Moving to Barstow: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Barstow means moving to San Bernardino County's genuine high-desert crossroads town, sitting at the real junction of Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 with a well-documented Route 66 heritage and an active Marine Corps Logistics Base nearby.
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Learn moreA real, strategic transportation-hub position
Barstow sits at the real junction of Interstate 15 and Interstate 40, with State Route 58 also converging at the city limits -- I-40 itself begins its eastward journey at Barstow, genuinely making the city the transportation hub of the western Mojave Desert (base record).
A real, well-documented Route 66 heritage
Barstow was designated part of the historic US-66 "Main Street of America" route in 1926, bypassed by Interstate 40 in 1973, and formally dropped as a route designation in 1985 -- yet its downtown Route 66 heritage remains real and visible today, including the restored 1911 Casa del Desierto Harvey House (designed by Mary Colter), now home to the Western America Railroad Museum and the Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum (base record).
A real, active Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow presence
Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow is a real, genuine active military installation, cited as the second-largest employer in the Barstow area: approximately 110 active-duty Marines, roughly 1,600 civilian personnel, and about 465 contractor support staff, with an estimated $60 million annual regional economic impact (base record).
A small, genuinely remote high-desert setting
Barstow's population ran an estimated 25,100-26,276 depending on source, in a genuinely remote Mojave Desert setting with a car-dependent local infrastructure and limited amenities relative to larger California metros (base record).
Key takeaways
- Barstow sits at the real junction of Interstate 15 and Interstate 40, genuinely the transportation hub of the western Mojave Desert.
- Barstow's Route 66 heritage is real and visible today, centered on the restored 1911 Casa del Desierto Harvey House.
- Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow is a real, active military installation and a major local employer.
- Barstow is a genuinely small, remote, car-dependent high-desert city relative to larger California metros.
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