Arcadia is a city in

Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the List of United States counties and county equivalents, most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 202 ...

, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the

San Gabriel Valley The San Gabriel Valley (), sometimes referred to by its initials as SGV, is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, with the city of Los Angeles directly bordering it to the west and occupying the vast majority of the southeastern ...

and at the base of the

San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains () are a mountain range located in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Transverse Ranges and lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert ...

. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of the

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious race ...

racetrack, the

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 127 acres (51.4 ha), is an arboretum, botanical garden, and historical site nestled into hills near the San Gabriel Mountains in Arcadia, California, United States. Open daily, it only closes ...

, and Arcadia County Park. The city had a population of 56,681 at the 2020 census. The city is named after Arcadia, Greece.

History

Native American

For over 8,000 years, the site of Arcadia was part of the homeland of the

Tongva people The Tongva ( ) are an Indigenous people of California from the Los Angeles Basin and the Southern Channel Islands, an area covering approximately . In the precolonial era, the people lived in as many as 100 villages and primarily identified by ...

("Gabrieliño" tribe), a Californian Native American tribe whose territory spanned the greater

Los Angeles Basin The Los Angeles Basin is a sedimentary Structural basin, basin located in Southern California, in a region known as the Peninsular Ranges. The basin is also connected to an wikt:anomalous, anomalous group of east–west trending chains of mountai ...

, and the San Gabriel and

San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...

s. Their fluid borders stretched between the Santa Susana Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, and

in the north; the

Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses this mountain range. Because of its p ...

and

Simi Hills The Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range of the Transverse Ranges in eastern Ventura County, California, Ventura County and western Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, of Southern California, United States. The range runs ma ...

in the west; the

San Jacinto Mountains The San Jacinto Mountains ()Munro, P., et al. ''A Mojave Dictionary''. Los Angeles: UCLA. 1992. are a mountain range in Riverside County, California, Riverside County, located east of Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles in southern California i ...

and

Santa Ana Mountains The Santa Ana Mountains are a short peninsular mountain range along the coast of Southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately southeast of the Los Angeles Basin largely along the border between Orange and Riversid ...

in the east; and the coast and Catalina Island (''Pimu'') in the south. A Tongva settlement site within present-day Arcadia was known as Alyeupkigna (or Aluupkenga).

Rancho period

The town's site became part of the Spanish Mission San Gabriel Arcángel lands in 1771. After Indian Reductions to become

Mission Indians Mission Indians was a term used to refer to the Indigenous peoples of California who lived or grew up in the Spanish mission system in California. Today the term is used to refer to their descendants and to specific, contemporary tribal nations ...

, the Tongva were known as the ''Gabrieliños'' after the Mission's name. and under whose control these people worked during the mission period in California. Currently there are 1,700 people self-identifying as members of the Tongva or Gabrieliño tribe. The Mexican land grant for Rancho Santa Anita was issued to Perfecto Hugo Reid and his Tongva wife, Victoria Bartolomea Comicrabit, in 1845. It was named after a family relation, Anita Cota, on his wife's side. Reid documented the Gabrieliño Native Americans in a series of letters written in 1852, and served as a delegate to the 1849 California Constitutional Convention. In 1847, Reid sold Rancho Santa Anita to his Rancho Azusa neighbor, Henry Dalton.

Lucky Baldwin

The rancho changed owners several times before being acquired by Gold Rush immigrant, businessman, and major regional land owner Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin in 1875. Baldwin purchased of Rancho Santa Anita for $200,000. Upon seeing the area, he gasped "By Gads! This is paradise!" Upon buying the land, Baldwin chose to make the area his home and immediately started erecting buildings and cultivating the land for farming, orchards, and ranches. Baldwin built the Queen Anne Cottage for his fourth wife and himself in 1885–1886, now preserved within the Arboretum. In 1885, the main line of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad, in which Baldwin was a stockholder, was opened through the ranch, making subdivision of part of the land into a town site practical. Later, this rail line became a

Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at variou ...

line. In 1889, on a site just north of the corner of First Avenue and St. Joseph Street, adjacent to the Santa Fe tracks, Baldwin opened the 35-room Hotel Oakwood to be the centerpiece of his new town. In 1890, the extant Rancho Santa Anita Depot was built.

20th century until World War II

By the turn of the 20th century, Arcadia had a population nearing 500 and an economy that was coming to be based on entertainment, sporting, hospitality, and gambling opportunities, the latter including an early version of the Santa Anita race track. Baldwin oversaw the incorporation of Arcadia into a city in 1903, and was its first mayor.

Anoakia

In 1913 Anita Baldwin, Lucky's daughter, built a 50-room mansion on of the Baldwin Ranch she inherited from him, and named it "Anoakia" (a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

of Anita and oak).Rochlin, Michael Jacob; "Arcadian L.A."; ; published by Unreinforced Masonry Studio; 2003. pp.38–111; photographs, house and estate plans, history. The residence was in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, with murals by Maynard Dixon. The estate had a significant Greek Revival-style

colonnade In classical architecture, a colonnade is a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. Paired or multiple pairs of columns are normally employed in a colonnade which can be straight or curv ...

d "Parthenon" bathhouse/gymnasium beside a large pool, an apiary and aviaries, kennels and stables, tennis courts and pergolas, and preserved the native oak woodlands. After her death in 1939 the estate became the Anoakia School for Girls, which became the coeducational Anoakia School in 1967, then moved to Duarte in 1990 as the Anita Oaks School. The school owner's efforts to develop the property into a village of homes with the old mansion as its centerpiece were rejected by the city. After an extended debate, with local citizens and regional preservationists efforts to preserve the historic main house, the city council voted to approve demolition for a real estate development by new owners in 1999. The "Anoakia" mansion, all other significant estate structures and outbuildings, garden features, and numerous California sycamore and Coast live oak trees were demolished for 31 luxury home sites in 2000. Some of the mansion's architectural elements were salvaged and removed. The gatehouse, on the estate's former southeast corner at Foothill and Baldwin, and the perimeter walls remain after the "Anoakia Estates" development was built. The bas-relief fountain was moved to just inside the new gated entrance.

Inter-war decades

During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Arcadia was home to the U.S. Army's Ross Field Balloon School, at the present-day Santa Anita Park site. Army observers were trained here in techniques to observe enemy activity from

hot air balloon A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carri ...

s. After World War I, Arcadia's population grew and local businesses included many chicken ranches and other agricultural activities. During the 1920s and 1930s, Arcadia began its transition to the residential city that it is today, as small farms and chicken ranches gave way to homes and numerous civic improvements, including a city library and a city hall. Scenes of many of Arcadia's interesting older sites can be viewed in a series of historic watercolors painted by local artists Edna Lenz and Justine Wishek. The city was on historic

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...

, present-day

Colorado Boulevard Colorado Boulevard (or Colorado Street in Glendale, California, Glendale and parts of Arcadia, California, Arcadia) is a major east–west street in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It runs from Griffith Park in Los Angeles east ...

, with businesses serving travelers on it.

Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and Horse industry, industry involving the Horse racing, racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter know ...

had flourished briefly under Lucky Baldwin, who founded a racetrack adjacent to the present site, until it was outlawed by the state of California in 1909. It returned to Arcadia when racing was legalized again, with the opening of

in December 1934. Architect Gordon Kaufmann designed its various buildings in a combination of

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the arch ...

and

Streamline Moderne Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by Aerodynamics, aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In indu ...

styles.

Santa Anita Assembly Center

The Santa Anita Assembly Center site is California Historical Landmark #934. In 1942 during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the racetrack grounds were used as a processing and holding site for

Japanese Americans are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian Americans, Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 United States census, 2000 census, they have declined in ...

who had been removed from their homes and communities for forced relocation and

internment Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without Criminal charge, charges or Indictment, intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects ...

under President Franklin Roosevelt's

Executive Order 9066 Executive Order 9066 was a President of the United States, United States presidential executive order signed and issued during World War II by United States president Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. "This order authorized the fo ...

. The Civilian Assembly Center at the racetrack became the largest and longest operating one of the eighteen, holding citizens until the Relocation Center camps were completed in interior areas of California and other states. More than 18,000 persons resided at the racetrack in primitive conditions. Four hundred temporary tarpaper barracks were constructed on the racetrack grounds to house many of the detainees, where they lived three families per unit. 8,500 detainees lived in converted horse stalls. Bachelors were housed in the grandstand building. They had group showers, non-private bathrooms, and 24-hour armed surveillance. Each resident was given an "Army manufacture bed, one blanket and one straw tick." The Assembly Center held people from late March through the end of October 1942, when the internees were relocated inland to permanent 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 Tule Lake in California, and eight others in Western states and Arkansas. In November 1942 the center was turned over to the

United States Army Ordnance Corps The United States Army Ordnance Corps, formerly the United States Army Ordnance Department, is a Combat service support (United States), sustainment branch of the United States Army, headquartered at Fort Gregg-Adams, Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia ...

for training purposes and was officially renamed Camp Santa Anita. Later in the war it served as a prisoner of war—POW camp, holding several thousand of Rommel's German

Afrika Korps The German Africa Corps (, ; DAK), commonly known as Afrika Korps, was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its Africa ...

soldiers.

Postwar period

Arcadia largely grew up as the well-to-do suburb of neighboring Pasadena, with many early residents being the sons and daughters of long-established Southern California families. A large tract of estate homes was developed by Harry Chandler, the scion of the ''Los Angeles Times'', who lived in adjacent

Sierra Madre, California Sierra Madre (Spanish language, Spanish for "mother range") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, with a population of 11,268 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census. The city is in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley below the southern ...

. The city became the residence of choice for many corporate chief executives, including those in the aerospace, horse-racing, and finance industries. The postwar boom saw Arcadia grow rapidly into a suburban residential community, with many of the chicken ranches being subdivided into home lots. Between 1940 and 1950, the population grew by more than two and a half times. The housing boom continued through the 1950s and 1960s and along with that growth came the necessary infrastructure of schools, commercial buildings, and expanded city services. During the postwar boom, a modern commercial district developed along Baldwin Avenue south of Huntington Drive in west Arcadia. In 1951 this strip, called the West Arcadia Hub, was anchored by a new, locally owned Hinshaw's department store. This was the first large department store to be built in Arcadia, and the largest in the western

outside the city of Pasadena. This development marked the beginning of Arcadia's gradual transformation into one of the leading shopping districts of the San Gabriel Valley. In 1947, that comprised the heart of the Baldwin Ranch were deeded to the State of California and the County of Los Angeles, and developed into

. In October 1975, the Santa Anita Fashion Park was opened to the public on the corner of Baldwin Avenue and Huntington Drive, on part of the former Santa Anita Assembly Center site. The center court featured a very large "Blue head" by artist

Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein ( ; October27, 1923September29, 1997) was an American pop artist. He rose to prominence in the 1960s through pieces which were inspired by popular advertising and the comic book style. Much of his work explores the relations ...

, which was later removed. The mall expanded in 2004 and was renamed Westfield Santa Anita. It was affected by the

Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of market decline in economies around the world that occurred from late 2007 to mid-2009.

of the late 2000s.

James Dobson James Clayton Dobson Jr. (born April 21, 1936) is an American evangelicalism, evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder of Focus on the Family (FotF), which he led from 1977 until 2010. In the 1980s, he was ranked as one of the m ...

, a former Arcadia resident, founded the nonprofit Christian ministry

Focus on the Family Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF) is an American Christian fundamentalism, Evangelical Protestant organization founded in 1977 in Southern California by James Dobson, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The group is one of a number of Evangel ...

in the city in 1977. Focus on the Family is now based in

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010 United States Census, 2 ...

, but still has thousands of members in Arcadia. In the 1980s, the Asian population in Arcadia began to grow. The city had remained 99% white until the late 1970s, but in 1985, the ''Los Angeles Times'' reported that the Asian population had grown from 4% in 1980 to an estimated 9%, overtaking Latinos, who accounted for roughly 7% of the population. By the 2020 census, Asians consisted of 64.56% of the population.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of . of it is land and of it (1.87%) is water.

Surrounding areas

: Sierra Madre : Pasadena

Monrovia Monrovia () is the administrative capital city, capital and largest city of Liberia. Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast and as of the 2022 census had 1,761,032 residents, home to 33.5% of Liber ...

: East Pasadena / East San Gabriel

/ Mayflower Village : Temple City North El Monte / Irwindale : Temple City / El Monte

Demographics

Arcadia first appeared as a city in the 1910 U.S. Census.

2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Arcadia had a population of 56,681 people. This corresponds to a density of 5,187.2 people per square mile. The racial breakdown was 36,772 (64.9%) Asian, 11,378 (20.1%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 959 (1.7%) Black or African American, 233 (0.4%)

American Indian and Alaska Native Native Americans (also called American Indians, First Americans, or Indigenous Americans) are the Indigenous peoples of the United States, particularly of the lower 48 states and Alaska. They may also include any Americans whose origins lie ...

, 46 (0.1%) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 3,158 (5.6%) Some Other Race, and 4,135 (7.3%) two or more races. Including all responses for people of two or more races, 38,078 (67.2% of population) were Asian alone or in combination with one or more other races, 15,068 (26.6%) were White alone or in combination with one or more other races, 1,386 (2.4%) were Black or African American alone or in combination, 578 (1.0%) were American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination, 173 (0.3%) were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone or in combination, and 5,852 (10.3%) were some other race alone or in combination with one or more other races. 7,401 (13.1%) were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. Of those, 1,410 (2.5% of total population) were white alone, 91 (0.2%) were Black or African American alone, 180 (0.3%) were American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 164 (0.3%) were Asian alone, 6 (0.0%) were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, 2,919 (5.1%) were some other race alone, and 2,631 (4.6%) were two or more races. Arcadia was reported to have 20,511 housing units. 19,377 (94.5%) were occupied. Of the occupied units, 11,372 (58.7% of occupied units) were owner-occupied and 8,005 (41.3%) were renter-occupied. Of the vacant units, 347 (1.7% of total) were for rent, 51 (0.2%) were rented but not occupied, 169 (0.8%) were for sale only, 94 (0.5%) were sold but not occupied, 146 (0.7%) were for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use, and 327 (1.6%) were otherwise vacant. The median household income between 2017 and 2021 was $99,588 (2021 dollars), with 8.9% of people living in poverty. 96.7% of households had a computer between 2017 and 2021, and 94.0% had a broadband internet subscription.

2010

The 2010 United States census reported that Arcadia had a population of 56,364. The population density was . The racial makeup of Arcadia was 33,353 (59.2%) Asian, 18,191 (32.3%)

, (25.7% Non-Hispanic White), 681 (1.2%)

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 186 (0.3%) Native American, 16 (0.03%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 2,352 (4.2%) from other races, and 1,585 (2.8%) from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 6,799 persons (12.1%). The census reported that 55,502 people (98.5% of the population) lived in households, 639 (1.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 223 (0.4%) were institutionalized. There were 19,592 households, out of which 7,336 (37.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 11,703 (59.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,437 (12.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 865 (4.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 469 (2.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 92 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,855 households (19.7%) were made up of individuals, and 1,926 (9.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83. There were 15,005

families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...

(76.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.26. The population was spread out, with 12,290 people (21.8%) under the age of 18, 4,102 people (7.3%) aged 18 to 24, 13,409 people (23.8%) aged 25 to 44, 17,349 people (30.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 9,214 people (16.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males according to the census. There were 20,686 housing units at an average density of , of which 12,371 (63.1%) were owner-occupied, and 7,221 (36.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%. 37,000 people (65.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 18,502 people (32.8%) lived in rental housing units.

Housing

In 2016, Arcadia was ranked the fifth most expensive housing market in the United States by ''

Business Insider ''Business Insider'' (stylized in all caps: BUSINESS INSIDER; known from 2021 to 2023 as INSIDER) is a New York City–based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Inside ...

'', with an average listing price of $1,748,680 for a four-bedroom home. In 2012, Arcadia was ranked seventh in the nation on ''

CNN Money CNN Business (formerly CNN Money) is a financial news and information website, operated by CNN. The website was originally formed as a joint venture between CNN.com and Time Warner's '' Fortune'' and '' Money'' magazines. Since the spin-off of ...

'' magazine's list of towns with highest median home costs. Arcadia's Upper Rancho neighborhood was ranked the 23rd richest neighborhood in Southern California by ''Business Insider'' in 2014, with a mean household income of $310,779.

Economy

Arcadia's economy is driven by wholesale trade, retail trade, manufacturing, health care and social assistance, arts, entertainment, and recreation. Revenue from the

Santa Anita Racetrack Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...

has long supported capital improvements for the City of Arcadia, resulting in the city having very little bonded indebtedness. The Westfield Santa Anita mall (formerly the Santa Anita Fashion Park) is a major shopping center in the city. In 2005, the Westfield Santa Anita completed its first phase of expansion, featuring a new food court, numerous smaller retailers, various full-service eateries in an area known as Restaurant Square, and a 16-screen

AMC Theatres AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (doing business as AMC Theatres, originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema; often referred to simply as AMC) is an American movie theater chain founded in Kansas City, Missouri, and now headquartered ...

megaplex. In 2008, expansion of the mall continued as the Promenade outdoor structure was completed, with new high-end retailers. In 2004, citing success from regional shopping malls such as The Grove and The Americana, Caruso Affiliated and Magna Entertainment (the owners of the Santa Anita Park racetrack) proposed to build a second large shopping mall adjacent to Westfield Santa Anita on the grounds of the Santa Anita Park south parking lot, which would have made Arcadia the largest retail shopping district in Los Angeles County. The controversial project, known as "The Shops at Santa Anita", originally included signature retail, restaurants, condominium projects, a decorative water display, and a horse-drawn trolley. Arcadia City Council unanimously approved the project in 2007 after much heated debate between some residents in the community and corporate interests, which included ballot initiatives such as free parking for Arcadia residents, prevention of retail signage installations, and downsizing the project by the removal of condominiums from the project. Magna Entertainment filed for

Chapter 11 bankruptcy Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...

during the

Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of market decline in economies around the world that occurred from late 2007 to mid-2009.

in 2009 and dissolved the partnership with Caruso Affiliated, with Caruso Affiliated a filing a $21 million bankruptcy claim in 2010 to cover damages Caruso Affiliated incurred as a result of the inability to complete the project. The plan to build "The Shops at Santa Anita" was ultimately terminated on May 20, 2011.

Top employers

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

Tourism

The

is located in Arcadia across from the Santa Anita mall and racetrack. The

peafowl Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...

that roam free on the grounds and in the neighborhoods near the arboretum are a remainder of the former Baldwin ranch. When the peafowl were brought from India, they helped control snakes and snails on his farm. They are considered an attraction to some residents and a nuisance to others due to their loud cries and the droppings they leave on residents' properties.

Government

Local government

Arcadia is a

charter city Home rule in the United States relates to the authority of a constituent part of a U.S. state to exercise powers of governance (i.e., whether such powers must be specifically delegated to it by the state—typically by legislative action—or a ...

governed by a five-member City Council, with each member serving a four-year term. The Council elects from its membership a Mayor to serve as its presiding officer for a one-year term. Effective with the 2018 elections, Arcadia voters elect a City Council member by geographical district instead of at-large. The current city council members are: *Mayor: Sharon Kwan *Mayor Pro Tem: Eileen Wang *City Council: Michael Cao, Paul P. Cheng, and David Fu

List of mayors

This is a list of Arcadia mayors by year. *1927–1930 A. N. Multer *1930–1931 John M. Walshe *1931–1932 Harry A. Link *1932 John J. Bottema *1932 Earl Busse *1932–1936 Richard Krebs, Jr. *1936–1937 Grant W. Corby *1937–1938 J. R. Griffitts *1938–1939 A. F. Malin *1939–1940 J. F. Griffitts *1940–1942 A. H. Perkins *1942–1948 M. H. Ormsby *1948–1950 C. Loree Russell *1950–1952 Thomas C. Sullivan *1952–1954 John A. Schmocker *1954 Raymond M. Kennett *1954–1955 Robert Dow *1955–1956 Dwight L. Hulse *1956–1957 Donald S. Camphouse *1957–1958 Robert F. Dennis *1958–1959 Elton D. Phillips *1959–1960 Conrad T. Reibold *1960–1961 Donald S. Camphouse *1961–1962 Jesse Balser *1962–1963 Edward L. Butterworth *1963–1964 Elton D. Phillips *1964–1965 Dale E. Turner *1965–1966 Conrad T. Reibold *1966–1967 George Forman *1967–1968 Robert J. Considine *1968–1969 Don W. Hage *1969–1970 C. Robert Arth *1970–1971 Edward L. Butterworth *1971–1972 James R. Helms *1972–1973 Don W. Hage *1973–1974 C. Robert Arth *1974–1975 Alton E. Scott *1975–1976 Charles E. Gilb *1976–1977 Floretta K. Lauber - First woman mayor of Arcadia. *1977–1978 Jack Saelid *1978–1979 David E. Parry *1979–1980 Robert G. Margett *1980–1981 Donald D. Pellegrino *1981–1982 Charles E. Gilb *1982–1983 Donald D. Pellegrino *1983–1984 Dennis A. Lojeski *1984–1985 David S. Hannah *1985–1986 Donald D. Pellegrino *1986–1987 Mary B. Young *1987–1988 Charles E. Gilb *1988–1989 Robert C. Harbricht *1989–1990 Roger Chandler *1990–1991 Mary B. Young *1991–1992 Charles E. Gilb *1992–1993 George Faching *1993–1994 Joseph Ciraulo *1994–1995 Mary B. Young *1995–1996 Dennis A. Lojeski *1996–1997 Barbara D. Kuhn *1997–1998 Robert C. Harbricht *1998–1999 Gary A. Kovacic *1999–2000 Roger Chandler *2000–2001 Gary A. Kovacic *2001–2002 Mickey Segal *2002–2003 Gail A. Marshall *2003 Sheng Chang *2003 Gary A. Kovacic *2003–2004 John Wuo *2004 Mickey Segal *2004–2005 Gary A. Kovacic *2005–2006 John Wuo *2006–2007 Roger Chandler *2007–2008 Mickey Segal *2008–2009 Robert C. Harbricht *2010 Peter Amundson * 2011–2012 Gary A. Kovacic * 2015–2016 Gary A. Kovacic *2016–2017 Tom Beck *2017–2018 Peter Amudson *2018–2019 Sho Tay *2019–2020 April Verlato *2020–2021 Rodger Chandler *2021–2022 Sho Tay *2022–2023 Paul P. Cheng *2023–2024 April Verlato

County government

In the

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

, Arcadia is in the Fifth District, represented by

Kathryn Barger Kathryn Ann Barger-Leibrich (born in 1960) is an American politician who is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 5th District since 2016 and is the Chair of Los Angeles County. A member of the Republican Party (United ...

. The

Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Health Services Los Angeles County, officially the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, operates the public hospitals and clinics in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and is the United States' second largest municip ...

operates the Monrovia Health Center in

, serving Arcadia.

State and federal representation

In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...

, Arcadia is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, Arcadia is in .

Education

For primary and secondary education the city is served by the Arcadia Unified School District. Reading scores for the AUSD are 76.6% higher than the state average and math scores are 67.9% higher than the state average. It is estimated that 88% of Arcadia students are at public schools and 12% in private and/or parochial institutions. Arcadia Unified School District has one highly ranked and prestigious high school, Arcadia High School. It is among the few public high schools in California to receive a distinguished GreatSchools Rating of 10 out of 10. There are three middle schools, and six elementary schools, two which are winners in the United States Department of Education's Blue Ribbon Schools program. Approximately five percent of California schools are awarded this honor each year following a rigorous selection process. Eligibility is based on federal and state criteria including the

No Child Left Behind The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was a 2002 United States Act of Congress promoted by the presidential administration of George W. Bush. It reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and included Title I provision ...

program,

Academic Performance Index The Academic Performance Index (API) was a measurement of academic performance and progress of individual schools in California, United States. The API was one of the main components of the Public Schools Accountability Act passed by the California ...

(API), and

Adequate Yearly Progress Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) was a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allowed the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country was performing ...

(AYP). The requirements are many and strict, and are based on such areas as a strong curriculum, solid library media services, professional teachers, and counseling programs at all grade levels. In 2010, ''

BusinessWeek ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'' (and before that ''Business Week'' and ''The Business Week''), is an American monthly business magazine published 12 times a year. The magazine debuted in New York City in Septembe ...

'' ranked Arcadia as the best place to raise children in the state of California for the second year in a row, citing the city's excellent school system as one of the factors in addition to the low crime rate.

Elementary schools

*Baldwin Stocker Elementary 422 West Lemon Ave., grades K–5, 673 students *Camino Grove Elementary 700 Camino Grove Ave., K–5, 635 students *Highland Oaks Elementary 10 Virginia Dr., K–5, 698 students *Holly Avenue Elementary 360 West Duarte Rd., K–5, 692 students *Longley Way Elementary 2601 Longley Way, K–5, 485 students *Reid (Hugo) Elementary 1000 Hugo Reid Dr., K–5, 634 students

Middle schools

*Dana (Richard Henry) Middle, 1401 South First Ave., grades 6–8, 731 students *First Avenue Middle, 301 South First Ave., grades 6–8, 809 students *Foothills Middle, 171 East Sycamore Ave., grades 6–8, 734 students

High school

* Arcadia High School The

measures the academic performance and growth of schools on a variety of points. Arcadia High School scored 890, making it the highest-performing large high school in California. In 2010, Arcadia High had 29 National Merit Award finalists. Arcadia is also home to the two-time National Championship boys cross-country team (2010 and 2012).

Infrastructure

Police and fire

The Arcadia Police Department and Arcadia Fire Department serves the city of Arcadia. Arcadia hired its first Asian American Police Chief, Roy Nakamura, on January 9, 2021, and its first Asian American Fire Chief, Chen Suen, on November 9, 2022. Both Chiefs were promoted from within their respective organizations.

Transportation

Arcadia has several arterial roads that traverse the city. The major east–west streets include Foothill Boulevard, Huntington Drive, Duarte Road, Las Tunas Drive, and Live Oak Avenue. The major north–south streets include Baldwin Avenue and Santa Anita Avenue. It is also served by the Foothill Freeway (I-210).

Arcadia Transit

The city of Arcadia operates three fixed route services, as well as a

Dial-A-Ride Demand-responsive transport (DRT), also known as demand-responsive transit, demand-responsive service,
US National Trans ...

that provides curb-to-curb service throughout city limits.

Metro A Line

In 2016, Metro opened a new at-grade light rail station in Arcadia. Arcadia Station is located northwest of the intersection of 1st Avenue and Santa Clara Street, and is served by the Metro A Line.

Healthcare

Located at 300 W. Huntington Drive, USC Arcadia Hospital (formerly Methodist Hospital of Southern California) sits on of land. The 460-bed hospital opened in Arcadia in 1957, after moving from downtown Los Angeles. USC Arcadia Hospital was the state's first community hospital to have a psychiatric unit. Its nursery school was one of the first corporate daycare facilities in the U.S. It was an ''Official Hospital of the 1984 Olympic Games''. To keep up with the changing needs of the community, several upgrades have been made to the original facility. In 1998, the Berger Tower was completed, adding 169 beds. USC Arcadia Hospital underwent a major renovation and expansion in 2006, and in the fall of 2011, a new five-story patient tower and new emergency department were opened.

The Methodist Hospital School of Nursing

A School of Nursing opened at the hospital in 1915, with a class of 30 students. Ten years later, a residence was built to accommodate 150 graduate and student nurses. This four-story brick building, known as Philomena Hall, was connected to the hospital by an underground corridor and provided accommodations, classrooms and a gymnasium for the nurses. Beginning in 1944 (after a nine-year school closure), additional housing for nurses was provided in a refurbished residential house adjacent to Philomena Hall. After more than 40 years of operation and the graduation of hundreds of talented young nurses, the School of Nursing closed. Times had changed, and the practice of nursing education had moved into the domain of the formal education system. The school was phased out in 1958 with the graduation of the last nursing class.

Water and sewer

The City of Arcadia provides services for water and sewer to its residents. The city operates its own water distribution system via the Public Works Services Department. Arcadia's water supply comes from groundwater from municipal owned water pumps from the Main San Gabriel Basin and the Raymond Basin, both which are replenished with local rainwater and imported water.

In popular culture

, immortalized in song and literature, passes through Arcadia, on Huntington Drive in Downtown Arcadia, before turning off onto Colorado Place and then Colorado Street. After intersecting the 210 freeway, Route 66 runs parallel to and south of the freeway, cutting across the middle section of Arcadia. The city is mentioned by

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian ...

in his novel ''

On the Road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagoni ...

'': Sal, the protagonist, is put off by "

preppy Preppy (also spelled as preppie, or prep), is an American subculture associated with the alumni of college-preparatory schools in the Northeastern United States. The term, which is an abbreviation of "preparatory", is used to denote a person ...

" teens when he stops for food at a local drive-in restaurant with a young Mexican woman. The vignette demonstrates the culture clash between the "

Beatnik Beatniks were members of a social movement in the mid-20th century, who subscribed to an anti- materialistic lifestyle. They rejected the conformity and consumerism of mainstream American culture and expressed themselves through various forms ...

" way of life and that of 1950s conservative America. In a motel located in Arcadia across the street northeast from Santa Anita Racetrack, author Hunter S. Thompson wrote much of his novel '' Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'' in the 1970s. In Michael Cunningham's novel '' The Hours'', Laura Brown mentions that she heard of a man who died in nearby Arcadia. The McDonald brothers, who later began the

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...

hamburger restaurant chain, opened their first restaurant, The Airdrome, near Monrovia Airport, on the Arcadia–Monrovia border in 1937. The restaurant was located on historic Route 66, now Huntington Drive, but later moved to San Bernardino, California, in 1940. The main setting of the DreamWorks' franchise '' Tales of Arcadia'' took place in Arcadia Oaks, a fictionalized version of Arcadia, California. The 2021 single " Arcadia" by singer

Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...

is named after the city. The first music video also features scenes of the streets of the town.

Filming locations

Many films on location (including Tarzan and the Bing Crosby On the Road movies), television series, most notably '' Fantasy Island'' were filmed in Arcadia. A popular visiting site is the house with the bell tower, where Tattoo rang the bell, is the Queen Anne Cottage, located in the

in Arcadia. The plane, "arriving" with the guests, was filmed in the lagoon behind the Queen Anne Cottage. Occasionally, outdoor scenes and commercials are filmed at the Arboretum have been filmed on the grounds of the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. The

Racetrack is another popular filming locations. The true story film ''

Seabiscuit Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933 – May 17, 1947) was a champion thoroughbred racehorse in the United States who became the top money-winning racehorse up to the 1940s. He beat the 1937 Triple Crown winner, War Admiral, by four lengths in a two-hors ...

'' (2003) was filmed and takes place at the Santa Anita race track. A commercial for Claritin allergy medicine, a

Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota, Toyota Motor Corporation. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked amon ...

commercial, and three episodes of ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...

'' have used it as a location ("Walk on Water", "Drowning on Dry Land" and "Some Kind of Miracle"). This city was one of the filming locations for

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

' comedy film ''

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

'' (1994). The fantasy-comedy film '' Matilda'' was shot here in 1996. A scene from '' Step Brothers'' (2008) was shot at the nearby Derby restaurant. Scenes from '' Mission: Impossible III'' (2006) were shot at Methodist Hospital. In the movie ''

Cloverfield ''Cloverfield'' is a 2008 American Found footage (film technique), found footage monster movie, monster horror film directed by Matt Reeves and written by Drew Goddard. It stars Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller (in his film debut), Mic ...

'', the scene in which the survivors walk inside

Bloomingdale's Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain founded in 1861 by Joseph Bloomingdale and Lyman Bloomingdale. It was acquired by Federated Department Stores in 1930, which purchased the Macy's department store chain in 1994, ...

was actually filmed inside a Robinsons-May store under reconstruction inside the Westfield Santa Anita in Arcadia. The film '' Eagle Eye'' (2008) was also filmed in this location. Scenes from '' Kicking & Screaming'' (2005) were shot at Foothill Middle School and in Arcadia homes. The movie ''The Lone Ranger'' (2013) filmed their train scenes here within the Santa Anita Race Track parking lot by building an elevated 'roller coaster' like track. The comedy film '' Deal of a Lifetime'' (1999) was filmed entirely at Arcadia High School. The movie '' Moxie'' (2021) was filmed at Arcadia High School's North Gym and Salter Stadium.

Notable people

* Michael Anthony, bassist of the band

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...

, graduated from Arcadia High School in 1972 * Marty Barrett (born 1958), baseball player * Ryan Bergara, cohost on Buzzfeed Unsolved and cofounder of Watcher Entertainment *

Harold Budd Harold Montgomory Budd (May 24, 1936December 8, 2020) was an American music composer and poet. Born in Los Angeles and raised in the Mojave Desert, he became a respected composer in the minimal music and avant-garde scene of Southern California ...

, music composer and poet * Tracy Caldwell Dyson, astronaut. Born in Arcadia. * Jason Chen, singer * David Cohen (born 1984), jockey * Jimmy Conrad, soccer player who represented the United States national team *

Sven Davidson Sven Viktor Davidson (13 July 1928 – 28 May 2008) was a Sweden, Swedish tennis player who became the first Swede to win a Grand Slam (tennis), Grand Slam title when he won the French Championships in 1957 French Championships – Men's singles ...

, tennis player who won the

French Open The French Open (), also known as Roland-Garros (), is a tennis tournament organized by the French Tennis Federation annually at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. It is chronologically the second of the four Grand Slam (tennis), Grand Slam ...

and

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...

* John Grabow, major league baseball pitcher * Jeff Grosso (1968–2020), professional skateboarder * Phil Hendrie, radio personality, grew up in Arcadia and graduated from Arcadia High School in 1970 * Colleen Kay Hutchins, Miss America 1952, was raised in Arcadia *

Maren Jensen Maren Jensen is an American former model and actress, best known for portraying Lieutenant Athena in the 1978–79 television series ''Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series), Battlestar Galactica''. Jensen also made guest appearances in several US ...

, actress, was born in Arcadia * Brittany Klein, soccer player * Rudy Kurniawan, wine swindler * Jimmy Lambert, baseball player * Ted Leonard of band Enchant was born in Arcadia *

Jet Li Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese-born Singaporean Martial arts, martial artist and actor. With a Jet Li filmography, film career spanning more than forty years, Li is re ...

, international film star and martial artist, resided in Arcadia with his wife, a former Miss China *

Johnny Lindell John Harlan Lindell (August 30, 1916 – August 27, 1985) was an American professional baseball player who was an outfielder and pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1941 to 1950 and from 1953 to 1954 for the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinal ...

, Major League Baseball player * Bruce McNall, owned NHL's

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...

, was born in Arcadia *

Mirai Nagasu is an American former competitive Figure skating, figure skater. She is a Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics – Team event, 2018 Olympic Games team event bronze medalist, three-time Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Four Co ...

, Olympic figure skater, 6-time medalist in U.S. championships *

Lindsay Price Lindsay Jaylyn Price Stone (born December 6, 1976) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Janet Sosna on '' Beverly Hills, 90210'' and as Victory Ford on '' Lipstick Jungle''. She is also known for her work on soap ...

, actress and wife of

Curtis Stone Curtis Travis Stone (born 4 November 1975) is an Australian celebrity chef, author, and television personality. Stone has been the fresh food and recipes ambassador for Coles Supermarkets in Australia since 2010. Early life Stone was born ...

* Jason Robertson, professional hockey player * Nick Robertson, professional hockey player * John Speraw, Head Coach US Men's Olympic Volleyball Team * Mark Tuan, member of South Korean boy-band GOT7, attended Arcadia High School * Rena Wang, badminton player * Steve Westly, politician and venture capitalist *

Wil Wheaton Richard William "Wil" Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor and writer. He portrayed Wesley Crusher on the television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Gordie Lachance in the film ''Stand by Me (film), Stand by Me'', ...

, actor, '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' *

George Woolf George Monroe Woolf (May 31, 1910 – January 4, 1946), nicknamed "The Iceman", was a Canadian thoroughbred race horse jockey. An annual jockey's award given by the United States Jockeys' Guild is named in his honor. He became known for riding t ...

, horse jockey, owner of The Derby restaurant in Arcadia and rider of

Tim Worrell Timothy Howard Worrell (born July 5, 1967) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. A right-hander, he pitched all or parts of 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as a relief pitcher. During his major league career, Worrel ...

, professional baseball pitcher * Todd Worrell, professional baseball relief pitcher *

Erica Wu Erica Shen-Ning Wu (born May 15, 1996) is an American table tennis player who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She was the 2011 and 2012 US national champion in women's doubles (with Gao Jun) and reached the semifinals in women' ...

, table tennis Olympian *

Genie GEnie (General Electric Network for Information Exchange) was an online service provider, online service created by a General Electric business, GEIS (now GXS Inc., GXS), that ran from 1985 through the end of 1999. In 1994, GEnie claimed around ...

, a feral child

Sister cities

Arcadia has one

sister city 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 inte ...

(

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...

, Australia), as designated by

Sister Cities International Sister Cities International (SCI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) with the goal of facilitating partnerships between communities within the United States and other countries by establishing sister cities. Sister cities are agreements of ...

. Consequently, Newcastle Park can be found on Colorado Boulevard. There is also an Arcadia Park in Newcastle.

References

External links

*
Arcadia Historical Society
{{authority control 1903 establishments in California Populated places established in 1903 Cities in Los Angeles County, California Communities in the San Gabriel Valley Incorporated cities and towns in California Chinese-American culture in California