Situated south of State Route 18 and northeast of State Route 138, the town is east of Palmdale and west of Victorville. The area around it is nearly flat desert country dotted with joshua trees and heavy brush. Southwestern areas of Phelan are in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, reaching elevations of more than 4,900 feet above sea level. The California Aqueduct runs through the northern half of the town, eleven miles from State Route 18 and ten miles from Phelan Road. Covering more than 60 square miles, Phelan has an elevation that varies from to above sea level. The town center is at the corner of Phelan and Sheep Creek roads. Most businesses are situated in strip malls dotted along the sides of Phelan Road. In 2001, according to a feature in the Los Angeles Times, the town was a "wind-swept, tiny unincorporated town nestled in the shadow of a mountain ski resort, just above the vast expanse that is the Mojave Desert.... There are no shopping malls here, and the closest movie theater is in Victorville, about 15 miles away." Another Times feature said in 1990:
The town of Phelan is surrounded by wide open spaces. There's no mall, and a visit to the beach or Disneyland requires a day's planning. But there is Phelan's Sunshine Market, and when you don't want to drive 20 minutes to Victorville or the local ski areas, you can gaze at the snow-capped peaks through your picture window.
Phelan, along with Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley, and several other towns, is considered part of a region known as the High Desert. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 60.1 square miles, all of it land.
Demographics
In May 2010, the United States Census Bureau made Phelan its own separate CDP for statistical purposes. The 2010 United States Census reported that Phelan had a population of 14,304. The population density was 238.0 people per square mile. The racial makeup of Phelan was 10,807 White, 276 African American, 139 Native American, 446 Asian, 20 Pacific Islander, 1,993 from other races, and 623 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4,128 persons. The Census reported that 14,267 people lived in households, 37 lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 were institutionalized. There were 4,581 households, out of which 1,883 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,705 were opposite-sex married couples living together, 509 had a female householder with no husband present, 360 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 274 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 31 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 788 households were made up of individuals and 293 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11. There were 3,574 families ; the average family size was 3.48. The population was spread out with 3,921 people under the age of 18, 1,417 people aged 18 to 24, 3,188 people aged 25 to 44, 4,232 people aged 45 to 64, and 1,546 people who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.8 males. There were 5,148 housing units at an average density of 85.7 per square mile, of which 3,588 were owner-occupied, and 993 were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.9%. 10,934 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,333 people lived in rental housing units. According to the 2010 United States Census, Phelan had a median household income of $52,639, with 15.3% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
History
Origin
Phelan's history dates back to the days of the Mormon Trail, when settlers passed through the area on their way to San Bernardino and points beyond. Phelan was named after Senator James D. Phelan and his brother, John Thomas Phelan.
Phelan is served by two branch libraries of the San Bernardino County system. The first is a shared facility at Serrano High School, and the second, a -building at Lindero Street and Clovis Road, was opened in August 2009. The first memorial library in the county system, the facility is dedicated to local service veterans. Its collection was helped by donations through the Friends of the Library organization. General contractor was Mark Forbes, with his partners, Robert Masseth and Bob Raymondo. Staffing was increased so that the branch would be open 48 hours a week, compared with just 27 hours at the Serrano branch. In 2003 Lenore Coale, president of the Friends of the Serrano Library, noted that many patrons received government assistance and relied heavily on the library, which had just suffered a countywide cutback in funding. She said volunteers were using opened books or stuffed animals to fill the gaps in the shelves. However, in recent years the County Library's budget for purchasing has increased and the library continues to thrive. More information about the library and the services it offers can be found
Athletics
featuring the local team, the Diamondbacks, has been an important part of Phelan's social life, with one resident, Rick Weber, saying in 2001 that "Everybody wants to see the kids thrive. Everybody follows the team." Janet Molina, the Serrano High girls' soccer coach, said, "Friday night football is the focus of this community." An active youth sports program has provided a "feeder system" for the high school athletes.
