The Coachella Valley is a large stretch of land in Southern California that is populated by close to a million people and which includes the famed tourist mecca, Palm Springs. Geographically it is the agricultural and recreational desert valley in southern California.  The valley extends for approximately 45 miles in Rivrside County southest from the San Bernardino Mountains to the saltwater Salton Sea, the largest lake in California. It is approximately 15 miles wide and along most of its length, bounded on the west by the San Jacinto Mountains and the Santa Rosa Mountains and on the north and east by the Little San Bernardino Mountains. The San Andreas Fault crosses the valley from the Chocolate Mountains in the southeast corner and along its northern length as a strip of greenery against an otherwise bare mountain.

The Coachella Valley may be referred to as the "Desert Empire". The Coachella Valley has been on of the fastest growing areas in the country.

Palm Springs sits at the northwest  end of the valley. Unicorporated areas and towns include Bermuda Dunes and Thousand Palms in the west end of the valley with Indio Hills, Sky Valley, North Palm Springs and Garnet along the northern rim along with Thermal, Valerie Jean, Vista Santa Rosa. Oasis and Mecca to the southeast.
 

Riverside County

Population in July 2007: 158,143.