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Major city · United States

Mojave

Stop 1–2 hours for the flightline and plane storage at Mojave Air and Space Port; sleep here only if you need a cheap bed on the SR-14/SR-58 crossing.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
avoid Jul–Aug (38 °C+ days), windy spring afternoons
Airport
MHV
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Mojave is a small desert town of about 4,200 people on the SR-14 and SR-58 junction, 95 mi south of nothing and 95 mi north of Los Angeles. Its reason to exist for travellers is the air and space port: a working flightline, stored airliners and a museum event one Saturday a month. The town itself is a strip of motels, diners and fuel, and the desert around it is off-road country. Most people pass through; a few use it as a cheap base for Edwards AFB, Red Rock Canyon State Park or the Tehachapi wind farms.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Mojave, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or diner breakfastUS$8–16
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekUS$10–30
  • Budget bedFamily room (up to 4), a night, per roomUS$130
  • Mid-range bedHighway motel double room, a night, per roomUS$110
  • High-end bedHighway motel double room, a night, per roomUS$170

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$120 · High US$200

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Mojave Air and Space Port flightlineStored and retired airlinersPlane Crazy SaturdayAerospace test historyRed Rock Canyon State Park
Airports
MHV Mojave Air and Space Port (General aviation only; no scheduled airline service. Commercial flights: Los Angeles (LAX) about 2 h by car, Bakersfield (BFL) about 1 h 30 min.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Mojave: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

14°C

1°C

5 rd

Feb

16°C

3°C

5 rd

Mar

19°C

5°C

4 rd

Apr

22°C

8°C

2 rd

May

27°C

13°C

1 rd

Jun

32°C

18°C

0 rd

Jul

36°C

21°C

1 rd

Aug

36°C

20°C

1 rd

Sep

31°C

16°C

1 rd

Oct

26°C

10°C

2 rd

Nov

18°C

4°C

3 rd

Dec

13°C

1°C

4 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

You need a car. The town centre is small enough to walk in 15 minutes, but the flightline, Red Rock Canyon and Edwards AFB are all outside it, and there is no local bus or taxi in town — a cab has to come from California City with a US$25–50 minimum fare (check).

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Red Rock Canyon State Park

go

Door to door: About 30–40 min

SR-14 north about 25 mi, then the park entrance road

Cliffs and badlands right off the highway; day-use fee applies (check). Best in morning light.

Tehachapi

go

Door to door: About 45 min

SR-58 west about 35 mi

Wind farm views on the pass and a small old town for lunch.

Ridgecrest

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

SR-14 north about 60 mi

Worth it only as a break on the way to Death Valley or the Eastern Sierra.

Edwards Air Force Base

caution

Door to door: About 45 min

SR-14 south to Rosamond, then Rosamond Blvd east to the West Gate

Active base: ID required, searches possible, museum and tour hours vary — confirm before driving.

Bakersfield

go

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

SR-58 west

The nearest real city for flights, hospitals and a full restaurant choice.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Sierra Highway strip

The main motel row on the old highway through town; walkable to diners, 5–10 min drive to the flightline.

SR-58 junction

Highway-side motels east of the centre; easiest if you arrive late and leave early.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
US$70–110 excl. bed
Mid
US$110–180 excl. bed
High
US$180+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Highway motel double room1 × 1 night × US$110US$110
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$120US$240
Fuel, one full tank for a day of desert driving1 × US$60 · checkUS$60
Red Rock Canyon day-use fee, one vehicle1 × US$10 · checkUS$10
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$45
Trip total≈ US$248 per person per day, bed includedUS$495

2026 estimate in US dollars; car hire and fuel excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or diner breakfastUS$8–16
Diner main (burger, plate)US$9–20
Mexican plate in townUS$10–18
Motel double room, midweekUS$70–170
Fuel, per gallonUS$4–6 (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekUS$10–30

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Quiet and low-crime, but it is a desert highway town: the risks are heat, long empty drives and no taxi if you drink. Fill the tank before you leave town.
  • No local taxi service: book a California City cab in advance or you are stuck.
  • Summer heat is the real hazard: carry water, do not walk the desert in the afternoon.
  • Edwards AFB is an active military base: photo ID required, vehicles can be searched, and some gates are closed to visitors.
  • Cell coverage drops fast outside town on SR-14 and SR-58.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Kern County Sheriff (non-emergency)
661-861-3110
Mojave Air and Space Port
661-824-2433

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

MojaveMojave

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Kern County Sheriff (non-emergency)661-861-3110

Embassy

No consulates in Mojave; nearest consulates-general are in Los Angeles, about 2 h by car.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • California City cab, minimum fare: US$25–50 (check)
  • Drive Mojave → Los Angeles (LAX): about 95 mi, 2 h
  • Drive Mojave → Bakersfield: about 65 mi, 1 h 30 min

Say or show

  • Where is the gas station? — Where is the gas station?
  • Is the flightline open today? — Is the flightline open today?
  • I need a tow truck — I need a tow truck
  • How far to the next town? — How far to the next town?

Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, US$1–2 a drink.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Mojave. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–May, Oct–Nov · avoid Jul–Aug (38 °C+ days), windy spring afternoons · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for MHV and the LAX/BFL fallbacks, with last-drive times field-checked.
  2. Walking cluster around the Sierra Highway strip with rescue anchors for late arrivals.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (flightline, Voyager Restaurant, Red Rock Canyon) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Plane Crazy Saturday fixture so the one-day-a-month gate can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources