Adelanto
High-desert city at the northwest edge of the Victor Valley -- home to Adelanto Stadium, the Southern California Logistics Airport industrial park, and some of the Inland Empire's most affordable housing along Highway 395
Why People Move Here
Adelanto sits on the Mojave Desert floor at ~2,900 ft elevation, the northwestern anchor of the Victor Valley along Highway 395 and the Mojave River. The name is Spanish for "progress" or "advance" -- a reference to E.H. Richardson's 1915 planned settlement funded by the sale of his Hotpoint electric-iron patent. Adelanto incorporated in 1970 as San Bernardino County's smallest city, and became a charter city in 1992 after the adjacent George Air Force Base was decommissioned under BRAC. That 2,200-acre former base was redeveloped into Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA), an ~8,500-acre industrial park now home to Amazon, Keurig Dr Pepper, Boeing, Plastipak, Mars, and General Atomics. Housing here is consistently the most affordable of the four Victor Valley cities: Zillow shows a February 2026 average of $368,432 (-2.7% YoY) and Redfin a June 2025 median sale of $393K at $257/sqft -- roughly 40% of the California state median forecast of $905K. Trade-offs: the commute south runs through Cajon Pass (~43 min to San Bernardino, 1.5-2+ hours to downtown LA), the labor market is narrow beyond SCLA and the cannabis cultivation cluster Adelanto legalized in 2015, and the city of 39,000 has one of the Inland Empire's highest sales-tax rates at 9.75%. Large-scale landmarks include Adelanto Plaza & Event Center (former Maverick Stadium, which hosted the 1991-2016 High Desert Mavericks and now hosts 50-70 concerts a year plus the Adelanto Grand Prix off-road race), the BLM-managed El Mirage OHV Area on the dry lake bed 15 minutes northwest, and the Adelanto ICE Processing Center -- a 1,940-bed federal detention facility operated under contract by GEO Group since 2011, one of the city's largest employers and a frequent subject of federal-court litigation over conditions.
Key Statistics
Data sourced from census records, school district reports, and local transit authorities.
Commute Times
School Districts
Adelanto Elementary School District (AESD)
C- K-8 district with 7,636 students, 22:1 student-teacher ratio
- State test scores: 12% math proficiency, 23% reading proficiency
- Individual school grades range B- to D+ on Niche 2025, with most schools in the C range
- Theodore Vick Elementary: Niche C-
- District covers the city of Adelanto plus portions of unincorporated county
Victor Valley Union High School District (VVUHSD)
C+- 9-12 district shared with Victorville and Hesperia
- Adelanto High School: Niche overall B-, 2,229 students, 24:1 student-teacher ratio
- Adelanto HS: 9% math proficiency, 43% reading proficiency, 91% graduation rate, avg SAT ~1030
- Also operates Victor Valley High, Silverado High, Cobalt Institute of Math and Science, University Preparatory, Goodwill Education Center
FAQ — Adelanto
What is the housing market like in Adelanto, CA?
As of February 2026, Zillow reports an average home value of $368,432 (-2.7% year-over-year) with homes going to pending in around 19 days. Redfin's June 2025 data showed a median sale price of $393K (-5.4% YoY) at $257 per sqft. That's roughly 40% of the California state median price forecast of $905K for 2026 (per the California Association of Realtors), and among the lowest median prices in the entire Inland Empire. There are 158 active new-home subdivisions in Adelanto per NewHomeSource across 60+ builders including D.R. Horton, Frontier Communities, K. Hovnanian, and KB Home. Verify current listings on Zillow and Redfin.
What is the commute from Adelanto to downtown LA and San Bernardino?
Adelanto is approximately 41 miles north of downtown San Bernardino (~43 min off-peak, 60-90 min rush hour) via US-395 to I-15 south through Cajon Pass, and approximately 85-95 miles northeast of downtown LA (~1h 45min off-peak, 2-2.5 hours rush hour) via I-15 south to I-10 or I-210 west. The Cajon Pass I-15 corridor is the primary commute chokepoint and experiences regular congestion as well as occasional winter weather closures. There is no Metrolink station within Adelanto city limits; the nearest Metrolink station is the Victorville station (~15 min SE), which runs limited weekday Victor Valley Line trips to LA Union Station via San Bernardino.
What schools serve Adelanto, CA?
Adelanto has a split-district structure: K-8 students attend the Adelanto Elementary School District (AESD, 7,636 students, 22:1 student-teacher ratio, Niche C overall) and 9-12 students attend the Victor Valley Union High School District (VVUHSD). Adelanto High School (part of VVUHSD) holds a Niche overall B-, enrolls 2,229 students at a 24:1 ratio, reports 9% math and 43% reading proficiency on state tests, and has a 91% graduation rate with average SAT scores around 1030. State test scores across AESD sit at roughly 12% math and 23% reading proficiency. Verify enrollment eligibility by address for both AESD and VVUHSD before any home purchase decision.
What transit options are available in Adelanto?
Local public transit in Adelanto is operated by the Victor Valley Transit Authority (VVTA). VVTA Route 31 (VVTC - South Adelanto) and Route 32 (VVTC - North Adelanto) connect Adelanto to the Victor Valley Transportation Center hub, and Route 33 is an in-city circulator. All VVTA routes operate seven days a week. There is no Metrolink or passenger rail station inside Adelanto city limits; the nearest Metrolink station is Victorville (~15 min SE) on the Victor Valley Line. The Brightline West high-speed rail project from Las Vegas terminates in Rancho Cucamonga (not Adelanto) but will run through the Victor Valley and is expected to improve regional rail access once operational.
What outdoor recreation is available near Adelanto?
The main outdoor attraction is the El Mirage OHV Recreation Area (~15 min NW), a 27,275-acre BLM off-highway vehicle area built around the El Mirage Dry Lake Bed where motorcycles, ATVs, dune buggies, land yachts, model rockets, and land-speed record attempts all share the space. Daily passes are $15, weekly $30, and season passes $90 (Oct-Sep); the lake bed closes when wet. Within the city, Adelanto Plaza & Event Center hosts 50-70 concerts a year plus the Adelanto Grand Prix off-road motorcycle race (2,000+ entries) and the Adelanto Rodeo. Mojave Narrows Regional Park (~20 min SE in Victorville) offers camping, fishing, and equestrian trails along the Mojave River, and Big Bear Lake / Snow Summit ski area is ~90 min S via SR-18 for year-round mountain recreation.
What are the crime statistics in Adelanto, CA?
Per NeighborhoodScout (2024 FBI UCR data released October 2025), the overall crime rate in Adelanto is approximately 16 per 1,000 residents, with the overall chance of victimization roughly 1 in 63. Property crime is about 10 per 1,000 residents. NeighborhoodScout also flagged Adelanto's violent crime rate among the higher rates nationally for communities of all sizes, and the 2024 total crime rate was reported as rising 105% year-over-year. Policing is contracted to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department (Victor Valley Station) rather than a standalone city police department, and fire/EMS is contracted through San Bernardino County Fire Protection District. Verify current statistics directly via the SB County Sheriff and the FBI UCR.
What healthcare is available in Adelanto?
There is no full-service acute care hospital inside Adelanto city limits. The closest is Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville (~10 min S), a 148-bed osteopathic acute care facility operated by Prime Healthcare with a 24-hour ER. St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley (~20 min E) is a 213-bed general acute hospital. Urgent care options include Heritage Victor Valley Medical Group, St. Mary High Desert Medical Group, Meridian Urgent Care, Bear Valley Urgent Care, Adelanto Medical Clinic at 11678 Rancho Rd, and the Adelanto Community Health Center (a Vituity-managed FQHC). Tertiary and Level I trauma care is at Loma Linda University Medical Center, ~50 min S through Cajon Pass via I-15 and I-215.
What is Southern California Logistics Airport and is it in Adelanto?
Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA, airport code VCV) is an approximately 8,500-acre cargo and industrial airport at the former George Air Force Base, which closed in 1992 under the federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. SCLA is jurisdictionally inside the city of Victorville, but it borders Adelanto on the east and economically defines much of Adelanto's labor market. Major tenants include Amazon, Keurig Dr Pepper, Boeing, Plastipak, Mars, General Atomics, Newell Rubbermaid, and United Furniture Industries, along with one of the West Coast's largest airliner boneyards for aircraft storage and maintenance. It is the largest employment center in the Victor Valley.
What is the Adelanto ICE Processing Center?
The Adelanto ICE Processing Center is a 1,940-bed federal immigration detention facility operated under contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by GEO Group, Inc. GEO Group purchased the facility from the City of Adelanto in 2010 and began the ICE contract in May 2011. The facility consists of East (former prison, ~600 beds) and West (added 2012, ~700 beds) sections, expanded to 1,940 beds in 2015. It has been the subject of multiple federal lawsuits and civil rights complaints from the ACLU, Public Counsel, CHIRLA, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, and others alleging conditions and medical-care concerns; at least eight deaths in custody have been documented since 2011. The Roman v. Wolf federal court settlement in the Central District of California lifted pandemic-era intake restrictions and returned the facility to full occupancy. It is one of Adelanto's largest employers and an ongoing subject of public controversy.
What is the cannabis industry like in Adelanto?
In 2015-2017, Adelanto was one of the first California cities to license commercial cannabis cultivation, aiming to convert its affordable industrial land and desert climate into a cultivation hub. More than 27 companies received permits, and the city projected $6-10 million in annual municipal revenue. Actual revenue substantially underperformed -- the FY 2020-21 budget anticipated just $1.4 million in cannabis revenue. In August 2023, former mayor Richard Kerr was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for accepting more than $57,000 in bribes in exchange for approving cannabis-related ordinances and permits. The cannabis cluster remains one of California's larger licensed cultivation footprints by square footage and continues to anchor the Adelanto Plaza & Event Center's annual Kush Festival.
What are property and sales tax rates in Adelanto?
The median effective property tax rate in Adelanto is approximately 1.35% per Ownwell -- above the California state median of 1.21% and significantly above the national median of 1.02%. The higher effective rate reflects Mello-Roos Community Facilities District overlays in newer master-planned subdivisions; older parcels along the US-395 corridor tend to sit closer to the Prop 13 1% base. The combined sales tax rate is 9.75% (6% California state + 0.25% San Bernardino County + 3.5% district add-ons per Avalara 2026), among the higher combined rates in the Inland Empire. California's state income tax is a progressive 1%-13.3%.
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