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Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

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The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is the largest natural and historical museum in the Western United States . The museum is located in Exposition Park , Los Angeles , next to the California Science Center . Its collections include nearly 35 million specimens and artifacts and cover 4.5 billion years of history. This large collection comprises not only of specimens for exhibition, but also vast research collections housed on and offsite.

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109-884: The museum is associated with two other museums in Greater Los Angeles : the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits in Hancock Park and the William S. Hart Ranch and Museum in Newhall . The three museums work together to achieve their common mission: "to inspire wonder, discovery, and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds." NHM opened in Exposition Park , Los Angeles , California , United States in 1913 as The Museum of History, Science, and Art. The moving force behind it

218-403: A Becoming Los Angeles that showcases Los Angeles history through the years, divided up into before 1929 and after 1929. Another example would be the current exhibit titled L.A. Underwater which exhibits almost 40 fossils from the prehistoric time, when the land where L.A. now is, was underwater. The museum also hosts a butterfly pavilion outside every spring and summer and a spider pavilion on

327-483: A decentralized structure. Its major commercial, financial, and cultural institutions are geographically dispersed rather than being concentrated in a single downtown or central area. Also, the population density of Los Angeles proper is low (approximately 8,300 people per square mile) when compared to some other large American cities such as New York City (27,500), San Francisco (17,000), Boston (13,300), and Chicago (11,800). Densities are particularly high within

436-465: A 5-mile radius of downtown, where some neighborhoods exceed 20,000 people per square mile. What gives the entire Los Angeles metro region a high density is the fact that many of the city's suburbs and satellite cities have high density rates. Within its urbanized areas, Los Angeles is noted for having small lot sizes and low-rise buildings. Buildings in the area are low when compared to other large cities, mainly due to zoning regulations. Los Angeles became

545-561: A cross (†) in the table below. According to the 2020 census, there were 18,644,680 people living in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The racial makeup of the area was 29.4% White (23.0% Non-Hispanic European and 6.4% Non-Hispanic Middle Eastern), 13.8% Asian (Non-Hispanic), 0.2% Pacific Islander (Non-Hispanic), 6.1% African American (Non-Hispanic), 0.2% Native American (Non-Hispanic), 0.5% from other races (Non-Hispanic), and 3.3% from two or more races (Non-Hispanic). 46.3% of

654-578: 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

763-406: 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

872-519: A major city just as the Pacific Electric Railway spread population to smaller cities much as interurbans did in East Coast cities. In the first decades of the twentieth century, the area was marked by a network of fairly dense but separate cities linked by rail. The ascendance of the automobile helped fill in the gaps between these commuter towns with lower-density settlements. Starting in

981-400: 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

1090-504: A plaza. The museum maintains research and collections in the following fields: The museum has three floors of permanent exhibits. Among the most popular museum displays are those devoted to animal habitats , dinosaurs , pre-Columbian cultures, The Ralph M. Parsons Discovery Center and Insect Zoo, and the new Nature Lab, which explores urban wildlife in Southern California. The museum's collections are strong in many fields, but

1199-510: 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

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1308-508: A stained glass dome, the room is also the home of the very first piece of public art funded by Los Angeles County , a Beaux-Arts statue by Julia Bracken Wendt entitled Three Muses , or History, Science and Art . This hall is among the most distinctive locales in Los Angeles and has often been used as a filming location. 34°01′01″N 118°17′20″W  /  34.016989°N 118.288781°W  / 34.016989; -118.288781 Greater Los Angeles Greater Los Angeles

1417-419: A total area of 4,083 square miles (10,570 km ), it is home to more than a quarter of Californians and 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

1526-550: 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

1635-400: 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 ,

1744-633: 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

1853-549: Is held in The Seaver Center for Western History Research. The museum hosts regular special exhibitions which augment its collections and advance its mission. Recent special exhibits have included Mummies and Pterosaurs , both in 2016. The museum has also recently hosted exhibits that incorporate pop culture, such as an exhibit promoting House of the Dragon in 2022. There have also been Los Angeles themed special exhibits such as

1962-491: 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

2071-563: Is known for its tourist attractions, such as Disneyland , Knott's Berry Farm , its several pristine beaches and coastline, and its wealthier areas, featured in television shows such as The O.C. None of the original downtowns serves as the central urban core for the county, but there are important clusters of business and culture in Downtown Santa Ana and in three edge cities : the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city from Disneyland to

2180-431: 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

2289-464: 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

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2398-399: 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

2507-505: 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

2616-619: 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

2725-578: Is the most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. state of California , encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino County and Riverside County in the east, with the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County at its center, and Orange County to the southeast. The Los Angeles–Anaheim–Riverside combined statistical area (CSA) covers 33,954 square miles (87,940 km ), making it

2834-613: Is the most populous metropolitan area in the Western United States and second-most populous in the United States. It has at its core the Los Angeles – Long Beach – Anaheim urban area , which had a population of 12,237,376 as of the 2020 census. The U.S. Census Bureau also defines a wider commercial region based on commuting patterns, the Los Angeles–Long Beach, CA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), more commonly known as

2943-404: The "New York–Newark" Urbanized Area had a population density of 5,309 per square mile (2,050/km ). Los Angeles' reputation for sprawl is due to the fact that the city grew from relative obscurity to one of the country's ten largest cities (i.e. 10th largest city in 1920), at a time when suburban patterns of growth first became possible due to electric streetcars and automobiles. The city was also

3052-597: The Inland Empire , which can be broadly defined as Riverside and San Bernardino counties; the Ventura/Oxnard metropolitan area (Ventura County); and the Los Angeles metropolitan area (also known as Metropolitan Los Angeles or Metro LA ) consisting of Los Angeles and Orange counties only. The Census Bureau designates the latter as the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim metropolitan statistical area (MSA),

3161-629: 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

3270-712: 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

3379-690: The Orange Crush interchange ( Orange , Santa Ana), the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city (Santa Ana, Costa Mesa , Irvine ), and Irvine's Spectrum edge city. Orange County is sometimes figuratively divided into "North County" and "South County", with North Orange County including cities such as Anaheim , Fullerton , and Santa Ana , and is the older, more ethnically diverse and more densely built-up area closer to Los Angeles. South County, defined variously as beginning with either Costa Mesa or Irvine and includes cities to

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3488-573: The San Bernardino National Forest to the east. Additionally, the southwest portion of Riverside County, centered on the city of Temecula is more economically linked to San Diego county, with its growth largely being driven by migrants from San Diego seeking more affordable housing similar to how northwestern Riverside county's growth was driven by migrants from Orange County and Los Angeles seeking more affordable housing. However, with clear northern and southern limits to expansion,

3597-677: 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

3706-765: 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

3815-464: The Santa Monica Mountains , the San Gabriel Mountains , and the Mojave Desert . Actual land development in these regions occurs on the fringes of incorporated cities, some of which have been fully developed, such as the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster . While there is not an official designation for the regions that comprise Greater Los Angeles, one authority, the Los Angeles Times , divides

3924-845: The Sunset Strip in West Hollywood , Universal City , the Warner Center in Woodland Hills , and Sherman Oaks and Encino , notable for existing alongside extensive suburban development. In fact, the Los Angeles area is considered a classic example of a metropolitan area that developed in such fashion. Furthermore, since the COVID-19 pandemic Downtown Los Angeles has experienced staggering commercial vacancy rates, urban plight, homelessness, drug use, and crime. Entire skyscrapers were reportedly sold for less than large estates in Bel Air. Within

4033-607: The US 101 corridor. Making the US 101 a full freeway in the 1960s and expansions that followed helped make commuting to Los Angeles easier and opened the way for development westward. Development in Ventura County and along the US 101 corridor remains controversial, with open-space advocates battling those who feel business development is necessary to economic growth. Although the area still has abundant amount of open space and land, almost all of it

4142-495: The fourth largest metropolitan area in the western hemisphere and the second-largest metropolitan area in the United States, by population of 13 million as of the 2020 U.S. census . It has a total area of 4,850 square miles (12,561 km ). Although San Diego–Tijuana borders the Greater Los Angeles area at San Clemente and Temecula , it is not part of it as the two urban areas are not geographically contiguous due to

4251-552: The "poster child" of large cities that grew up with suburban-style patterns of development, rather than how it ranks in sprawl among American metro areas today, now that suburban and exurban -style development is present across the country. The Los Angeles–Orange County metro area was the most densely populated "urbanized area" (as defined by the United States Census Bureau ) in the United States in 2000, with 7,068 inhabitants per square mile (2,729/km ). For comparison,

4360-460: 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 ,

4469-482: The 2009 American Community Survey , the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area had a population of 12,874,797, of which 6,402,498 (49.7% of the population) were male and 6,472,299 (50.3% of the population) were female. The age composition is shown in the table at right. Median age: 34.6 years According to the 2020 census, there were 18,644,680 people living in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The racial makeup of

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4578-504: The 28 cities of Riverside County by population at the 2020 U.S. census: List of the 24 cities and incorporated towns of San Bernardino County by population at the 2020 U.S. census: While the above areas are included in the regional definition of Greater Los Angeles, the U.S. Census Bureau defines Greater Los Angeles, or officially, the Los Angeles–Long Beach Combined Statistical Area, to include both

4687-496: 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

4796-933: 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

4905-452: 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

5014-555: The Greater Los Angeles Area, with an estimated population of 18,316,743 in 2023. The total land area of the CSA is 33,955 sq. mi (87,945 km ). The CSA includes three component metropolitan areas: Nearly all of the metropolitan area of Greater Los Angeles is located within the homelands of the Tongva , otherwise referred to as Tovaangar . Los Angeles has long been famous for its sprawl , but this has to do more with its status in history as

5123-575: The Inland Empire is sometimes defined as the entirety of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, the eastern undeveloped, desert portions of these counties are not considered to be part of Greater Los Angeles. The state of California defines this area to include the cities of Adelanto , Apple Valley , and Victorville to the north, the Riverside–San Diego county line to the south, and the towns of Anza , Idyllwild , and Lucerne Valley , along with

5232-439: The Los Angeles area's expanding population. The development of a regional freeway system facilitated the expansion of suburbs and human migration linking the Inland Empire and rest of Greater Los Angeles. Despite being primarily suburban, the Inland Empire is also home to important warehousing, shipping, logistics and retail industries, centered on the subregion's major cities of Riverside , San Bernardino and Ontario . While

5341-733: The Museum of History and Science was renamed The Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. Eventually, the museum renamed itself again, becoming The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. In 2003, the museum began a campaign to transform its exhibits and visitor experience. The museum reopened its seismically retrofitted renovated 1913 rotunda, along with the new "Age of Mammals" exhibition in 2010. Its Dinosaur Hall opened in July 2011. A new Los Angeles history exhibition, "Becoming Los Angeles", opened in 2013. The outdoor Nature Gardens and Nature Lab, which explore L.A. wildlife, also opened in 2013. In 2024,

5450-412: The United States after New York City, and is the focal point of the Greater Los Angeles Area. As an international center for finance, entertainment, media, culture, education, tourism, and science, Los Angeles is considered one of the world's most powerful and influential global cities . List of the 88 cities of Los Angeles County and six large CDPs by population at the 2020 U.S. census: Orange County

5559-502: The United States and world. Citrus production was important to the region's development in the earlier part of the 20th century. While the New York metropolitan area is presently the most populous metropolitan area in the United States, it has been predicted in the past that Greater Los Angeles will eventually surpass Greater New York in population. Whether this will happen is yet to be seen, but past predictions on this event have been off

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5668-462: The United States. Within the boundaries of the CSA the Census Bureau defines 30 other urban areas as well, two of which ( Riverside – San Bernardino and Oxnard – Ventura ) form the core of their own metropolitan areas separate from the Los Angeles metropolitan statistical area. Urban areas situated primarily outside the Los Angeles metropolitan statistical area but within the CSA are identified with

5777-583: The above-mentioned areas along with the entirety of San Bernardino and Riverside counties. These areas are sparsely developed and are part of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts . To the north, Interstate 15 crosses desolate desert landscape after passing Barstow, linking Greater Los Angeles with Las Vegas , with Baker being the only significant outpost along the route. To the east, lie the Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park along with

5886-609: The actual city boundaries of incorporated Los Angeles but border the city itself include the Santa Clarita Valley , the San Gabriel Valley , South Bay , and the Gateway Cities . Despite the large footprint of the city of Los Angeles, a majority of the land area within Los Angeles County is unincorporated and under the primary jurisdiction of Los Angeles County. Much of this land, however, cannot be easily developed due to planning challenges presented by geographic features such as

5995-536: The area into the following regions: Some of the above areas can be defined as being bounded by natural features such as mountains or the ocean; others are marked by city boundaries, freeways, or other constructed landmarks. For example, Downtown Los Angeles is the area of Los Angeles roughly enclosed by three freeways and one river: the Harbor Freeway (SR 110) to the west, the Santa Ana Freeway ( US 101 ) to

6104-410: The area was 29.4% White (23.0% Non-Hispanic European and 6.4% Non-Hispanic Middle Eastern), 13.8% Asian (Non-Hispanic), 0.2% Pacific Islander (Non-Hispanic), 6.1% African American (Non-Hispanic), 0.2% Native American (Non-Hispanic), 0.5% from other races (Non-Hispanic), and 3.3% from two or more races (Non-Hispanic). 46.3% of the population were Hispanic of any race, a super-majority of which

6213-671: 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

6322-456: The article predicted the population would be 18.3 million in that year, a number Greater New York already surpassed in 2007 by half a million people. By 2009, the New York metropolitan area had a population of 22.2 million compared to the Greater Los Angeles Area's 18.7 million, about a 3.56 million persons difference. Percentage growth, however, has been higher in Greater Los Angeles over the past few decades than in Greater New York. According to

6431-439: The broader county of Los Angeles and metro area, areas such as Downtown Long Beach , downtown Pasadena , downtown Glendale , and downtown Burbank , Downtown Santa Ana , Downtown Anaheim , Downtown Riverside , Downtown San Bernardino , downtown Irvine , and downtown Ontario are notable. Employment is not only in the downtown area, but consistently occurs outside the central core. As such, many people commute throughout

6540-445: The central area of Los Angeles County quite complicated. Many cities are completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles and are often included in the city's areas despite being independent municipalities. For example, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills (which is almost completely surrounded by Los Angeles) are considered part of the Westside, while Hawthorne and Inglewood are associated with South L.A. Adjacent areas that are outside

6649-401: The cities lining the coast. List of the 34 cities in Orange County by population at the 2020 census: The Inland Empire, consisting of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, contains fast-growing suburbs of the region, with a large to majority percentage of the working population commuting to either Los Angeles or Orange Counties for work. Originally an important center for citrus production ,

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6758-443: The city and suburbs in various directions for their work and daily activities, with a large portion heading to the municipalities that are outside the city of Los Angeles. Unlike most metropolitan areas, regional identity remains a contentious issue in the Greater Los Angeles area, with many residents not acknowledging any association with the region as a whole. For example, while Los Angeles County and Orange County together make up

6867-437: 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

6976-415: The county became increasingly urbanized. The northern part of the county, however, remains largely undeveloped and is mostly within the Los Padres National Forest . List of the 10 cities of Ventura County by population at the 2020 U.S. census: At the core of the Los Angeles–Long Beach combined statistical area (CSA) lies the Los Angeles– Long Beach – Anaheim , CA urban area , the second most populous in

7085-402: 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 ,

7194-532: 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

7303-405: 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

7412-409: 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

7521-428: The course of the 21st century, droughts and wildfires have increased in frequency and the region's water security has become a development issue. The traditional business district and historical downtown of Greater Los Angeles is Downtown Los Angeles . However, most of commercial activity is found outside downtown Los Angeles in the edge cities of Century City , Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown , Hollywood ,

7630-527: The early 20th century. Los Angeles County is one of the original counties of California , created at 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

7739-420: The early twentieth century, there was a large growth in population on the western edges of the city moving to the San Fernando Valley and out into the Conejo Valley in eastern Ventura County . Many working-class whites migrated to this area during the 1960s and 1970s out of East and Central Los Angeles. As a result, there was a large growth in population into the Conejo Valley and into Ventura County through

7848-494: The east and south such as Laguna Beach , Mission Viejo , Newport Beach , and San Clemente , is more residential, affluent, recently developed, and has a mostly white population. Irvine is an exception, as it is a center of employment and is ethnically diverse. A growing alternative dividing marker between north and south is the El Toro Y interchange. Orange Coast or South Coast area is defined instead as consisting of some or all of

7957-512: 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

8066-476: 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

8175-442: The first large American city where, in the 1920s, major clusters of regional employment, shopping, and culture were already being built outside the traditional downtown areas – in edge cities such as Mid-Wilshire , Miracle Mile and Hollywood . This pattern of growth continued ever outward, more so when the freeway system was built starting in the 1950s; thus Greater Los Angeles was the earliest large American metropolitan area with

8284-545: 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

8393-403: The largest metropolitan region in the United States by land area. The contiguous urban area is 2,281 square miles (5,910 km ), whereas the remainder mostly consists of mountain and desert areas. With an estimated population of over 18.3 million (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023), it is the second-largest metropolitan area in the country, behind New York , as well as one of the largest megacities in

8502-724: 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 ,

8611-434: 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

8720-507: The mark. A 1966 article in Time predicted Greater Los Angeles would surpass New York by 1975, and that by 1990, would reach close to the 19 million mark. But the article's flawed definition of Greater Los Angeles included San Diego , which is actually its own metropolitan area . A 1989 article in The New York Times predicted Greater Los Angeles would surpass Greater New York by 2010, but

8829-474: The mineralogy and Pleistocene paleontology are the most esteemed, the latter thanks to the wealth of specimens collected from The La Brea Tar Pits. The museum has almost 30 million specimens representing marine zoology. These include one of the largest collections of marine mammal remains in the world, housed in a warehouse off site, which at over 5,000 specimens is second in size only to that of The Smithsonian . The museum's collection of historical documents

8938-508: 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

9047-464: The museum plans to open a new wing of the museum called the NHM Commons. The commons will be approximately 60,000 square feet consisting of renovations, new constructions, and landscaping; it will be located on the southwest side of the museum. The commons aims to be a community space with a combination of indoor and outdoor experiences including a welcome area, a lobby with a shop, a theater, a café, and

9156-462: The nation. Residents in these counties often commute to Los Angeles County and Orange County for employment. Los Angeles County, of which the City of Los Angeles is the county seat, is the most populous county in the United States and is home to over a quarter of all California residents. The large size of the city of Los Angeles, as well as its history of annexing smaller towns, has made city boundaries in

9265-611: The north, the Los Angeles River to the east, and the Santa Monica Freeway ( I-10 ) to the south. Meanwhile, the San Fernando Valley ("The Valley") is defined as the basin consisting of the part of Los Angeles and its suburbs that lie north-northwest of downtown and is ringed by mountains. With a population of nearly 4.1 million people at the 2020 census, the City of Los Angeles is the second most populous city in

9374-515: The northeast, the Morongo Basin in the east-central including Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms , and the Coachella Valley cities in the southeast. This interconnectivity, provided by one of the most extensive freeway systems in the world, as well as economic, social and media ties, has blended boundaries between these regions and the urbanized Los Angeles and Inland Empire areas. List of

9483-452: The population increase between 2000 and 2006. Growth continues not only outside the existing urbanized area but also adjacent to existing development in the central areas. As in virtually all US core cities, there is now vigorous residential development in the downtown area with both new buildings and renovation of former office buildings. The Los Angeles Downtown News keeps a list of ongoing development projects, updated every quarter. Over

9592-529: The population were Hispanic of any race, a super-majority of which was of Mexican origin. 29.4% of the population (5.5 million) was foreign born; most immigrants came from Latin America and Asia. The explosive growth of the region in the 20th century can be attributed to its favorable Mediterranean climate , the availability of land and many booming industries such as oil , automobile and rubber, motion pictures , intermodal , logistics , and aerospace which in turn attracted millions of people from all over

9701-479: The population, about 1.4% South Asian (Indian Subcontinent), and about 12.4% were East or Southeast Asian. The six largest Asian ancestries with respect to all of Greater LA's population were Chinese : ~ 6.1% , Filipino : ~ 3.1%, Vietnamese : ~ 2.0%, Korean ~ 1.9%, Indian ~ 1.1% , and Japanese ~ 0.8%. Other important Asian American groups include Cambodian , Laotian , Hmong , Taiwanese , Pakistani , and Thai Americans. Non-Hispanic blacks make up 6.1% of

9810-617: 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

9919-592: The population. Approximately 1,143,781 residents are non-Hispanic blacks. Sub-Saharan Africans were 0.7% (137,443) and Non-Hispanic Caribbean Blacks were 0.3% (62,419). Non-Hispanic Native Americans make up 0.2% of the population (46,143). Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders make up 0.2% of the population. Approximately 42,591 residents are Native Hawaiian or of other Pacific Islander ancestries. The largest Pacific Islander ancestries were Samoan , Native Hawaiian , and Guamanian or Chamorro , and Tongan Non-Hispanic Multiracial people make up 3.3% of

10028-568: The population. Approximately 624,473 people are non-Hispanic multiracial. Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County , officially 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

10137-587: The presence of Camp Pendleton . However, both form part of the Southern California Megalopolis which extends into Tijuana , Baja California , Mexico . The Los Angeles metropolitan area is defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget as the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), with a 2021 population of 12,997,353. The MSA is in turn made up of two "metropolitan divisions": The MSA

10246-402: The prices will continue to increase. The Los Angeles area continues to grow, principally on the periphery where new, cheaper, undeveloped areas are being sought. As such, in these areas, populations as well as housing prices exploded, although the housing bubble popped late in the decade of the 2000s. Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, which contain large swaths of desert, attracted most of

10355-401: The region became an important industrial area by the early 20th century. The Inland Empire also became a key transportation center following the completion of Route 66 , and later Interstate 10 . With the post-World War II economic boom leading to rapid development in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, land developers bulldozed acres of agricultural land to build suburbs in order to accommodate

10464-467: The region's urban eastern boundaries have become increasingly nebulous as suburban sprawl continues to spread out to form a unified whole with Los Angeles, with further development encroaching past the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains and into the outlying desert areas. As a result, the regional definition of Greater Los Angeles can now be extended to include Barstow and surrounding towns in

10573-407: The same site in the fall. Since 2017, the museum has hosted a special exhibit about P-22 , the mountain lion that lived in nearby Griffith Park . Over the years, the museum has built additions onto its original building. Originally dedicated when The Natural History Museum opened in 1913, the rotunda is one of the museum's most elegant and popular spaces. Lined with marble columns and crowned by

10682-540: The smaller MSA region, the two host many sub-areas that each have sharp demographic, political, and financial distinctions. South Orange County residents often attempt to be identified apart from Los Angeles although they make up the same metropolitan area. Also, while only 1.63% of Los Angeles residents commute to Orange County for work, over 6% of Orange County commuters head to Los Angeles for work. Western Riverside County and San Bernardino County have become commuter regions characteristic of other suburban counties throughout

10791-423: 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

10900-593: The towns of Needles and Blythe on the California-Arizona border. Ventura County is mostly suburban and rural and also has developed primarily through the growth of Los Angeles. Central and southern Ventura County formerly consisted of small towns along the Pacific Coast until the expansion of U.S. Route 101 drew in commuters from the San Fernando Valley. Master-planned cities soon began developing, and

11009-1022: 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

11118-506: 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

11227-562: The world . In addition to being the nexus of the global entertainment industry, including films, television, and recorded music, Greater Los Angeles is also an important center of international trade, education, media, business, tourism, technology, and sports. It is the third-largest metropolitan area by nominal GDP in the world with an economy exceeding $ 1 trillion in output, behind New York City and Tokyo . There are three contiguous component urban areas in Greater Los Angeles:

11336-418: 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

11445-437: Was a museum association founded in 1910. Its distinctive main building with fitted marble walls and domed and colonnaded rotunda, is on The National Register of Historic Places . Additional wings opened in 1925, 1930, 1960, and 1976. The museum split in 1961 into The Los Angeles County Museum of History and Science and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). LACMA moved to new quarters on Wilshire Boulevard in 1965, and

11554-550: 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

11663-850: Was of Mexican origin. Non-Hispanic whites make up under one-third (29.4%) of the population, approximately 5,477,462 residents. The top European ancestries were German : 7.0% (1,301,202), English : 6.1% (1,131,426), Irish : 5.4% (1,002,233), Italian : 3.4% (624,585), Scandinavian : 2.2% (405,887), French : 1.5% (284,180), Scottish : 1.4% (264,429), Polish : 1.2% (224,443), and Russian : 1.0% (189,115). The top Middle Eastern ancestries were Jewish : 3.2% (600,000), Armenian : 1.2% (214.190), Arab : 0.98% (182,934), and Iranian : 0.75% (139,632). Additionally, 3.3% (611,193) of residents identified as simply American . Values may add to over 100% because people can identify with more than one ethnicity. Approximately 2,577,706 residents are Asian of non-Hispanic origin. Asians of non-Hispanic origin make up 13.8% of

11772-561: Was originally an agricultural area dependent on citrus crops, avocados, and oil extraction, and became a bedroom community for Los Angeles when I–5, the Santa Ana Freeway , linked it to the city in the 1950s. The growth of Los Angeles initially fueled population growth in Orange County, but by the 1970s it had become an important economic center in its own right, with tourism and electronics industries, among others. Today, Orange County

11881-547: Was put aside and mandated never to be developed as part of the master plan of each city. Because of this, the area which was once a relatively inexpensive area to buy real estate, saw rising real estate prices well into the 2000s. Median home prices in the Conejo Valley for instance, ranged from $ 700,000 to $ 2.2 million in 2003. According to Forbes , "it's nearly impossible" to find reasonably priced real estate in California, and

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