Amboy Ghost Town

San Bernardino County, California34.5569, -115.7450

Can you visit?

Private land, lived-in town

Private or unlisted land · Streets public, lots private

Nearest town
34 miTwentynine Palms, CA
Mild months
Jan–Dec7 of 12
Elevation
630 ft192 m
Amboy, California
Photo: Alienburrito at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Amboy sits in San Bernardino County, California. People call it a ghost town, though 4 residents were counted in 2026. It lies at about 630 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miTwentynine PalmsJoshua TreeHomestead ValleyAmboy
  • BLM
  • National Park Service
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Amboy. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Twentynine Palms, CA, about 34 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Indio, CA, 64 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Saltus3.4 mi southeast
  2. Bagdad7.6 mi west
  3. Chambless11 mi east
  4. Cadiz13 mi east
  5. Siberia15 mi west
  6. Ash Hill20 mi northwest
  7. Ragtown24 mi west
  8. Ludlow26 mi northwest

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

Private or unlisted land

The town center is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. People still live here, so streets are open while buildings and lots belong to their owners. Ask before you step onto a property. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: Needles Field Office. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°6342Jan6744Feb7449Mar8154Apr9063May9971Jun10477Jul10376Aug9669Sep8558Oct7247Nov6240DecJan: 0.5 inFeb: 0.6 inMar: 0.3 inApr: 0.1 inMay: 0.1 inJun: 0.0 inJul: 0.4 inAug: 0.7 inSep: 0.3 inOct: 0.1 inNov: 0.2 inDec: 0.6 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run October to April, judging by NOAA normals from Twentynine Palms. May to October bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Twentynine Palms station (USC00049099), 34 miles away. The town sits about 1,300 feet lower than the station, so expect it to run warmer. About 3.9 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationSan Bernardino County, California
Coordinates34.55694, -115.74500
Elevation630 ft (192 m)
Census counts2026: 4
Also known asAmboy, California, Amboy, CA
SourcesWikidata Q458547 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Amboy ghost town?

In San Bernardino County, California, at 34.5569, -115.7450. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Twentynine Palms, CA, about 34 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Indio, CA, 64 miles away.

Can you visit Amboy?

Private land, lived-in town. The town center is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. People still live here, so streets are open while buildings and lots belong to their owners. Ask before you step onto a property. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: Needles Field Office. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

When is the best time to visit Amboy?

Mild months here run October to April, judging by NOAA normals from Twentynine Palms. May to October bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

Are there other ghost towns near Amboy?

Yes. Saltus (3.4 mi), Bagdad (7.6 mi), Chambless (11 mi), Cadiz (13 mi).

More ghost towns in California

All 240 ghost towns in California · Ghost towns near Lake Havasu City · Ghost towns near Barstow