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Imperial County is close to 4,600 square miles located in the state of California. It borders Mexico to the south and Riverside County is to the north of it. On the west is San Diego County and Arizona is to the east. Imperial County is one of the later counties to be established in the state. It was formed on August 7, 1907.
The geography of Imperial County puts most of it below sea level. In addition, the county is located in the Colorado Desert and the Colorado River forms an eastern boundary for the county. The Salton Sea is 235 feet below sea level and is worth visiting as are the Algodones Dunes, which are the largest in America.
Places of interest to visit or see in Imperial County include Fort Yuma, the Blue Angels, and their amazing air show, the mid winter fair and fiesta, which is the local fair. Visits to the Colorado River include fisher, boating and water skiing. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in the state of California and various animals running around like roadrunners, golden eagles, and iguanas.
Popular culture has put Imperial County on the map. On the show, Fairly Odd Parents on Nickelodeon the fictional city of Dimmsdale is located in Imperial County. The movies Jarhead and the Salton Sea were filmed in Imperial Valley. The iconic movie Star Wars filmed scenes in the Imperial Valley sand dunes. Top Gun also used the El Centro Naval Air Station during filming.
From popular culture to politics, Imperial County is involved in both. The county is predominately Democratic and their vote on lifting the same sex ban in California ended with a vote of 69.7 percent for Proposition 8.
The transportation in Imperial County ranges from major highways to Greyhound lines and local buses. Amtrak trains do travel through Imperial, but they do not make any scheduled stops. Imperial County Airport is just north of El Centro and is the county’s main airport. It limits its commercial flights. Other airports include Holtville and Calexico.
It is a "hot bed". That is what Imperial County is now viewed as today. It has a considerable amount of renewable energy projects. They are both solar and geothermal. By 2010, California hopes to get 20 percent of its power from these types of sources.
Imperial County is a place with a lot of breathtaking views. It is a great destination for nature lovers, families and those looking to get outdoors and have fun.
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