Welcome to El Centro

El Centro (pop: 37,800 / elev -45 ft) the county seat, largest city and commercial center for Imperial County. It is also the largest city in America to lie entirely below sea level.

El Centro relies heavily on the local agriculturally rich Imperial Valley where irrigation successfully transformed a barren desert into productive farmland. Best crops are tomatoes, sugar beets, melons and lettuce.

US Navy Blue Angeles - Winter Camp
El Centro Naval Air Facility
The U.S. Navy's Precision Flight Demonstration was first organized in 1946. Each year it performs nearly 70 air shows at 33 locations in the U.S. and Canada, entertaining over 17 million spectators.

El Centro Regional Medical Center
1415 Ross Avenue El Centro, CA 92243; 760-339-7100; Hospital Website;
165-bed hospital and acute care and trauma care facility serving Imperial Valley. The original building was constructed and opened by the City of El Centro in 1957.

El Centro Area Accommodations:

Barbara Worth Resort - Holtville CA
B.W. Main Street Inn - Brawley CA
Town House Lodge - Brawley CA
Brawley Inn
Holiday Inn - Calexico CA
B.W. John Jay Inn - El Centro CA
Comfort Inn - El Centro CA
Fairfield Inn - El Centro CA
Holiday Inn - El Centro CA
Ramada Inn - El Centro CA
Superstar Inn - El Centro CA
Vacation Inn - El Centro CA
Airporter Inn - Imperial CA

Imperial Valley Desert Musuem - Ocotillo CA
Ocotillo Offramp/Interstate 8 (11 Frontage Road), Ocotillo, CA 92259;
760-358-7016; Museum Website;
Open Mon-Fri : 8AM-4PM;

The museum was founded in 1969 to educate the people about the desert. The museum's theme is human adaptation to arid lands.

As archaeological knowledge of Imperial Valley has grown through the research of many scholars, so has the Imperial Valley College Desert Museum collection of artifacts which helps lead to a better understanding of arid living.

Alford's Antique Car Museum
599 E. Main St, El Centro, CA; 760-353-3920; Museum Website;
Open: Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM; Free Admission;
The Alford Distributing Company family collection of antique cars. The collection is predominately American-Made cars such as Fords and Franklins. Imperial Valley memorabilia enhance the museum, which was started with the purchase of a Model “A” Ford for $5.00 many years ago. The cars you see in the museum are all in running condition and have been restored from the ground up to their original state. Most of them are taken out for use in local parades, community events and promotional activities. The museum is arranged in “Era Galleries” from the 1910’s to the 1950’s.

Imperial Valley Adventure Tours
Explore the Golden State - (Keyword: Imperial Valley)

Carrizo Badlands
Fossil Beds, Desert Trails, Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves, Open Camping area.

Tour Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
600,000 acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in the contiguous United States. Visitors can traverse canyons full of desert palms, ancient pictographs, majestic cactus and early spring wildflowers.

Salton Sea State Recreation Area
Located along the northeastern shore of the Salton Sea since 1955 and offering an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities. Salton Sea boasts great fishing - game includes croaker, corvina and tilapia.

Mostly Theatre Company
P.O. Box 1714, El Centro, CA 92243; 760-352-5353; Theatre Website;
Mostly Theatre Company was founded as the Imperial Valley Players in 1955 to bring the magic of live theater to the community. MTC provides a forum for those who wish to be involved with theater from all over the county including El Centro's Old Post Office Pavilion.
Imperial Valley Arts Online - Info on Dance Theatre, Drama, Music.

Southwest Theater for the Performing Arts
Southwest High School, 2001 Ocotillo Dr., El Centro, CA 92243; Theatre Website;
Info on Dance Theatre, Drama, Music. Event Schedule for concert hall at Southwest High School.

Imperial Valley Symphony
PO Box 713, El Centro, CA 92244-0713; 760-352-8791; Symphony Website;
Founded by Dr. Keith MacGaffey in 1974, the symphony celebrates classical music in the desert. The group holds regular concerts and young artist music camp scholarships.

Imperial Valley Fair & Expo [Early Mar]
Mid-Winter Fair & Fiesta
200 East Second Street, Imperial, CA 92251; 760-355-1181; Fair Website;
100 acre facility with over 50,000 square feet of exhibit area in five buildings, grandstand and race track is available year-round for your function. Used for trade shows, fairs, lifestyle expos, spectator events, and racing.
IV Fair - 10 Day Event - Early March

Imperial Valley Festivals, Faires & Shows
Local Special Events:

Holtville Carrot Festival [Late Jan]
A highly entertaining event with music, entertainment and a number of prestigious cookery contests.

US Navy Blue Angeles - Winter Camp
El Centro Naval Air Facility
The U.S. Navy's Precision Flight Demonstration was first organized in 1946. Each year it performs nearly 70 air shows at 33 locations in the U.S. and Canada, entertaining over 17 million spectators.

Local Restaurant Links
Popular local dining establishments.
Sizzler - 707 No Imperial Ave
China Palace - 1075 Adams Ave
IHOP Restaurant - 2362 - 4th St

Rio Bend RV Golf Resort
Lakeview Golf Course
This resort includes 500 campsites with full hookups, picnic area, general store and cafe, club room and volleyball court. Special features include two fishing lakes and golf driving range.

Barbara Worth Golf Resort & Convention Center
2050 County Club Dr, El Centro, CA 92250; 760-356-2806; Resort Website;
9 Miles east of El Centro. Most of the 104 rooms overlook a 18 hole golf course. This resort is named for Harold Bell Wright's fourth novel, "The Winning of Barbara Worth", which was written in 1911 in its entirety at HBW's home, Tecolote Rancho, the home that he built in Holtville, California.

Desert Trails RV & Golf Resort
225 Wake Ave, El Centro, CA 92243; 760-352-7275; Resort Website;
You can golf all winter long as well as enjoy a variety of outdoor activities such as hiking, bicycling, camping, fishing, hunting, and off-road activities. This resort is open year round and have all your bases covered to keep you in total comfort. The pool is heated and cooled to suit the season and the spa is waiting to soothe you after a day of hitting those long drives.

El Centro City Parks:
City Plunge Municipal Pool - Swim Lessons, Summer Camp, Public Swim, Watersports.
Conrad Harrison Youth Center - Summer day camp, sports leagues, open gym, arts & crafts.
El Centro Community Center - ESL programs, exercise machines, arts and crafts, quilting, knitting, crochet, youth programs, private parties.

Imperial Valley Sports & Recreation


Sports & Athletics
Parks & Outdoor Recreation
Festival Guide - Sports Events
Regional Golf Courses