Indio is a city in central Riverside County, California, situated in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. It lies roughly 23 miles east of Palm Springs and about 125 miles east of Los Angeles, anchoring the eastern end of the valley. The city's name derives from the Spanish word for "Indian," and its origins trace to a railroad water stop along the Southern Pacific line that gradually became the region's agricultural and commercial center. Home to roughly 95,000 permanent residents — with thousands more arriving during the winter season — Indio is the largest city in the eastern Coachella Valley. Its growth was long tied to agriculture, particularly dates: the Coachella Valley Date Growers Association formed in 1913, and by the 1920s Indio was known as the Date Capital, hosting an annual Festival of Dates. That agricultural heritage persists alongside the city's modern identity as the City of Festivals. Today Indio is internationally known as the home of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach country music festival, both held at the Empire Polo Club, a 1,000-acre venue founded in 1987. This festival economy has shaped the city's visibility and its seasonal rhythms, while golf and resort living remain central to daily life across its many planned communities. Education is provided by the Desert Sands Unified School District, founded in 1964 through the consolidation of Indio's schools, which now serves Indio along with La Quinta, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, and Bermuda Dunes. Transportation centers on Interstate 10 and Highway 111, with regional bus service connecting the valley's cities. Indio's combination of festival culture, date-farming heritage, golf communities, and desert climate gives it a distinctive place within the Coachella Valley.