Vegas, NV. It attracts law enforcement agencies including LAPD, national, and international agencies to participate annually.
  • The 2003 film The Big Empty takes place in Baker, California. It was also filmed on-location.
  • In the video game Fallout: New Vegas, the fictional town of Novac features as a main attraction the world's second-largest thermometer.
  • The second season of the Fallout TV series utilized Baker as a filming location for scenes set in Novac.

See also

  • List of census-designated places in California

References

  • Baker Chamber of Commerce
  • A history of Baker
  • - a book on the history of Baker
  • History and photos of Baker's roadside attractions
  • Mojave National Preserve