West Covina is a suburban city in

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, ...

, located east of

Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is ...

in the eastern

San Gabriel Valley The San Gabriel Valley ( es, Valle de San Gabriel) is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, lying immediately to the east of the eastern city limits of the city of Los Angeles, and occupying the vast majority of the eastern part ...

and is part of

Greater Los Angeles 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 ...

. The population for the city was 106,098 at the 2010 census. West Covina is bordered by

Covina Covina is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley. The population was 51,268 according to the 2020 census, up from 47,796 at the 2010 census. The city's slogan, "On ...

to the northeast,

Baldwin Park Baldwin Park may refer to: * Baldwin Park, California ** Baldwin Park (Metrolink station) in Baldwin Park, California * Baldwin Park, Florida, a neighborhood in Orlando, Florida * Baldwin Park, Missouri * A public park in Baldwin, Nassau County, ...

and

Irwindale Irwindale is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 1,422 at the 2010 census, down from 1,446 at the 2000 census. The ZIP Codes serving the area are 91010, which is shared with Duarte, 91702 ...

to the northwest,

La Puente La Puente (Spanish for "The Bridge") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city had a population of 39,816 at the 2010 census and is approximately east of downtown Los Angeles. History The original inhabitants of the ...

and Valinda to the southwest,

Industry Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...

to the south,

Ramona ''Ramona'' is a 1884 American novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. Set in Southern California after the Mexican–American War, it portrays the life of a mixed-race Scottish– Native American orphan girl, who suffers racial discrimination and ...

to the east, and

Walnut A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...

to the southeast.

History

West Covina was incorporated as an independent city in 1923 to prevent the city of

from building a sewage farm in the area. Benjamin Franklin Maxson, Jr., (1897-1928) initiated the incorporation process and was the first mayor. Walnut groves and orange groves continued to flourish. 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, experiencing a growth in population of 1025.69% from less than 5,000 to more than 50,000 citizens. the decades 1960 and 2000 demonstrated steady growth for the West Covina, which had 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 . 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. West Covina was the shooting for scenes of Mondo Burger and the title role of the restaurant in the 1997 family comedy film, ''

Good Burger ''Good Burger'' is a 1997 American comedy film directed by Brian Robbins and written by Dan Schneider with Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert. Starring Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, it is based on the comedy sketch of the same name on the Nicke ...

'', directed by

Brian Robbins Brian Levine (born November 22, 1963), known professionally as Brian Robbins, is an American film executive, actor, and filmmaker who is the current President and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon. He also serves as C ...

. A 2020 ranking of the fiscal health of California cities issued by State Auditor Elaine Howle's office placed West Covina as the ninth-worst in the state The city was also audited by the state the same year, as the state auditor had determined that the city's poor finances put it at high risk for default. West Covina was incorporated in 1923 to prevent

from establishing a sewage farm within the current city boundaries. Walnut groves and orange groves continued to flourish decades later.

Geography

Climate

The San Gabriel Valley region has a

hot-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

, with summer temperatures averaging above .

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census reported that West Covina had a population of 106,098. The population density was . The racial makeup of West Covina was 42.8%

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 on ...

(15.3% Non-Hispanic White), 4.5% Black, 1.0% Native American, 25.8%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.2%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 21.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 4.4% from two or more races. Persons of

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

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 Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

(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 , 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 20092013, West Covina had a median household income of $67,088, with 10% of the population living below the federal poverty line. In 2017, there were more than 10,000

Filipino Americans Filipino Americans ( fil, Mga Pilipinong Amerikano) are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipinos and other Asian ethnicities in North America were first documented in the 16th century as slaves and prisoners on ships sailing to and from New ...

living in West Covina; they make up the majority population in the south side of the city. West Covina is broken up into five districts. Most of the foreign-born population in West Covina were born in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

27.3%,

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

18.9%, Mainland

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

13.7%,

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

9.6%

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

5.5%,

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

3.1%,

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

2.7%,

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

1.5%,

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

1.3% and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

1.2%. Mexican and Filipino are the most common ancestries in West Covina.

Economy

Top employers

According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Shopping

There are three major shopping centers in West Covina: Plaza West Covina, Eastland Center, and The Heights at West Covina.

Plaza West Covina

Plaza West Covina is a regional mall that has 208 shops, stores, and restaurants. The mall is two levels and is anchored by

Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...

(180,000 sq ft.) to the east,

JC Penney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...

(193,963 sq ft.) to the south,

Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...

(137,820 sq ft.) to the west,

Best Buy Best Buy Co. Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebra ...

(45,000 sq ft.) to the north, and the XXI Forever flagship store, also to the north. There is a food court on the second level as well as other restaurants, and food and drink kiosks throughout the mall. The mall is known for its many fashion shops and high-end fashion boutiques.

Eastland Center

The Eastland Center is a

power center Power center may refer to: *Power center (geometry), the intersection point of the three radical axes of the pairs of circles *Power center (retail) A power center or big-box center (known in Canadian and Commonwealth English as power centre o ...

which has undergone major renovations since it opened in 1957. Eastland is two levels, with parking for the lower level on south side of the center and parking for the upper level on the north side. It has many larger department stores like

Burlington Coat Factory Burlington, formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, is an American national off-price department store retailer, and a division of Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation with more than 1,000 stores in 40 states and Puerto Rico, with it ...

Dick's Sporting Goods Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. (stylized as "DICK'S Sporting Goods") is an American sporting goods retail company, based in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. The company was established by Richard "Dick" Stack in 1948, and has approximately 854 stores an ...

, and

PetSmart PetSmart is a privately held American chain of pet superstores, which sell pet products, services, and small pets. It is the leading North American pet company, and its direct competitor is Petco. Its indirect competitors are Amazon, Walmart, ...

. Eastland Center is anchored by Walmart to the west and by

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...

() to the east.

The Heights at West Covina

The Heights at West Covina is a new retail shopping center located just south of Big League Dreams Sports Park. It is anchored by

The Home Depot The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the largest home improvement re ...

to the north, and Target to the south. The center has many stores and restaurants.

Parks and recreation

West Covina Sportsplex

The West Covina Sportsplex is a commercial and recreational center opened in 2007. Built on a former landfill, the center includes a sports park, commercial development, and public golf course.

Government

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 ...

, West Covina is split between , and . In the California State Assembly, it is split between , and . 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 ...

, West Covina is in .

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools in West Covina administered by the

Covina-Valley Unified School District Covina-Valley Unified School District or "C-VUSD," is a unified school district located in Covina, California, United States. C-VUSD serves most of Covina, a large portion of West Covina, small portions of Glendora, Irwindale and San Dimas and ...

include: * Grovecenter Elementary School * Mesa Elementary School * Rowland Avenue Elementary School * Workman Avenue Elementary School * Traweek Middle School * South Hills High School Public schools in West Covina administered by the Rowland Unified School District include: * Hollingworth Elementary * Telesis Academy * Giano Intermediate Public schools in West Covina administered by the

West Covina Unified School District West Covina Unified School District (WCUSD) is a unified school district located and serves the city of West Covina, California. It is located in the San Gabriel Valley area. The members of the West Covina Board of Education are Eileen Miranda-J ...

include: * California Elementary * Cameron Elementary * Merced Elementary * Merlinda Elementary * Monte Vista Elementary * Orangewood Elementary * Vine Elementary * Wescove Elementary * Edgewood Middle School * Hollencrest Middle School * Walnut Grove Intermediate * Coronado High School * Edgewood High School * MT. SAC Early College Academy *

West Covina High School West Covina High School (WCHS) is a four-year comprehensive secondary school located in West Covina, California, USA. History West Covina High School opened in 1956 on the old Covina High School campus on Citrus Ave. and Puente Ave. as the Spar ...

Charter School (Standalone) * San Jose Charter Academy

Infrastructure

Transportation

Foothill Transit Foothill Transit is a public transit agency that is government funded by 22 member cities in the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys. It operates a fixed-route bus public transit service in the San Gabriel Valley region of eastern Los Angeles Cou ...

, 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 El Monte Station is a large regional bus station in the city of El Monte, California, United States, adjacent to Interstate 10, serving the Metro J Line, Foothill Transit, Greyhound Lines, and El Monte Transit. It is the Metro J Line's easter ...

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

Metrolink station.

Healthcare

Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina offers the following services: emergency room, surgery, maternity care, pediatrics, neurology, and diagnostic imaging.

Notable people

* Major League Baseball pitcher

Dan Haren Daniel John Haren (born September 17, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Haren played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Wa ...

, (born September 17, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Haren played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, and Chicago Cubs. He now serves as an executive with the Diamondbacks. Haren grew up in West Covina, California. * Major League Baseball pitcher

Rick Aguilera Richard Warren Aguilera (born December 31, 1961) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1985 to 2000. Aguilera won a world championship as a member of the N ...

, a three-time All-Star who played in two World Series, attended Edgewood High School in West Covina. * National Football League quarterback and broadcaster

Troy Aikman Troy Kenneth Aikman (born November 21, 1966) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. After transferring from Oklahoma, he played college football at UCLA, ...

was born at Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina, but moved to Oklahoma as a child. After playing for UCLA, he was the No. 1 overall pick in the

1989 NFL Draft The 1989 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 1989, at the Marriott Marq ...

by the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

. He led the Cowboys to 3

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...

championships (XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX), was named

Super Bowl XXVII Super Bowl XXVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...

MVP, and in 2006 he was inducted into the

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...

. * Drag queen

Jackie Beat Jackie Beat (born July 24, 1963) is the drag persona of actor, singer, songwriter and screenwriter Kent Fuher. Beat has appeared in a number of independent feature films both in and out of drag, including '' Wigstock: The Movie'', '' Flawless'', ...

. * Major League Baseball outfielder and coach

Tom Brunansky Thomas Andrew Brunansky (born August 20, 1960), nicknamed "Bruno", is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1981 to 1994 for the California Angels, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewe ...

attended

. * Actor

Robert Buckley Robert Earl Buckley (born May 2, 1981) is an American actor, known for his roles as Major Lillywhite on The CW's comedy-drama series '' iZombie'' from 2015 until 2019, Kirby Atwood on NBC's comedy-drama series '' Lipstick Jungle'' and Clay Evans ...

was born in West Covina. *

Jeff Cox Jeffrey Lindon Cox (born November 9, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball third base coach for the Chicago White Sox. He is currently a baserunning specialist for the Detroit Tigers. Previously, Cox was a second baseman for the Oakland Athle ...

attended South Hills High School. He has been a Major League Baseball player and coach. * Electronic Dance Music producer and DJ

Deorro Erick Orrosquieta (born August 30, 1991), commonly known by his stage name Deorro, is a Mexican-American DJ signed to Ultra Records. He formerly used the name TON!C. Career 2005–12: Early beginnings Deorro was born in Los Angeles to Mexican ...

currently resides in West Covina. * Major League Baseball pitcher

Joey Eischen Joseph Raymond Eischen (born May 25, 1970) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. High school Joey Eischen attended West Covina High School in West Covina, California and was a letterman in football, basketball, baseball, and tennis ...

was born in West Covina and graduated from

and is from the Class of 1988. He lettered in football, basketball, baseball and tennis. He played in the majors from 1994 to 2006. * Baseball pitcher

Carlos Fisher Charles Edward "Carlos" Fisher (born February 22, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds. Early life Fisher graduated from Duarte High School (Duarte, Calif ...

was born in West Covina. He pitched for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

. * Major League Baseball outfielder

Jeremy Giambi Jeremy Dean Giambi (; September 30, 1974 – February 9, 2022) was an American outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for four teams from 1998 to 2003, primarily the Oakland Athletics, where he was a teammate of hi ...

attended South Hills High School. He played for four MLB teams and was featured in the film ''

Moneyball ''Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game'' is a book by Michael Lewis, published in 2003, about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. Its focus is the team's analytical, evidence-based, sabermetric approa ...

''. * Major League Baseball first baseman

Jason Giambi Jason Gilbert Giambi (; born January 8, 1971) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter. In his Major League Baseball (MLB) career, which began in 1995, Giambi played for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yank ...

was born in West Covina and attended South Hills High School. He was voted American League MVP in 2000. * Chinese Basketball Association basketball player

Jonathan Gibson (basketball) Jonathan Mychal Gibson (born November 8, 1987) is an American professional basketball player for the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for New Mexico State before playing professionally in Turk ...

was born in West Covina. * Rock star

Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and per ...

, although born in Pennsylvania, moved with her family to West Covina when she was 15. * Major League Baseball outfielder

Jay Johnstone John William Johnstone Jr. (November 20, 1945 – September 26, 2020) was an American professional baseball player and television sports announcer. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1966 to 1985 for the California Angels, ...

, although born in Connecticut, graduated Edgewood HS in 1960. * Mystery novelist

Lee Charles Kelley Lee Charles Kelley is an American novelist and dog trainer living in Manhattan. Kelley is the author of six detective novels featuring Jack Field, an NYPD homicide cop who loves dogs and hates people, so he takes early retirement, moves to Maine, ...

lived in West Covina from age 4 to 15. * Major League Baseball infielder

Mike Lamb Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documen ...

was born in West Covina. * Major League Baseball pitcher

Cory Lidle Cory Fulton Lidle (March 22, 1972 – October 11, 2006) was an American professional baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, Lidle played in Major League Baseball with the New York Mets, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Ja ...

attended South Hills High School. He was killed in a plane crash in 2006. * Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Merritt attended Edgewood High School. * Actress

Nia Peeples Virenia "Nia" Peeples (born December 10, 1961) is an American R&B and dance music singer and actress. Peeples is known for playing Nicole Chapman on the hit TV series '' Fame''; Pam Fields on the drama ''Pretty Little Liars''; Karen Taylor Win ...

was raised in West Covina; she attended and graduated from West Covina High School, class of 1980, and was also Homecoming Queen. * Author Brigitte Secard was born and raised in West Covina. * World record-breaking long jumper Mike Powell attended Edgewood High School. *

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher

Jo-Jo Reyes Joseph Albert Reyes (born November 20, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He has also played in the KBO Leagu ...

was born in West Covina. He has pitched for numerous teams. * Actor and director

Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film ''The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his role ...

was born in West Covina. His films include ''

The Shawshank Redemption ''The Shawshank Redemption'' is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella ''Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption''. It tells the story of banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), w ...

'', ''

Mystic River The Mystic River is a riverU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 in Massachusetts, in the United States. In Massachusett, means "large estuary," alluding to t ...

'', ''

Bull Durham ''Bull Durham'' is a 1988 American romantic comedy sports film. It is partly based upon the minor-league baseball experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor-league baseball team in ...

'' and '' Dead Man Walking''. * Major League Baseball outfielder

Gary Roenicke Gary Steven Roenicke (born December 5, 1954) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder for the Montreal Expos (1976), Baltimore Orioles (1978–85), New York Yankees (1986) and Atlanta Braves (1987–88). Early career He was originally drafted ...

attended Edgewood High School. * Major League Baseball pitcher and manager

Ron Roenicke Ronald Jon Roenicke ( ; born August 19, 1956) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, coach, and manager. During his playing career, Roenicke played eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle ...

attended Edgewood High School. * Major League Baseball pitcher

Aaron Small Aaron James Small (born November 23, 1971) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. Small played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins, Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves. Regarded as a ...

attended South Hills High School. He pitched for seven MLB teams. * Brian Stewart defensive backs coach at the University of Nebraska, lived in West Covina from 1976 to 1982. * Major League Baseball pitcher and executive

Bill Stoneman William Hambly Stoneman III (born April 7, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player and executive who, during his eight-year (–) pitching career in Major League Baseball, threw two no-hitters; then, as general manager of the Ana ...

attended

. * Chicano rapper

Mr. Capone-E Fahd Azam (born April 27, 1976), known professionally as Mr. Capone-E, is a Pakistani-American rapper. He is the owner of Hi-Power Entertainment. Early life Mr Capone E was born in Pakistan to an ethnic Hazara family. He and his family move ...

was born in

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

but he and his family moved to West Covina at an early age. * Mexican-American singer Larry Hernández lives in West Covina. *

Gabe York Gabe York (born August 2, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats, earning second-team all-conference honors in the Pac-12 as a ...

(born 1993), basketball player for

Hapoel Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv ( he, הפועל תל אביב) is a sports club in Israel, founded in the 1920s, and part of the Hapoel association. It runs several sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv which have competed in a variety of sports over the years, suc ...

of the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl ( he, ליגת העל, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is the top-tier level league of professional sports, professional competition in Israeli sports club, club basketball, making ...

* Professional tennis player

Ernesto Escobedo Ernesto "Neto" Escobedo III ( ; , born July 4, 1996) is a Mexican-American professional tennis player who has won four ATP Challenger titles. Personal life Escobedo began playing tennis at the age of 4. His father Ernesto Jr. briefly played prof ...

resides in West Covina. * Television personality

Scheana Shay Scheana Marie Davies (, formerly Shay; born May 7, 1985) is an American television personality, actress and singer. Since 2013, she has been a cast member on the Bravo reality television series ''Vanderpump Rules''. Early life and education Sch ...

was born in West Covina. * Songwriter

Greg Camp Gregory Dean Camp (born April 2, 1967) is an American songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist. He is best known as the founding guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Smash Mouth (1994–2008, 2009–2011, 2014, 2018–2019). Camp is credited as ...

was born in West Covina. * Artist

Keith Parkinson Keith A. Parkinson (October 22, 1958 – October 26, 2005) was an American fantasy artist and illustrator known for book covers and artwork for games such as ''EverQuest'', ''Guardians'', ''Magic: The Gathering'', and '' Vanguard: Saga of Heroes ...

was born in West Covina. * Swedish progressive rock musician and songwriter

Nad Sylvan Nad Sylvan is a U.S. born Swedish progressive rock musician and songwriter, who is currently the vocalist in Steve Hackett’s band Genesis Revisited and has also maintained a solo career and collaborations with several other musicians. Backgr ...

was born in West Covina.

In popular culture

West Covina and the San Gabriel Valley are the setting for the US television series ''

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' is an American romantic musical comedy-drama television series that premiered on October 12, 2015, on The CW and ran for four seasons, ending on April 5, 2019. The series was created, written, and directed by Rachel Bloo ...

''. It is inaccurately depicted as being part of the

Inland Empire The Inland Empire (IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County to the west. It includes the cities o ...

and being "two hours from the beach, four in traffic." In fact, West Covina is only about 34 minutes from the beach in Santa Monica without traffic. The 1997 Nickelodeon film ''

'' was mostly filmed in West Covina. The 1974 US television series ''

Chopper One ''Chopper One'' is a short-lived ABC action-crime television series in early 1974, depicting the activities of a fictional California police helicopter team. The program was produced by television powerhouse Spelling-Goldberg Productions. The se ...

'' depicts the activities of a helicopter unit in the West Covina Police Department (as shown by the WCPD uniform patches). The USS West Covina was a Federation California-class starship operated by

Starfleet Starfleet is a fictional organization in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Within this fictional universe, Starfleet is a uniformed space force maintained by the United Federation of Planets ("the Federation") as the principal means for conduc ...

in the late 24th century featured in Star Trek Lower Decks.

Sister cities

West Covina's

sister cities A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

are: * Fengtai (Beijing), China *

Ōtawara 270px, View from the ruins of Ōtawara Castle is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 72,189 in 30,136 households, and a population density of 210 persons per km2. The total area of the city is ...

, Japan

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in Los Angeles County, California Communities in the San Gabriel Valley Incorporated cities and towns in California Populated places established in 1923 Chicano and Mexican neighborhoods in California Filipino-American culture in California