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Carson, California

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City of Carson
City
Official seal of City of Carson
Seal
Location of Carson in Los Angeles County, California
Location of Carson in Los Angeles County, California
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyLos Angeles
Incorporated (city)1968-02-20 [1]
Government
 • MayorJim Dear [2]
Area
 • Total18.97 sq mi (49.12 km2)
 • Land18.84 sq mi (48.80 km2)
 • Water0.12 sq mi (0.32 km2)  0.65%
Elevation
39 ft (12 m)
Population
 (2005)[3]
 • Total92,156
 • Density4,762.2/sq mi (1,838.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
90745, 90746, 90747, 90749, 90810, 90895 [4]
Area code310/424 [5]
FIPS code06-11530Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1660441Template:GR
Websitehttp://ci.carson.ca.us/

Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, Carson had a total population of 89,730. It is located 13 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, and is classified as a suburb of the city. Incorporated on April 4, 1968, Carson is the youngest municipality in the South Bay region of Greater Los Angeles.

Carson's economy is based primarily on manufacturing. About half of Carson's land area is occupied by factories, petroleum refineries, and other industrial buildings and structures. Carson also has a diverse ethnic composition consisting of Latinos, Filipinos, African Americans, caucasians, and Samoans.

Geography

Carson is located at 33°50′23″N 118°15′35″W / 33.83972°N 118.25972°W / 33.83972; -118.25972Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (33.839684, -118.259588)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 49.1 km² (19.0 mi²). 48.8 km² (18.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.63%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 89,730 people, 24,648 households, and 20,236 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,838.9/km² (4,762.2/mi²). There were 25,337 housing units at an average density of 519.2/km² (1,344.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 25.69% White, 25.41% Black or African American, 0.56% Native American, 22.27% Asian (mainly Filipino) , 2.99% Pacific Islander, 17.98% from other races, and 5.09% from two or more races. 34.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Non-Hispanic whites comprise 12.00% of the population.

There were 24,648 households out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.9% were non-families. 14.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.59 and the average family size was 3.92.[citation needed]

Age ranges of residents were 28.4% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.

According to a 2006 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $60,457, and the median income for a family was $66,468.[1] Males had a median income of $33,579 versus $31,110 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,107. About 7.2% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

Carson has the distinction of being the only incorporated city in the United States where the African American population has a higher median income than the white population.[6] The north side of Carson is home to many affluent, professional African American families. The neighborhoods on the north side of the city include middle-class, two-story homes as well as exclusive gated communities. The wealthier portion of the community largely resides in north Carson, north and south of California State University, Dominguez Hills, (also known as CSU Dominguez Hills). Prior to expansion in the mid 1960's, the university was located in nearby Palos Verdes. In 1965, Carson was chosen as the home for the relocating university over the communities of Friendship Park, Fort MacArthur and Torrance. [citation needed] Carson is also home to the Home Depot Center which is the home of the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team and hosts the yearly JP Morgan/Chase tennis tournament.

Politics

In the state legislature Carson is located in the 28th Senate District, represented by Democrat Jenny Oropeza, and in the 55th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Warren Furutani. Federally, Carson is located in California's 37th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +27[7] and is represented by Democrat Laura Richardson.

Emergency Services

Fire protection in Carson is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department which operates out of Fire Stations 10, 36, and 127 with emergency medical service transport by Gerber Ambulance Service. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department provides law enforcement, operating out of the Carson Station.

Sports

Club League Venue Established Championships
Los Angeles Galaxy MLS Soccer The Home Depot Center 1995 2
Chivas USA MLS Soccer The Home Depot Center 2004 0
Carson Buzz ABA Basketball Veterans Park Sports Complex 2004 0
Los Angeles Riptide MLL Lacrosse The Home Depot Center Track Field 2006 0

Attractions

Carson is the site of California State University, Dominguez Hills. CSUDH is a major commuter school, particularly for African-American students from the surrounding cities of Long Beach, Gardena, and Compton. It was established in the wake of the 1965 Watts riots, as a response to community outcry over the lack of higher education opportunities in the largely black south suburbs of Los Angeles. Today it is among the most racially diverse campuses in the United States.

Carson is also the location of the Home Depot Center, a sports complex including a soccer-specific stadium used by the Los Angeles Galaxy and, as of 2005, Chivas USA, a tennis stadium and a track and field facility. It is also used as a training ground by the U.S. national soccer team. It opened in 2003, adjacent to CSUDH. The ADT Event Center is the first and only permanent indoor velodrome in the U.S. In July 2007, the Galaxy signed international soccer superstar David Beckham to the team.

The Goodyear Blimp also has a landing pad in Carson, a fitting tribute to the 1st and 2nd U.S. and International Aviation Meets held at the Dominguez Hill Rancho in 1910 and 1911, which featured many blimps and zeppelins.

Oil History

1921 marked the first drilling for oil at Dominguez Hill, on the northwest side of the Dominguez Rancho, site of the famous battle during the Mexican-American War called the Battle of Dominguez Rancho in 1846. The mineral rights to this property was owned by Carson Estate Company, the Hellman Family, the Dominguez Estate Company, and the Burnham Exploration Company of Frederick Russell Burnham. It wasn't long before a number of refineries were up and running, with over 350 oil derricks, tank farms, and sprawling industrial complexes becoming a familiar part of the scenery. The principal leases were with Shell Oil Company and Union Oil of California and the first two wells were located west of Central Avenue and north of Victoria Street. Oil led to an increase in jobs in the community and a subsequent post-war population surge. An average of 300 barrels a day was produced from these wells through 1960.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

Most of Carson is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Carson High School serves that portion of Carson, along with Phineas Banning Senior High School in nearby Wilmington serving the southern portion of the city.

Some portions of Carson are in the Compton Unified School District.

Although the California Academy of Mathematics and Science is located in Carson, it is actually a part of the Long Beach Unified School District. The school accepts residents of LBUSD, Compton USD, portions of LAUSD (including sections serving Carson), and other districts.

Public libraries

County of Los Angeles Public Library operates the Carson Regional Library and the Victoria Park Library. Both libraries are in Carson.

Shopping

Carson is home to the Pavilion at South Bay shopping mall, located at the Avalon Boulevard exit off the San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405). Tenant stores include Sears, Ikea, Target, and 24 Hour Fitness.

An outdoor power center/entertainment complex called Carson Marketplace has been planned but is not yet built. It is on a site once proposed for a stadium that could have played host to a National Football League team (see History of National Football League in Los Angeles for details). Construction has been delayed by the need for an extensive environmental cleanup, as this was once a toxic waste dump.

See Also

Notable residents

Movies/TV shows filmed in Carson

References

  1. ^ "Incorporation Dates of California Cities". Retrieved 2007-01-18.
  2. ^ "Elected Officials - City of Carson". Retrieved 2007-01-18.
  3. ^ "Carson city, California - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder". Retrieved 2007-01-18.
  4. ^ "USPS - ZIP Code Lookup - Find a ZIP+ 4 Code By City Results". Retrieved 2007-01-18.
  5. ^ "Number Administration System - NPA and City/Town Search Results". Retrieved 2007-01-18.
  6. ^ "Carson - Income". Retrieved 2007-05-07.
  7. ^ "Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?". Campaign Legal Center Blog. Retrieved 2008-02-10.

See also

Template:Mapit-US-cityscale

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