Lakewood, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lakewood, California
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Lakewood City Hall
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| Motto(s):
"Times change, values don't"
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Location of Lakewood in Los Angeles County, California.
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 Lakewood, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  California |
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| County | Los Angeles | |
| Incorporated | April 16, 1954 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 9.46 sq mi (24.52 km2) | |
| • Land | 9.41 sq mi (24.38 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.13 km2) 0.54% | |
| Elevation | 46 ft (14 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 82,496 | |
| • Density | 8,721/sq mi (3,364.4/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) | |
| ZIP Codes |
90711–90716, 90805
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| Area code | 562 | |
| FIPS code | 06-39892 | |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1660883, 2411613 | |
Lakewood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. In 2020, about 82,496 people lived there. The city is surrounded by other cities like Long Beach, Bellflower, Cerritos, Cypress, and Hawaiian Gardens. Major roads like Lakewood Boulevard and Carson Street run through the city. The San Gabriel River Freeway also passes through its eastern side.
Contents
History of Lakewood, California
Lakewood was built after World War II as a planned community. Developers Louis Boyar, Mark Taper, and Ben Weingart helped create it. Building started in late 1949 and finished in 1953. This project changed how many homes could be built quickly.
After World War II, many soldiers came home. They could get special home loans with no down payment. These loans had low interest rates over 30 years. On March 24, 1950, the first day homes were for sale, about 30,000 people came to see the model houses.
By the end of April, over 200,000 people had visited the sales office. More than 1,000 families bought homes, sometimes 30 homes a day. One time, 107 homes were sold in just one hour! The monthly cost for a home was about $44 to $56.
Building Lakewood set new records. In less than three years, empty fields became 17,500 new houses. A new house was finished every 7.5 minutes. Workers built 40 to 60 houses each day, and once, they built 110 homes in a single day.
Lakewood's main roads are wide with green areas in the middle. These roads also have smaller "frontage roads" on the sides for houses. This design was a new idea for city planning at the time.
Becoming a City: The Lakewood Plan
As Lakewood grew, it had over 70,000 residents but was not yet a city. In 1953, people in Lakewood had three choices. They could join nearby Long Beach, stay managed by the county, or become their own city. They chose to become a city in 1954.
This was a big deal because Lakewood was the largest community to become a city this way. It was also the first city in Los Angeles County to incorporate since 1939.
Lakewood became known for a new way of running a city. Even though it's an official city, Lakewood hires other groups to do most of its work. For example, Los Angeles County provides many services, like police and fire protection. This idea is called the "Lakewood Plan." Many other cities in Los Angeles County now use this plan too.
Geography and Area
Lakewood covers about 9.5 square miles (24.5 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. A very small part, about 0.1 square miles (0.13 square kilometers), is water.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 67,126 | — | |
| 1970 | 83,025 | 23.7% | |
| 1980 | 74,511 | −10.3% | |
| 1990 | 73,557 | −1.3% | |
| 2000 | 79,345 | 7.9% | |
| 2010 | 80,048 | 0.9% | |
| 2020 | 82,496 | 3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Lakewood has grown steadily over the years. In 1960, about 67,126 people lived there. By 2020, the population had grown to 82,496.
In 2020, about 31% of the people in Lakewood were White. About 18% were Asian, and 8% were Black or African American. About 36% of the people in Lakewood were of Hispanic or Latino background. This shows that Lakewood is a very diverse city.
Most people in Lakewood live in houses they own. In 2010, about 72% of homes were owned by the people living in them. The average household had about 3 people.
Economy and Jobs
The Lakewood Center is a large shopping mall that opened in 1951. It's a major place for shopping and jobs in the city.
Top Employers in Lakewood
Many people in Lakewood work for schools or government services. Here are some of the biggest employers in the city:
- Long Beach Unified School District (schools)
- UCI Health - Lakewood (healthcare)
- City of Lakewood (city government)
- Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (social services)
- Bellflower Unified School District (schools)
- Walmart (retail store)
- Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (law enforcement)
- ABC Unified School District (schools)
- The Home Depot (home improvement store)
- Albertsons (grocery store)
Arts and Culture
Lakewood has two public libraries that are part of the County of Los Angeles Public Library system. These are the George Nye, Jr. Library and the Angelo M. Iacoboni Library. The Iacoboni Library, named after the city's first mayor, opened in 1954. The Nye Library, named after another mayor, opened in 1973.
Education and Schools
Most students in Lakewood attend schools in three main school districts:
- Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD)
- Bellflower Unified School District (BUSD)
- ABC Unified School District (ABCUSD)
A small part of the city is also served by the Paramount Unified School District (PUSD).
Some of the schools in Lakewood include:
- Elementary Schools: Cleveland, Gompers, Holmes, MacArthur, Madison, Riley (LBUSD); Craig Williams, Esther Lindstrom, Stephen Foster, Aloha, Melbourne, Palms, Willow (BUSD & ABCUSD).
- Middle Schools: Hoover Middle School (LBUSD).
- High Schools: Lakewood High School (LBUSD), Mayfair High School (BUSD), and Artesia High School (ABCUSD).
City Services
The San Gabriel River Bike Trail is a popular path for biking and walking. It runs next to Rynerson Park. The Los Cerritos Community News is a local newspaper that serves the city.
Emergency Services
The Los Angeles County Fire Department provides fire protection for Lakewood. Ambulance services are provided by Care Ambulance Service.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has a station in Lakewood. The city also has its own special helicopter patrol called Sky Knight. It started in 1966 and was the first program in the country to use helicopters for day and night patrols. A civilian pilot and a sheriff's deputy fly together in the helicopter.
Images for kids
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Lakewood Drive-In Theater, 1981. Photo by John Margolies.
See also
In Spanish: Lakewood (California) para niños
