Bombay Beach, California

Bombay Beach
Census-designated place
Sign for Bombay Beach
Location in Imperial County and the state of California
Bombay Beach Location in the United States
Coordinates: 33°21′03″N 115°43′47″W / 33.35083°N 115.72972°W / 33.35083; -115.72972[1]
Country	United States
State	California
County	Imperial
Area [2]
• Total	0.66 sq mi (1.72 km2)
• Land	0.66 sq mi (1.72 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation [1]	−223 ft (−68 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	231
• Density	347.89/sq mi (134.37/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP code	92257
Area codes	442/760
FIPS code	06-07372
GNIS feature IDs	1667823, 2407878 [1]

Bombay Beach is a census-designated place (CDP) in Imperial County, California, United States. It is located on the Salton Sea, 4 miles (6.4 km) west-southwest of Frink^[3] and is the lowest community in the United States, located 223 feet (68 m) below sea level.^[4] The population was 231 at the 2020 census, down from 295 in 2010, down from 366 in 2000.^[5] It is part of the El Centro, California, metropolitan statistical area.

Bombay Beach was once a popular getaway for beachgoers until the 1980s, when the draining and increasing salinity of the Salton Sea destroyed the lake's ecosystem and drove businesses and private landowners out of the area, rendering Bombay Beach a ghost town. Despite this, by 2018, a number of people had moved into the area, and the town's many abandoned structures and features from its past have drawn visitors back in. A 2018 article in The Guardian stated that it was "enjoying a rebirth of sorts with an influx of artists, intellectuals and hipsters who have turned it into a bohemian playground."^[6] The Bombay Beach Biennale, an annual art festival, is held here.