Oro Grande is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California, in the High Desert of the Victor Valley along the historic alignment of Route 66, just north of Victorville. It is not an incorporated city, but its history and roadside identity have made it one of the more storied small settlements of California's Mojave Desert corridor. The community grew around the Santa Fe Railroad and the mineral wealth of the surrounding hills. Limestone was discovered near town in the 1880s, and small-scale quarrying and lime production began, laying the groundwork for the industry that would define Oro Grande. In 1907 the Riverside Cement Company opened a plant in the community, an event that transformed a modest railroad stop into a working industrial town. That cement operation has persisted ever since and is now part of CalPortland, recognized as the oldest continuing producer of portland cement west of the Rocky Mountains. Route 66 brought the community its national profile. Oro Grande sat along the Mother Road as it carried travelers across the Mojave, and the town developed the roadside businesses and architecture associated with that era. When Interstate 15 bypassed Oro Grande in 1958, the through-traffic and much of its commercial life moved away, and like many Route 66 towns it settled into a quieter existence, while its cement industry remained a steady anchor. Today Oro Grande is defined by that layered history: a working cement plant, surviving Route 66-era buildings, and a small residential community set against the open High Desert. For those drawn to the Mojave's roadside heritage and an unincorporated, small-town setting, Oro Grande offers a distinctive and affordable presence in the Victor Valley.