It serves as one of the entry points to Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert region.

Colonel Henry Washington made the first recorded exploration of Twentynine Palms, where he found people of the Chemehuevi who lived in the surrounding hills and near the spring they called "Mar-rah" or "Oasis of Mara".

[6] The community was named for the 29 palms (Washingtonia filifera) that the Serrano had planted surrounding the Oasis of Mara.

The nearby Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms was founded in 1952.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 59.1 square miles (153 km2), all land.

The wettest month is August, with 0.65 in (17 mm) inches of rain, mostly from monsoon thunderstorms; in some areas of low-lying terrain or canyons, flash flooding may be a concern.

The city has a series of 26 outdoor murals painted on local buildings featuring various aspects of desert life and history.

[18][19] The 29 Palms Historical Society, housed in the original schoolhouse of the city, maintains a museum devoted to local history.

[23] The Oasis of Mara,[24] the original source of water and the historic source of all economic activity in the area, is divided into two parts: to the east, a long strip of palm trees terminates at the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor's Center, which is visited by approximately 140,000 people every year, and is maintained by the United States National Park Service.

To the west, the remainder of the oasis is owned by the 29 Palms Inn, a historic hotel, and ends in a large shaded pond.

[25] The current economy depends largely on the local Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, as well as tourism associated with Joshua Tree National Park.

In February 2015, the city set in place rules governing vacation rentals, and has granted approximately one hundred permits,[26] compared to over one thousand in the nearby community of Joshua Tree.

[32] The Sun Runner Magazine of California Desert Life and Culture is published bi-monthly.

[33] There are two TV stations: K15FC-D (KESQ-TV (ABC), KPSP (CBS), KDFX (Fox), KCWQ-LD (CW) and KUNA-LD (Telemundo) subchannels) and KPSE-LD (My Network) 29 (also KMIR-TV (NBC), ION, MeTV and Movies!

KEXV and KPLM are low power TV stations for the town and Yucca Valley.