Palm Springs is a famed Riverside County, California desert resort city, approximately 110 miles (177 km) east of Los Angeles and 140 miles (225 km) northeast of San Diego. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 42,807. Palm Springs possesses some of the most famous golf courses in the country. Swimming, tennis, horseback riding and hiking in the beautiful nearby desert and mountain areas are other major forms of recreation in Palm Springs. It is one of nine adjacent cities that make up the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area). The area code for Palm Springs is 760. The ZIP codes for Palm Springs are 92262 through 92264. Known as the "Playground of the Stars," Palm Springs is a small city with the legacy, amenities and history of a large, cosmopolitan city. Palm Springs lies at the foot of one of Southern California's most majestic mountain peaks, 10,834-foot (3,300 m) San Jacinto Peak, whose eastern flank abuts downtown. It is not unusual to swim in 80-degree Fahrenheit (27-degree Celsius) weather while looking up at snow covered peaks. Palm Springs is sheltered by the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south, and the San Jacinto Mountains to the west. This geography gives Palm Springs its famed warm, dry climate, with 354 days of sunshine and less than 6 inches of rain annually. Winter temperatures average in the 70s with nights in the low-to-mid 40s, but the dry desert heat of summer pushes daytime temperatures well above 100, with overnight temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s.

In general, very high temperatures in the summer are made bearable by the dryness of the desert heat. Summer evenings and nights are very pleasant. Celebrities still retreat to Palm Springs, but today the city's economy centers on tourism, real estate, health care, shopping and gambling. It is a city of numerous festivals, conventions and international events. The world's largest rotating tramcars can be found at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. These cars ascend two-and-a-half miles up a steep incline to reveal dramatic, sweeping valley views. The ascent from desert floor to an altitude in excess of 8,500 feet is accompanied by a drop in temperature of 30 degrees or more, giving riders a cool respite from the heat on a hot summer day. A wilderness area can be explored at the top of the tram and there is a restaurant with spectacular views.

Wikipedia articles for Palm Springs

• Palm Springs, California
• Palm Springs, California
• Palm Springs Convention Center
• Palm Springs Stadium
• Palm Springs High School
• Plaza Theatre (Palm Springs)
• Palm Springs Desert Museum
• Palm Springs International Airport
• Kaufmann Desert House