CATHEDRAL CITY, CALIFORNIA -  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

CATHEDRAL CITY, CALIFORNIA TRAVEL GUIDE

The town's name derives from "Cathedral Canyon" to the south of the town, so named in 1850 by Henry Washington because its rock formations were reminiscent of a cathedral. The city itself started as a housing subdivision in 1925, but was not incorporated until 1981. The city grew 4-5 times in two decades, as the 2006 population estimate is 48,000.

Locals gave it the nickname "Cat City", short for Cathedral. Others like historians claim that came from the reputation as a slinger gaming gulch in the late 1800s, and a safe haven for bars or saloons during prohibition of the 1920s.

The city's several local golf resorts and tourism attractions provide a key element of the local economy for Cathedral City. It is the site of Lawrence Welk's Desert Oasis Hotel/resort located in the Cathedral Canyon Country Club. Other golf courses are the De Anza Palm Springs Country Club and Mobile Home Park, the Outdoor Resorts RV Golf Club Palm Springs, and the Doral Desert Princess Resort and Golf Club.

There is a large automotive mega-dealership known as the Palm Springs Auto Mall based on the city limits with Palm Springs, except the dealership lies in the Cathedral City side of State route 111 and Perez Road.