Los Alamitos () is a city in Orange County,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. The city was incorporated in March 1960. The population was 11,780 at the 2020 census, up from 11,449 at the 2010 census. The adjacent

unincorporated community 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 Rossmoor uses the same 90720 ZIP code in its mailing address, but is not part of the city. The

Los Alamitos Race Course Los Alamitos Race Course is a horse racing track in Cypress, California. The track hosts both thoroughbred and quarter horse racing. The track has the distinction of holding four quarter horse stakes races with purses over $1 million, more than a ...

is named for the city, but lies in the neighboring city of

Cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the l ...

. The USA Water Polo National Aquatic Center is located on the

Joint Forces Training Base - Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base - Los Alamitos is a joint base in Los Alamitos, California, United States. Formerly operated as a naval air station, the base contains the Los Alamitos Army Airfield and is sometimes called by that name. The base is al ...

History

The history of the area during the

Californio Californio (plural Californios) is a term used to designate a Hispanic Californian, especially those descended from Spanish and Mexican settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries. California's Spanish-speaking community has resided there sin ...

period and after U.S. annexation is detailed in the article on Rancho Los Alamitos. The town of Los Alamitos was established in 1896 by Lewellyn Bixby to support the new sugar beet factory in town built by the extremely wealthy Clark Brothers.

William Andrews Clark William Andrews Clark Sr. (January 8, 1839March 2, 1925) was an American politician and entrepreneur, involved with mining, banking, and railroads. Biography Clark was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. He moved with his family to Iowa in 1 ...

, a future Senator from Montana, had built his fortune in mining, banking and logging in that state. His younger brother, J. Ross Clark, managed their operations in California after he moved to that state for health reasons. Lewellyn Bixby, whose family owned the surrounding land on the Rancho Los Cerritos and Rancho Los Alamitos, had been trying to build a

sugar beet A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet ('' Beta vulgaris''). Together ...

factory in that area for a few years but, due to financial losses in the 1880s, he no longer had the financial capital to undertake the sugar beet factory complex on his own. Bixby had made his fortune back in the 1850s when he and his cousins Benjamin and Thomas Flint, formed Flint, Bixby & Co. which became a thriving entity in mutton and wool, all originally housed on the Rancho San Justo, south of San Jose. After making an additional fortune from selling wool to the government during the Civil War, the Flints and Bixby bought up many properties in Southern California. One was the future Irvine Ranch and another was the Rancho Los Cerritos which makes up much of the western half of Long Beach. Flint, Bixby hired Lewellyn's younger brother Jotham to manage the Cerritos. When Flint, Bixby broke up Lewellyn assumed their Southern California properties and moved to Los Angeles and became the senior partner in his operations with his brother Jotham. Around 1881, a cousin, John W. Bixby wanted to purchase the Rancho Los Alamitos. John W. put together a consortium of himself, his cousins Lewellyn and Jotham (owners of

Rancho Los Cerritos :''This article refers to the land grant. For the Rancho Los Cerritos adobe, see Los Cerritos Ranch House'' Rancho Los Cerritos was a 1834 land grant in present-day southern Los Angeles County and Orange County, California The grant was the res ...

) and banker

I.W. Hellman Isaias Wolf Hellman (October 3, 1842 – April 9, 1920) was a German-born American banker and philanthropist, and a founding father of the University of Southern California. Early life Hellman was born in Reckendorf, Bavaria on October 3, 1842. ...

to finance the purchase of the Alamitos land. Upon John's sudden death on May 7, 1887, the ranch was divided between the three owning families. The northern third adjacent to the Rancho Los Cerritos — the land roughly north of present Orangewood Ave.—went to the Lewellyn-Jotham faction (which later became the Bixby Land Company). By the mid-1890s, after the crash following the land boom of the 1880s—this group was relatively cash-poor and land rich. Having experimented in Northern California with sugar beets, the Bixbys agreed to provide the land, and contracted with Montana copper baron William A. Clark to provide the capital, and got E.A. Dyer to provide the expertise to build a new sugar beet factory on the Bixby's land. The community that grew up around this new sugar beet factory complex—with its streets of company houses for workers and surrounding farms—came to be called Los Alamitos. (As part of his arrangement to build and operate the sugar beet factory, William Clark and his brother H. Ross, who actually ran the Los Alamitos operation, also received 1,000 acres east of the factory and a year later completed a purchase of of land north of the sugar plant—most of the latter in the

boundaries—that would eventually become the Long Beach Airport, Long Beach City College, and the city of Lakewood. Also, Clark and Hellman were intricately involved with the machinations and corporate dealings of railroad tycoon E. H. Harriman and

Henry Edwards Huntington Henry Edwards Huntington (February 27, 1850 – May 23, 1927) was an American railroad magnate and collector of art and rare books. Huntington settled in Los Angeles, where he owned the Pacific Electric Railway as well as substantial real estat ...

and the destiny of the Southern Pacific in Southern California. In addition, some time after establishing Los Alamitos, the Clarks completed their railroad from

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 ...

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

, establishing the desert stop of

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

in the process. In the early 1900s,

sugar beets Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

were delivered to a factory by horse and wagon. Economics and an elimination of a protective tariff, combined with an insect infestation in 1921, caused sugar-beet crop to drop significantly in Orange County and the eventual demise of the sugar beet industry there and in Los Alamitos. But the town that had sprung up continued to grow. On the lands south of the factory (and current Orangewood Avenue), Fred H. Bixby, son of John Bixby and future member of the Cowboy Hall of Fame, used his sugar beet lands as a finishing ranch to fatten cattle before sending them off to slaughter (he also managed Hellman's lands in present Seal Beach). Bixby, one of the more progressive ranchers of his time, allowed European immigrant,

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

, and Japanese farmers to rent the land and grow crops. At the beginning of

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 Japanese farmers were rounded up by the military and relocated to internment camps at

Manzanar Manzanar is the site of one of ten American concentration camps, where more than 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II from March 1942 to November 1945. Although it had over 10,000 inmates at its peak, it was one ...

and elsewhere. Just prior to and during early World War II, the area around Los Alamitos became a major center for the aircraft industry. The Clark heirs arranged for Donald Douglas to begin construction of the

Douglas Aircraft Company The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer based in Southern California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas; it then operated a ...

aircraft plant just north of the Long Beach airport. At the same time the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

decided it needed an auxiliary airfield for its Reserve Training facility at the increasingly crowded Airport. A touch and go field was built on the level ground just east of Los Alamitos in August 1940. This was the first military post in Orange County. In February 1941, the Navy decided to move all their reserve aviation training from Long Beach and purchased what would become a 1300-acre facility. Trainees and cadre began using the new facilities as early as November 1941, but it wasn't until May 1942 that NRAB Long Beach formally transitioned all operations to NRAB Los Alamitos. The new base provided many jobs and spurred growth in the town. After World War II, NRAB Los Alamitos was the busiest reserve air base in the nation for a while, especially during the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

, but by the late 1950s encroaching surrounding suburban residential development began to curtail its activity. The Navy moved out in 1972 and in 1973, the California National Guard took over management of the base, re-designated an Armed Forces Reserve Center. Today, it is a reserve support center for units of the Army, Navy, National Guard and Marines, but is also a home to many other government agencies, including Homeland Security, FEMA and the State of California Office of Emergency Services.Strawther, Larry; "A Brief History of Los Alamitos," History Press, 2012 Many former military personnel chose to stay on in Los Alamitos after the war, living in such new neighborhoods as Carrier Row, where streets are named for World War II

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

s, many of which had been the home for Navy pilots trained at Los Alamitos. Carrier Row was actually not one unit, but three small subdivisions built separately in 1947–48, 1950, and 1955 by different builders. The first of these units was the Alamos Ranchos which was first occupied in April 1948. These homes had sewage problems, and the builder stopped after completing only the two blocks east of Lexington and south of Katella. In 1950, two more blocks were constructed under the name of Plainview Homes. Finally, in 1955, the tract was completed with the construction of Los Alamitos Park. Another subdivision of 193 units, Los Alamitos Terrace, was built in the area north of Old Town West, on land once used as grazing land for Bixby-operated dairy farm—whose main headquarters were located where Los Alamitos High School now stands. But overall, these units were small compared to the next subdivision built in the area. In 1956 builder Ross Cortese purchased land to build the walled community of Rossmoor just southwest from the townsite of Los Alamitos. Rossmoor, still the largest single development in Orange County, was the first walled community in the United States and quickly became home to over 10,000 upper middle class professionals. Rossmoor's homes were designed initially by Earle G. Kaltenbach (who also designed Disneyland's original Tomorrowland), although two of the later phases were designed by Chris Choate, who achieved much fame as the frequent partner of

Cliff May Cliff May (1903–1989) was an architect practicing in California best known and remembered for developing the suburban Post-war "dream home" ( California Ranch House), and the Mid-century Modern. The Ranch-style house May built Montere ...

. Together the two men were among the most responsible for designing and popularizing the "ranch" style homes which dominated the suburban explosion of the 1950s. Prior to Rossmoor, Choate and May had worked with Cortese on building the nearby Lakewood Rancho Estates just a mile west of town in Long Beach. Although Rossmoor never officially became part of Los Alamitos proper, it has become inextricably linked to the town. When Los Alamitos incorporated in 1960 its population was only about 3,400, while still-growing Rossmoor was nearing 10,000. Now they are fairly equal with Los Alamitos being slightly larger than 11,000. Rossmoor, still an unincorporated part of Orange County, doesn't pay taxes to Los Alamitos, but the city virtually treats Rossmoor residents as if they were residents. In exchange, the city's many youth programs benefit from the overwhelming number of Rossmoor residents who volunteer for those programs, and Rossmoor, having very little commercial areas of its own, contributes much sales tax revenue to Los Alamitos. The success of Rossmoor quickly led to other subdivisions in Los Alamitos—Dutch Haven (built in 1960 by Luxury Homes, and William G. Lyon), the Rossmoor Highlands (1961), Suburbia, New Dutch Haven, Greenbrook and College Park North (1967). The ambitious sugar-beet processor of today would be hard pressed to set up shop in Los Alamitos. Zoning laws keep out heavy manufacturing or industry because nearly all the city land is developed. The Armed Forces Reserve Center takes up 48 percent of the city's . The rest of the city is a snug fitting mix of homes, apartments, businesses and open space. The small city has been the hometown for a number of noted athletes including baseball Hall of Famer

Bob Lemon Robert Granville Lemon (September 22, 1920 – January 11, 2000) was an American right-handed pitcher and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Lemon was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976. Lemon was raised in Californi ...

(although he spent more time in Long Beach), and Olympic gymnast

Cathy Rigby Cathleen Roxanne Rigby (later Mason, later McCoy, born December 12, 1952), known as Cathy Rigby, is an actress, speaker, and former artistic gymnast. Her performance in the 1968 Summer Olympics helped to popularize the sport of gymnastics in th ...

. The Los Alamitos youth baseball leagues, which began in 1958 as the Rossmoor Little League and, after moving its fields to the Navy base, eventually changed its name to Los Alamitos Youth baseball - LAYB) has been home to many future major leaguers including Andy Messersmith, who challenged baseball's reserve clause and helped established free agency in professional sports . At one point in the late 1980s, six former league players were playing baseball in the major leagues— Robb Nen,

J. T. Snow Jack Thomas Snow Jr. (born February 26, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports color commentator. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball from to , most notably as a member of the San Fra ...

, Greg Harris,

Dennis Lamp Dennis Patrick Lamp (born September 23, 1952) is a former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1977 through 1992, the breaking ball specialist played for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athle ...

, Greg Pirkl, and Mike Kelly. The area is also home to record holding long-distance swimmer Lynne Cox. It was also home to California Supreme Court Chief Justice Malcolm M. Lucas while he served on the Court, and to award-winning mystery writer Jan Burke.

Geography

Los Alamitos is bounded by

to the north and east, West Garden Grove to the east, and Seal Beach to the south. The

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

of Rossmoor is enclosed by Los Alamitos to the north, east, and west. The city shares a northwestern border with

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, ...

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporat ...

, namely the El Dorado Park neighborhood. Coyote Creek serves as a major geographical divider between Los Alamitos and Long Beach.

Climate

Gardeners use several climate zone indicators to determine the proper plantings for an area. In the U.S. most plants and seeds are indicated for a particular climate by the USDA Hardiness Zone. A more exact measure is the Sunset zone. In Los Alamitos, the USDA Hardiness Zone is 9. The Sunset climate zone is 22.

Demographics

2010

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

reported that Los Alamitos had a population of 11,449. The population density was . The racial makeup of Los Alamitos was 8,131 (71.0%)

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 ...

(58.7% Non-Hispanic White), 324 (2.8%)

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 51 (0.4%) Native American, 1,471 (12.8%) Asian, 50 (0.4%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 726 (6.3%) from other races, and 696 (6.1%) from two or more races.

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 were 2,418 persons (21.1%). The Census reported that 11,206 people (97.9% of the population) lived in households, 40 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 203 (1.8%) were institutionalized. There were 4,212 households, out of which 1,610 (38.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,025 (48.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 731 (17.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 282 (6.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 209 (5.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 19 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 885 households (21.0%) were made up of individuals, and 355 (8.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66. There were 3,038 families (72.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.10. The population was spread out, with 2,741 people (23.9%) under the age of 18, 1,077 people (9.4%) aged 18 to 24, 2,938 people (25.7%) aged 25 to 44, 3,099 people (27.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,594 people (13.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males. There were 4,355 housing units at an average density of , of which 1,967 (46.7%) were owner-occupied, and 2,245 (53.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.1%. 5,274 people (46.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,932 people (51.8%) lived in rental housing units. According to the 2010 United States Census, Los Alamitos had a median household income of $80,449, with 7.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 11,536 people, 4,246 households, and 3,035 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 2,875.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,110.7/km²). There were 4,329 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 77.0%

, 2.6%

, 3.7% Native American, 9.5% Asian, 11.5%

, 5.1% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 22.3% of the population. There were 4,246 households, out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $55,286, and the median income for a family was $60,767. Males had a median income of $49,946 versus $36,002 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $26,014. About 4.1% of families and 5.2% 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 4.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over. Property prices in the city have increased dramatically over the past 20 years.

Government

There is a city council. 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 ...

, Los Alamitos 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 ...

, Los Alamitos is in . According to the

California Secretary of State The secretary of state of California is the chief clerk of the U.S. state of California, overseeing a department of 500 people. The secretary of state is elected for four year terms, like the state's other constitutional officers; the officeh ...

, as of February 10, 2019, Los Alamitos has 6,407 registered voters. Of those, 2,310 (36.05%) are registered Republicans, 2,067 (32.26%) are registered Democrats, and 1,712 (26.72%) have declined to state a political party/are independents.

Economy

The first Claim Jumper restaurant opened in Los Alamitos in 1977. The location closed and is now a Hof's Hut.

Neverland Studios Neverland Studios is an American recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee owned and operated by musician and songwriter Derri Daugherty. The studio is not connected to Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. History Neverland was originally built in ...

, a recording studio that was often used by

Christian rock Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly C ...

bands, was originally located in Los Alamitos. Tillys had its original location in Los Alamitos.

Top employers

According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,City of Los Alamitos CAFR
the top employers in the city are:

Notable people

Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...

, actor * Aaron Barrett (born 1974), musician, Founding member of Reel Big Fish *

Jonathan Bornstein Jonathan Rey Bornstein (born November 7, 1984) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a left-back. He has captained and made 38 appearances for the United States national team. In addition to also playing for Chivas USA in Majo ...

(born 1984), soccer player for USA National Team, Chivas USA, and Chicago Fire * Tim Carey, football player—attended Los Alamitos HS, but grew up in Seal Beach * Kami Cotler (born 1965), actress * Lynne Cox, long-distance swimmer *

Landry Fields Landry Addison Fields (born June 27, 1988) is an American professional basketball executive and former player. He is the general manager of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Fields played five seasons in the NBA for ...

, basketball player for

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

of the NBA—attended Los Alamitos HS, but grew up in Long Beach *

Scott Klopfenstein Scott Allen "Scotty" Klopfenstein is an American musician and a former member of the band Reel Big Fish. He sings and plays trumpet, guitar, and keyboard. Before joining Reel Big Fish, Klopfenstein played trumpet in Nuckle Brothers and trum ...

, musician, former member of Reel Big Fish *

Chris Kluwe Christopher James Kluwe (; born December 24, 1981) is a former American football punter and writer. Kluwe played at Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos, California, where he was a 1999 ''USA Today'' High School All-American, and then atten ...

, former punter for the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

of the NFL—attended Los Alamitos HS, but grew up in Seal Beach *

, baseball Hall of Famer as pitcher and manager, lived in City Garden Acres (now Apartment Row) and attended Laurel Elementary before family moved to Long Beach *

Marcedes Lewis Marcedes Alexis Lewis (born May 19, 1984) is an American football tight end for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UCLA, earning consensus All-American honors. He was selected by the Jack ...

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

for the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...

of the NFL * Allison Mack, actress (known as "Chloe" from ''

Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar/G ...

'') *

Taryn Manning Taryn Manning is an American actress and singer. She is best known for portraying Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett in the Netflix original series '' Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019), Cherry in ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2010), Nola in ''Hu ...

(born 1978), actress * Matthew Morrison, singer and actor (Broadway plays, Fox TV's '' Glee'') -- attended Los Alamitos HS, but grew up in Cypress * Tony Muser, former MLB player and manager * Robb Nen, baseball player—attended Los Alamitos HS, but grew up in Seal Beach *

, Olympic gymnast and actress * Matt "Money" Smith, Fox Sports Radio talk show host *

J.T. Snow Jack Thomas Snow Jr. (born February 26, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports color commentator. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball from to , most notably as a member of the San Franci ...

(born 1968), baseball player—attended Los Alamitos HS, but grew up in Seal Beach * Jodie Sweetin, actress ("Stephanie Tanner" from '' Full House'') *

Ralph Flanagan (swimmer) Ralph Drew Flanagan (December 14, 1918 – February 8, 1988) was an American competitive swimmer who represented the United States at two consecutive Summer Olympics during the 1930s.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes Ralph Flanagan ...

, Olympic swimmer * Nikki Monninger, bass guitarist for Silversun Pickups

Schools

It is a part of the Los Alamitos Unified School District, which began in 1898 as the Laurel Elementary School District, and changed its name in 1953 to the Los Alamitos Elementary School District, providing education up through sixth grade. Students in Grades 7-12 attended schools in the Anaheim School District, until 1979 when local voters, after a few failed attempts, finally received state permission to hold an election, and voted to withdraw from the Anaheim High School District and unify all their local grades under the name the Los Alamitos Unified School District. * Los Alamitos High School (opened September 1967, moved into current permanent location in September 1968) * Laurel High School (continuation school, absorbed into Los Alamitos High School in 2014) * McAuliffe Middle School (originally named Pine Jr. High) * Oak Middle School (originally named Oak Jr. High) * Hopkinson Elementary in

Rossmoor, California Rossmoor is a planned census-designated place located in Orange County, California. As of th2020 census the CDP had a total population of 10,625 up from the 2010 census population of 10,244. The gated Leisure World retirement community in the ...

* Lee Elementary in

* Los Alamitos Elementary * Rossmoor Elementary in

* Weaver Elementary in

* St. Hedwig School, a K–8 private school

References

External links

*
Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce: History

Local History for Los Alamitos, Rossmoor & Seal Beach
{{authority control Cities in Orange County, California Incorporated cities and towns in California Populated places established in 1960 1960 establishments in California