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CHistory
History · Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree’s post office opened in 1946, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 26% of U.S. towns · #380 of 847 in California. What drives it

Most of Joshua Tree was built recently: 0.8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1980. 1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 27 buildings. Below: maps from 1955 on and the census since 1970.

1946first post office
1on the National Register
0.8%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answers

How Joshua Tree began

When was Joshua Tree founded?

1946

The Joshua Tree post office opened in 1946, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 1,211 in 19702020 census: 6,48980 years

How historic is Joshua Tree?

C

More historic than 26% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Joshua Tree post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
History grade

What drives Joshua Tree’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Joshua Tree is more historic than 26% of U.S. towns, #380 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Joshua Tree’s overall grade.
Founding era1946, from the first post office: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD−Homes built before 19400.8% of homes (±0.8) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%DNational Register1 listing, 27 historic buildings, 43.3 per 10,000 residents · typical CA town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 26%
NewerOlder
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 55%

Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Joshua Tree’s 43.3 sits above most of its state (96% of California towns have fewer) while its 27 historic buildings outnumber those of 81% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to B−. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.

Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Joshua Tree’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 Joshua Tree are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.A historic districtThe New City of Mentalphysics Historic District takes in 27 historic buildings.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Joshua Tree’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Joshua Tree’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
On the National Register

1 listing protects 27 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
27
each building in a district counts
first listed
2023
New City of Mentalphysics Historic District
New City of Mentalphysics Historic District
Districts
All 1 listings
New City of Mentalphysics Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2023

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story so far

Joshua Tree, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Joshua Tree yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Joshua Tree is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 6,489 at the 2020 census. At approximately 2,700 feet (820 meters) above sea level, Joshua Tree and its surrounding communities are located in the High Desert of California. The center of the business district in Joshua Tree is on California State Route 62.

Its first post office opened in 1946. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 7,414 to 6,489 (-12%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Joshua Tree, decade by decade

Today24 recent
Echinopsis rowleyi hybrid - Joshua Tree, California - 62014Echinopsis rowleyi hybrid - Joshua Tree, California -…Echinopsis rowleyi hybrid - Joshua Tree, California - 52014Echinopsis rowleyi hybrid - Joshua Tree, California -…Echinopsis rowleyi hybrid - Joshua Tree, California - 32014Echinopsis rowleyi hybrid - Joshua Tree, California -…Echinopsis rowleyi hybrid - Joshua Tree, California - 22014Echinopsis rowleyi hybrid - Joshua Tree, California -…Echinopsis rowleyi hybrid - Joshua Tree, California - 12014Echinopsis rowleyi hybrid - Joshua Tree, California -…Purple haze sunrise in2013Purple haze sunrise inPKS3 lucid stead2013PKS3 lucid steadPKS3 Lucid Stead 22013PKS3 Lucid Stead 2Joshua Tree, California 012013Joshua Tree, California 01High Desert Motel2013High Desert MotelFeathered dawn in2013Feathered dawn inJoshua Tree as the storm passes2012Joshua Tree as the storm passesJoshua Tree Saloon, California2012Joshua Tree Saloon, CaliforniaHell on Earth, spectacular sunset in2012Hell on Earth, spectacular sunset inBajadas coming down from the Providence Mountains. Seen from2012Bajadas coming down from the Providence Mountains. Se…Actual sunset in2012Actual sunset inActual sunset in Joshua Tree California, USA (crop)2012Actual sunset in Joshua Tree California, USA (crop)Sunrise in Joshua Tree, California 09-07-112011Sunrise in Joshua Tree, California 09-07-11Astro camping area jpg 22010Astro camping area jpg 2USMC-018312009USMC-01831USMC-017212009USMC-01721USMC-016632009USMC-01663Joshua Tree S Curve2008Joshua Tree S CurveFeathered Dusk in2008Feathered Dusk in
On the map

Joshua Tree on the map, 1955 to 1994

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

Joshua Tree on the 1955 USGS mapJoshua Tree on the 1965 USGS mapJoshua Tree on the 1972 USGS mapJoshua Tree on the 1994 USGS map1955Joshua Tree 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 Joshua Tree.

People over time

Joshua Tree, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,000198020002020Peak: 7,414

Between 1,211 and 7,414 people in every census since 1970.

6 censuses, 1970–2020.

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

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Yucca ValleyIts storyD−

Questions about Joshua Tree’s history

What year was Joshua Tree founded?

The Joshua Tree post office opened in 1946, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Joshua Tree rank for history?

Joshua Tree is more historic than 26% of U.S. towns, #380 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Joshua Tree?

One place: the New City of Mentalphysics Historic District (listed 2023).

How old are the homes in Joshua Tree?

0.8% of Joshua Tree’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1980.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
Start a conversation
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).

From Wikimedia Commons (24), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.