Monrovia, California
Monrovia, California | ||
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I-210 in Monrovia with San Gabriel Mountains in the background | ||
City Council
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• FIPS code | 06-48648 | |
GNIS feature ID | 1661049 | |
Website | www |
Monrovia is a city in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 37,931 at the 2020 census.[5] Monrovia has been used for filming TV shows, movies and commercials.
History
Monrovia is the fourth-oldest general-law city in Los Angeles County and the L.A. Basin (after Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Pasadena, all now charter cities[6]). Incorporated in 1887, it has grown from a sparse community of orange ranches to a residential community of over 37,000.
In 1769, the
In 1771, Franciscans established the
In 1841,
In the mid-19th century, most of Rancho Azusa de Duarte was subdivided and sold by Duarte to settle his debts. Some of those parcels became part of the ranch of
Rancho Santa Anita changed hands several times before the multimillionaire, silver baron and rancher
The completion of the
The town was incorporated in 1887 under the leadership of prohibitionists who wished to control the arrival of an unwelcome saloon. The newly formed government's first order of business was to pass a tippler's law, prohibiting the sale of alcohol.
In 1903, the Monrovia News was established. The same year, the Pacific Electric was opened, providing transportation to and from Los Angeles, making it possible for Monrovia homeowners to work in Los Angeles.
In 1905,
A city council–manager type government was instituted in 1923.
In 1930, the Monrovia Airport, also known as the Foothill Flying Club, was commercially established. The small airstrip claimed to have had 12,000 paying customers use the airfield in 1932 and on May 19, 1938, the first airmail flight took off from Monrovia Airport. Ownership of the airport changed hands several times while it was in operation; pilots remembered it as "the friendliest little airport in the country." Apart from usage by Riley Brothers, TWA Captain and former airshow pilot Kalman Irwin, and Pancho Barnes, the airfield is well known for its use as a movie-filming location. The first movie filmed at the Monrovia Airport was The Fighting Pilot. Other films shot at the airfield include 20,000 Men a Year, The Great Plane Robbery, and most notably, The Big Noise, featuring Laurel and Hardy. The 35-acre airfield, used as a runway as well as an airplane repair and storage service, was forced to close in 1953 after being sold to Consolidated Engineering Corporation for redevelopment as a result of increased land values.[9]
Monrovia was the home to the precursor to McDonald's. In 1937, Patrick McDonald opened a food stand on Huntington Drive (Route 66) near the old Monrovia Airport called "The Airdrome" (hamburgers were ten cents, and all-you-can-drink orange juice was five cents); it remained there until 1940, when he and his two sons, Maurice and Richard, moved the building 40 miles (64 km) east to San Bernardino to the corner of West 14th Street and 1398 North E Street, renaming it "McDonald's".
In 1995, Monrovia received the
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 35.5 square kilometers (13.7 sq mi). 13.6 square miles (35 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.79%) is water.[10] Wildlife from the San Gabriel Mountains, including bears, bobcats, foxes, and mountain lions, roams some neighborhoods.[11]
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1890 | 907 | — | |
1900 | 1,205 | 32.9% | |
1910 | 3,576 | 196.8% | |
1920 | 5,480 | 53.2% | |
1930 | 10,890 | 98.7% | |
1940 | 12,807 | 17.6% | |
1950 | 20,186 | 57.6% | |
1960 | 27,079 | 34.1% | |
1970 | 30,562 | 12.9% | |
1980 | 30,531 | −0.1% | |
1990 | 35,761 | 17.1% | |
2000 | 36,929 | 3.3% | |
2010 | 36,590 | −0.9% | |
2020 | 37,931 | 3.7% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[12] |
2010
The
The census reported that 36,434 people (99.6% of the population) lived in households, 61 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 95 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 13,762 households, out of which 4,725 (34.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6,295 (45.7%) were
The population was spread out, with 8,514 people (23.3%) under the age of 18, 3,084 people (8.4%) aged 18 to 24, 10,733 people (29.3%) aged 25 to 44, 10,018 people (27.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,241 people (11.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
There were 14,473 housing units at an average density of 1,055.4 per square mile (407.5/km2), of which 6,809 (49.5%) were owner-occupied, and 6,953 (50.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.9%. 18,478 people (50.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 17,956 people (49.1%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Monrovia had a median household income of $71,768, with 9.8% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[14]
2000
As of the census
There were 13,502 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 27.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,375, and the median income for a family was $49,703. Males had a median income of $41,039 versus $32,259 for females. The
Economy
Original Tommy's, Trader Joe's, Green Dot and Naked Juice are based in Monrovia. Monrovia has a "Technology Corridor,"[16][17] which includes AeroVironment, Tanner Research, Parasoft, Xencor, and ITT Deep Space Division.[citation needed]
Top employers
According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,[18] the top employers in the city are:
# | Employer | # of employees |
---|---|---|
1 | Monrovia Unified School District | 724 |
2 | Trader Joe's | 341 |
3 | STAAR Surgical | 254 |
4 | Sierra Autocars | 244 |
5 | City of Monrovia | 238 |
6 | WorleyParsons | 218 |
7 | Home Depot
|
209 |
8 | Ducommun | 182 |
9 | Vinyl Technology | 179 |
10 | Amada Myachi America | 164 |
Arts and culture
Upton Sinclair House, home to author Upton Sinclair, is in Monrovia and is a National Historic Landmark.
Government
In the
In the United States House of Representatives, Monrovia is mostly within California's 31st congressional district, represented by Democrat Grace Napolitano with a small portion of the city in California's 28th congressional district, represented by Democrat Judy Chu.[20]
Education
Public schools
Monrovia Unified School District operates public schools. Monrovia High School is the high school.
Colleges and universities
The city is a part of the
Media
Newspapers with offices in Monrovia include the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, which publishes community news, and Monrovia Weekly, a community newspaper. Public access television is provided by KGEM-TV, which is available primarily to cable viewers, with some content online.[21]
Infrastructure
Transportation
Monrovia's main roads include
In 2016, Metro opened a new at-grade light rail station in Monrovia, Monrovia station, at the intersection of Myrtle Avenue and Duarte Road. It is served by the Metro A Line.[22] It is at the location of the former Santa Fe Depot, which still stands.[23]
Health care
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Monrovia Health Center in Monrovia.[24]
Notable people
- Kenny Baker, singer and actor
- Corie Blount, basketball player, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls
- Cisco Carlos, Major League Baseball pitcher
- Jason Earles, actor
- Mary Ford, vocalist and guitarist
- Jim Fuller, guitarist for The Surfaris (of "Wipeout" fame)
- Prince Gomolvilas, playwright
- Dean R. Hirsch, president of World Vision International
- Ernie Johnson, former baseball player and member of the New York Yankees first World Series championship team 1923
- Ian Johnson, American football player
- NWSL
- Steven Kiyoshi Kuromiya, gay rights activist
- Ellis McCarthy, defensive tackle for Miami Dolphins
- Corky King, founder of Summum
- Scott Land, puppeteer/actor
- Don Mankiewicz, screenwriter and novelist
- Francis M. Pottenger, Jr., nutrition researcher
- Kim Rhode, three-time Olympic gold medalist (six medals total) in trap and skeet shooting
- Thomas J. Sargent, 2011 Nobel Prize in Economics, graduated from Monrovia High School in 1961
- Upton Sinclair and Mary Craig Sinclair, authors and producers
- Jacob Smith, actor
- ); also maintained home and farm in nearby Duarte
- Leslie Van Houten, Monrovia High School graduate, Charles Manson follower
- Henry B. Walthall (1878-1936), actor
- The Fabulous Wonder Twins, entertainers
- USWNT
In popular culture
- The house seen in the 1986 horror-comedy cult film House is at 329 Melrose Avenue in Monrovia.[25]
- The exterior house seen in the 2018 post-apocalyptic horror thriller film Bird Box, which was streamed worldwide on Netflix, is at 304 North Canyon Boulevard and the corner of East Greystone Avenue in Monrovia.[26]
See also
References
- ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- ^ California League of Cities, Elected City Treasurers Archived February 12, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ "Monrovia (city) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Monrovia city, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ "Charter_Cities List". League of California Cities. League of California Cities. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Monrovia Public Library — Monrovia Patch — Patch.com". Monrovia.patch.com. January 27, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- ^ "Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: California, East Los Angeles area".
- ^ Money, Luke (February 21, 2020). "'Old lady' bear tranquilized after walkabout in Monrovia neighborhood". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ Rand, Jory (December 27, 2022). "Mountain lion sighting in Monrovia sparks excitement as SoCal mourns loss of P-22 | abc7.com". ABC 7. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Monrovia city". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
- ^ a b "US Census Quick Facts". Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Technology Corridor". Cityofmonrovia.ws. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- ^ "City of Monrovia General Plan Amendment Land Use Element". April 1, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
- ^ "City of Monrovia Annual Comprehensive Financial Report". City of Monrovia. June 30, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ "Statewide Database". Regents of the University of California. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
- ^ "Communities of Interest - City". California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Archived from the original on September 30, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
- ^ "About KGEM-TV". Archived from the original on January 1, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
- ^ "Foothill Gold Line Pasadena to Azusa". Retrieved February 8, 2018.
- ^ "Here's what developers are planning for Monrovia's restored 1926 Santa Fe train depot". December 6, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
- ^ "Monrovia Health Center." Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Retrieved on March 27, 2010.
- ^ "Film locations for House (1986)". Movie-locations.com. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- ^ "Bird Box (2018) Film Locations". globalfilmlocations.net. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
External links
- Official website City of Monrovia website
- Encyclopedia Americana. 1920. .