Lancaster /ˈlæŋ.kæstər/ is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the Antelope Valley of the western Mojave Desert in Southern California.

[8] 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.

[9] After statehood, the Antelope Valley again served as a geographic shortcut but for the Stockton-Los Angeles Road and the Butterfield Overland Mail, which had two nearby stops in Mud Spring and Neenach in the 1850s.

[13] The town was devastated by the decade-long drought that began in 1894, killing businesses and driving cattle north, though fortunes improved somewhat in the late-1890s following the nearby discoveries of gold and borax.

[19] In 2005, Hyundai Motor Co. announced the grand opening of a 4,300-acre, $60 million "Proving Ground", a state-of-the-art testing facility for cars and sports utility vehicles in nearby California City.

In March 2013, Lancaster became the first city in the USA to require solar panels on all new homes in an effort to make the community more carbon neutral.

[26] With a normal annual precipitation of 6.81 inches (173 millimeters), clear days are the norm even in winter, when surrounding mountain ranges are blanketed with snow.

The former Lancaster Redevelopment Agency is credited with attracting major business operations to the area such as SYGMA, Rite Aide, Micheals, Bank of America, and many more.

With historic buildings interspersed with modern amenities such as a library[41] and performing arts center,[42] downtown businesses formed the Lancaster Old Town Site (LOTS).

[43] Given the strength of China's economy in the face of the global recession, Mayor R. Rex Parris identified recruitment of Chinese manufacturing firms as a high priority in 2009.

[44] An essential component of this trade mission was a stop in Shenzhen, China to meet with representatives of the battery, alternative energy, solar panel, and vehicle manufacturing firm BYD.

BYD was looking to break into the United States vehicle manufacturing market, and was introduced to the City of Lancaster by Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich and his wife, Christine.

The Western Hotel (1876) is the oldest standing structure in the city of Lancaster, which was converted to a museum under the California Historic Site program in 1992, is also located within The BLVD Cultural District.

It also draws celebrity performers from across the country and around the world, including renowned singers, dancers and musicians of all genres as well as comedians and variety shows.

Established in 1990 by the Lancaster City Council, the Aerospace Walk of Honor celebrates test pilots who were associated with Edwards Air Force Base.

The California Poppy Festival began as an Earth Day celebration and has grown into an event with over 55 acres (220,000 m2) of activities and extensive wildflower information.

The winner represents her community at the Miss Antelope Valley Pageant in September and serves as an ambassador for the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce.

[57] Today, the city has over 600 acres (2.4 km2) of developed or planned parkland, including playground and picnic areas as well as tournament-level sports facilities at Big 8 Softball Complex and the Lancaster National Soccer Center.

On October 4, 2023, AV Alta FC was announced as an expansion team in USL League One, the third division of soccer in the United States.

The city's declared intent is to create a connected network of on-road and off-road trails and bikeway facilities to accommodate users of all ages and abilities including equestrians.

The plan will guide the design and development of pedestrian, bicycle and trail facilities to try to encourage people to use healthier transportation modes in Lancaster.

CARES provides learning and enrichment activities as well as mentors and positive adult role models to give children the encouragement and personal attention essential to building future leaders.

In the 2011–2012 academic year, SOAR students received an API score of 945, which is ranked in the top 1% of all high schools in the nation.

In March 2015, two students from Lancaster's SOAR High School demonstrated a blood alcohol content detection wristband at the fifth annual White House Science Fair.

The U.S. News & World Report education site shows the district falls below the California Academic Performance Index Evaluation.

The city has spearheaded the development of the Lancaster University Center to provide local students with a chance to receive a first-rate education in engineering and technology.

Beginning in fall 2011, California State University, Long Beach will now be offering Bachelor of Science degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering at the LUC, ensuring students in the Antelope Valley will receive a first-rate education without leaving the area.

In June 2009, the institution received approval from the United States Department of Education to offer Associates, Bachelors, and master's degrees.

On February 29, 2024, the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education ordered the university to cease all operations by March 8, 2024 due to its "severe financial position," at which point it closed permanently.

Fox Field previously had scheduled passenger air service primarily to Los Angeles (LAX) but no longer has airline flights.