Located 70 miles north of Los Angeles, Lancaster county is part of the Antelope Valley metro area. Lancaster has a population of 157k, though along with its sister city Palmdale the metro area has around 360k people.
Lancaster is located in a high-desert environment, with hot summers and cold winters, generally arid and dry. Notably the area features desert preserves and the annual California Poppy Festival featuring the state flower.
The Antelope Valley area is home to a large aerospace industry in the form of both US military and private aerospace companies.
