Bagdad is located along the historic
U.S. Route 66, east of
Barstow and
Ludlow, and west of
Amboy and
Needles. The town was founded in 1883 when the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway line between Barstow and Needles was built. At this time, Bagdad provided services to the Orange Blossom Mine several miles to the north, and to the War Eagle Mine several miles to the south. In addition, a dirt track extended south past the War Eagle Mine into the
Dale Mining District in the
Pinto Mountains. Bagdad was long a thriving town along the
National Old Trails Road and the famous Route 66. It was bypassed by the opening of
Interstate 40 to the north in 1973, and lost travelers' business and resident population. The remaining buildings were razed in 1991, leaving little trace of the town. It is to the south of the
Granite Mountains and the
Mojave National Preserve, and north of the
Bullion Mountains. A small airfield known as the Bagdad Intermediate Field was built south of the town, immediately south of Route 66. It was operational in 1932, with abandonment between 1954 and 1958. A small, red concrete pad that was formerly the base of the
airway beacon tower is all that remains. ==
Bagdad Café==