Caliente

History

Caliente was founded in 1901 on Culverwell Ranch (or just "Culverwell"), built on land owned by William and Charles Culverwell. The town was initially given the name of "Calientes", due to the hot springs present in the area, but later in the year a post office was erected and workers removed the "s" from the name of the town. In 1905, the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad was completed, followed by the construction of the train depot in the style of Spanish mission architecture. The train depot, built in 1923, is now home to some city and county offices and a museum that exhibits historical information. Caliente once reached a peak of over 5,000 residents,

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Caliente has a high-desert climate typical for a location around in elevation. Winters are chilly, but only moderately cold. Summers are characterized by blazing sunshine, long days, cool nights, and high diurnal temperature range. January highs average in the mid 40s, while July averages mid 90s. A majority of precipitation occurs in the winter months (Nov - March) due to the yearly dip of the jetstream bringing Pacific storms. Temperatures in summer are very warm to hot. The July average of means that 100-degree days are a common occurrence in a typical summer. The elevation, aridity, and clear skies allow intense radiative cooling, even in midsummer. This means hot days are followed by mild evenings. Southerly monsoon rains from mid-July through September bring thunderstorms, increased dew points, and flash flooding.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Caliente Elementary School
  Elementary · Caliente · 78 students · 13:1 ratio
• C O Bastian High School
  High · Caliente · 43 students · 7.2:1 ratio