Phelan is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, in the Victor Valley of the Mojave Desert, north of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population was 14,304 in the 2010 census. Geography Situated south of State Route 18 and northeast of State Route 138, the town is east of Palmdale and west of Victorville. The area around it is nearly flat desert country dotted with joshua trees and heavy brush. Southwestern areas of Phelan are in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, reaching elevations of more than 4,900 feet above sea level. The California Aqueduct runs through the northern half of the town, from State Route 18 and from Phelan Road. Covering more than 60 square miles, Phelan has an elevation that varies from above sea level. The town center is at the corner of Phelan and Sheep Creek roads. Most businesses are situated in strip malls dotted along the sides of Phelan Road. In 2001, according to a feature in the Los Angeles Times, the town was a "wind-swept, tiny unincorporated town nestled in the shadow of a mountain ski resort, just above the vast expanse that is the Mojave Desert. ... There are no shopping malls here, and the closest movie theater is in Victorville, about 15 miles away." Another Times feature said in 1990: The town of Phelan is surrounded by wide open spaces. There's no mall, and a visit to the beach or Disneyland requires a day's planning. But there is Phelan's Sunshine Market, and when you don't want to drive 20 minutes to Victorville or the local ski areas, you can gaze at the snow-capped peaks through your picture window. Phelan, along with Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley, and several other towns, is considered part of a region known as the High Desert. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 60.1 square miles (155.7 km), all of it land. Demographics In May 2010, the United States Census Bureau made Phelan its own separate CDP for statistical purposes. The 2010 United States Census reported that Phelan had a population of 14,304. The population density was . The racial makeup of Phelan was 10,807 (75.6%) White (63.3% Non-Hispanic White), 276 (1.9%) African American, 139 (1.0%) Native American, 446 (3.1%) Asian, 20 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,993 (13.9%) from other races, and 623 (4.4%) from two or more races.