Barstow has lots of cactus, sand and sun. Our tempertures are over 100* everyday in the summer. It's very dry and we get very little rain. There are lizards, snakes, roadrunners, tortoises and numerous other desert dwelling animals just outside of town.
The town was first named Waterman Junction. The name was later changed to Barstow in honor of William Barstow Strong. He was president of Santa Fe Railroad from 1881 to 1889 and had surveyed much of the Barstow area while the railroad was being built through here to the California coast.
The primary employment in the area is; Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, U.S. Army National Training Center, NASA Goldstone Deep Space Tracking Station and the Marine Corps Logistics Base.
There are lots of tourists coming through our town. One of the things they want to see is the "Mother Road," Route 66. It runs through Barstow - our main street. It starts in Chicago, IL and ends in Santa Monica, CA.
Barstow is a crossroads of commerce having two interstate highways (I15 & I40) and a major state highway (58) converging. Also two major railroads, Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific.
The desert around Barstow holds many attractions for geologists, hikers and historians including; Early Man Site, Owl Canyon, Afton Canyon, Rainbow Basin, Kelso Dunes and Calico Ghost Town. Off highway enthusiasts enjoy using some 33,500 acres of play area.
Within a few hours drive you can reach the mountians, or the seashore, or the gambling casinos of Las Vegas. Barstow is far enough away from the big city to give it a small town atmosphere, but close enough that you don't feel isolated.
To learn more about Barstow visit their web site;
July, 2000