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Bombay beach signPhoto: The original uploader was Epolk at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 2.5
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History · Bombay Beach

18% of Bombay Beach’s homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1940 on and the census since 2000.

0on the National Register
18%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: The original uploader was Epolk at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 2.5

What stands out about Bombay Beach’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Bombay Beach are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Bombay Beach’s homes were built before 1964.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Bombay Beach’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bombay Beach’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Bombay Beach came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Bombay Beach.

Read it all →

During the 1950s, Bombay Beach was a popular beach-going destination. Celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, and Bing Crosby frequented the luxury resorts along the Salton Sea, which was known for its fishing, boating and water skiing. The area attracted half a million tourists annually, rivaling Yosemite National Park.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Bombay Beach, decade by decade

Today6 recent
FEMA - 43179 - Mud deposit at2010FEMA - 43179 - Mud deposit atBombay Beach at Sunset - Flickr - RuggyBearLA2009Bombay Beach at Sunset - Flickr - RuggyBearLABombayBeach20082008BombayBeach2008Bombay beach sign2006Bombay beach signBombay beach community center2006Bombay beach community centerSalton Sea homes2004Salton Sea homes
On the map

Bombay Beach on the map, 1940 to 1992

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bombay Beach. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Bombay Beach on the 1940 USGS mapBombay Beach on the 1956 USGS mapBombay Beach on the 1979 USGS mapBombay Beach on the 1992 USGS map1940Frink sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bombay Beach.

People over time

Bombay Beach, census by census

010020030040020002020Peak: 366

Between 231 and 366 people in every census since 2000.

3 censuses, 2000–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Bombay Beach’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Bombay Beach

Nobody well known was born in Bombay Beach itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Kayla MiracleAmerican wrestler · b. 1996
Al McCandlessAmerican politician · b. 1927
Sergio RomoAmerican baseball player · b. 1983
Steve TaylorAmerican singer, songwriter, record producer, m… · b. 1957
A
Ahmad ibn Umar al-HazimiSaudi Salafi Muslim scholar and theologian.
Mike MohamedAmerican football player · b. 1988

Questions about Bombay Beach’s history

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.