Goffs, California

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Goffs, California is a small, mostly empty unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, in the Mojave Desert. It sits at the high point of Route 66 and used to be a railroad town.

History
Goffs was founded in 1893 and was originally called Blake, named after Isaac Blake, who built the Nevada Southern Railway (later the California Eastern Railway) at this location. It grew as a railroad workers’ town and was connected to nearby communities like Homer, Fenner, Blackburn, and Purdy. The town is sometimes called the Desert Tortoise Capital of the World. It was a stop on U.S. Route 66 until 1931, when a more direct road opened between Needles and Essex, reducing Goffs’ role as a highway stop.

Today
A large general store, once the town’s biggest building, was destroyed by a fire on June 8, 2021. A historic schoolhouse built in 1914 has been renovated by the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association and now serves as a museum focused on the area's mining history. The site still shows remnants of Goffs’ mining days. During World War II, Camp Goffs was a large U.S. Army depot and training center in the area.

Location and access
Goffs is reachable from Interstate 40 via U.S. Highway 95 north. A left turn onto Goffs Road—the old 66 alignment—takes about 40 desolate miles to Fenner, with the road connecting back to I-40. Goffs Road is also known for its opening scene in the 1984 film Repo Man.

Geography
Goffs lies at the northern foothills of the Piute Mountains and at the southern end of Lanfair Valley. The area drains toward the Sacramento Wash, which flows into Piute Wash and eventually toward the Colorado River. The town sits on bajadas that drain north into Sacramento Wash.

At a glance
- Population: 23 (as of January 2009)
- Elevation: 2,595 feet (791 meters)
- ZIP code: 92332
- Area codes: 442 and 760
- Coordinates: about 34.919°N, 115.063°W

Goffs is a quiet, historic site that reminds visitors of the Mojave Desert’s railroad and Route 66 era.