Wrightwood is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

San Bernardino County San Bernardino County (), officially the County of San Bernardino, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 2,181, ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. It sits at an elevation of . The population was 4,525 at the 2010 census, up from the population of 3,837 at the 2000 census. Wrightwood is located northeast of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. Wrightwood is on the

Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...

History

Located in a pine-covered valley in the

San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains ( es, Sierra de San Gabriel) are a mountain range located in northern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Tr ...

, the Wrightwood area was first developed as cattle ranches in the 19th century by Nathan and Truman Swarthout. Later, the main ranch, owned by Sumner Wright, was broken up into residential and commercial lots, and by the 1920s a community had taken root. Early ski enthusiasts discovered the north-facing slopes of the San Gabriels above the Swarthout Valley. Until 1937, the ski area, originally known as Big Pines, was part of a Los Angeles County park. After

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Big Pines opened their 1946–47 ski season with a new chairlift and the Sepp Benedikter Ski School (according to their ad in the February 1947 issue of ''Western Skiing'' magazine). Highways were built connecting to the major routes in the Cajon Pass, making Wrightwood accessible without serious mountain driving. The former vacation community is now home to over 4,000 full-time residents. Serrano High School in the neighboring community of Phelan opened in 1982; it also serves Wrightwood and the neighboring community of Piñon Hills. In August 2016, part of Wrightwood's population was evacuated as part of mandatory evacuations of over 82,000 people in

due to the

Blue Cut Fire The Blue Cut Fire was a wildfire in the Cajon Pass, northeastern San Gabriel Mountains, and Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California. The fire, which began on the Blue Cut hiking trail in the San Bernardino National Forest, was first re ...

. In September 2020, the

Bobcat Fire The Bobcat Fire was a fire that started on September 6, 2020 as part of the 2020 California wildfire season. By December 18, it was fully contained and had burned in the central San Gabriel Mountains, in and around the Angeles National Forest ...

caused evacuation warnings for the Wrightwood area as it raged across the San Gabriel Mountains.

Geography

Wrightwood is located at (34.355921, −117.629233). At nearly in elevation, Wrightwood's valley is protected by the Blue Ridge to the south. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the CDP has a total area of , 99.94% of it land and 0.06% of it water. The climate is

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Csb'') influenced by its highland position. Summers are vastly moderated by the cooling down of the air at the higher elevation compared to the hot plains to its north and the

San Bernardino Valley The San Bernardino Valley ( es, Valle de San Bernardino) is a valley in Southern California located at the south base of the Transverse Ranges. It is bordered on the north by the eastern San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernardino Mountains; ...

to the south, although share the similar dry features and a lack of summer thunderstorms. In winter, the Mediterranean tendencies of the more semi-arid lowland areas are exaggerated by

orographic lift Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cr ...

, causing precipitation comparable to areas way further north in California. However, due to the elevation, a lot of winter precipitation falls as snow. Even so, daytime highs in all months average above freezing, rendering snowpacks unstable and unreliable.

Demographics

2010

The 2010 US Census reported that Wrightwood had a population of 4,525. The population density was . The racial makeup of Wrightwood was 4,126 (91.2%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

(83.4% Non-Hispanic White), 38 (0.8%)

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 28 (0.6%) Native American, 51 (1.1%)

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 7 (0.2%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 112 (2.5%) from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 163 (3.6%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 538 persons (11.9%). The Census reported that 4,525 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 1,857 households, out of which 553 (29.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,012 (54.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 161 (8.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 95 (5.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 113 (6.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 13 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 476 households (25.6%) were made up of individuals, and 161 (8.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44. There were 1,268

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

(68.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.91. The population was spread out, with 1,046 people (23.1%) under the age of 18, 301 people (6.7%) aged 18 to 24, 957 people (21.1%) aged 25 to 44, 1,610 people (35.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 611 people (13.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.8 males. There were 2,686 housing units at an average density of , of which 1,390 (74.9%) were owner-occupied, and 467 (25.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.6%. 3,346 people (73.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,179 people (26.1%) lived in rental housing units. According to the 2010 United States Census, Wrightwood had a median household income of $72,231, with 4.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000

In the 2000 census, there were 3,837 inhabitants, 1,486 households, and 1,056 families residing in the CDP. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 1,742.4 inhabitants per square mile (673.4/km). There were 2,319 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.9%

, 0.3%

, 0.7% Native American, 0.8%

, 0.2%

, 2.7% from

, and 4.4% from two or more races.

of any race were 8.8% of the population. There were 1,486 households, out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.1. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $50,338, and the median income for a family was $57,197. Males had a median income of $51,424 versus $40,045 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $22,902. About 5.8% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legisla ...

, Wrightwood is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, Wrightwood is in . Parks and wastewater in Wrightwood are maintained by the Wrightwood community service district since 2017https://wrightwoodcsd.org/

Education

Public education in Wrightwood is managed by Snowline Joint Unified School District. Students in Wrightwood attend the following schools: TK-5 Wrightwood Elementary School 6-8 Pinon Mesa Middle School 9-12 Serrano High School TK-12 Snowline Academy Homeschool TK-8 The Heritage School (Parent School of Choice) Snowline Adult School

Mountain High Resort

Just west from Wrightwood sits Big Pines, which hosts the

Mountain High Resort A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...

, a popular ski/snowboard resort consisting of Three Mountains.

Notable people

* Earl W. Bascom (1906–1995), rodeo champion, actor, inventor, artist; was a school teacher in Wrightwood *

Frank Bogert Frank Mitchell Bogert (January 1, 1910 – March 22, 2009) was an American actor, professional rodeo announcer, author, and politician best known as the longtime mayor of Palm Springs, California. Born in Mesa, Colorado to Henry Kneeland Boger ...

(1910–2009), rodeo professional, actor, mayor of Palm Springs; raised in Wrightwood *

Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxley ...

(1894–1963), author; lived in Wrightwood for several years *

Geoffrey Lewis Geoffrey Lewis may refer to: * Geoffrey Lewis (actor) (1935–2015), American character actor * Geoffrey Lewis (scholar) (1920–2008), British professor of Turkish * Geoffrey Lewis (philatelist), Australian philatelist * Geoffrey W. Lewis (died ...

(1935–2015), actor; spent much of his youth in Wrightwood * Maddie Mastro (born 2000), American professional snowboarder specializing in halfpipe; competed in the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics; born and resides in Wrightwood

References

External links

Official Wrightwood Chamber of CommerceWrightwood's Information WebsiteWrightwood's Community WebsiteWrightwood's Community Real Estate Companies
* {{authority control Census-designated places in San Bernardino County, California San Gabriel Mountains Hill and mountain resorts Ski areas and resorts in California Unincorporated communities in San Bernardino County, California Tourist attractions in San Bernardino County, California Populated places established in the 1920s 1920s establishments in California Census-designated places in California Unincorporated communities in California