The Los Angeles Westside is an urban region in western Los Angeles County, California , United States. It has no official definition, but sources like LA Weekly and the Mapping L.A. survey of the Los Angeles Times place the region on the western side of the Los Angeles Basin south of the Santa Monica Mountains .
100-611: The San Fernando Valley , known locally as the Valley , is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California . Situated northwards of the Los Angeles Basin , it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles , the incorporated cities of Burbank , Calabasas , Glendale , Hidden Hills and San Fernando , plus several unincorporated areas. The valley is the home of Warner Bros. Studios , Walt Disney Studios , and
200-726: A bill that would make it easier for the Valley to secede by removing the City Council veto. AB 62 was signed into law by Governor Pete Wilson . Meanwhile, a grassroots movement to split the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and create new San Fernando Valley-based school districts became the focal point of the desire to leave the city. Though the state rejected the idea of Valley-based districts, it remained an important rallying point for Hertzberg's mayoral campaign, which proved unsuccessful. By
300-585: A decrease due to net migration of 361,895 people. Immigration resulted in a net increase of 293,433 people, and migration from within the United States resulted in a net decrease of 655,328 people. The racial makeup of Los Angeles County was 4,936,599 (50%) White, 1,346,865 (13.7%) Asian, 856,874 (9%) African American, 72,828 (0.7%) Native American, 26,094 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 2,140,632 (21.8%) from other races, and 438,713 (4.5%) from two or more races. Non-Hispanic whites numbered 2,728,321, or 28% of
400-552: A dedicated transitway route running the east–west length of the Valley connecting the North Hollywood B Line Station through the valley, then heads north through Canoga Park to the Chatsworth Metrolink station. An additional Metro Busway line is planned for the Valley operating from North Hollywood station: the North Hollywood to Pasadena Transit Corridor which will run to Pasadena with connections to
500-655: A few enclaves, such as the "open-air museum" groves at the Orcutt Ranch Park and CSUN campus . In 1909, the Suburban Homes Company, a syndicate led by H. J. Whitley , general manager of the board of control, along with Harry Chandler , Harrison Gray Otis , M. H. Sherman, and Otto F. Brant purchased 48,000 acres of the Farming and Milling Company for $ 2,500,000. Henry E. Huntington extended his Pacific Electric Railway (Red Cars) through
600-766: A full-scale light rail conversion is planned to be completed by 2050. The valley will get its first light rail line in seven decades by 2027, the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project . Construction of the line is planned to begin in 2024 along Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road. The Valley is home to numerous companies, the most well known of which work in motion pictures, music recording, and television production. The former movie ranches were branches of original studios now consisting of CBS Studio Center, NBCUniversal , The Walt Disney Company (and its ABC television network), and Warner Bros. The valley
700-406: A large cluster of government buildings in the city's Civic Center. Historically, the courthouses were county-owned buildings that were maintained at county expense, which created significant friction since the trial court judges, as officials of the state government, had to lobby the county Board of Supervisors for facility renovations and upgrades. In turn, the state judiciary successfully persuaded
800-400: A median income of $ 36,299 versus $ 30,981 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 20,683. There are 14.4% of families living below the poverty line and 17.9% of the population, including 24.2% of under 18 and 10.5% of those over 64. Los Angeles County has the highest number of millionaires of any county in the nation, totaling 261,081 households as of 2007. The homeownership rate
900-545: A new light rail line, the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project that will run north–south on Van Nuys Boulevard from the G Line Van Nuys station to the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink station, however will be built in two phases. The first between Van Nuys and Pacoima , and the second from Pacoima to Sylmar/San Fernando station. Pre construction began in 2022, and is expected to be completed between 2028 and 2030. The G Line busway uses
1000-516: A single county. As a result, both the county superior court and the federal district court are respectively the busiest courts of their type in the nation. Many celebrities have been seen in Los Angeles courts. In 2003, the television show Extra (based in nearby Glendale ) found itself running so many reports on the legal problems of local celebrities that it spun them off into a separate show, Celebrity Justice . State cases are appealed to
1100-574: Is 365,000 workers. Despite a business exodus from Downtown Los Angeles since the COVID-19 pandemic , the city's urban core is evolving as a cultural center with the world's largest showcase of architecture designed by Frank Gehry . The following major companies have headquarters in Los Angeles County: The Los Angeles County Office of Education provides a supporting role for school districts in
SECTION 10
#17327655481711200-400: Is 47.9%, and the median value for houses is $ 409,300. 42.2% of housing units are in multi-unit structures. Los Angeles County has the largest number of homeless people , with "48,000 people living on the streets, including 6,000 veterans ," in 2010. As of 2017 the number of homeless people in the county increased to nearly 58,000. In 2015, there were over two thousand Christian churches ,
1300-663: Is a state-mandated county transportation commission that also operates bus and rail. In the United States House of Representatives , Los Angeles County is split between 17 congressional districts. In the California State Senate , Los Angeles County is split between 13 legislative districts. In the California State Assembly , Los Angeles County is split between 24 legislative districts. On November 4, 2008, Los Angeles County
1400-491: Is home to the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia. Los Angeles County contains the largest Iranian population outside of Iran of any other county or county equivalent globally. At the 2000 census, there were 9,519,338 people, 3,133,774 households, and 2,137,233 families in the county. The population density was 2,344 inhabitants per square mile (905/km ). There were 3,270,909 housing units at an average density of 806 units per square mile (311 units/km ). Of
1500-544: Is in the southeastern corner of the valley, and San Fernando , which is completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, is near the northern end of the valley. Universal City , an enclave in the southern part of the valley, is an unincorporated area housing the Universal Studios filming lot and theme park. Mulholland Drive , which runs along the ridgeline of the Santa Monica Mountains, marks
1600-431: Is managed on a day-to-day basis by a chief executive officer and is organized into many departments, each of which is enormous in comparison to equivalent county-level (and even many state-level) departments anywhere else in the United States. Some of the larger or better-known departments include: The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority , despite its name, is not a County department. Technically it
1700-472: Is more arts-centered. Santa Monica's pier is a well known tourist spot, famous for its Ferris wheel and bumper car rides, which were featured in the introductory segment of the television sitcom Three's Company . Further north in Pacific Palisades one finds the beaches used in the television series Baywatch . The fabled Malibu , home of many film and television stars, lies west of it. In
1800-416: Is one of the most ethnically diverse U.S. counties. The county's seat , Los Angeles , is the second most populous city in the United States , with 3,822,238 residents estimated in 2022. The county has been world-renowned as the domicile of the U.S. motion picture industry since the latter's inception in the early 20th century. Los Angeles County is one of the original counties of California , created at
1900-399: Is rainfall mostly in the wintertime, but the mountains in the north-central part of the county have snow during winter. In 2019, the median household income in the county was $ 72,797. Los Angeles County had a population of 9,818,605 in the 2010 United States Census . This includes a natural increase since the last census of 583,364 people (i.e., 1,152,564 births minus 569,200 deaths) and
2000-579: Is represented by three members of the State Senate : Henry Stern (D), and Anthony Portantino (D). The valley falls into five congressional districts: the 25th , 28th , 29th , 30th , and 33rd , represented respectively by Mike Garcia (R), Adam Schiff (D), Tony Cárdenas (D), Brad Sherman (D), and Ted Lieu (D). The valley is represented in the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors , by two supervisorial districts, with
2100-511: Is the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense. Crime in 2013 According to the authors of Wild L.A. , a book about urban biodiversity, "Los Angeles is the birdiest county in the country with over 500 recorded species." L.A.'s amenable climate supports a large number of introduced, tropical and migratory species. Because of
SECTION 20
#17327655481712200-463: Is the first heavy rail subway in the valley, extended from its prior terminus in 2000. With transfers, it connects the Valley to the entire Metro regional light rail and subway network . The B Line's two Valley subway stations provide access to national travel through Bob Hope Airport and Amtrak and regional travel through Metrolink , Metro Rapid , Metro Local , and the Metro G Line . Metro approved
2300-644: Is the largest diocese in the United States. In 2014, the county had 3,275 religious organizations, the most out of all US counties. The Government of Los Angeles County is defined and authorized under the California Constitution , California law and the Charter of the County of Los Angeles. Much of the Government of California is in practice the responsibility of local governments such as
2400-698: The LA Weekly , there are different perspectives on where the Westside ends and the Eastside begins. Generally, the Westside is the area south of the Santa Monica Mountains and Sepulveda Pass , and west of either: Los Angeles Times readers submitted more than 300 maps, with borders ranging from Lincoln to La Brea and beyond. The most common east/west dividing lines were: Downtown, La Cienega Boulevard (the most common street cited), and
2500-721: The A Line . Metro is also studying a route through the Sepulveda Pass , the Sepulveda Transit Corridor , including heavy rail and monorail alternatives. Metrolink commuter rail has two Valley lines, the Antelope Valley Line and Ventura County Line , which connect the Valley and beyond to downtown Los Angeles and south, becoming one line at the Downtown Burbank station . Metrolink always had one Burbank Airport station on
2600-575: The Camino Viejo before Newhall Pass ), in the northern part of the San Fernando Valley. Juan Francisco Reyes built an adobe dwelling beside a Tongva village or rancheria at natural springs known as Achooykomenga , but the land was soon taken from him so that a mission could be built there. Mission San Fernando Rey de España was established in 1797 as the 17th of the 21 missions. The land trade granted Juan Francisco Reyes
2700-534: The County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County , is the most populous county in the United States , with 9,861,224 residents estimated in 2022. Its population is greater than that of 40 individual U.S. states . Comprising 88 incorporated cities and many unincorporated areas within a total area of 4,083 square miles (10,570 km ), it is home to more than a quarter of Californians and
2800-720: The La Brea Tar Pits , the Arboretum of Los Angeles , and two horse racetracks and two car racetracks ( Pomona Raceway and Irwindale Speedway ), also the RMS ; Queen Mary located in Long Beach, and the Long Beach Grand Prix , and miles of beaches—from Zuma to Cabrillo. Venice Beach is a popular attraction whose Muscle Beach used to attract throngs of tourists admiring "hardbodies". Today, it
2900-689: The Los Angeles Basin , San Fernando Valley , and San Gabriel Valley . Other population centers are found in the Santa Clarita Valley , Pomona Valley , Crescenta Valley and Antelope Valley . The county is divided west-to-east by the San Gabriel Mountains , which are part of the Transverse Ranges of southern California, and are contained mostly within the Angeles National Forest . Most of
3000-564: The Los Angeles Community College District . The only state university in the San Fernando Valley is California State University Northridge in Northridge. In 1994 there were 180,000 PK-12 students attending Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) campuses in the Valley. During the same year, about 45,000 PK-12 students, or one in five of all such students, attended the over 200 private schools in
3100-785: The Los Angeles basin . More recently, statewide droughts in California have further strained the San Fernando Valley’s and Los Angeles County’s water security . The valley was a center of "the crossroads of cultures and languages, including the Tongva , Fernandeño , and Chumash ." The Tongva, later known as the Gabrieleño Mission Indians after colonization, the Tataviam to the north, and Chumash to
San Fernando Valley - Misplaced Pages Continue
3200-616: The Moment magnitude scale . It produced the largest ground motions ever recorded in an urban environment and was the first earthquake that had its hypocenter located directly under a U.S. city since the Long Beach earthquake of 1933 . It caused the greatest damage in the United States since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . Although given the name Northridge, the epicenter was located in the community of Reseda , between Arminta and Ingomar streets, just west of Reseda Boulevard. The death toll
3300-710: The San Emigdio Mountains , the southernmost part of Tehachapi Mountains and the Sierra Pelona Mountains . Los Angeles County includes San Clemente Island and Santa Catalina Island , which are part of the Channel Islands archipelago off the Pacific Coast . The Northern part of the county has a Desert climate , while the rest of the county generally is a mix of Semi-arid and a hot-summer Mediterranean climate . There
3400-739: The San Gabriel River and the Santa Clara River flow in Los Angeles County, while the primary mountain ranges are the Santa Monica Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains . The western extent of the Mojave Desert begins in the Antelope Valley , in the northeastern part of the county. Most of the population of Los Angeles County resides in the south and southwest, with major population centers in
3500-847: The Universal Studios Hollywood theme park. The valley of San Fernando is an area of 260 square miles (670 km), bounded by the San Gabriel Mountains in the northeast, the Verdugo Mountains in the east, the Santa Monica Mountains and Chalk Hills in the south, the Simi Hills in the west, and the Santa Susana Mountains in the northwest. The northern Sierra Pelona Mountains , northwestern Topatopa Mountains , southern Santa Ana Mountains , and Downtown Los Angeles skyscrapers can be seen from higher neighborhoods, passes, roads and parks in
3600-521: The Van Nuys Airport . The Van Nuys–Airport FlyAway Terminal provides nonstop scheduled shuttle service to LAX and back to the valley, with parking. Most of the utilities in the valley are served by public municipal governments, primarily the cities of Los Angeles , and Burbank , while there are only two private-owned utilities for gas and electricity in the valley as well. Southern California Edison has their overhead power lines going through
3700-467: The 1870s, Los Angeles County was divided into townships (many of which were amalgamations of one or more old ranchos ): As shown by the map below, Los Angeles County is bordered on the north by Kern County , on the east by San Bernardino County , on the southeast by Orange County , on the south by the Pacific Ocean , and on the west by Ventura County . According to the U.S. Census Bureau ,
3800-496: The 3,133,774 households 37% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48% were married couples living together, 15% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32% were non-families. 25% of households were one person and 7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.61. The age distribution was 28% under the age of 18, 10% from 18 to 24, 33% from 25 to 44, 19% from 45 to 64, and 10% 65 or older. The median age
3900-531: The 405 freeway (the most common answer). The Times analyzed the results and no one definition approached a majority. Ultimately, the Los Angeles Times Mapping Project settled on a definition comprising 101.28 square miles (262 km ), encompassing not only districts in the city of Los Angeles but also two unincorporated neighborhoods, plus the cities of Beverly Hills , Culver City , and Santa Monica , but excluding all of
4000-993: The Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District, which is also headquartered in the Civic Center , and then to the California Supreme Court , which is headquartered in San Francisco but also hears argument in Los Angeles (again, in the Civic Center). Federal cases are appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit , which hears them at its branch building in Pasadena . The court of last resort for federal cases
4100-458: The Government of Los Angeles County. The county's voters elect a governing five-member Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors . The small size of the board means each supervisor represents over 2 million people. The board operates in a legislative, executive, and quasi-judicial capacity. As a legislative authority, it can pass ordinances for the unincorporated areas (ordinances that affect
San Fernando Valley - Misplaced Pages Continue
4200-687: The Greater Los Angeles Area. LAX is operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), an agency of the City of Los Angeles. Other important commercial airports in Los Angeles County include: The following general aviation airports also are located in Los Angeles County: The U.S. Air Force operates three airports in Los Angeles County: Westside (Los Angeles County) According to
4300-648: The HBO series Pornucopia , at one time, nearly 90 percent of all legally distributed pornographic films made in the United States were either filmed in or produced by studios based in the San Fernando Valley. The pornography industry began to decline by the mid-2000s, owing, for the most part, to the growing amount of free content on the Internet, which undercut consumers' willingness to pay. In 2007 industry insiders estimated that revenue for most adult production and distribution companies had declined 30 percent to 50 percent and
4400-561: The Los Angeles portion of San Fernando Valley from the original 169 square miles (438 km) to 224 square miles (580 km). In the late 1970s, there was a proposed east-west freeway labeled SR 64 that would have cut through the center of the valley from Calabasas in the western end of the valley to the SR-170 and I-5 freeway interchange in Sun Valley, Los Angeles in the eastern end of the valley, but local opposition gained traction and
4500-807: The San Fernando Valley are served by three unified school districts; The Northwest and East Regions of the Los Angeles Unified School District , the Glendale Unified School District and the Burbank Unified School District . There are four community colleges in the valley; Los Angeles Valley College in Valley Glen, Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar, and Los Angeles Pierce College in Woodland Hills. All except Glendale College are served by
4600-466: The San Fernando Valley. The Los Angeles River begins at the confluence of Calabasas Creek ( Arroyo Calabasas ) and Bell Creek ( Escorpión Creek ), between Canoga Park High School and Owensmouth Avenue (just north of Vanowen Street) in Canoga Park . These creeks' headwaters are in the Santa Monica Calabasas foothills, the Simi Hills' Hidden Hills , Santa Susana Field Laboratory , and Santa Susana Pass Park lands. The river flows eastward along
4700-475: The San Fernando Valley. Some of the former rights-of-way of the Pacific Electric Railway , which first accelerated population growth in the Valley, have been repurposed for busways and light rail lines. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates two Metro B Line subway stations in the Valley, which are located at Universal City and North Hollywood, which connect it directly to Hollywood and Downtown Los Angeles . The Metro B Line
4800-451: The Valley to Owensmouth (now Canoga Park). The Suburban Home Company laid out plans for roads and the towns of Van Nuys, Reseda (Marian), and Canoga Park (Owensmouth). The rural areas were annexed into the city of Los Angeles in 1915. Laurel Canyon and Lankershim in 1923, Sunland in 1926, La Tuna Canyon in 1926, and the incorporated city of Tujunga in an eight-year process lasting from 1927 to 1935. These annexations more than doubled
4900-415: The Valley. The Los Angeles city section of the valley is divided into seven city council districts: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 12. Of the 95 neighborhood councils in the city, 34 are in the valley. The valley is represented in the California State Legislature by five members of the State Assembly : Jesse Gabriel (D), Luz Rivas (D), James Ramos (D), Pilar Schiavo (D), and Laura Friedman (D). The valley
5000-475: The Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, was located at the Budweiser brewery. It was torn down in the late 1970s. The San Fernando Valley is home to numerous neighborhood city parks, recreation areas and large Regional Open Space preserves . Many preserves are maintained as public parkland by the National Park Service's Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area , the California State Parks , and local county and municipal parks districts. Public schools in
5100-410: The Ventura County Line, but a second Burbank Airport station was built in 2017 on the Antelope Valley Line. Amtrak 's Pacific Surfliner long-distance rail line has stops at Burbank Airport station , Van Nuys, and Chatsworth Station , before proceeding on to Ventura County , Santa Barbara , and Northern California or Union Station and San Diego . The California High-Speed Rail Authority
SECTION 50
#17327655481715200-541: The area of the city. Two valley cities incorporated independently from Los Angeles: Burbank and San Fernando in 1911. Universal City remains an unincorporated enclave that is home to Universal Studios and became home to Universal CityWalk later in the century. Other unincorporated areas in the valley include Bell Canyon and Kagel Canyon . The advent of three new industries in the early 20th century—motion pictures, automobiles, and aircraft—also spurred urbanization and population growth. World War II production and
5300-400: The area. The county office also operates two magnet schools, the International Polytechnic High School and Los Angeles County High School for the Arts . There are a number of private schools in the county, most notably those operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese . The county's public education sector is run by numerous school districts with the Los Angeles Unified School District being
5400-586: The boundary between the valley and the communities of Hollywood and the Los Angeles Westside . The San Fernando Valley has connection to other regions: The Santa Clarita Valley via Newhall Pass , the Westside via Sepulveda Pass , Hollywood via Cahuenga Pass , Simi Valley via Santa Susana Pass , and the Crescenta Valley via Interstate 210 . The valley's natural habitat is a " temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome " of grassland , oak savanna , and chaparral shrub types of plant community habitats , along with lush riparian plants along
5500-403: The city of West Hollywood – even areas west of La Cienega Boulevard. According to the Mapping L.A. survey of the Los Angeles Times the Westside includes all of the below neighborhoods that are part of the city of Los Angeles: In the 2000 census , the Westside (as defined by the Los Angeles Times Mapping Project ) had a population of 529,427. In 2000, non-Hispanic whites made up 63% of
5600-465: The city of Burbank and through the Los Angeles city neighborhoods of Sylmar, Mission Hills, Arleta, North Hollywood, Studio City, Woodland Hills, Granada Hills, Porter Ranch, and Chatsworth as well. Internet, cable television, and cellular phone service in the valley are by large private companies. The valley is served by the following utility companies: Electricity Natural gas Water Los Angeles County Los Angeles County , officially
5700-437: The county are considered ecologically significant indicators of ecosystem health and may be documented using the iNaturalist app. Los Angeles County is commonly associated with the entertainment and digital media industry; all five major film studios — Paramount Pictures , Sony Pictures , Warner Bros. , Universal Pictures , and Walt Disney Studios —are located within the county. Numerous other major industries also define
5800-402: The county has an area of 4,751 square miles (12,310 km ), of which 4,058 square miles (10,510 km ) (85%) is land and 693 square miles (1,790 km ) (15%) is water. Los Angeles County borders 70 miles (110 km) of coast on the Pacific Ocean and encompasses mountain ranges, valleys, forests, islands, lakes, rivers, and desert. The Los Angeles River , Rio Hondo , Ballona Creek ,
5900-532: The county is 48.7% White, 11.0% African American, 0.8% Native American, 10.0% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 23.5% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. 44.6% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. The largest European-American ancestry groups are German (6%), Irish (5%), English (4%) and Italian (3%). 45.9% of the population reported speaking only English at home; 37.9% spoke Spanish, 2.22% Tagalog , 2.0% Chinese, 1.9% Korean , 1.87% Armenian , 0.5% Arabic , and 0.2% Hindi . The county has
6000-405: The county's highest peaks are in the San Gabriel Mountains, including Mount San Antonio 10,068 feet (3,069 m) at the Los Angeles– San Bernardino county lines, Mount Baden-Powell 9,399 feet (2,865 m), Mount Burnham 8,997 feet (2,742 m) and Mount Wilson 5,710 feet (1,740 m). Several lower mountains are in the northern, western, and southwestern parts of the county, including
6100-409: The county's wide range of biomes it is possible to see desert bighorn sheep and green sea turtles in the same day, without crossing the county line. The range of habitats in the county is "greater than in many states, with mountains, wetlands, desert, ocean, meadows and chaparral, each with its own endemic species." There are at least 100 species of trees, and 1000 species of non-native plants, in
SECTION 60
#17327655481716200-411: The eastern Antelope Valley – California State Parks' largest in area within the county. The California Poppy Reserve is located in the western Antelope Valley and shows off the State's flower in great quantity on its rolling hills every spring. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), located in the Westchester district, is the primary commercial airport for commercial airlines in the county and
6300-430: The economy of Los Angeles County, including international trade supported by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach , music recording and production, aerospace and defense, fashion, and professional services such as law, medicine, engineering and design services, financial services. High-tech sector employment within Los Angeles County is 368,500 workers, and manufacturing employment within Los Angeles County
6400-472: The epicenter of the 1994 event. The 1971 earthquake caused 58 fatalities and about 2,000 injuries. At the time, the 1971 San Fernando earthquake was the most destructive event to affect greater Los Angeles since the magnitude-6.3 Long Beach earthquake of 1933. The Valley attempted to secede in the 1970s, but the state passed a law barring city formation without the approval of the City Council. In 1997, Assemblymen Bob Hertzberg and Tom McClintock helped pass
6500-430: The largest Native American population of any county in the nation: according to the 2000 census, it has more than 153,550 people of indigenous descent, and most are from Latin America . As estimated by the Public Policy Institute of California in 2008, Los Angeles County is home to more than one-third of California's undocumented immigrants , who make up more than ten percent of the population. Los Angeles County
6600-436: The largest one running public schools primarily within the city of Los Angeles and its immediately neighboring cities. The county's most visited park is Griffith Park , owned by the city of Los Angeles. The county is also known for the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, the annual Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art , the Los Angeles Zoo , the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County ,
6700-441: The late 1990s, the San Fernando Valley had become more urban and more ethnically diverse with rising poverty and crime. In 2002, the valley tried to secede from the city of Los Angeles and become its own incorporated city to escape Los Angeles' perceived poverty, crime, gang activity, urban decay , and poorly maintained infrastructure. In 2002, the San Fernando Valley portion of Los Angeles again seriously campaigned to secede from
6800-434: The majority of which are Catholic. Roman Catholic adherents number close to 40% of the population. There were 202 Jewish synagogues , 145 Buddhist temples, 38 Muslim mosques , 44 Baháʼí Faith worship centers, 37 Hindu temples , 28 Tenrikyo churches and fellowships, 16 Shinto worship centers, and 14 Sikh gurdwaras in the county. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has approximately 5 million members and
6900-451: The median income of the neighborhood was about $ 96,300. The Westside is home to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a public research university in the Westwood neighborhood. It is the second-oldest of the ten campuses of the University of California system. UCLA is considered a flagship campus of the University of California system, along with UC Berkeley . It offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in
7000-400: The monikers Porn Valley, Silicone Valley (in contrast to Silicon Valley , nickname for the Santa Clara Valley), and San Pornando Valley. The leading trade paper for the industry, AVN magazine, is based in the Northwest Valley, as were a majority of U.S. adult video and magazine distributors. The Paul Thomas Anderson film, Boogie Nights explores these aspects of the valley. According to
7100-508: The mountain, canyon, and desert areas one may find Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park , where many old Westerns were filmed. Mount Wilson Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains is open for the public to view astronomical stars from its telescope, now computer-assisted. Many county residents find relaxation in water skiing and swimming at Castaic Lake Recreation Area – the county's largest park by area – as well as enjoying natural surroundings and starry nights at Saddleback Butte State Park in
7200-439: The municipal water system. These rural areas became part of Los Angeles in 1915. The aqueduct water shifted farming in the area from dry crops, such as wheat, to irrigated crops, such as corn, beans, squash, and cotton; orchards of apricots , persimmons , and walnuts ; and major citrus groves of oranges and lemons. They continued until the next increment of development converted land use, with postwar suburbanization leaving only
7300-691: The name chosen as a reference for its location in North Hollywood and as a play off New York City's arts-centered SoHo District. According to the San Fernando Guide , the change helped develop a "primarily lower to middle-class suburb into … a collection of art and a home for the artists who ply their trade in the galleries, theaters and dance studios in this small annex." According to the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council, from 2002 through November 2007 there
7400-591: The number of new films made had fallen sharply. A 2019 article stated that "the porn industry in Budapest is as big as what remains of the industry in California". The San Fernando Valley has a convention center located in the city of Burbank, east of the Burbank Airport, at the Marriott Hotel. Universal Studios Hollywood is in unincorporated Universal City. Busch Gardens , an amusement park in
7500-617: The population. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race numbered 4,687,889 (48%); 36% of Los Angeles County's population was of Mexican ancestry, 3.7% Salvadoran, and 2.2% Guatemalan heritage. The county has a large population of Asian Americans , being home to the largest numbers of Burmese , Cambodian , Chinese , Filipino , Indonesian , Korean , Sri Lankan , Taiwanese , and Thai outside their respective countries. The largest Asian groups in Los Angeles County are 4.0% Chinese, 3.3% Filipino, 2.2% Korean, 1.0% Japanese, 0.9% Vietnamese, 0.8% Indian, and 0.3% Cambodian. The racial makeup of
7600-690: The population. The areas within the city of Los Angeles that Los Angeles Almanac recognized as part of the Westside had a population of 413,351. Fifty-three percent of West Los Angeles residents aged 25 and older had earned a 4-year degree (or higher) by 2000, according to Census Bureau figures quoted by the Los Angeles Times. They included 89,620 people with master's degrees or higher and 117,695 with bachelor's degrees . In addition, 95,187 people in that age range had some college experience. There were 46,823 with high school diplomas but 40,451 who had dropped out before graduating. As of 2019,
7700-453: The proposed freeway was never approved or built. In the 1980s, a distinctive valley youth culture was recognized in the media, particularly in the 1982 Frank Zappa / Moon Zappa song "Valley Girl" and the 1983 film Valley Girl . These helped fix the socio-economic stereotype of the " Valley girl " into the public consciousness, including a distinct Valley accent. The 1994 Northridge earthquake struck on January 17 and measured 6.7 on
7800-531: The rest of the city and become its own new independent and incorporated city. The movement gained some momentum, but measure F did not receive the necessary votes to pass. Since that unsuccessful secession attempt, a new Van Nuys municipal building was built in 2003; the Metro Orange Line opened in October 2005; and 35 new public schools had opened up by 2012. The NoHo Arts District was established and
7900-461: The river include Dayton Creek, Caballero Creek, Bull Creek , Pacoima Wash , and Verdugo Wash . The elevation of the floor of the valley varies from about 600 ft (180 m) to 1,200 ft (370 m) above sea level . Most of the San Fernando Valley is within the jurisdiction of the City of Los Angeles , although a few other incorporated cities are located within the valley as well: Burbank
8000-500: The river, creeks, and springs. In this Mediterranean climate , post-1790s European agriculture for the mission's support consisted of grapes , figs , olives , and general garden crops. The San Fernando Valley has a subtropical / hot-summer Mediterranean climate, with long, hot, dry summers, and short, warm winters, with chilly nights and sporadic rainfall. Due to its relatively inland location and other factors, summer days are typically hotter and winter nights typically colder than in
8100-611: The similarly named Rancho Los Encinos , also beside springs ( Los Encinos State Historic Park in present-day Encino ). Later the Mexican land grants of Rancho El Escorpión ( West Hills ), Rancho Providencia and Rancho Cahuenga ( Burbank ), and Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando (rest of valley) covered the San Fernando Valley. The Treaty of Cahuenga , ending the Mexican–American War fighting in Alta California ,
8200-934: The southern regions of the Valley. One of the river's two unpaved sections can be found at the Sepulveda Basin . A seasonal river, the Tujunga Wash , drains much of the western facing San Gabriel Mountains and passes into and then through the Hansen Dam Recreation Center in Lake View Terrace. It flows south along the Verdugo Mountains through the eastern communities of the valley to join the Los Angeles River in Studio City . Other notable tributaries of
8300-423: The state Legislature to authorize the transfer of all courthouses to the state government in 2008 and 2009 (so that judges would have direct control over their own courthouses). Courthouse security is still provided by the county government under a contract with the state. Unlike the largest city in the United States, New York City , all of the city of Los Angeles and most of its important suburbs are located within
8400-507: The subsequent postwar boom accelerated this growth so that between 1945 and 1960, the valley's population had quintupled. Los Angeles continued to consolidate its territories in the San Fernando Valley by annexing the former Rancho El Escorpión for Canoga Park- West Hills in 1959, and the huge historic Porter Ranch at the foot of the Santa Susana Mountains for the new planned developments in Porter Ranch in 1965. The additions expanded
8500-422: The time of statehood in 1850. The county originally included parts of what are now Kern , San Bernardino , Riverside , Inyo , Tulare , Ventura , and Orange counties. In 1851 and 1852, Los Angeles County stretched from the coast to the state line of Nevada . As the population increased, sections were split off to organize San Bernardino County in 1853, Kern County in 1866, and Orange County in 1889. Before
8600-459: The traffic system in the days following the earthquake. Major freeway damage occurred as far away as 25 miles (40 km) from the epicenter. Collapses and other severe damage forced closure of portions of 11 major roads to downtown Los Angeles. This was the second time in 23 years that the San Fernando Valley had been affected by a strong earthquake. On February 9, 1971, at 6:01 am a magnitude-6.5 event struck about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of
8700-1022: The urban areas of the county. Charismatic biodiversity indicator species native to the area include three species of amphibian ( Baja California chorus frog , black-bellied slender salamander , western toad ), 14 species of bird ( acorn woodpecker , California quail , canyon wren , cinnamon teal , great blue heron , great horned owl , greater roadrunner , hooded merganser , Northern harrier , red-tailed hawk , red-winged blackbird , spotted towhee , western bluebird , western meadowlark ), nine kinds of invertebrates ( Behr's metalmark , bramble green hairstreak , bumblebees , El Segundo blue butterfly , harvester ants , Lorquin's admiral , North American Jerusalem crickets , Sara orangetip , velvet ants ), five mammals ( bobcat , dusky footed woodrat , gray fox , mountain lion , mule deer ), and six reptiles ( California kingsnake , coachwhip snake , gopher snake , side-blotched lizard , western pond turtle , western rattlesnake ). Any observations of these species within
8800-533: The valley, mainly in the Los Angeles neighborhoods of North Hollywood, Panorama City, and Woodland Hills. These projects started with the first few in Woodland Hills and the NoHo West project in North Hollywood began groundbreaking and construction on April 6, 2017. LA Metro is planning to upgrade the Metro G Line by 2024 with at-grade crossing gates and two bridges crossing both Sepulveda and Van Nuys Boulevards, and
8900-410: The valley, without it being within the city limits. San Fernando Valley farmers offered to buy the surplus aqueduct water, but the federal legislation that enabled the construction of the aqueduct prohibited Los Angeles from selling the water outside of the city limits. This induced several independent towns surrounding Los Angeles to vote on and approve annexation to the city so that they could connect to
9000-481: The west, had lived and thrived in the valley and its arroyos for over 8,000 years. They had numerous settlements , and trading and hunting camps, before the Spanish arrived in 1769 to settle in the Valley, including the village of Pasheeknga . The first Spanish land grant in the San Fernando Valley (or El Valle de Santa Catalina de Bononia de los Encinos ) was called "Rancho Encino" (present-day Mission Hills on
9100-957: The western portion represented by Sheila Kuehl (D) and the eastern portion by Kathryn Barger (R). Residents are also represented by the neighborhood councils of Los Angeles These communities are also included in the Crescenta Valley . Major freeways cross the Valley, including Interstate 405 (San Diego Freeway), U.S. Route 101 (Ventura Freeway/Hollywood Freeway), State Route 118 (Ronald Reagan Freeway), State Route 170 (Hollywood Freeway), Interstate 210 (Foothill Freeway), and Interstate 5 (Golden State Freeway). Notable streets include Sepulveda Boulevard , Ventura Boulevard , Laurel Canyon Boulevard , San Fernando Road , Victory Boulevard , Reseda Boulevard , Riverside Drive , Mulholland Drive , and State Route 27 (Topanga Canyon Boulevard). Subway , dedicated transitway , and express and local buses, provided by many agencies, serve
9200-510: The whole county, like posting of restaurant ratings, must be ratified by the individual city). As an executive body, it can tell the county departments what to do, and how to do it. As a quasi-judicial body, the Board is the final venue of appeal in the local planning process, and holds public hearings on various agenda items. As of 2020, the Board of Supervisors oversees a $ 35.5 billion annual budget and over 112,000 employees. The county government
9300-466: Was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males. The median personal earnings for all workers 16 and older in Los Angeles County are $ 30,654, slightly below the US median; earnings, however vary widely by neighborhood, race and ethnicity, and gender. The median household income was $ 42,189 and the median family income was $ 46,452. Males had
9400-543: Was 57, and more than 1,500 people were seriously injured. A few days after the earthquake, 9,000 homes and businesses were still without electricity; 20,000 were without gas; and more than 48,500 had little or no water. About 12,500 structures were moderately to severely damaged, which left thousands of people temporarily homeless. Of the 66,546 buildings inspected, 6 percent were severely damaged (red tagged) and 17 percent were moderately damaged (yellow tagged). In addition, damage to several major freeways serving Los Angeles choked
9500-464: Was a debate about the official recognition of Lake Balboa as a community by the City of Los Angeles. New community names were not sanctioned by the city until January 2006, when the city adopted a formal community-naming process (City of Los Angeles Council File Number 02 -0196). On November 2, 2007, the City Council of Los Angeles approved a motion renaming a larger portion of Van Nuys to Lake Balboa. By 2017, numerous urban development projects began in
9600-568: Was almost evenly split over Proposition 8 , which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. The county voted for the amendment 50.04% with a margin of 2,385 votes. The Los Angeles County Superior Court is the county's court of general jurisdiction, while the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California may hear cases where federal jurisdiction is present. Both are headquartered in
9700-445: Was introduced by J. B. Lankershim and Isaac Van Nuys , which became very productive for their San Fernando Homestead Association that owned the southern half of the valley. In 1876, they sent the first wheat shipment from both San Pedro Harbor and from the United States to Europe. Through the late-19th-century court decision Los Angeles v. Pomeroy , Los Angeles had won the rights to all surface flow water atop an aquifer beneath
9800-577: Was planning two stations in the Valley, one in Burbank and the other in Sylmar , but the proposed Sylmar high-speed rail station was canceled owing to local opposition from the city of San Fernando. As of now, there's only one planned station in the valley, located in Burbank with an initial section of the railroad possibly opening in 2029. The Valley's two major airports are Hollywood Burbank Airport and
9900-440: Was previously known for advances in aerospace technology and nuclear research by companies such as Lockheed , Rocketdyne and its Santa Susana Field Laboratory , Atomics International , Litton Industries , Marquardt , and TRW's predecessor Thompson Ramo Wooldridge . The valley became the pioneering region for producing adult films in the 1970s and grew to become home to a multibillion-dollar pornography industry , earning
10000-699: Was signed in 1847 by Californios and Americans at Campo de Cahuenga , the Verdugo Family adobe at the entrance to the Cahuenga Pass in the southeast San Fernando Valley ( North Hollywood ). The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the entire war. The Valley officially became part of the State of California on September 9, 1850, when the California Statehood Act was approved by the federal government. In 1874, dry wheat farming
#170829