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History · Inyokern

Inyokern’s post office opened in 1910, and 14% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1943 on and the census since 2000.

1910first post office
0on the National Register
14%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Jey0h · CC BY 3.0
Quick answers

How Inyokern began, and where its name came from

When was Inyokern founded?

1910

The Inyokern post office opened in 1910, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 984 in 20002020 census: 988116 years

How did Inyokern get its name?

Inyokern’s name derives from its location near the border between Inyo and Kern Counties.

Founding year: the first Inyokern post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Inyokern’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 Inyokern are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Inyokern’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Inyokern came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Inyokern.

Read it all →

Inyokern was founded in the mid-19th century as an agrarian community located in the northernmost corner of the Mojave Desert. It expanded during construction of the Owens Valley aqueduct. The first post office opened in 1910.

The Inyokern Elementary School was founded in 1913. The original building was replaced in the mid-1930s by a larger building with a stage and indoor restrooms. This building was demolished in the early 1970s. In the 1930s, half a dozen irrigated farms were scattered around Indian Wells Valley, growing mostly alfalfa and livestock. Community events were held in Inyokern Hall, which still stands.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Inyokern, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Tesla Supercharger Inyokern California 2026 dllu2026Tesla Supercharger Inyokern California 2026 dllu08 California Route 178 in Inyokern, lined with wooden electric poles201408 California Route 178 in Inyokern, lined with woode…Inyokern Airport2011Inyokern AirportUntitled photo2008Untitled photoInyokern2008Inyokern
On the map

Inyokern on the map, 1943 to 1972

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

Inyokern on the 1943 USGS mapInyokern on the 1972 USGS map1943Inyokern 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 Inyokern.

People over time

Inyokern, census by census

02004006008001,0001,20020002020Peak: 1,099

Between 984 and 1,099 people in every census since 2000.

3 censuses, 2000–2020.

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

Famous people

Famous people close to Inyokern

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

See all →
Mark HoppusAmerican musician and record producer · b. 1972
J
Jennifer O'DellAmerican actress · b. 1974
J. D. MartinAmerican baseball player · b. 1983
Brett BattlesAmerican writer · b. 1962
J
Jerome DavisTrack and field athlete · b. 1977
J
Jason MonksAmerican congressman in Idaho
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

China Lake AcresIts storyC−

Questions about Inyokern’s history

What year was Inyokern founded?

The Inyokern post office opened in 1910, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

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 (5), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) 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.