The Mojave Desert spans across parts of California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah and is defined by the presence of Joshua trees. It has four distinct seasons and can get very cold in winter, with Death Valley being the lowest and warmest region in North America. The desert is home to several urban centers and small towns, with Las Vegas being the largest. Several highways and major roads criss-cross the desert, including Interstate 40 and Interstate 15.
The Mojave Desert is a large desert in the southwestern United States that includes much of southern California, parts of central California, and parts of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. Named after the Native American Mohave tribe, the borders of the Mojave Desert are loosely defined by the presence of Joshua trees, which are a native species to the area. More concretely, the Mojave Desert is bordered by the Tehachapi, San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountain ranges. The Sonoran Desert borders the south and east.
Although the Mojave Desert is known for its high temperatures, the desert has four distinct seasons and can get quite cold in the winter. It’s not uncommon to see temperatures plummet below 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 degrees Celsius) and even below zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius) in higher regions. However, winter temperatures have been known to reach as high as 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). Snow is rare in the lower to mid elevations of the Mojave Desert, but snow can certainly occur in the higher elevations. The area receives less than ten inches (25.4 centimeters) of rain annually.
Death Valley is located within the Mojave Desert. This valley is the lowest and warmest region in North America, nearly 300 feet (92 meters) below sea level. Temperatures can exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius) in the summer. Today, Death Valley is part of Death Valley National Park, the hottest and driest national park in the United States. Joshua Tree National Park is also located within the confines of the desert, contributing to the high number of tourist visitors to the area each year. The highest point in the Mojave Desert is Charleston Peak, which reaches 11,918 feet (3,633 meters) above sea level. This swing in elevation represents some of the wild weather the region receives.
While the Mojave Desert is generally sparsely populated, several urban centers and small towns exist in the region. The largest of these centers is Las Vegas, Nevada, which attracts tourists to the hot, dry climate due to legal gambling and other attractions. Palmdale, California is also a larger city within the Mojave, but other desert cities are much smaller: Bullhead City and Kingman, both in Arizona, have populations of 40,000 or fewer. Several highways and major roads criss-cross the desert, including Interstate 40 and Interstate 15. Historic Route 66 also traversed part of the desert at one time, but most of the towns and roads fell into disrepair once built there. ‘highway.
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