Indio, Desert city in Riverside County, California, United States.
Indio is a city in Riverside County in the Coachella Valley, located around 125 miles east of Los Angeles. The streets run between date palm groves, residential neighborhoods, and wide traffic routes that connect the center with surrounding desert communities.
The Southern Pacific Railroad established a water stop here in 1873 for steam locomotives on the desert route. Farmers began planting date palms in the early 20th century after irrigation canals opened up the dry valley.
The annual Date Festival in February shows the agricultural history of the region through exhibitions, music, and Middle Eastern architecture on the festival grounds. Visitors can sample fresh dates and see how the harvest is presented with palm groves in the background.
Several parks and community centers offer shade and relief during the hot summer months when temperatures often rise above 100°F (38°C). The main roads are well marked and allow easy navigation between different parts of town.
The local plantations supply nearly all dates grown in the United States, using techniques that trace back to research running for over a century. Some palm groves are more than 80 years old and still bear fruit under the dry desert conditions.
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