Desert Hot Springs is a city in Riverside County, California, located in the Coachella Valley about 10 miles north of Palm Springs. Home to roughly 32,000 residents, it occupies a distinctive geological setting: the Mission Creek Branch of the San Andreas Fault bisects the area, placing a cold-water aquifer on one side and a naturally heated mineral-water aquifer on the other. This rare pairing of hot and cold mineral waters is the foundation of the city's identity. The community grew from homesteading roots. Cabot Yerxa arrived in 1913 and discovered the hot-water aquifer, later building Cabot's Pueblo Museum by hand from adobe and reclaimed materials. In the 1930s and 1940s, developer L.W. Coffee laid out the town's streets and built a bathhouse in 1941, establishing the spa culture that would define the city. For decades, small boutique spas and larger resorts have drawn visitors seeking the restorative mineral waters, giving Desert Hot Springs its reputation as the Coachella Valley's spa town. Today the city balances that wellness identity with its role as a residential community in the greater Palm Springs area. Public schools are part of the Palm Springs Unified School District, which serves the western half of the valley. Housing ranges from older desert ranch homes and established subdivisions to gated communities and active-adult developments such as Four Seasons and Mission Lakes. Desert Hot Springs' location is a key part of its appeal. State Route 62 runs through the city toward Joshua Tree National Park and the high desert, while Palm Springs, with its airport, dining, and cultural institutions, lies a short drive to the south. That position—between the spas of the valley floor and the national park's desert landscapes—gives residents access to both resort amenities and open desert recreation.