Get to know Arcadia, CA

The city of Arcadia rests in the San Gabriel Valley at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains.  It is roughly 13 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles and was named after the Greek city of the same name.  The area was home to the Tongva Native Americans until it became part of the San Gabriel Mission in 1771.  In 1845, Perfecto Hugo Reid was issued the Mexican land grant for Rancho Santa Anita, before selling it to his neighbor, Henry Dalton, in 1847.  The rancho had several owners before being purchased by Elias Jackson “Lucky” Baldwin in 1875.  The main line of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad, later the Santa Fe Railroad line, opened through the ranch in 1885.  In World War I, Arcadia was home to the Army’s Ross Field Balloon School.  After the war and into the 1930’s the city began to transition to the residential city that is today.  In 1934, Santa Anita Park, a horse racing track, opened.  It became the site of the Santa Anita Assembly Center in 1942.  Here Japanese Americans were processed before being relocated to internment camps.  Following World War II, Arcadia boomed as the well-to-do suburb of Pasadena.  In 1951, Hinshaw’s department store opened, beginning the transformation of the city into one of the San Gabriel Valley’s leading shopping district.  The city’s economy is based mainly on wholesale trade, retail, and manufacturing, in addition to revenue from the Santa Anita Racetrack.  The largest employer in Arcadia is Vons Companies Inc.  The city has been the set for a number of films, including Seabiscuit and Matilda.  Popular attractions include the Santa Anita race track and the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.  Famous residents have included Jet Li and Wil Wheaton.

Quick Facts

Population: 57,564

Median Household Income: $79,934

Median Property: 870,800