Biohazard Cleanup Near McCabe Ranch Heber, CA

Heber is an unincorporated census-designated place in Imperial County, just 4.5 miles north-northwest of Calexico and the Mexican border.

Heber was founded in 1903 by the Imperial Land Company, and its first post office opened in 1904; the name honors A. H. Heber, president of the California Development Company, which built the Imperial Valley's irrigation system.

Heber sits at an elevation of about 10 feet below sea level in the heart of the irrigated Imperial Valley desert.

Heber's population jumped to 6,896 at the 2020 census, a surge of more than 61% from 4,275 in 2010, making it one of the faster-growing communities in Imperial County.

Heber has about 1,770 households, and they are exceptionally large — averaging 3.9 people, with more than half of all households including children under 18.

About 97% of Heber's residents are Hispanic or Latino, and nearly nine in ten residents speak Spanish at home, reflecting the community's deep ties across the border to Mexicali.

Heber has a hot desert climate typical of the Imperial Valley, and its economy is tied to the surrounding irrigated farm fields.

Local services in unincorporated Heber — water, wastewater, and parks and recreation — are run by the Heber Public Utility District rather than a city government.

About 69% of Heber's homes are owner-occupied, and families make up an unusually high 88% of all its households.