Incorporated in 1973, Rancho Mirage, the home of President and Mrs. Gerald Ford, is renowned for it's world-class medical facilities, including the Heart Institute of the Desert and the Eisenhower Medical Center with it's Betty Ford Alcohol and Drug Clinic, the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center, and the Lucy Cursi Cancer Center.

Rancho Mirage features many residential developments with elegant homes and fairway condominiums located on golf courses designed by the top names in golf. The city is also home to the Reed Anderson Tennis School, one of the nations finest, located at the Westin Mission Hills Resort. Rancho Mirage is home to three world-class resort destinations: Marriott's Rancho Las Palmas, Westin Mission Hills, and Rancho Mirage's The Lodge, formerly the Ritz-Carleton, which was selected as one of the top five resorts in mainland U.S.A by Conde Nast Travelers magazine! Mission Hills Country Club is home to the annual LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship--previously known as the Dinah Shore LPGA Championship.

Home of the rich and famous--numerous presidents and former presidents come here to play golf. Hollywood's brightest stars have also been part of the scene at Rancho Mirage since the 1920's--many have been honored by having city streets named after them.

The over 15,000 population increases substantially in the winter months--nearly doubling--when the "snow birds" arrive to escape the harsh winters of the northern states, Canada and Europe. The climate features 350+ days of sunshine a year, an annual average temperature of 87+ degrees and only 2.5 inches of rain per year. The average 2004 home price in Rancho Mirage was just over $605,000.

The recent completion of The River, a theater, restaurant and shopping complex in central Rancho Mirage on Highway 111, complements the original "Restaurant Row" along Hwy 111 with some of the finest dining in the desert." Always bustling, the River offers numerous specialty stores and is walking distance from Marriott's Rancho Las Palmas resort.