Azusa (
Tongva: ''Azuksa'', meaning "skunk") is a city in the
San Gabriel Valley region of
Los Angeles County, California, United States, at the foot 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 ...
and located east of
downtown Los Angeles.
Its population was 50,000 in 2020, an increase from 46,361 at the
2010 census. Azusa is located along historic
Route 66, which passes through the city on Foothill Boulevard and Alosta Avenue.
Azusa is bordered by 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 ...
range to the north,
Irwindale to the west, the unincorporated community of
Vincent
Vincent (Latin: ''Vincentius'') is a masculine given name originating from the Roman name ''Vincentius'', which itself comes from the Latin verb ''vincere'', meaning "to conquer."
People with the given name Artists
*Vincent Apap (1909–2003) ...
to the southwest,
Glendora and the unincorporated community of
Citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes.
''Citrus'' is nativ ...
to the east, and
Covina to the south.
History
The name "Azusa" appears to have been derived from the
Tongva place name
Asuksa-nga, meaning "skunk place," with asuksa meaning skunk and -nga denoting place.
The first human settlements in the area date back to approximately 6000 BC. The
Takic people moved into the area and the
Tongva people (''Gabrieleño'' Indians), now commonly regarded as the indigenous people of the region, arrived by at least 55 BC.
A
backronym, "Azusa stands for everything from A to Z in the U.S.A.", has been a phrase used for many years by organizations such as the
Chamber of Commerce to promote the city.
The first Mexican settlement in Azusa was at the
Rancho el Susa in 1841, a Mexican
land grant from the
Alta California
Alta California (, ), also known as Nueva California () among other names, was a province of New Spain formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but was made a separat ...
Governor
Juan Bautista Alvarado to
Luis Arenas. In 1844, Arenas sold the rancho's land to Henry Dalton, an English immigrant and wealthy merchant from the
Pueblo of Los Angeles, for $7,000. He renamed it
Rancho Azusa de Dalton, and had built a winery, distillery, vinegar house, meat smokehouse, and flour mill. Also, a
vineyard
A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
was planted. Dalton built a house here on a place known as Dalton Hill, near 6th Street and Cerritos Avenue in Azusa.
Dalton was also the owner of the large, adjacent
Rancho San Francisquito and
Rancho Santa Anita properties. In the end, Dalton owned an unbroken expanse of land from present-day
San Dimas to the eastern edge of
Pasadena. A portion of Azusa west of the San Gabriel River was within adjacent
Rancho Azusa de Duarte.
With the
cession of California to the United States following the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...
, the 1848
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho San Francisquito was filed with the
Public Land Commission in 1852 and confirmed by the Commission in 1853, but rejected by the US District Court in 1855, on the grounds that Henry Dalton was not, at the time of the grant, a citizen of Mexico. The decree was reversed by the
US Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...
, and the grant was
patented to Henry Dalton in 1867.
Azusa was listed in the
1860 US census as a township (encompassing the
Azusa de Dalton and
Azusa de Duarte ranchos) with a population of 363. The
1870 US census listed the area as the township of Azusa – El Monte Township and
1880 US census listed the area as the township of
San Jose and Azusa. There were a few corrections to cross out the San Jose name on most of the census pages, but this was done sporadically and there remain many index errors in the online census due to these errors.
Dalton had borrowed money from Los Angeles banker
Jonathan S. Slauson to fund 24 years of litigation, and had to sign the land over to him in 1880. Slauson laid out the plan for the city in 1887 and the city was officially
incorporated in 1898.
The completion of the
Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad in January 1887, later sold to the
Santa Fe railroad, brought new people looking for homes and investment opportunities to Azusa. Part of this land boom was the short-lived town of Gladstone in 1887, which merged into Azusa in 1905. The
Pacific Electric also provided the community with passenger rail service via its
Monrovia-Glendora Line from 1907 to 1951. The
A Line Foothill light rail line was built on the old Sante Fe right-of-way.
Geography
The city is located at the entrance to the San Gabriel Canyon, giving the city its nickname "The Canyon City." It is on the east side of the
San Gabriel River.
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 ; over 99% of it is land.
Climate
This region experiences warm, dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Azusa has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.
Demographics
Azusa first appeared as a city in the
1860 US census.
[
]
2020
The 2020 United States census reported that Azusa had a population of 50,000. The population density was . The racial makeup of Azusa was 27.6% 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 ...
, 3.5% 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 ...
, 2.6% Native American, 14.8% Asian, 0.1% 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 ...
, 31.2% from other races, and 20.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 64.0% of the population.
The census reported that 94.4% of the population lived in households, 5.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.3% were institutionalized.[
There were 14,735 households, out of which 38.1% included children under the age of 18, 46.3% were married-couple households, 7.7% were cohabiting couple households, 28.4% had a female householder with no partner present, and 17.6% had a male householder with no partner present. 17.6% of households were one person, and 6.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.2.][ There were 11,071 families (75.1% of all households).
The age distribution was 21.2% under the age of 18, 14.9% aged 18 to 24, 28.3% aged 25 to 44, 24.1% aged 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 34.1years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males.][
There were 15,315 housing units at an average density of , of which 14,735 (96.2%) were occupied. Of these, 53.3% were owner-occupied, and 46.7% were occupied by renters.][
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 31.8% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 44.9% spoke only English at home, 42.8% spoke Spanish, 2.0% spoke other ]Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...
, 9.3% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 1.0% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 80.2% were high school graduates and 26.9% had a bachelor's degree.
The median household income in 2023 was $85,727, and the per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
was $31,884. About 8.7% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010
The 2010 United States census reported that Azusa had a population of 46,361. The population density was . The racial makeup of Azusa was 26,715 (57.6%) 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 ...
(19.3% Non-Hispanic White), 1,499 (3.2%) 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 ...
, 562 (1.2%) Native American, 4,054 (8.7%) Asian, 87 (0.2%) 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 ...
, 11,270 (24.3%) from other races, and 2,174 (4.7%) from two or more races. There were 31,328 people of 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 origin, of any race (67.6%).
The census reported that 43,559 people (94.0% of the population) lived in households, 2,691 (5.8%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 111 (0.2%) were institutionalized.
There were 12,716 households, out of which 5,955 (46.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6,310 (49.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,275 (17.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,014 (8.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 891 (7.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 104 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,238 households (17.6%) were made up of individuals, and 761 (6.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.43. There were 9,599 families (75.5% of all households); the average family size was 3.85.
The population was spread out, with 12,407 people (26.8%) under the age of 18, 7,724 people (16.7%) aged 18 to 24, 13,185 people (28.4%) aged 25 to 44, 9,469 people (20.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,576 people (7.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.
There were 13,386 housing units at an average density of , of which 6,802 (53.5%) were owner-occupied, and 5,914 (46.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.6%. 22,805 people (49.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 20,754 people (44.8%) lived in rental housing units.
During 2009–2013, Azusa had a median household income of $52,001, with 20.1% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
In 2000, Mexican and German were the most common ancestries. Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and the Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
were the most common foreign countries of birth.
Economy
According to the City of Azusa's FY 2014–15 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
Azusa was the former home of the Lucky Lager brewery and its successor, General Brewing. Built in 1949, the facility was purchased and converted to production by Miller Brewery in May 1966. A decade later, Miller relocated its operations to the nearby city of Irwindale and the Azusa facility ceased production in 1980, eventually being demolished.
;Professional sports teams
Superfund site
Aerojet, a rocket engine
A rocket engine is a reaction engine, producing thrust in accordance with Newton's third law by ejecting reaction mass rearward, usually a high-speed Jet (fluid), jet of high-temperature gas produced by the combustion of rocket propellants stor ...
manufacturer, had a plant in Azusa from World War II to 2001. In 1980, it was determined that under Aerojet's facility there was TCE water contamination in the groundwater
Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and Pore space in soil, soil pore spaces and in the fractures of stratum, rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available fresh water in the world is groundwater. A unit ...
, whose plume was entering the aquifer
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing material, consisting of permeability (Earth sciences), permeable or fractured rock, or of unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Aquifers vary greatly in their characteristics. The s ...
under the city and of the San Gabriel Valley groundwater basin. The San Gabriel Valley aquifer is very valuable, providing most of the drinking water in the area at a fraction of the cost of water imported by aqueducts.[ In 1985, the U.S. EPA declared it a ]Superfund Site
Superfund sites are Pollution, polluted locations in the United States requiring a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations. Sites include landfills, mines, manufacturing facilities, processing plants where toxic waste h ...
.[
In 1997, additional chemical contamination, mostly NDMA and ammonium perchlorate, was found in the site's groundwater. Aerojet was named the Responsible Party for the ]groundwater remediation
Groundwater remediation is the process that is used to treat polluted groundwater by removing the pollutants or converting them into harmless products. Groundwater is water present below the ground surface that saturates the pore space in the sub ...
(cleanup) work and expenses. Aerojet sold the property in 2001 to Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace and Arms industry, defense company. With 97,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $40 billion, it is one of the world's largest Arms industry ...
Corporation, but remained the Responsible Party for the pollution.
In a 2002 court decision, Aerojet and seven other San Gabriel Valley groundwater polluters agreed to provide funding to build and operate six water-treatment facilities. One of the main contaminants is perchlorate, a carcinogenic component of rocket fuels produced by Aerojet.[
]
Government
City Council elections were held on a Tuesday after the first Monday in March in odd-numbered years until the 2017 election. Effective with the 2020 California Primary election, they are held on a Tuesday after the first Monday in March of even-numbered years. The Mayor is elected to a two-year term, City Council members are elected to a four-year term and elected at-large.
In the California State Legislature, Azusa 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 ...
, Azusa is in .
The city mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
is Robert Gonzales.
On March 9, 2011, Azusa voters approved an agreement between Azusa Rock, Inc. and the city to address environmental issues associated with hillside mining in the area. The benefits of the proposed agreement has been questioned by several groups.
Education
;Public schools
Azusa is served by the Azusa Unified School District. Its schools include:
*Seven traditional elementary schools: Dalton, Hodge, Lee, Magnolia, Murray, Paramount, and Valleydale
*One Kindergarten-only elementary school: Longfellow
* Gladstone Middle School
* Azusa High School
*Sierra (Continuation) High School — a model continuation school
*Azusa Adult School
;Private schools
*St. Frances of Rome Elementary School (grades K–8) — part of St. Frances of Rome Catholic Church, in the Los Angeles Archdiocese
* Azusa Pacific University — a private Christian university
* Dhammakaya Open University — a private Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
university
Transportation
Azusa lies along the Foothill Freeway (I-210) between the San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) and the Orange Freeway (SR 57). Azusa Avenue ( SR 39) extends from the Angeles National Forest starting at San Gabriel Canyon Road/Sierra Madre Avenue south through Orange County.
Azusa serves as the terminus for the Los Angeles Metro Rail A line light rail
Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
, which stops at Azusa Downtown station adjacent to Azusa City Hall before terminating at APU/Citrus College station at the eastern border of Azusa by Citrus College. On March 5, 2016, Azusa became the eastern terminus of the first phase of the Foothill Extension of the L Line (now the northeastern terminus of the A Line) which previously operated between Los Angeles Union Station
A union station, union terminal, joint station, or joint-use station is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway company, railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently bet ...
and Sierra Madre Villa station in eastern Pasadena.
The A Line operates along former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway right-of-way purchased by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), branded as Metro, is the county agency that plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the Transportation in Los Angeles, public transportation system in Los Ang ...
in 1993. MTA is currently pre-constructing and planning to extend the line to the end of its reserved right-of-way in Montclair, just across the San Bernardino County line. In October 2009, the MTA Board unanimously voted to include the Foothill Extension in its long-range plan, and approved funding for the construction and operation of the Foothill Extension's first phase to Azusa. This phase of the extension broke ground in June 2010.
The Metrolink San Bernardino Line stops nearby at Covina station and Baldwin Park station several times each day.
Principal streets
Azusa's main arterial streets are:
*Azusa Avenue ( State Route 39) — begins in the Angeles National Forest, proceeds down from 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 ...
and south crossing the Foothill Freeway (I-210) and I-10, and continues through Orange County to the Pacific Coast Highway.
* Foothill Boulevard — this section begins at the San Gabriel River crossing into Irwindale, and enters Azusa, passes Azusa Pacific University, and jogs north at Citrus Avenue. Continuing straight past Citrus, the street becomes Alosta Avenue, where at Amelia Avenue, it turns back into Foothill Boulevard. Irwindale and turns into Alosta Avenue and travels in front of Azusa Pacific University. The Azusa section of Foothill Boulevard was on historic U.S. Route 66.
* San Gabriel Avenue — begins at Sierra Madre Avenue, and travels south, connecting into Azusa Avenue. San Gabriel Avenue is used for the annual Azusa Golden Days Parade.
Healthcare
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Monrovia Health Center in Monrovia, serving Azusa.
In popular culture
A popular running gag on the long-running radio comedy '' The Jack Benny Program'' involved a character voiced by Mel Blanc announcing the arrival or departure of a train to or from " Anaheim, Azusa, and Cuc-a-monga," all three then being small towns without rail service at the time.
Azusa boasted the world's first Go Kart factory as of 1958. The product proved very popular. Go Kart went into bankruptcy in 1963.
The city's name appeared in the title of the Jan and Dean song "Anaheim, Azusa, & Cucamonga Sewing Circle, Book Review and Timing Association" in 1964.
In 1971 ''Life'' magazine ran a cover story on teen pregnancy featuring a unique program for pregnant high school teens. The story focused on teenage mothers attending Citrus High School in Azusa. At a time when many pregnant teens were shunned by their schools and families, Citrus High School sought to help the teen mothers continue their studies while pregnant.
In '' Hold Back the Dawn'' (1941), Emmy Brown ( Olivia de Havilland), a schoolmarm from Azusa, recites the claim that it "stands for everything from A to Z in the U.S.A." The same happens in '' A Woman's Secret'' (1949), with Susan Caldwell ( Gloria Grahame), born and raised in Azusa, describing the town's name as "kind of a made-up name". In ''Six Feet Under'' (TV series), a professor sends an assistant to Azusa and recites the same claim, saying “that’s how you guys name your towns here”.
Sister cities
Azusa has one sister city:
* Zacatecas
Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...
, State of Zacatecas, Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
Notable people
* Hank Aguirre, major league baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher
* Rocky Dennis, born with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia and subject of the motion picture ''Mask''
* Mack Ray Edwards (1918–1971), Heavy equipment operator, and child sex abuser/serial killer
* Adore Delano, Season 7 American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
semi-finalist, Season 6 RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
finalist, Season 2 RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars contestant, YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
personality
* Billy Kilmer, NFL quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
for the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, the New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
, and the Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
* Shinya Kimura, motorcycle builder
* Zack Padilla, world champion boxer
* Anthony Robbins, life coach and author
* Lizette Salas, professional golfer
* Judson Scott, actor
* Greggy Soriano, cake designer and reality TV personality
* Tatiana Suarez (born 1990), mixed martial artist
* Ruth Wysocki, track athlete, 1978 U.S. champion in 800 meters
*Members of Silent Planet, metalcore
Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...
band
* Scheana Shay, television personality and singer
See also
* Azusa Civic Center
References
External links
*
Azusa Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Cities in Los Angeles County, California
Communities in the San Gabriel Valley
Incorporated cities and towns in California
1898 establishments in California
Military Superfund sites
Chicano and Mexican neighborhoods in California