Ridgecrest's beginnings and continued rapid expansion was sparked by the establishment of the China Lake Naval Ordnance Test Station in 1943. Attaining in a decade what most communities take half a century to accomplish, Ridgecrest serves a population exceeding 40,000 and includes the communities of China Lake, Inyokern, Johannesburg, Randsburg, and Trona.

Situated in the Indian Wells Valley, Ridgecrest basks in the clear blue skies and clean air of the high desert. The city was incorporated in 1963.