Lancaster, California

Lancaster, California
Downtown Lancaster
Motto: 
Creating a better tomorrow. Together.
Location in Los Angeles County, California
Lancaster
Location in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
Lancaster
Location in California
Lancaster
Location in the contiguous United States
Coordinates: 34°41′N 118°9′W / 34.683°N 118.150°W / 34.683; -118.150
Country United States
State California
CountyLos Angeles
IncorporatedNovember 22, 1977
Government
  TypeCouncil-manager
  MayorR. Rex Parris
  City ManagerTrolis Niebla
Area
  Total
94.54 sq mi (244.87 km2)
  Land94.28 sq mi (244.19 km2)
  Water0.26 sq mi (0.68 km2)  0.29%
Elevation
2,359 ft (719 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
173,516
  Density1,835/sq mi (645.41/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific)
  Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes
93534–93536, 93539, 93584
Area code661
FIPS code06-40130
GNIS feature IDs1652741, 2411620
Websitewww.cityoflancasterca.org

Lancaster /ˈlæŋ.kæstər/ is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the Antelope Valley of the western Mojave Desert in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 173,516, making Lancaster the 158th-most populous city in the United States and the 30th most populous in California. Lancaster is a twin city with its southern neighbor Palmdale; together, they are the principal cities within the Antelope Valley region.

Lancaster is located approximately 70 miles (110 km) north (via I-5 and SR 14) of downtown Los Angeles and is near the Kern County line. It is separated from the Los Angeles Basin by the San Gabriel Mountains to the south and from Bakersfield and the San Joaquin Valley by the Tehachapi Mountains to the north. The population of Lancaster has grown from 37,000 at the time of its incorporation in 1977 to over 157,000 as of 2019.