Amboy, California, San Bernardino County is an intriguing ghost town located in the vast desert landscape of Southern California. Nestled along the historic Route 66, Amboy was once a bustling stopover for travelers heading west. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: San Bernardino County
Zip Code: 92304
Latitude / Longitude: 34.5578° N, 115.7444° W
Elevation: Approximately 640 feet (195 meters)
Time Zone: Pacific Time Zone (PT)
Established: 1858
Disestablished: Not officially disestablished, but its decline began in the late 20th century.
Comments: Amboy was originally established as a mining town and later became a significant stop along Route 66. Its most notable landmark is Roy’s Motel and Café, a classic example of mid-20th-century roadside architecture. During Route 66’s heyday, Roy’s Motel and Café served as a popular rest stop for travelers.
Remains: The town retains several original structures, including Roy’s Motel and Café, a post office, and a few scattered residential buildings. The iconic Roy’s sign is a symbol of the Mother Road and is often photographed by visitors.
Although Amboy was first settled in 1858, the town was not established until 1883. Lewis Kingman, a locating engineer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, created the town as the first of a series of alphabetical railroad stations to be constructed across the Mojave Desert. In 1926, Amboy became a boomtown after the opening of U.S. Route 66.
In 1938, Roy’s Motel and Café opened, prospering due to its isolated location on the route. By 1940, Amboy’s population had increased to 65. Its growth was tied not only to tourists but also to the Santa Fe Railroad, over which freight trains still run today between Kingman, Arizona, and the BNSF Railway Barstow, California Ghost Townlifornia yard.
Current Status: Amboy is largely abandoned, with only a few caretakers and occasional visitors exploring its historic sites. The town is part of the larger Mojave Desert, offering a unique glimpse into the past for those seeking adventure and nostalgia.
During the Great Depression and World War II, tourism declined nationally. But the remaining travelers’ need for lodging, meals, and gasoline kept the town busy. The town remained this way until the opening of Interstate 40 in 1973, which bypassed Amboy.
Two extinct volcanoes are located to the west of Amboy: Amboy Crater is a 6,000-year-old cinder cone volcano, made largely of pahoehoe lava, and Pisgah Crater, also a cinder cone volcano, is located near Interstate 40. Because of quarry operations, the crater is not as well preserved as Amboy Crater.
Remarks: Despite its ghost town status, Amboy continues to draw interest for its connection to Route 66 and its picturesque desert setting. It serves as a tribute to the transient nature of travel and settlement in the American West, inviting exploration and reflection on the passage of time.
Part of the 1986 motion picture The Hitcher with Rutger Hauer was filmed in Amboy while Roy’s was the setting for a 1999 television commercial for Qwest Communications. It was also used in Enrique Iglesias’ music video “Hero” and the film Live Evil. Owners Wilson and White maintained Amboy in weathered, unrestored condition for use as a motion picture film site.
A large portion of the 2010 movie Beneath the Dark was filmed in Amboy. In 1993, Huell Howser visited Amboy during episode 410 of California’s Gold as part of his ongoing series visiting interesting areas of California. During the episode, he interviewed Buster Burris, the owner of Roy’s. The episode was aired on December 3, 1993, and also showed Wonder Valley in the Morongo Basin and the Amboy Crater.
