Barstow, CA Area Guide

Barstow's roots stretch back thousands of years, when Native American tribes hunted, fished, and gathered turquoise across the Mojave Valley long before Spanish Franciscan missionaries passed through in the 1700s. The city takes its name from William Barstow Strong, president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, reflecting just how central the railroad was to the community's founding identity.

The Casa del Desierto, a Harvey House railroad depot built in the early 1900s, still stands today and now serves as the Amtrak station, connecting that storied past to everyday life. Nearby Calico Ghost Town, once a silver mining settlement, draws visitors for camping and exploration, while the Route 66 Mother Road Museum, the Western America Railroad Museum, and the Mojave River Valley Museum all keep the area's layered history accessible to anyone curious enough to look.

Dining in Barstow centers on Route 66's Main Street corridor and the shopping plazas along Interstate 40. The scene has a notably casual character, with eateries, pizza spots, and quick-service restaurants making up the bulk of the options. Barstow also holds a genuine place in fast-food history as it is just east of the first-ever Del Taco location.

The Center on Main development on the Interstate 40 corridor adds a handful of sit-down and counter-service spots, and residents looking for a broader dining range often make the 37-mile drive south toward Victorville.

Getting around Barstow is primarily a matter of driving. Interstates 15 and 40 merge here, and Route 58 also converges in the city, making it a natural crossroads for regional road travel. Route 66 functions as the main surface street through the heart of town.

For those without a car, Victor Valley Transit Authority runs four bus routes connecting Barstow to Victorville, and Amtrak stops at the historic Casa del Desierto depot on a regular schedule. San Bernardino International Airport is approximately 74 miles south for air travel.

Mojave National Preserve begins just over three miles from the city center, offering vast stretches of desert landscape for hiking, camping, and wildlife observation with minimal crowds. San Bernardino National Forest and Joshua Tree National Park are also within reach, giving outdoor enthusiasts a range of terrain to explore.

Closer to home, Barstow maintains 13 parks and community centers equipped with public swimming pools, sports parks, and athletics facilities. Dana Park hosts the annual Earth Day Farmers Market each April. For off-road enthusiasts, Slash X Ranch provides more than 50,000 acres of legal off-highway vehicle space, while Mule Canyon near Calico winds past distinctive rock formations and abandoned mining caverns.

Rent in Barstow runs dramatically below California's statewide averages, with one-bedroom apartments averaging well under $1,000 per month compared to the California one-bedroom average of $2,266. Studios, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units all follow a similar pattern of notable affordability relative to the broader state market. Rents have been rising modestly across all unit sizes year over year.

The Outlets at Barstow, just off Interstate 15, anchor the city's retail scene with 34 name-brand stores in one destination. The Center on Main plaza along the Interstate 40 corridor adds a Walmart Supercenter and several additional retailers for everyday needs.

Route 66's Main Street still supports a handful of shops, though much of the commercial energy has shifted to those newer developments on the city's edges. Residents seeking a full mall experience typically head about 37 miles south to the Mall of Victor Valley in Victorville.

Railroad heritage, desert recreation, and major economic investment all come together in Barstow, where renters find proximity to the Mojave National Preserve and Calico Ghost Town and quick access to two major interstates connecting the city to Los Angeles and Las Vegas.