PALM SPRINGS DESERT RESORTS FACT SHEET  

Media contacts:

Sue Lowry / Melanie Childs

Magellan Public Relations

Tel: 020 8875 2850; Fax: 020 8875 2851

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.magellan-pr.com  

The Palm Springs Desert Resorts is eight desert cities in southeastern Riverside County in California : Cathedral City , Desert Hot Springs , Indian Wells, Indio , La Quinta, Palm Desert , Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. Permanent Population profile: 329,537 (figure includes 82,594 unincorporated and 22,925 in City of Coachella ). Population swells to over 500,000 during winter season.

INDIVIDUAL POPULATIONS

Cathedral City 38,844

Desert Hot Springs 18,158

Indian Wells 3,540

Indio 48,535

La Quinta 21,489

Palm Desert 32,349

Palm Springs 48,257

Rancho Mirage 12,846

 

CLIMATE

Sunshine: 350 days annually. Rainfall: 5.5 inches annually.

Temperatures: January 43-69 F; April 59-91 F; July 76-108 F; October 63-93 F.

 

VISITOR PROFILE

Visitors: 3 million (overnight) annually.

Hotel rooms: 14,319 in 217 hotels.

Average visitor stay: 5.7 nights.

Average expenditure per visitor per day: US$254.

Percentage of visitors who play golf: 39.8 percent.

2001 Gross Hotel Sales: US$346,561,531

2001 Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT): US$34,365,808

 

THE PALM SPRINGS CONVENTION CENTER

140,000 square foot complex.

66,000 square feet of exhibit space.

435-seat auditorium.

 

RECREATION

Golf courses: 109

Tennis courts: 600

Swimming pools: 30,000 (per Southern California Edison)

Restaurants: 682

Fun things: Golf, tennis, hiking, horseback riding, hot air ballooning, polo, swimming, bicycling, sunbathing, rock climbing and tandem skydiving.

Nightlife: Piano bars, lounges, coffee houses, billiard halls, country western dance halls, sports bars, karaoke and disco clubs. 

ENTERTAINMENT

The McCallum Theatre For The Performing Arts for special national touring companies (1,100 seats).

The Annenberg Theatre (concerts, stage) at Palm Springs Desert Museum (450 seats).

The Historic Plaza Theatre, home of the “Fabulous Palm Springs Follies” (803 seats). 

 

ATTRACTIONS

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Palm Springs Desert Museum

The Living Desert Wildlife and Botanical Park

Children’s Discovery Museum

Joshua Tree National Park

IMAX Theatre

Indian-owned casinos (Spa Hotel and Casino, Fantasy Springs Casino, Agua Caliente Casino and Spotlight 29 Casino)

Palm Springs Air Museum · Agua Caliente Cultural Museum

 

SHOPPING

Shopping malls: Westfield Shopping town Palm Desert , Palm Springs Mall and Desert Crossing Shopping Center .

Boutiques, exclusive shopping districts: El Paseo and Palm Canyon Drive.

Outdoor street fairs; Palm Springs VillageFest, College of the Desert Street Fair and La Quinta Main Street Marketplace.

 

MORE FACTS

History: The first settlers were the Cahuilla (pronounced Ka-we-ya) Indians, dating back an estimated 2,000 years. The Cahuilla Indians own 42 percent of the land in the Coachella Valley . Indio became the first incorporated city on May 30, 1930.

Palm trees: 10,000 (estimate).

Native birds: Burrowing Owl, Roadrunner, Costa’s Hummingbird, Cactus Wren.

Native mammals: Kit Fox, Bighorn Sheep, Coyote, Badger.

Natural vegetation: Creosote, Jumping Cholla, Mesquite , Ocotillo, Palo Verde, Barrel Cactus, Smoke Tree.

Rev: 7/02