Slab City: The California Settlement With No City Hall or Utility Lines

Slab City sits in Imperial County, California, about four miles northeast of Niland near the Salton Sea. The settlement covers roughly 640 acres of public land. 1

The community grew around concrete slabs left from Camp Dunlap, a Marine Corps training base whose buildings were removed by 1956. 2 The slabs support trailers and improvised shelters. Slab City has no official electricity, running water, sewer system, trash pickup, local taxes, or municipal administration. Residents use solar power, generators, hauled water, and trips to Niland. 3

Published accounts describe about 150 residents in summer and up to about 4,000 in winter. Salvation Mountain stands at the entrance, while the settlement's roads still follow the old military grid. 1