Hotels in Lancaster, California

A little about Lancaster...

Lancaster, California, USA, the eighth-largest city in Los Angeles County. Lancaster is located approximately 70 miles (112.5km) north (by road travel) of the City of Los Angeles in Southern California’s Antelope Valley. It is separated from the Los Angeles Basin by the San Gabriel Mountain Range to the south and from Bakersfield and the San Joaquin Valley by the Tehachapi Mountain Range to the north. The City of Lancaster has grown from 37,000 residents at the time of incorporation in 1977, to an estimated 134,000 residents in 2005, and is the second largest city on the California side of the Mojave Desert. As of the 2005 population estimate, the Palmdale / Lancaster, CA Urbanized Area (a US Census Bureau defined term) has a population of 480,238.

Lancaster is home to Antelope Valley College as well as a satellite campus of California State University, Bakersfield. Recently the City spearheaded the development of the Lancaster University Center to provide local students with a chance to receive a first-rate education in engineering and technology.

The City of Lancaster has changed from the sleepy railroad water stop of the 19th Century to a bustling modern City with many cultural and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors.

The Essex House Hotel is a restored 1920s vintage mansion turned into a top-notch inn for Hollywood celebrities, but the building has been converted to a museum under the California Historic Site program in 1992. The Essex house was also the headquarters of the "Flat Earth Society" in the 1910s for over 1,000 members with unusual and outdated theories, many of them were celebrities and businessmen.

The City of Lancaster is also home to the Lancaster Aerospace Walk of Honor. Established in 1990 by the Lancaster City Council, the Aerospace Walk of Honor celebrates tests pilots who were associated with Edwards Air Force Base. Recognition is awarded for distinguished aviation careers marked by significant and obvious achievements beyond one specific accomplishment. The sidewalk monument display honors Lancaster’s more than fifty-year tradition as the nation’s aerospace center and host-City to a distinguished group of internationally known experimental test pilots. Five honorees are inducted each year in a special ceremony held in September.

Each spring, the California Poppy Festival draws upward of 60,000 guests to Lancaster City Park to celebrate springtime. Lancaster boasts one of California’s most abundant crops of the state flower, and the Poppy Festival has become a popular event not only for Lancaster residents, but also for visitors from around the world. The California Poppy Festival began as an Earth Day celebration and has grown into an event with over 55 acres of activities and extensive wildflower information.

"Celebrate Downtown Lancaster", a street fair and farmers’ market, is held several times throughout the summer and features family-friendly activities, street musicians and a variety of specialty vendors.