Cathedral City sits in Riverside County, California, in the Coachella Valley, between Palm Springs to the west and Rancho Mirage to the east. Known locally as "Cat City," it is the second-largest of the valley's nine cities, after Indio, with about 52,000 residents — a larger permanent population than Palm Springs or Rancho Mirage. The city covers roughly 23 square miles at the foot of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains. The city's name comes from Cathedral Canyon, a canyon to the south whose rock formations reminded an 1850s surveyor of the interior of a grand cathedral. The area's deeper history reaches back to the Cahuilla people, who inhabited the Coachella Valley for thousands of years. Cathedral City began as a housing development in 1925 and incorporated in 1981, growing into the valley's western residential and commercial anchor. Cathedral City functions as the more grounded, year-round counterpart to Palm Springs' resort glamour. Its economy and community life center on retail and services along Date Palm Drive and Ramon Road, public schools, and a substantial base of working families and retirees. Palm Springs Unified School District is headquartered in the city, and Cathedral City High School serves as a major campus. Recreation is anchored by the Big League Dreams Sports Park, whose replica ballparks draw tournaments and local leagues, alongside city parks and the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, which offers trails, scenic canyons, and desert vistas. SunLine Transit links the city to Palm Springs and the regional airport about five miles away. Cathedral City suits households seeking attainable Coachella Valley living with strong community amenities, mountain recreation, and easy access to the entire Palm Springs region.