Lawndale is a city in
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The population was 32,769 at the 2010 census, up from 31,712 according to the 2000 census.
[United States Census Bureau. â]
â The city is in the
South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay region of the
Greater Los Angeles Area
Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino Coun ...
.
History
![Antonio Ygnacio Ăvila (Rancho Sausal Redondo) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Antonio_Ygnacio_%C3%81vila_%28Rancho_Sausal_Redondo%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
From the 1780s onward, the area that is now Lawndale was part of the ''
Rancho Sausal Redondo
Rancho Sausal Redondo (Round Willow-grove Ranch) was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1837 to Antonio Ygnacio Ăvila by Juan Alvarado Governor of Alta California. ''Rancho Sausal Redondo'' covered ...
'', a
land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estateâland or its use privilegesâmade by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...
given by the Spanish colonial government that includes much of what is now the
South Bayshore region.
[Lawndale Official Website. â]
â In 1905,
Charles B. Hopper first subdivided the area and named it after the
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
neighborhood of the same name. Lots sold slowly and different promotions were tried, such as promoting Lawndale as a chicken raising area. The first railway to run through Lawndale was the Inglewood Division of the Redondo Railway which would later become part of the
Pacific Electric
The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban cars, and buses and was the largest electric railway system ...
"Red Car" system. It ran down the middle of Railway Avenue (now Hawthorne Boulevard) until 1933. In 1927, the
Santa Fe railroad arrived. 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 vast majority of the world's countriesâincluding all of the great powersâforming two opposin ...
, the immense demand for housing from returning veterans and California newcomers resulted in Lawndale's formation as a
bedroom community
A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
. On December 28, 1959, it was incorporated as a city.
Starting in the 1970s, Lawndale's relatively low housing prices but more desirable location relative to its neighboring cities attracted
absentee landlord
In economics, an absentee landlord is a person who owns and rents out a profit-earning property, but does not live within the property's local economic region. The term "absentee ownership" was popularised by economist Thorstein Veblen's 1923 book ...
s and a substantial portion of its residents increasingly became renters.
For a time in the 1980s, with new cycle of expansion of
defense industry
The arms industry, also known as the arms trade, is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology. It consists of a commercial industry involved in the research and development, engineering, production, and servi ...
nearby, many young people who wished to live in the Beach Cities found that they simply could not afford to do so, and settled in less glamorous inland cities such as Lawndale. But with the contraction of this industry after the
cold war
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, Lawndale reverted to its previous pattern. Lawndale has attempted to attract more ownerâresidents, as well as tourists, with the 2003 completion of the "Beautify Lawndale"
urban renewal
Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...
project along the city's stretch of Hawthorne Boulevard (
State Route 107), a major
South Bay thoroughfare.
A large electronic billboard was installed and began running advertising in 2004 until it was realized that the sign violated a city ordinance prohibiting advertising of out-of-town businesses on signs of that nature. For its first 18 months, the sign was sponsored by Fox and promoted upcoming television shows and movies under the Fox label. It later gained and lost a sponsorship with Acura before its current sponsorship for Los Angeles radio station 100.3 â The Sound. The billboard is said to generate Lawndale $200,000 annually. In 2012, the Lawndale community center opened its doors.
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 â July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...
lived there for a time and
Fred Dryer
John Frederick Dryer (born July 6, 1946) is an American actor, radio host, screenwriter and former professional football player.
He was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL)
for 13 years, participating in 176 games starting in ...
was raised there.
Traci Lords
Traci Lords (born Nora Louise Kuzma; May 7, 1968) is an American actress and singer. She entered the adult film industry using a fake birth certificate to conceal that she was two years under the legal age of eighteen. Lords starred in adult fi ...
lived in Lawndale near the beginning of her adult film career.
Economy
Top employers
According to the city's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,
the top employers in the city are:
Media
Lawndale Community Cable Television on Channel 22 is a
Public-access television
Public-access television is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable television specialty channels. Public-access television was creat ...
cable TV
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broadc ...
station. The City of Lawndale's Cable Television Department is funded by the Lawndale Cable Usage Corporation and the City of Lawndale through Local Access Fees and
Cable television franchise fee
In the United States cable television industry, a cable television franchise fee is an annual fee charged by a local government to a private cable television company as compensation for using public property it owns as right-of-way for its cable ...
provided by the local cable company,
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable, Inc. (TWC) was an American cable television company. Before it was acquired by Charter Communications on May 18, 2016, it was ranked the second largest cable company in the United States by revenue behind only Comcast, operat ...
. The Lawndale Cable Usage Corporation is the non-profit, California corporation that receives these fees, and provides for the development of Lawndale Community Cable Television.
The Lawndalian a citywide newsletter that informs the residents about programs and events happening in the City of Lawndale. The Lawndalian is now available Online at the city's website.
The Lawndale Tribune is the
community paper
Community paper is a term used by publishers, advertisers and readers to describe a range of publications that share a common service to their local community and commerce. Their predominant medium being newsprint, often free and published at regul ...
for the City of Lawndale.
Government
Municipal government
Harold Hofmann served as mayor for 23 years, due to there not being city
term limits
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 ...
and running unopposed in most elections.
State and federal representation
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 Legisla ...
, Lawndale 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
, Lawndale is in
California's 43rd congressional district
California's 43rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that is currently represented by . The district is centered in the southern part of Los Angeles County, and includes portions of the cities o ...
, which has a
Cook PVI of D +26 and is represented by .
Infrastructure
The
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), officially the County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, is a law enforcement agency serving Los Angeles County, California. LASD is the largest sheriff's department in the United States a ...
(LASD) operates the Lennox Station in
Lennox, serving Lawndale. In addition the agency operates the City of Lawndale
Sheriff's Department Service Center.
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 U ...
Lawndale Post Office is located at 4320 Marine Avenue.
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 op ...
operates the Curtis Tucker Health Center in
Inglewood, serving Lawndale.
The
County of Los Angeles Public Library
LA County Library is one of the largest public library systems in the United States which serves residents living in 49 of the 88 incorporated cities of Los Angeles County, California. United States, and those living in unincorporated areas r ...
Lawndale Library is located 14615 Burin Ave.
Education
Lawndale Elementary School District
Lawndale Elementary School District (LESD) is a school district headquartered in Lawndale, California, United States.
The district educates residents in: Lawndale, and portions of Hawthorne, as well as unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County ...
*
Will Rogers Middle School serving 6th, 7th and 8th grades
*Jane Addams Middle School serving 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.
*F.D.R Elementary School
*William Anderson Elementary School
*William Green Elementary School
*Mark Twain Elementary School
*Billy Mitchell Elementary School
*Lucille J. Smith Elementary School
Centinela Valley Union High School District
Centinela Valley Union High School District, (CVUHSD) is a public union high school district located in southern California that serves about 6,800 students in grades 9â12 from Lawndale, Hawthorne, Lennox, Del Aire, and El Camino Village. ...
*
Lawndale High School
Lawndale High School is one of three high schools in Lawndale, California, United States. The school was closed in 1981, and reopened in 1998. It is one of three schools in the Centinela Valley Union High School District.
In 2009, Lawndale High ...
*
Leuzinger High School
Leuzinger High School is a public high school (9th through 12th grades) in Lawndale, California, United States. It opened on January 27, 1931, with an enrollment of 268. It was named after Adolph Leuzinger in recognition of his 25 years of servic ...
*
Hawthorne High School
*
Lloyde High School
Environmental Charter High School
Environmental Charter High School, abbreviated to ECHS, is a 9th through 12th grade public charter school, charter high school in Lawndale, California. It was founded in 2002.
Prior to its founding, there was another high school at the same loca ...
is a
charter school
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of auto ...
in Lawndale serving grades 9 through 12.
In 2009, the renovated Lawndale Public Library of the
County of Los Angeles Public Library
LA County Library is one of the largest public library systems in the United States which serves residents living in 49 of the 88 incorporated cities of Los Angeles County, California. United States, and those living in unincorporated areas r ...
, which is located adjacent to the Lawndale City Hall, re-opened.
Geography
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 the ...
, the city has a total area of , all land.
Lawndale is bordered by
Redondo Beach on the west and southwest,
Hawthorne
Hawthorne often refers to the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Hawthorne may also refer to:
Places
Australia
*Hawthorne, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane
Canada
* Hawthorne Village, Ontario, a suburb of Milton, Ontario
United States
* Hawt ...
on the north,
Torrance on the southeast, and the
unincorporated area
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
of
El Camino Village (also known as Alondra Park) on the east.
Lawndale is serviced by
Interstate 405, Hawthorne Boulevard (State Route 107), and by Artesia Boulevard (
State Route 91), which becomes a freeway farther east. Lawndale is 5.7 miles southeast of
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 W ...
.
Lawndale is serviced by following public transit: the Lawndale Beat, the Gardena Bus 1,
Metro Green Line
The Metro Green Line (formerly called the Central Corridor) is an light rail line that connects the central business districts of Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota as well as the University of Minnesota. An extension is under construct ...
and by
Metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
buses 211, 40 and 740, the latter two of which are operated by the
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), commonly branded as Metro, LA Metro, and L.A. Metro, is the state agency that plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the transportation system in Los Angele ...
. The Lawndale Beat bus has been suspended until further notice.
The weather is warm all year long. In the winter, there are moderate rains. Because of the formation of the
Palos Verdes Peninsula
The Palos Verdes Peninsula (''Palos Verdes'', Spanish for "Green Sticks") is a landform and a geographic sub-region of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, within southwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. Located in the Sou ...
and its proximity to the beach, the city gets effects of the marine layer on almost identical, if not slightly lower, levels of nearby beach cities such as
Manhattan Beach and
El Segundo.
Demographics
2010
At the
2010 census Lawndale had a population of 32,769. The population density was . The racial makeup of Lawndale was 14,274 (43.6%) White (16.2% Non-Hispanic White),
3,320 (10.1%) African American, 301 (0.9%) Native American, 3,269 (10.0%) Asian, 367 (1.1%) Pacific Islander, 9,374 (28.6%) from other races, and 1,864 (5.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20,002 persons (61.0%).
The census reported that 32,594 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 158 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 17 (0.1%) were institutionalized.
There were 9,681 households, 4,516 (46.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 4,467 (46.1%) were
opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,813 (18.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 881 (9.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 722 (7.5%)
unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 64 (0.7%)
same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,758 households (18.2%) were one person and 442 (4.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.37. There were 7,161 families (74.0% of households); the average family size was 3.84.
The age distribution was 8,927 people (27.2%) under the age of 18, 3,744 people (11.4%) aged 18 to 24, 10,541 people (32.2%) aged 25 to 44, 7,301 people (22.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,256 people (6.9%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 31.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.6 males.
There were 10,151 housing units at an average density of 5,141.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 3,326 (34.4%) were owner-occupied and 6,355 (65.6%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.8%. 11,606 people (35.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 20,988 people (64.0%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Lawndale had a median household income of $47,769, with 16.7% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
2000
At the
2000 census there were 31,711 people in 9,555 households, including 7,022 families, in the city. The population density was 16,036.7 inhabitants per square mile (6,183.7/km). There were 9,869 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 42.24% White, 12.61% African American, 0.99% Native American, 9.63% Asian, 0.91% Pacific Islander, 27.07% from other races, and 6.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52.08%.
Of the 9,555 households 45.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, and 26.5% were non-families. 18.8% of households were one person and 4.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.31 and the average family size was 3.80.
The age distribution was 31.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.6% 65 or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.
The median household income was $39,012 and the median family income was $37,909. Males had a median income of $29,033 versus $29,025.00 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,702. About 14.3% of families and 17.3% 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 t ...
, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
Since Lawndale has a large amount of elderly residents, the city provides free trips for seniors on its city bus: The Lawndale Beat. The city also provides a meals on wheels program as well as a seniors travel club.
Notable people
*
Fred Dryer
John Frederick Dryer (born July 6, 1946) is an American actor, radio host, screenwriter and former professional football player.
He was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL)
for 13 years, participating in 176 games starting in ...
,
NFL player and actor, raised in Lawndale in the 1950s, Lawndale High School alumnus.
*
Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and ...
,
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
player, attended high school in Lawndale
Leuzinger High School
Leuzinger High School is a public high school (9th through 12th grades) in Lawndale, California, United States. It opened on January 27, 1931, with an enrollment of 268. It was named after Adolph Leuzinger in recognition of his 25 years of servic ...
.
*
Traci Lords
Traci Lords (born Nora Louise Kuzma; May 7, 1968) is an American actress and singer. She entered the adult film industry using a fake birth certificate to conceal that she was two years under the legal age of eighteen. Lords starred in adult fi ...
, actress.
*
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 â July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...
, famed actor and singer in Western-themed movies, radio programs and television shows.
*
Tiran Porter
Tiran Calvin Porter (born September 26, 1948) is an American bass and guitar player, vocalist and composer, best known as a member of The Doobie Brothers from 1972 to 1980 and 1987 to 1992.
Biography
Porter graduated from Leuzinger High School in ...
, bass player for the
Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success in the 1970s, ...
and
Moby Grape
Moby Grape is an American rock band founded in 1966, known for having all five members contribute to singing and songwriting, and who collectively merged elements of folk music, blues, country, and jazz with rock and psychedelic music. They were ...
was raised in Lawndale and attended
Leuzinger High School
Leuzinger High School is a public high school (9th through 12th grades) in Lawndale, California, United States. It opened on January 27, 1931, with an enrollment of 268. It was named after Adolph Leuzinger in recognition of his 25 years of servic ...
.
International relations
Sister cities
Cagayan de Oro City
Cagayan ( ), officially the Province of Cagayan ( ilo, Probinsia ti Cagayan; ibg, Provinsiya na Cagayan; itv, Provinsiya ya Cagayan; fil, Lalawigan ng Cagayan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region, covering ...
, Philippines (1986)
References
External links
Lawndale official website
{{authority control
Cities in Los Angeles County, California
Incorporated cities and towns in California
South Bay, Los Angeles
1959 establishments in California
Populated places established in 1959