West Covina, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
West Covina, California
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General law city
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| City of West Covina | ||
West Covina City Hall at the Civic Center
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| Motto(s):
"Live, Work, Play."
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Location of West Covina in Los Angeles County, California
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| Country |  United States of America |
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| State |  California |
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| County |  Los Angeles |
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| Incorporated | February 17, 1923 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 16.090 sq mi (41.671 km2) | |
| • Land | 16.041 sq mi (41.545 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.049 sq mi (0.126 km2) 0.30% | |
| Elevation | 384 ft (117 m) | |
| Population | ||
| • Total | 106,098 | |
| • Estimate
(2014)
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108,455 | |
| • Rank | 13th in Los Angeles County 62nd in California |
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| • Density | 6,594.03/sq mi (2,546.09/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) | |
| ZIP codes |
91790–91793
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| Area codes | 626, 909 | |
| FIPS code | 06-84200 | |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1652809, 2412219 | |
West Covina is a city in Los Angeles County, California, located 19 miles (31 km) east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley and is part of Greater Los Angeles. The population for the city was 106,098 at the 2010 census.
Contents
History
West Covina was incorporated as an independent city in 1923 to prevent the city of Covina from building a sewage farm in the area. Walnut groves and orange groves continued to flourish during the subsequent decades. The population in 1930 was 769 and blossomed to 1,549 in 1940. As a result of remarkable expansion during the post World War II building boom, West Covina became one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities between 1950 and 1960, with the population increasing 1,000 per cent from less than 5,000 to more than 50,000 citizens. The decades between 1960 and 2000 demonstrated steady growth, which slowed significantly by the time of the 2010 census.
The City of West Covina began the second half of the 20th century with new developments and projects, mostly brought on by big business. The City Hall and police facility were built in 1969 as the first phase of an example of a Joint Powers Authority in the County of Los Angeles. The Civic Center Joint Powers Authority, consisting of the County of Los Angeles and the City of West Covina, also completed a three-level parking structure in the Civic Center complex. The Civic Center complex includes the Los Angeles County Regional Library and the Citrus Municipal Court building and the city offices.
The first Redevelopment Agency project included a regional shopping center, the West Covina Fashion Plaza, with three major department stores and 150 shops in an air-conditioned, enclosed mall. It also included the revitalization of the older sections of the shopping center. The Fashion Plaza has provided the citizens of the San Gabriel Valley with convenient access to all shopping needs. In 1991 the mall was renovated adding a food court and additional shops, as well as the redecorating of the entire mall. The mall was renamed "The Plaza at West Covina". The Plaza opened a new 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2). wing in October 1993 featuring 50 new stores including a new Robinson's-May and interior renovation throughout The Plaza.
The Redevelopment Agency's efforts have also resulted in several major office buildings in the city, such as "The Lakes", in addition to two new community shopping centers, freestanding retail developments, restaurants, residential projects, and the Auto Plaza.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| 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% | |
| Est. 2015 | 108,484 | 2.2% | |
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The 2010 United States Census reported that West Covina had a population of 106,098. The population density was 6,594.3 people per square mile (2,546.1/km²). The racial makeup of West Covina was 42.8% White (15.3% Non-Hispanic White), 4.5% African American, 1.0% Native American, 25.8% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.3% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin were 53.2%.
The Census reported that 105,424 people (99.4% of the population) lived in households, 351 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 323 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 31,596 households, out of which 13,670 (43.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 17,650 (55.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 5,402 (17.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,308 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,664 (5.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 202 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,795 households (15.2%) were made up of individuals and 2,164 (6.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34. There were 25,360 families (80.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.68.
The population was spread out with 26,075 people (24.6%) under the age of 18, 11,326 people (10.7%) aged 18 to 24, 28,860 people (27.2%) aged 25 to 44, 26,974 people (25.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 12,863 people (12.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.0 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
There were 32,705 housing units at an average density of 2,032.7 per square mile (784.8/km²), of which 20,703 (65.5%) were owner-occupied, and 10,893 (34.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. 70,474 people (66.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 34,950 people (32.9%) lived in rental housing units.
During 2009–2013, West Covina had a median household income of $67,088, with 10% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
Climate
The San Gabriel Valley region has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, with summer temperatures averaging above 73 °F.
New and current projects
West Covina Sportsplex Project (Phase 2)
A project that is completed is the West Covina Sportsplex Project. It is made up of four components, which include the commercial development (completed), Big League Dreams Sports Park (completed), an 18-hole championship Public Golf Course (Phase 2), and a commercial office development (Phase 2). The 43-acre (170,000 m2) site commercial development has over 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) of new high quality commercial retail space. The commercial area includes a Target, Home Depot, Verizon Wireless, Fresh & Easy, Petsmart as well as various other specialty shops and restaurants. Big League Dreams Sports Park features batting cages, a multi-use pavilion that can be used as a soccer field, ice hockey rink, and can be rented out as a hall. It also has 6 high quality ball fields that replicate sporting landmarks like Yankee Stadium, Tiger Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The Big League Dreams Sports Park is a city park. It is owned by the city and maintained and operated under contract by Big League Dreams. Phase 2, the 18-hole championship golf course and Corporate office buildings are both currently in the entitlement stage of development.
Westfield West Covina expansion
The expansion to Plaza West Covina is completed. It includes both cosmetic and structural renovation and expansion to the inside and outside of the mall that will include a new 45,000-square-foot (4,200 m2) Best Buy (completed), 32,363 added square feet of restaurant and retail space (under construction), and a XXI Forever Luxury Store (completed). The renovation is expected to be completed in the spring of 2011 and will bring a new assortment of shops, restaurants, and high-end stores to Westfield West Covina.
Other projects
A new 2½ star hotel is under construction, The Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott is a five-story, 110 bedroom hotel covering 57,028 square feet (5,298.1 m2), located at 3211 E. Garvey Avenue. Completion of the hotel was anticipated for 2010, however the site remained incomplete until the grand opening on April 12, 2011. The McIntyre Square is an existing shopping center on Citrus Avenue that consists of 60,470 square feet (5,618 m2) of retail and restaurant space on 6.37 acres (25,800 m2). It has been undergoing a facelift with additional landscaping since 2008.
Business
Top employers
According to the city's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
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| 1 | Citrus Valley Medical Center – Queen of the Valley Campus | 1,393 |
| 2 | West Covina Unified School District | 1,331 |
| 3 | City of West Covina | 413 |
| 4 | Target | 374 |
| 5 | Walmart | 300 |
| 6 | Macy's | 289 |
| 7 | Concorde Battery | 245 |
| 8 | J. C. Penney | 220 |
| 9 | BJ's Restaurant & Brewery | 196 |
| 10 | San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group | 180 |
Transportation
Foothill Transit, based in West Covina, provides services across San Gabriel Valley with buses going to Downtown Los Angeles and Montclair. In addition to the bus services provided by Foothill Transit, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Agency, commonly known as Metro, provides services from El Monte Station to Cal Poly Pomona. The city operates the Go West shuttle bus system, with three routes that provide transportation to several West Covina destinations. The city also provides a free shuttle bus to the Baldwin Park Metrolink station.
In popular culture
West Covina and the San Gabriel Valley are the setting for and featured prominently in the US television series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Sister cities
West Covina has two sister cities:
