El Centro

About

The Center, known as El Centro, is a city in Imperial County, California, and serves as the county seat. Located in southeastern California, it stands as the most populous city in the Imperial Valley and the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region. El Centro holds the distinction of being the most populous U.S. city to lie entirely below sea level at 42 feet below sea level. The city is positioned 113 miles from San Diego and less than 20 miles from the Mexican city of Mexicali, with two international border crossings nearby for both commercial and noncommercial vehicles. Founded in 1906 by W. F. Holt and C.A. Barker, the city was built on land purchased for approximately 40 dollars per acre, with 100,000 dollars invested in improvements. Today, El Centro's economy is supported by retail, transportation, wholesale, and agricultural industries. According to the 2020 census, the city had a population of 44,322, representing an increase from 42,598 in the 2010 census.