About Inyo County
The Sierra Nevada Mountains form the western boundary of Inyo County, with Mt. Whitney, the tallest point in the continental United States, located at the midpoint along this boundary. These mountains cast a "rain shadow" effect on all of Inyo County, resulting in dry, hot desert conditions. Death Valley National Park covers about half the area of the county. Creosote and saltbush stretch for miles over valleys and slopes. Salt flats and hardpans remain at the bottom of valleys where lakes have dried up.
Mountain ranges running north to south divide the county into several valleys, Owens Valley, Saline Valley, Panamint Valley and Death Valley. U. S. Highway 395 runs through Owens Valley, right next to the Sierra Nevadas, and passes through the major towns including Bishop, Independence and Lone Pine.
Inyo County covers 10,203 square miles and is home to 17,945 people (as of the year 2000.)
