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Norwalk, California
City of Norwalk
Norwalk Town Square Shopping Center sign in Norwalk California.jpg
Norwalk City Hall, Norwalk, CA.jpg
From left to right: Norwalk Town Square sign, Norwalk City Hall
Flag of Norwalk, California
Flag
Official seal of Norwalk, California
Seal
Official logo of Norwalk, California
Logo
Motto(s): 
"A Connected Community"
Location of Norwalk in Los Angeles County, California
Location of Norwalk in Los Angeles County, California
Norwalk, California is located in the United States
Norwalk, California
Norwalk, California
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  California
County Los Angeles
Incorporated August 26, 1957
Government
 • Type Council/Manager
Area
 • Total 9.75 sq mi (25.24 km2)
 • Land 9.71 sq mi (25.14 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)  0.40%
Elevation
92 ft (28 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 105,549
 • Estimate 
(2019)
103,949
 • Rank 14th in Los Angeles County
69th in California
299th in the United States
 • Density 10,708.66/sq mi (4,134.55/km2)
Time zone UTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP codes
90650–90652, 90659
Area code(s) 562
FIPS code 06-52526
GNIS feature IDs 1661123, 2411281

Norwalk is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 105,549 at the 2010 census and an estimated 103,949 in 2019. It is the 58th most densely-populated city in California.

Founded in the late 19th century, Norwalk was incorporated as a city in 1957. It is located 17 miles (27 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles and is part of the Greater Los Angeles area.

Norwalk is a member of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments. Norwalk's sister cities are Morelia in the Mexican state of Michoacán, and Hermosillo, in the Mexican state of Sonora.

History

1890 Norwalk Grammar School
Norwalk Grammar School class in 1890. Cora Hargitt Middle School Academy (operated 1980-2008) was named after the teacher, at top left.
1920 Norwalk Grammar School
The Norwalk Grammar School on Walnut Avenue in Norwalk, California in the 1920s.

The area known as "Norwalk" was first home to the Shoshonean Native American tribe. They survived primarily on honey, an array of berries, acorns, sage, squirrels, rabbits and birds. Their huts were part of the Sejat Indian village.

In the late 1760s, settlers and missions flourished under Spanish rule with the famous El Camino Real trail traversing the area. Manuel Nieto, a Spanish soldier, received a Spanish land grant (Rancho Los Nietos) in 1784 that included Norwalk.

After the Mexican-American War in 1848, the Rancho and mining days ended. Portions of the land were subdivided and made available for sale when California was admitted into the union of the United States. Word of this land development reached the Sproul Brothers in Oregon. They recalled the fertile land and huge sycamore trees they saw during an earlier visit to the Southern California area. In 1869, Atwood Sproul, on behalf of his brother, Gilbert, purchased 463 acres (1.87 km2) of land at $11 an acre ($2700/km²) in an area known as Corazon de los Valles, or "Heart of the Valleys".

By 1873, railroads were being built in the area and the Sprouls deeded 23 acres (93,000 m²) stipulating a "passenger stop" clause in the deed. Three days after the Anaheim Branch Railroad crossed the "North-walk" for the first time, Gilbert Sproul surveyed a town site. In 1874, the name was recorded officially as Norwalk. While a majority of the Norwalk countryside remained undeveloped during the 1880s, the Norwalk Station allowed potential residents the opportunity to visit the "country" from across the nation.

What are known as the "first families" to Norwalk (including the Sprouls, the Dewitts, the Settles, and the Orrs) settled in the area in the years before 1900. D.D. Johnston pioneered the first school system in Norwalk in 1880. Johnston was also responsible for the first real industry in town, a cheese factory, by furnishing Tom Lumbard with the money in 1882. Norwalk's prosperity was evident in the 1890s with the construction of a number of fine homes that were located in the middle of orchards, farms and dairies. Headstones for these families can be found at Little Lake Cemetery, which was founded in 1843 on the border between Norwalk and Santa Fe Springs at Lakeland Road.

At the turn of the 19th century, Norwalk had become established as a dairy center. Of the 50 local families reported in the 1900 census, most were associated with farming or with the dairy industry. Norwalk was also the home of some of the largest sugar beet farms in all of Southern California during this era. Many of the dairy farmers who settled in Norwalk during the early part of the 20th century were Dutch.

After the 1950s, the Hispanic population in Norwalk grew significantly as the area became increasingly residential.

Airplane disaster

In February 1958, two military aircraft, a Douglas C-118 A military transport and a U.S. Navy P2V-5F Neptune patrol bomber, collided over Norwalk at night. 47 servicemen were killed as well as a civilian 23-year-old woman on the ground who was hit by falling debris. A plaque commemorating the disaster erected by American Legion in 1961 marks the spot of the accident, today a mini-mall at the corner of Firestone Boulevard and Pioneer Boulevard.

The Hargitt House

Built in 1891 by the D.D. Johnston family, the Hargitt House was built in the architectural style of Victorian Eastlake. The Hargitt House Museum, located at 12426 Mapledale, was donated to the people of Norwalk by Charles ("Chun") and Ida Hargitt. The museum is open on the first and third Saturday of the month from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Geography

Norwalk is located at 33°54′25″N 118°5′0″W / 33.90694°N 118.08333°W / 33.90694; -118.08333 (33.906914, -118.083398).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.243 km2 (10 sq mi). 9.707 square miles (25.14 km2) of it is land and 0.039 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.40%) is water.

Norwalk is bordered by Downey on the northwest, Bellflower on the southwest, Cerritos and Artesia on the south, and Santa Fe Springs on the north and east.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1960 88,739
1970 90,164 1.6%
1980 84,901 −5.8%
1990 94,279 11.0%
2000 103,298 9.6%
2010 105,549 2.2%
2020 102,773 −2.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
CAMap-doton-Norwalk.PNG

67.7% of persons age 5 years+, 2014-2018 live in a home where another language than English is spoken.

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Norwalk had a population of 105,549. The population density was 10,829.6 people per square mile (4,181.3/km2). The racial makeup of Norwalk was 52,089 (49.4%) White (12.3% Non-Hispanic White), 4,593 (4.4%) African American, 1,213 (1.1%) Native American, 12,700 (12.0%) Asian (5.3% Filipino, 2.5% Korean, 0.9% Chinese, 0.8% Indian, 0.8% Vietnamese, 0.6% Cambodian, 0.3% Thai, 0.3% Japanese), 431 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 29,954 (28.4%) from other races, and 4,569 (4.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 74,041 persons (70.1%)

The Census reported that 103,934 people (98.5% of the population) lived in households, 315 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,300 (1.2%) were institutionalized.

There were 27,130 households, out of which 13,678 (50.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 15,190 (56.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 5,045 (18.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,348 (8.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,712 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 178 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,417 households (12.6%) were made up of individuals, and 1,631 (6.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.83. There were 22,583 families (83.2% of all households); the average family size was 4.10.

The population was spread out, with 29,164 people (27.6%) under the age of 18, 12,026 people (11.4%) aged 18 to 24, 30,138 people (28.6%) aged 25 to 44, 23,790 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 10,431 people (9.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males.

There were 28,083 housing units at an average density of 2,881.4 per square mile (1,112.5/km2), of which 17,671 (65.1%) were owner-occupied, and 9,459 (34.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.8%. 70,180 people (66.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 33,754 people (32.0%) lived in rental housing units.

During 2009–2013, Norwalk had a median household income of $60,770, with 12.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 103,298 people, 26,887 households, and 22,531 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,667.6 inhabitants per square mile (4,120.2/km2). There were 27,554 housing units at an average density of 2,845.5 per square mile (1,099.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 44.82% White, 4.62% African American, 1.16% Native American, 11.54% Asian, 0.39% Pacific Islander, 32.75% from other races, and 4.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 62.89% of the population.

There were 26,887 households, out of which 46.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.2% were non-families. 12.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.79 and the average family size was 4.08.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.1% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,047, and the median income for a family was $47,524. Males had a median income of $31,579 versus $26,047 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,022. About 9.5% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Freeways

Three freeways travel through the city. The Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) and San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) pass through and intersect just above its northern edge, while the Century Freeway (I-105) ends in Norwalk at Studebaker Road.

Norwalk Transit

Norwalk Transit serves Norwalk and its adjacent communities. Six bus lines operate in Norwalk and adjacent cities, including Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, La Mirada and Whittier. Norwalk Transit Buses make connections with Los Angeles Metrorail Green Line from Route 2 and Southern California Metrolink from Route 7

Long Beach Transit

Long Beach Transit provides service to the Metro Green Line Station via Studebaker Road from Long Beach.

Los Angeles Metro

The Los Angeles MTA ("Metro") provides both bus and rail service from Norwalk. The Metro C Line (formerly the Green Line) light rail provides service from the Norwalk C Line station to LAX (via shuttle from Aviation Station) and Redondo Beach. Metro bus routes provide service to the west on Florence Avenue, Firestone Boulevard, Imperial Highway, and Rosecrans Avenue from the Norwalk C Line Station. Express routes also connect to Disneyland, El Monte Bus Station, Long Beach and downtown Los Angeles.

Metrolink

The Metrolink Orange County Line and 91 Line (which operate on the same track in this area) trains connect Norwalk (the Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs station) with Orange County, Riverside County, and Downtown Los Angeles.

Neighborhoods

  • Carmenita (South Norwalk)
  • Civic Center (Central Norwalk)
  • Norwalk Hills (North Norwalk)
  • South Norwalk
  • Studebaker (North Norwalk)
  • Norwalk Manor (South East Norwalk)

Economy

Top employers

According to the City's 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District 2,057
2 Cerritos College 1,570
3 Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder 1,564
4 Metropolitan State Hospital 1,466
5 Target 442
6 City of Norwalk 409
7 Costco 317
8 Doty Brother's Construction 300
9 Coast Plaza Hospital 295
10 Los Angeles Community Hospital 250
11 Little Lake School District 242
12 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department 240
13 Walmart 238
14 Kerber Brothers Inc 200
15 Southland Care Center 180
16 Double Tree Hotel 169
17 McDonald's 168
18 Keystone Collision Center 150
19 Prudential California Realty 150
20 US Post Office 130

Sports

The Falcon Field is the largest venue by capacity (12,000) in Norwalk. It is the home of the public community college football team Cerritos Falcons and a major venue for track and field events.

Education

Norwalk is home to Cerritos College. Founded in 1955, Cerritos College is a public community college serving an area of 52 square miles (130 km2) of southeastern Los Angeles county. The college offers degrees and certificates in 87 areas of study in nine divisions. Over 1,200 students complete their course of studies each year.

Norwalk is served by the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District, headquartered at 12820 Pioneer Boulevard in Norwalk, as well as the Little Lake City School District, headquartered in Santa Fe Springs. Certain areas of Norwalk are served by the ABC Unified School District, based in Cerritos, and others by the Whittier Union High School District. Among the several parochial schools in Norwalk are Saint John of God School (Roman Catholic), Pioneer Baptist School (Baptist Christian), and Saint Linus School (Roman Catholic). It also contains The California distinguished school J.B. Morrison Elementary Magnet School.

Notable people

  • Ruth Asawa, sculptor
  • Shirley Babashoff, swimmer, winner of eight Olympic medals and 1975 world championship, Norwalk High School graduate, 1973
  • Dick Bass, born Richard Lee Bass, played professional football as running back for Los Angeles Rams from 1960 through 1969
  • William Conrad (1920–94), actor, director and producer in film and television; graduate of Excelsior High School
  • Tiffany Darwish, 1980s singer and actress
  • James Gattuso, analyst and pundit in Washington, D.C., who often appears on television and radio to give opinions on domestic policy; Excelsior High School Class of 1975
  • Keith Ginter, MLB player for Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, and Oakland Athletics
  • Bob Kevoian, radio host, The Bob & Tom Show, Norwalk High Class of 1969
  • Joseph Marquez, professional Super Smash Bros. player for Cloud9, graduate of John Glenn High School class of 2010
  • Ron McGovney, the first bass player of Metallica
  • Lindsay Mendez, Broadway actress
  • Alexandra Nechita, artist, considered youngest cubist ever discovered (at age 8) and nicknamed "petite Picasso"; attended Moffit Elementary School prior to her fame when she relocated outside of Norwalk
  • Pat Nixon (1912–93), First Lady of United States 1969–74, wife of President Richard Nixon; graduate of Excelsior High School Class of 1929 (family bought a truck farm in Dairy Valley, formerly in Artesia, now part of Cerritos)
  • Donald Novis, actor, died in Norwalk 1966
  • Rashaad Penny, running back, Seattle Seahawks
  • Ron Rinehart, lead singer, Dark Angel
  • Poncho Sanchez, Latin jazz artist
  • Cindy Sheehan, anti-Iraq War activist
  • Gene Taylor, blues-rock and boogie-woogie pianist, Norwalk High Class of 1970
  • Delta Work, drag queen and stylist

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Norwalk (California) para niños

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