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 and in the U.S. state of California, with more than ten million inhabitants as of the 2020 census. It is the most populous non–state-level government entity in the United States. Its population is greater than that of 40 individual U.S. states. Los Angeles County has the 3rd largest metropolitan area economy in the world, with a nominal GDP of more than $1.0 trillion. At and with 88 incorporated cities and many unincorporated areas, it is larger than the combined areas of Delaware and Rhode Island. The county is home to more than one-quarter of California residents and is one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the United States. Its county seat, Los Angeles, is also California's most populous city and the second most populous city in the United States, with about four million residents.
History
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.
Prior to the 1870s, Los Angeles County was divided into townships, many of which were amalgamations of one or more old ranchos. They were:
Azusa (encompassed the foothill communities east of the San Gabriel River, including present-day Covina and Duarte)
El Monte (encompassed communities in the Whittier Narrows area, including present-day El Monte, La Puente and Monterey Park)
Azusa and El Monte Townships were merged for the 1870 census.
City of Los Angeles (then consisting solely of its four-league Spanish land grant)
Los Angeles Township (consisted of areas surrounding the City of Los Angeles, including the San Fernando Valley and present-day West Los Angeles and East Los Angeles. Most of this area has now been annexed to the city of Los Angeles.)
Los Nietos (consisted of areas south of the Whittier Narrows and Puente Hills south to present-day Long Beach, centered on the early settlement at Los Nietos. Some of this area is now in Orange County.)
San Jose (consisted of the eastern portions of the county drained by San Jose Creek, including what is now the cities of Pomona, Claremont and Walnut)
San Gabriel (consisted of the western San Gabriel Valley and foothill communities, including present-day Alhambra and Pasadena. Centered on the Mission San Gabriel)
Santa Ana (consisted of what is now northern and central Orange County, including what is now Fullerton, Huntington Beach and City of Orange. Centered on Santa Ana).
For the 1870 census, Anaheim district was enumerated separately.
San Juan (consisted of what is now southern Orange County. Centered on Mission San Juan Capistrano).
San Pedro (consisted of the present-day South Bay communities, Compton and western Long Beach. Centered on the wharf of San Pedro. Renamed Wilmington Township by 1870).
Tejon (consisted of all of northern Los Angeles County and what is now southern Kern County. Centered on Fort Tejon)
When Kern County was formed, the portion of the township remaining in Los Angeles County became Soledad Township
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which (85%) is land and (15%) is water. Los Angeles County borders of coast on the Pacific Ocean and encompasses mountain ranges, valleys, forests, islands, lakes, rivers, and desert. The Los Angeles River, Rio Hondo, 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 is located in the south and southwest, with major population centers in 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 the county's highest peaks are in the San Gabriel Mountains, including Mount San Antonio ) at the Los Angeles-San Bernardino county lines, Mount Baden-Powell , Mount Burnham and Mount Wilson . Several lower mountains are in the northern, western, and southwestern parts of the county, including 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.
Lakes and reservoirs
Bouquet Reservoir
Castaic Lake
Crystal Lake
Elizabeth Lake
Holiday Lake
Hollywood Reservoir
Hughes Lake
Jackson Lake
Las Virgenes Reservoir
Malibou Lake
Morris Reservoir
Munz Lakes
Lake Palmdale
Puddingstone Reservoir
Pyramid Lake
Quail Lake
Silver Lake Reservoir
Stone Canyon Reservoir
Tweedy Lake
Westlake in City of Westlake Village
Lake Lindero
Major divisions of the county
East: Eastside, San Gabriel Valley, portions of the Pomona Valley
West: Westside, Beach Cities
South: South Bay, South Los Angeles, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Gateway Cities, Los Angeles Harbor Region
North: San Fernando Valley, Crescenta Valley, portions of the Conejo Valley, portions of the Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita Valley
Central: Downtown Los Angeles, Mid-Wilshire, Northeast Los Angeles
National protected areas
Angeles National Forest (part)
Los Padres National Forest (part)
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (part)
Demographics
2020 census
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
In 2019, the median household income in the county was $72,797.
2010 Census
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 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 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.
Racial and Ethnic Composition since 1960
Race and ancestry
The racial makeup of 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 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 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.
2000
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 people per square mile (905/km2). There were 3,270,909 housing units at an average density of 806 per square mile (311/km2).
Of 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 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.
Income
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 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 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.
the number of homeless people in the county increased to nearly 58,000.
Religion
In 2015, there were over two thousand Christian churches, 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 is the largest diocese in the United States. In 2014, the county had 3,275 religious organizations, the most out of all US counties.
Law, government, and politics
Government
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 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 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 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:
Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs – offers consumers in the county a variety of services including: consumer and real estate counseling, mediation, and small claims counseling investigates consumer complaints, real estate fraud and identity theft issues. The department also provides small business certifications and helps entrepreneurs navigate the process of opening a business.
Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services – administers foster care
Los Angeles County Fire Department – provides firefighting services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities.
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services – operates several county hospitals and a network of primary care clinics,
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health – administers public health programs including STD programs, smoking cessation, and restaurant inspection. In the majority of the county LACDPH puts letter grades relating to the food cleanliness and safety of a restaurant in the front window of restaurants.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services – administers many federal and state welfare programs
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works – operates countywide flood control system, constructs and maintains roads in unincorporated areas
Los Angeles County District Attorney – prosecutes criminal suspects.
Los Angeles County Office of the Public Defender – Defends indigent people accused of criminal offenses.
Los Angeles County Probation Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department – provides law enforcement services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 42 cities.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, despite its name, is a County department. Technically it is a state-mandated county transportation commission that also operates bus and rail.
Politics
Overview
Voter registration
In the United States House of Representatives, Los Angeles County is split between 18 congressional districts: In the California State Senate, Los Angeles County is split between 15 legislative districts:
In the California State Assembly, Los Angeles County is split between 24 legislative districts:
On November 4, 2008, Los Angeles County 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.
Legal system
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 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 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 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 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 is the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.
Crime
The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.
Cities by population and crime rates
Other statistics
Crime in 2013
Homicides: 386
Thefts: 54,971
Burglaries: 17,606
Car Thefts: 15,866
Robberies: 10,202
Violent Crimes: 20,318
Rapes: 843
Assaults: 8,976
Murders: 297
Economy
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 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 is 365,000 workers.
The following major companies have headquarters in Los Angeles County:
Education
The Los Angeles County Office of Education provides a supporting role for school districts in 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.
Colleges
Antelope Valley College, Lancaster
Art Center College of Design, Pasadena
The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles (AICALA), Santa Monica
Azusa Pacific University, Azusa
Biola University, La Mirada
California Institute of the Arts, Santa Clarita
Cerritos College, Norwalk
Citrus College, Glendora
Claremont Colleges, Claremont
Claremont McKenna College
Harvey Mudd College
Pitzer College
Pomona College
Scripps College
Claremont School of Theology, Claremont
College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita
DeVry University, Long Beach and West Hills (Los Angeles)
East Los Angeles College, Monterey Park
El Camino College, Torrance
Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena
Glendale Community College, Glendale
Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles
ITT Technical Institute, Culver City, San Dimas, Sylmar (Los Angeles), Torrance, and West Covina
Life Pacific College, San Dimas
Long Beach City College, Long Beach
Los Angeles City College (LACC), Los Angeles
Los Angeles Harbor College, Los Angeles
Los Angeles Mission College, Sylmar (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music, Pasadena
Los Angeles Pierce College (Pierce), Woodland Hills (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles
Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC), Los Angeles
Los Angeles Valley College, Valley Glen (Los Angeles)
The Master's University, Santa Clarita
Mount St. Mary's College, Los Angeles
Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut
Mt. Sierra College, Monrovia
Occidental College (Oxy), Eagle Rock (Los Angeles)
Otis College of Art and Design, Westchester (Los Angeles)
Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena
Pasadena City College, Pasadena
Pepperdine University, Malibu
Rio Hondo College, Whittier
Santa Monica College (SMC), Santa Monica
West Los Angeles College, Culver City
Whittier College, Whittier
Wyoming Technical Institute (WyoTech), Long Beach
Universities
Abraham Lincoln University (ALU), Los Angeles
Alliant International University (AIU), Alhambra
American Jewish University (AJULA), Los Angeles
Azusa Pacific University, Azusa
Biola University, La Mirada
California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona), Pomona
California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), Carson
California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), Long Beach
California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), Los Angeles
California State University, Northridge (CSUN), Northridge (Los Angeles)
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (Los Angeles)
Claremont Graduate University (CGU), Claremont
Loyola Marymount University (LMU), Westchester (Los Angeles)
National University, Los Angeles and Woodland Hills
Pepperdine University, Malibu
Southern California University of Health Sciences, Whittier
Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), Los Angeles
Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles
University of Antelope Valley (UAV), Lancaster
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Westwood (Los Angeles)
University of La Verne, La Verne
University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles
University of the West (UWest), Rosemead
Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU), Pomona
Woodbury University, Burbank
Sites of interest
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, 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 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 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 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.
Museums
Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, California
Battleship USS Iowa, Los Angeles Waterfront in San Pedro
SS Lane Victory, Los Angeles Waterfront in San Pedro, just south of the USS Iowa
California African American Museum
California Science Center, Los Angeles (formerly the Museum of Science and Industry)
The Broad
Hammer Museum
Huntington Library, San Marino
Long Beach Museum of Art in the historic Elizabeth Milbank Anderson residence
Los Angeles Children's Museum
Los Angeles County Fire Museum, in Bellflower
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Mid-City, Los Angeles
Museum of Contemporary Art, Downtown Los Angeles (founded in 1950); The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, Downtown Los Angeles (founded in 1980)
Museum of Jurassic Technology, Culver City
Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach
Museum of Neon Art
Museum of the American West (Gene Autry Museum), in Griffith Park
Museum of Tolerance
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Pasadena Museum of California Art, in Pasadena
J. Paul Getty Center, Brentwood (Ancient Roman, Greek, and European Renaissance Art)
J. Paul Getty Villa, Pacific Palisades, Getty's original house
George C. Page Museum at La Brea Tar Pits
Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica (Contemporary art)
Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena (19th- and early 20th-century art)
Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
Southwest Museum
Entertainment
Pacific Park
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Raging Waters
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
Universal Studios Hollywood
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Descanso Gardens
Dodger Stadium
Exposition Park
Farmers Market
The Forum
Griffith Park
Griffith Observatory
Huntington Botanical Gardens
La Brea Tar Pits
Music Center
Olvera Street
Crypto.com Arena
SoFi Stadium
South Coast Botanic Garden
Third Street Promenade
Venice Beach
Los Angeles Zoo
Music venues
California Plaza, comprising One California Plaza and Two California Plaza
Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
Crypto.com Arena
The Forum
Disney Concert Hall
Greek Theatre
House of Blues Sunset Strip
Pantages Theatre
Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Palladium
John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
The Orpheum Theatre
The Roxy Theatre
Royce Hall (UCLA)
The Music Box
El Rey Theatre
The Troubadour
The Wiltern
Whisky a Go Go
Amusement parks
Universal Studios Hollywood
Six Flags Raging Waters
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
Pacific Park
Other attractions
Other areas
Ridge Route
Angeles National Forest
Mount Wilson Observatory
Malibu Creek State Park
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park
Plant 42's Blackbird Airpark and Heritage Airpark
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
Cortes Bank
Santa Catalina Island
Mojave Desert
Saddleback Butte State Park
Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park
Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park
Transportation
Major highways
Air
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), located in the Westchester district, is the primary commercial airport for commercial airlines in the county and 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:
Long Beach Municipal Airport operated by the City of Long Beach.
Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, operated by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority.
The following general aviation airports also are located in Los Angeles County:
County operated airports (Department of Public Works, Aviation Division)
Compton/Woodley Airport in Compton.
San Gabriel Valley Airport in El Monte.
Brackett Field in La Verne.
Whiteman Airport in Pacoima.
General William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster.
City operated airports
Van Nuys Airport in Van Nuys, also operated by LAWA. Van Nuys Airport sees significant executive jet air traffic.
LA/Palmdale Regional Airport in Palmdale. The airport is a separate facility on the grounds of Air Force Plant 42.
Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica, which has major executive jet traffic.
Hawthorne Municipal Airport, also known as Jack Northrop Field, in Hawthorne.
Zamperini Field in Torrance.
The U.S. Air Force operates three airports in Los Angeles County:
Portions of Edwards Air Force Base, located at the northern edge of the county.
Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, sharing runways with LA/Palmdale Regional.
The non-flying Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo.
Rail
Los Angeles is a major freight-railroad transportation center, largely due to the large volumes of freight moving in and out of the county's sea port facilities. The ports are connected to the downtown rail yards and to the main lines of Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe headed east via a grade-separated, freight rail corridor known as the Alameda Corridor.
Passenger rail service is provided in the county by Amtrak, Los Angeles Metro Rail and Metrolink.
Amtrak has the following intercity Amtrak service at Union Station in the city of Los Angeles:
The Pacific Surfliner to Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and San Diego.
The Coast Starlight to San Francisco Bay Area, Portland and Seattle.
The Southwest Chief to Albuquerque, Kansas City and Chicago.
The Sunset Limited to Tucson, Houston and New Orleans.
Union Station is also the primary hub for Metrolink commuter rail, which serves much of the Greater Los Angeles Area.
Light rail, subway (heavy rail), and long-distance bus service are all provided by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).
Sea
The county's two main seaports are the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. Together they handle over a quarter of all container traffic entering the United States, making the complex the largest and most important port in the country, and the third-largest port in the world by shipping volume.
The Port of Los Angeles is the largest cruise ship center on the West Coast, handling more than 1 million passengers annually.
The Port of Long Beach is home to the Sea Launch program, which uses a floating launch platform to insert payloads into orbits that would be difficult to attain from existing land-based launch sites.
Catalina Express ferries link the Catalina Island city of Avalon to the mainland at San Pedro and Long Beach, as well as Dana Point in Orange County.
Communities
Cities
There are 88 incorporated cities in Los Angeles County. According to the 2018 Estimate, the most populous are:
Unincorporated areas
Census designated places
Acton
Agua Dulce
Alondra Park
Altadena
Avocado Heights
Castaic
Charter Oak
Citrus
Del Aire
Desert View Highlands
East Los Angeles
East Pasadena
East Rancho Dominguez
East San Gabriel
East Whittier
Elizabeth Lake
Florence-Graham
Green Valley
Hacienda Heights
Hasley Canyon
La Crescenta-Montrose
Ladera Heights
Lake Hughes
Lake Los Angeles
Lennox
Leona Valley
Littlerock
Marina del Rey
Mayflower Village
North El Monte
Quartz Hill
Rose Hills
Rowland Heights
San Pasqual
South Monrovia Island
South San Gabriel
South San Jose Hills
South Whittier
Stevenson Ranch
Sun Village
Topanga
Val Verde
Valinda
View Park-Windsor Hills
Vincent
Walnut Park
West Athens
West Carson
West Rancho Dominguez
West Puente Valley
West Whittier-Los Nietos
Westmont
Willowbrook
Unincorporated Communities
Agoura
Alla
Alpine
Andrade Corner
Antelope Acres
Antelope Center
Athens
Bassett
Big Pines
Castaic Junction
City Terrace
Cornell
Del Sur
Del Valle
Firestone Park
Florence
Gorman
Hillgrove
Hi Vista
Indian Springs
Juniper Hills
Kagel Canyon
Kinneloa Mesa
Largo Vista
Llano
Los Nietos
Malibu Vista
Monte Nido
Neenach
Ninetynine Oaks
Pearblossom
Rancho Dominguez
Sandberg
Sand Canyon
Seminole Hot Springs
Three Points
Two Harbors
Universal City
Valyermo
West Whitter
Proposed Communities
Centennial (planned for 70,000).
:See: [http://www.laalmanac.com/geography/ge30c.htm Los Angeles Almanac MAP: Unincorporated Areas and Communities of Los Angeles County]
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Los Angeles County.
† county seat
