Less than 10 miles from Palm Springs resides Cathedral City. Deriving its name from the eponymous Cathedral Canyon, the City also features the natural landmarks of desert and mountain ranges common to Coachella Valley. Visitors frequently take to Cathedral City’s sparkling golf courses, which are the area’s prominent attractions, in the Boulder and Pebble courses of the Cimarron Golf Resort, as well as the Cathedral Canyon Golf Club course.
Cathedral City, commonly known as “Cat City," is named for Cathedral Canyon, which lies to the south. Colonel Henry Washington, a surveyor with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, gave the canyon its name in 1850 because of the cathedral-shaped rock formations he found there. Like other areas in the Coachella Valley, Cathedral City can be described as mostly suburban. The city itself has grown up around a subdivision that was built in 1925. It has the second-highest population of the nine cities of the Coachella Valley, but it has the second smallest total land area at 21.756 square miles. 28% of this land consists of one-mile parcels of land dedicated to the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, which also includes a large area of Palm Springs. Cathedral City's population is thusly quite diverse, with a mix of white, African-American, Latino, Asian, Native American, and Pacific Islander citizens. A large LGBT community is also present in Cathedral City, with approximately 25% of the total population of Coachella Valley identifying as gay.
You will find some of the warmest winters in the country in the Coachella Valley. Warm weather year-round means that anytime is a good time to go hiking or horseback riding in the canyons and mountains throughout the area. The valley has also become a major golfing destination, with 125 golf courses throughout the area. Additionally, visitors come to the area to attend its many annual events.
Diners in Cathedral City will find both small, casual eateries and upscale establishments with menus created by renowned chefs. The varied cultural heritage of the area is evident in the choice of cuisine the city offers. See below for tasty options!
Both major chains and locally-owned coffee shops, as well as welcoming bakeries, dot the area. There are also numerous cafes in the surrounding towns and cities, for those wanting more. See below.
The nighttime weather in the Coachella Valley is not conducive to keeping people inside. Everything from sports bars to dance clubs, and the variety of night spots catering to the LGBT community, is within your reach.
Like the surrounding cities of the Coachella Valley, Cathedral City is a great place to pick up a piece of Midcentury Modern furniture or art. The city is full of small vintage shops and art galleries. See below.
