Cudahy ( ) is a city located in southeastern

Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...

, United States. In area, Cudahy is the second smallest city in

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...

after Hawaiian Gardens but with one of the highest population densities of any incorporated city in the United States. It is part of the Gateway Cities regionCity of Cudahy (July 6, 2009). The City of Cudahy – About the City. Retrieved on 2009-07-06 from . and had a population of 23,805 as of the 2010 U.S. Census.

History

Cudahy is named for its founder,

meat-packing The meat-packing industry (also spelled meatpacking industry or meat packing industry) handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of meat from animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock. Poultry is generally ...

baron Michael Cudahy, who purchased the original of Rancho San Antonio in 1908 to resell as lots. These "Cudahy lots" were notable for their size—in most cases, in width and in depth, at least equivalent to a

city block A city block, residential block, urban block, or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest group of buildings that is surrounded by streets, not counting any type of thoroughfare within t ...

in most American towns. Such parcels, often referred to as "railroad lots", were intended to allow the new town's residents to keep a large vegetable garden, a grove of

fruit tree A fruit tree is a tree which bears fruit that is consumed or used by animals and humans — all trees that are flowering plants produce fruit, which are the ripened ovaries of flowers containing one or more seeds. In horticultural usage, t ...

s (usually citrus), and a

chicken coop Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to produce meat or eggs for food. Poultry – mostly chickens – are farmed in great numbers. More than 60 billion c ...

or horse stable. This arrangement, popular in the towns along the lower

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

and San Gabriel rivers, proved particularly attractive to the Southerners and Midwesterners who were leaving their struggling farms in droves in the 1910s and 1920s to start new lives in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...

. Sam Quinones of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'' said that the large, narrow parcels of land gave Cudahy Acres a "rural feel in an increasingly urban swath." As late as the 1950s, some Cudahy residents were still riding into the city's downtown areas on horseback. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

the city was a

White American White Americans are Americans who identify as and are perceived to be white people. This group constitutes the majority of the people in the United States. As of the 2020 Census, 61.6%, or 204,277,273 people, were white alone. This represented ...

blue collar town with steel and automobile plants in the area. By the late 1970s, the factories closed down and the

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

residents of Cudahy left for jobs and housing in the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys. Stucco apartment complexes were built on former tracts of land. The population density increased; in 2007 the city was the second-densest in California, after Maywood.Quinones, Sam. "Novices threaten Cudahy's status quo." ''

''. January 2, 2007
2
Retrieved on October 26, 2009. The city was subjected to a major political corruption incident when the former mayor and the one-time city manager were indicted on bribery and extortion charges for supporting the opening of a medical marijuana dispensary. As a result of these charges, on July 12, 2012, ex-mayor David Silva, councilman Osvaldo Conde, and former City Manager Angel Perales, 43, each pleaded guilty to one count of bribery and extortion; according to plea agreements they each face up to 30 years in prison. On January 14, 2020, Delta Air Lines Flight 89 dumped

jet fuel Jet fuel or aviation turbine fuel (ATF, also abbreviated avtur) is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is colorless to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial a ...

onto Cudahy, while making an emergency landing at

Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the ...

. Park Avenue Elementary School suffered the brunt of this dumping. This incident sparked outrage because of the city's previous history of environmental damage, including the construction of the same school on top of an old dump site that contained contaminated soil with toxic sludge, and pollution from the Exide battery plant. The mayor, Elizabeth Alcantar, pushed for better compensation from Delta for the impact on residents and the city.

Geography

Cudahy is located at . According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , over 95% of it land. Cudahy is bordered by

Bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...

on the north, Bell Gardens on the east, South Gate on the south and southwest, and Huntington Park on the west. In 2007, of the 5,800 housing units, 5,000 were rentals.

Demographics

2010

At the 2010 census Cudahy had a population of 23,805. The population density was . The racial makeup of Cudahy was 11,708 (49.2%) White (2.1% Non-Hispanic White), 333 (1.4%) African American, 246 (1.0%) Native American, 137 (0.6%) Asian, 24 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 10,339 (43.4%) from other races, and 1,018 (4.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22,850 persons (96.0%). The census reported that 23,797 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 8 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized. There were 5,607 households, 3,712 (66.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,941 (52.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,362 (24.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 686 (12.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 589 (10.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 42 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 399 households (7.1%) were one person and 176 (3.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 4.24. There were 4,989 families (89.0% of households); the average family size was 4.32. The age distribution was 8,325 people (35.0%) under the age of 18, 2,858 people (12.0%) aged 18 to 24, 7,279 people (30.6%) aged 25 to 44, 4,121 people (17.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,222 people (5.1%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 27.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males. There were 5,770 housing units at an average density of 4,706.5 per square mile, of the occupied units 1,011 (18.0%) were owner-occupied and 4,596 (82.0%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.3%. 4,355 people (18.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,442 people (81.7%) lived in rental housing units. According to the 2010 United States Census, Cudahy had a median household income of $38,267, with 31.8% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000

At the 2000 census there were 24,208 people in 5,419 households, including 4,806 families, in the city. The population density was 21,627.7 inhabitants per square mile (8,345.3/km). There were 5,542 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 43.14% White, 1.24% Black or African American, 1.28% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 48.06% from other races, and 5.37% from two or more races. 94.14% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. Of the 5,419 households 66.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 21.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.3% were non-families. 8.1% of households were one person and 3.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 4.47 and the average family size was 4.58. The age distribution was 39.9% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 11.7% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% 65 or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males. The

median income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways o ...

for a household in the city was $29,040, and the median family income was $28,833. Males had a median income of $19,149 versus $16,042 for females. The per capita income for the city was $8,688. About 26.4% of families and 28.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 34.1% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over. Latino communities

Government

In the

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (LACBOS) is the five-member governing body of Los Angeles County, California, United States. History On April 1, 1850 the citizens of Los Angeles elected a three-man Court of Sessions as their firs ...

, Cudahy is in the Fourth District, represented by Janice Hahn. In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legislatu ...

, Cudahy is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Cudahy is in . Cudahy's council is elected through at-large elections with four-year seats.

Elections

2015

In March 2015, Measure A, which proposed a

term limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...

of two four-year terms for City Council members, with partial terms of any length counting as a full term, was put to a vote. The measure was approved, with 672 "yes" votes to 133 "no" votes. In that same election, five people (Christian Hernandez, Cristian Markovich, Adam Ochoa, Diane Oliva, and Baru Sanchez) ran for three city council seats. Hernandez, Markovich, and Sanchez won the election.

Infrastructure

Police Services used to be contracted through the City of Maywood, but now contracts with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The

Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (abbreviated DHS and LADHS) operates the public hospitals and clinics in Los Angeles County, and is the United States' second largest municipal health system, after NYC Health + Hospitals. DHS ope ...

operates the Whittier Health Center in Whittier, serving Cudahy. The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

Cudahy Post Office is located at 4619 Elizabeth Street.

Economy

After World War II the population of Cudahy worked for plants operated by

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automotiv ...

, Firestone, and

Bethlehem Steel The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For most of the 20th century, it was one of the world's largest steel producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its succ ...

. In 2007 the largest employers in Cudahy were the Kmart/

Big Lots Big Lots Stores, Inc. (stylized as Big Lots!) is an American retail company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio with over 1,400 stores in 47 states. History The Big Lots chain traces its history back to 1967 when Consolidated Stores Corporation ...

Center and the Superior Super Warehouse.

Education

Cudahy is a part of the

Los Angeles Unified School District Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a public school district in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the 2nd largest public school district in ...

. Cudahy is served by several schools, including Teresa Hughes Elementary School, Park Avenue Elementary School, Elizabeth Learning Center (a neighborhood school for grades K-8 and a high school for grades 9 through 12), Ochoa Learning Center (K-8), and Bell High School in

. All residents are zoned to Bell High School.Proposed Changes to South East HS Area Schools
"

. Retrieved on June 24, 2010. Any student who lives in the Bell or Huntington Park High School zones may apply to Maywood Academy High School; Maywood Academy, which opened in 2005 and moved into its permanent campus in 2006, does not have its own attendance boundary because it lacks American football, track and field, and tennis facilities. Jaime Escalante Elementary School opened in Cudahy on August 16, 2010, named after

Jaime Escalante Jaime Alfonso Escalante Gutiérrez (December 31, 1930 – March 30, 2010) was a Bolivian-American educator known for teaching students calculus from 1974 to 1991 at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. Escalante was the subject of the 1 ...

, who was an East Los Angeles-high school educator. An analysis based on census data, classified Cudahy as the 4th least educated city in California with 37.9 of its population not having completed the ninth grade.

Public libraries

The County of Los Angeles Public Library operates the Cudahy Library at 5218 Santa Ana Street.Cudahy Library
" '' County of Los Angeles Public Library''. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in Los Angeles County, California Gateway Cities Cudahy family Incorporated cities and towns in California Populated places established in 1960 1960 establishments in California Chicano and Mexican neighborhoods in California