West Covina is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is about 19 miles (31 km) east of downtown Los Angeles. The city is located in the eastern San Gabriel Valley and is part of the larger Greater Los Angeles Area. In 2020, about 109,501 people lived in West Covina.

West Covina is surrounded by several other cities. These include Covina to the northeast and Baldwin Park to the northwest. Other nearby cities are La Puente to the southwest and Walnut to the southeast.

History of West Covina

The Tongva people were the first known inhabitants of the San Gabriel Valley area. Later, in 1845, Governor Pío Pico sold much of the land that is now West Covina. It was bought by John Rowland and William Workman.

The first permanent settlers arrived in West Covina in 1905. Some well-known early settlers were William Payne and Bob Dancer. They cleared the land and planted the first walnut trees.

West Covina became an independent city in 1923. This was done to stop the nearby city of Covina from building a sewage farm in the area. Benjamin Franklin Maxson Jr. helped start this process and became the first mayor. Walnut and orange farms continued to grow.

The city grew quickly after World War II. Between 1950 and 1960, West Covina was one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. Its population jumped from less than 5,000 to over 50,000 people. Growth continued steadily until around 2010.

West Covina is home to the world's largest collection of shoehorns. This collection is kept at the Shoehorn Museum.

Geography and Climate

West Covina's Climate

The San Gabriel Valley region, where West Covina is located, has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. This means summers are warm, with average temperatures usually above 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit).

People of West Covina (Demographics)

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1930	769	—
1940	1,072	39.4%
1950	4,499	319.7%
1960	50,645	1,025.7%
1970	68,034	34.3%
1980	80,292	18.0%
1990	96,086	19.7%
2000	105,080	9.4%
2010	106,098	1.0%
2020	109,501	3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population in 2020

In 2020, West Covina had a population of 109,501 people. The city is quite diverse. Many different groups of people live here.

**West Covina city, California – Racial and ethnic composition**
*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 may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	24,124	16,196	11,793	22.96%	15.27%	10.77%
Black or African American alone (NH)	6,314	4,260	3,713	6.01%	4.02%	3.39%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	304	232	217	0.29%	0.22%	0.20%
Asian alone (NH)	23,543	26,834	33,097	22.40%	25.29%	30.23%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	172	142	149	0.16%	0.13%	0.14%
Other Race alone (NH)	196	188	541	0.19%	0.18%	0.49%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	2,376	1,775	1,889	2.26%	1.67%	1.73%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	48,051	56,471	58,102	45.73%	53.23%	53.06%
Total	105,080	106,098	109,501	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

In 2010, the population density was about 6,594 people per square mile (2,546 per square kilometer). About 99.4% of the people lived in homes.

Many households (43.3%) had children under 18 living in them. The average household size was 3.34 people. The median age in the city was 36.0 years.

In 2017, over 10,000 Filipino Americans lived in West Covina. They make up the largest group in the south part of the city.

West Covina is divided into five districts. Many people living in West Covina were born in other countries. The most common birthplaces are Mexico, Philippines, and Mainland China.

The most common family backgrounds in West Covina are Irish, German, and English. The most common languages spoken, besides English, are Spanish and Chinese.

Homeless Population

In 2022, the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count found 112 people experiencing homelessness in West Covina.

Homeless population
Year	Pop.	±%
2016	47	—
2017	165	+251.1%
2018	264	+60.0%
2019	147	−44.3%
2020	124	−15.6%
2022	112	−9.7%
Source: Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority

Economy of West Covina

The 14-story Eastland Tower, the tallest building in West Covina.

West Covina has many businesses that provide jobs for its residents.

Top Employers in the City

Here are some of the biggest employers in West Covina, based on a 2022 report:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Citrus Valley Medical Center – Queen of the Valley Campus	1,464
2	West Covina Unified School District	1,398
3	Target	455
4	City of West Covina	372
5	Merakey Allos	335
6	Porto's Bakery	298
7	Walmart	249
8	Interspace/Concorde Battery Corporation	231
9	The Home Depot	198
10	JCPenney	165

Shopping Centers

West Covina has three main shopping centers: Plaza West Covina, Eastland Center, and The Heights at West Covina.

Plaza West Covina

Plaza West Covina is a large mall with 208 shops, stores, and restaurants. It has two levels and major stores like Macy's and JC Penney. There is also a food court and many fashion boutiques.

Eastland Center

The Eastland Center is a shopping area that has been updated many times since it opened in 1957. It has two levels and is anchored by Target.

The Heights at West Covina

The Heights at West Covina is a large retail shopping center. It is located just south of the Sportsplex. The main stores here are The Home Depot and Target. It also has many other stores and restaurants.

Jollibee Headquarters

Jollibee, a popular fast-food chain, opened its headquarters in West Covina in 2019.

Parks and Recreation

West Covina Sportsplex

The West Covina Sportsplex is a large area of 315 acres (127 hectares). It opened in 2007. This center includes a sports park, places for businesses, and a public golf course. It was built on what used to be a landfill.

Education in West Covina

Schools for Kids and Teens

West Covina has many public schools. They are managed by different school districts.

Public schools managed by the Covina-Valley Unified School District include:

Grovecenter Elementary School
Mesa Elementary School
Rowland Avenue Elementary School
Workman Avenue Elementary School
Traweek Middle School
South Hills High School

Public schools managed by the Rowland Unified School District include:

Hollingworth Elementary
Telesis Academy
Giano Intermediate

Public schools managed by the West Covina Unified School District include:

California Elementary
Cameron Elementary
Merced Elementary
Merlinda Elementary
Monte Vista Elementary
Orangewood Elementary
Vine Elementary
Wescove Elementary
Edgewood Middle School
Hollencrest Middle School
Walnut Grove Intermediate
Coronado High School
Edgewood High School
MT. SAC Early College Academy
West Covina High School

There is also a Charter School:

San Jose Charter Academy

City Services and Transportation

Getting Around West Covina

Foothill Transit, which is based in West Covina, offers bus services throughout the San Gabriel Valley. Buses also go to Downtown Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Agency, called Metro, also provides bus services.

The city runs its own shuttle bus system called Go West. It has three routes that help people get to different places in West Covina. There is also a free shuttle bus to the Baldwin Park Metrolink train station.

Healthcare Services

Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina provides many health services. These include an emergency room, surgery, maternity care, and care for children. They also offer neurology services and diagnostic imaging.

Famous People from West Covina

Many well-known people have lived in or are from West Covina:

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Dan Haren grew up here.
Baseball pitcher Rick Aguilera, a three-time All-Star, went to Edgewood High School.
NFL quarterback and broadcaster Troy Aikman was born in West Covina.
Actor Robert Buckley was born in West Covina.
Baseball player and coach Jeff Cox attended South Hills High School.
DJ Deorro currently lives in West Covina.
Baseball pitcher Joey Eischen was born here and graduated from West Covina High School.
Baseball pitcher Carlos Fisher was born in West Covina.
Baseball players Jeremy Giambi and Jason Giambi both attended South Hills High School. Jason was also born here.
Basketball player Jonathan Gibson (basketball) was born in West Covina.
Rock star Joan Jett moved to West Covina when she was 15.
Mystery novelist Lee Charles Kelley lived here for many years as a child.
Baseball infielder Mike Lamb was born in West Covina.
Baseball pitcher Cory Lidle attended South Hills High School.
Baseball pitcher Jim Merritt attended Edgewood High School.
Actress Nia Peeples grew up in West Covina and was Homecoming Queen at West Covina High School.
World record-breaking long jumper Mike Powell attended Edgewood High School.
Baseball pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes was born in West Covina.
Actor and director Tim Robbins was born in West Covina. He is known for movies like The Shawshank Redemption.
Baseball players Gary Roenicke and Ron Roenicke both attended Edgewood High School.
Baseball pitcher Aaron Small attended South Hills High School.
Baseball pitcher and executive Bill Stoneman attended West Covina High School.
Rapper Mr. Capone-E moved to West Covina at a young age.
Singer Larry Hernández lives in West Covina.
Basketball player Gabe York lives in West Covina.
Professional tennis player Ernesto Escobedo lives in West Covina.
Television personality Scheana Shay was born in West Covina.
Songwriter Greg Camp was born in West Covina.
Artist Keith Parkinson was born in West Covina.
Musician Nad Sylvan was born in West Covina.
Basketball player Dwight Ramos was born in West Covina.

Sister Cities

West Covina has two sister cities, which are cities it shares a special bond with:

Fengtai (Beijing), China
Ōtawara, Japan

Images for kids

West Covina City Hall at the Civic Center
Flag of West Covina
Seal of West Covina
Location in Los Angeles County, California
The 14-story Eastland Tower, the tallest building in the city and in the San Gabriel Valley.