Nipton, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nipton, California
Unincorporated community
Nipton in 2006
Nipton, California Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
County	San Bernardino
town	1905
Elevation	3,032 ft (924 m)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	92364
Area codes	442/760
FIPS code	06-51490
GNIS feature ID	246562

Nipton is an unincorporated community in the Ivanpah Valley in San Bernardino County, California. With a population of about 15 – 20, it is located on the northeastern border of Mojave National Preserve, approximately 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Primm, Nevada and the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility. It is accessible via Nevada State Route 164 (also known as Nipton Road).

History

Nipton was founded on February 9, 1905, with the coming of the first train on the newly constructed San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad. It was called "Nippeno Camp" following a nearby discovery of gold. The name was changed to Nipton when the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad merged with the Union Pacific Railroad around 1910. In addition to being a cattle-loading station for several local ranches, the town and depot also supplied numerous mines in the area, becoming a social center for the sparse population of the region.

Townsite

A five-room adobe hotel was built in the Mexican Territorial style in 1910. The town also has a general store, a trading post, the Whistle Stop Cafe, a RV park, five eco-cabins, and ten sites with teepees on them. There is also a historic schoolhouse and art exhibits connected to the Burning Man event.

Climate

Nipton at dawn in December

The area has a lot of sunshine year round due to its stable descending air and high pressure. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Nipton has a mild desert climate, abbreviated "Bwh" on climate maps.

In popular culture

Nipton appears as a town burned and ransacked by Caesar's Legion in the 2010 video game Fallout: New Vegas.