Ripley

History

Ripley was established in 1920 when the California Southern Railroad (unrelated to the railroad linking Barstow and San Diego) was extended from Blythe. The townsite was named to dedicate former Santa Fe Railway president Edward Payson Ripley. The town aimed to be a resort location until it was damaged by a flood that swept part of the valley in 1922. Today, a water tower remains as a landmark in town. Ripley is near the site of a 1974 fatal bus wreck.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of , all of it land. Alongside Blythe and Palo Verde, Ripley is located in the Palo Verde Valley. Official U.S. Geological Survey NAD27 coordinates for the community are . It is within area code 760 and has its own ZIP Code: 92272. This area has a large amount of sunshine year round due to its stable descending air and high pressure. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Ripley has a desert climate, abbreviated "Bwh" on climate maps.

Most-observed species

• Great-tailed Grackle

  Quiscalus mexicanus (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  1,073
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  668
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  641
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  595
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  570
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  479
• Yellow-rumped Warbler

  Setophaga coronata (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  469
• American Kestrel

  Falco sparverius Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  460

Most recent

• M 2.92 — 2026-08-11
  11 km SW of Niland, CA
• M 2.95 — 2026-07-25
  10 km SW of Niland, CA
• M 2.51 — 2026-07-09
  9 km NW of Calipatria, CA
• M 3.64 — 2026-06-15
  10 km SW of Niland, CA
• M 3.18 — 2026-06-15
  10 km SW of Niland, CA
• M 2.61 — 2026-02-17
  9 km SW of Niland, CA