Shoshone Limit Closeup, 2004
Shoshone’s story
116 years in pictures
Census counts: 52 in 2000, 22 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1951 on.
- 1910Shoshone is settled
ShoshoneCA
Home to 18 people, the town was settled in 1910.
Population
18
Census survey, 2020–24
Land area
29 sq mi
Is Shoshone a good place to live?
100% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Shoshone, above both California’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). Shoshone has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
18 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby attractions
All 11 attractions →Death Valley National Park and 3 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Shoshone. Close and well known come first.
Big draw3 mi National ParkDeath Valley National Park1.3M visitors a year
33 mi CaveDevils Hole
25 mi TheatreAmargosa Opera House and Hotel
30 mi AttractionDante's ViewSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Death Valley National Park: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Devils Hole: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Amargosa Opera House and Hotel: Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dante's View: Roger469, Public domain
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Getting set up
Moving to Shoshone: who provides what
Shoshone is unincorporated, so Inyo County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCharles Brown Water Company2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesInyo CountyInyo County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereInyo County Clerk-ElectionsInyo County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code9238492384 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Shoshone.
Natural hazards
Shoshone faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by avalanches
Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 79% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Shoshone break down as 37% from avalanches and 26% from heat waves.
79risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesHeat wavesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Shoshone’s kids attend
Public schools: the Death Valley Unified school district. Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoshone ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 17 | – |
| Death Valley High AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 4 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Shoshone stands out in California and nationally: a typical July afternoon there is hotter
Expect mild winters and scorching summers in Shoshone, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 106°, January nights drop to 37° and snow is almost unheard of.
106°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–62°
Spring54–81°
Summer75–103°
Fall56–84°
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
106°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 3.2% of Shoshone
26 miles of trail. For Shoshone, the trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
3.2%conserved
| Shoshone | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.2% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
3.2%
conserved · 592 of 18,292 acres
26 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Shoshone
14pages on Shoshone
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Shoshone; the nearest are
Galen Health Institutes-Las VegasUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Las Vegas, NV57.1 miUniversity of Nevada-Las VegasUniversity or college · Public · Las Vegas, NV66.1 mi$9,748 in-state tuitionCerro Coso Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ridgecrest80.9 mi$1,384 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Shoshone residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Shoshone
Place in California, United States
Shoshone is a census-designated place (CDP) in Inyo County, California, United States. The population was 22 at the 2020 census, down from 31 at the 2010 census. The town was founded in 1910. Its name may refer to the Shoshone people. Although small, it is notable as a southern gateway to Death Valley National Park; in addition to being a junction of roads leading from Baker, California and Pahrump, Nevada, it has the last services available before the Furnace Creek area in the park. The commercial district of the town, including a post office, gas station, restaurant, bar and coffee house, is just north of the southern intersection of California State Routes 127 and 178. Shoshone has a sin…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1910
- Area
- 29 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,585 ft
- ZIP code
- 92384
Questions about Shoshone
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Shoshone, CA a good place to live?
Shoshone has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.