Torrance, California
Encyclopedia
Torrance is a city
incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay
(southwestern) region of Los Angeles County, California
, United States
. Torrance has 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean
, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay
, such as those of neighboring Redondo Beach
and Manhattan Beach
. Torrance enjoys a moderate year-round climate with warm temperatures, sea breezes, low humidity and an average rainfall of 12.55 inches per year.
The Torrance population was 145,438 at the 2010 census. This residential and light-high-tech industries city has 90,000 street trees and 30 city parks. Torrance is the birthplace of the AYSO – American Youth Soccer Organization
.
homeland for thousands of years. In 1784 the Spanish land grant
for Rancho San Pedro
, in the upper Las Californias
Province of New Spain
and encompassing present day Torrance, was issued to Juan Jose Dominguez by King Carlos III—the Spanish Empire
. It was later divided in 1846 with Governor Pío Pico
granting Rancho de los Palos Verdes
to José Loreto and Juan Capistrano Sepulveda, in the Alta California
territory of independent Mexico
.
In the early 1900s, real estate developer Jared Sidney Torrance
and other investors saw the value of creating a mixed industrial
-residential community south of Los Angeles
. They purchased part of an old Spanish land grant and hired landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
to design a new planned community. The resulting town was founded in October 1912 and named after Torrance. The city of Torrance was formally incorporated in May 1921. The first residential avenue created in Torrance was Gramercy and the second avenue was Andreo. Many of the house on these avenues turn 100 years of age in 2012. Both avenues are located in the area referred to as Old Town Torrance. This section of Torrance is under review to be classified as a historical district. Some of the early civic and residential buildings were designed by the renowned and innovative Southern California
architect
Irving Gill
, in his distinctive combining of Mission Revival
and early Modernist architecture
.
Historically the El Nido neighborhood was home to many European immigrants, such as originally Dutch
, German
, Greek
, Italian and Portuguese
people; soon joined by Mexican-American and Hispanic and Latino
immigrants; employed in the growing early 20th century agriculture, petroleum, and manufacturing industries, such as the fish canneries.
Rapid new growth in Torrance began after World War II
as wartime industries transformed into Post-war
Aerospace manufacturer
s and related technology industries. Large housing developments were built in the 1950s and 1960s to accommodate the new population. Torrance moved on after the closure of some aerospace development and oil refinery plants in the 1990s statewide recession.
Torrance survived the deindustrialization, regional economic slowdowns and national recessions in the 1970s to 2000s. Large-scale Asian
immigration in the past couple of decades has transformed Torrance into a diverse and multicultural
city.
boundaries show the city has a total area of 20.5 square miles (53.1 km²), virtually all land.
Torrance is a coastal community in southwestern Los Angeles County, as seen on the map above, sharing the climate and geographical features common to the Greater Los Angeles area
. Its boundaries are: Redondo Beach Boulevard and the cities of Lawndale
and Gardena
to the north; Western Avenue
and the Harbor Gateway neighborhood of Los Angeles
to the east; the Palos Verdes Hills
with the cities of Lomita
, Rolling Hills Estates
and Palos Verdes Estates
on the south; and the Pacific Ocean
and city of Redondo Beach
to the west.
Torrance Beach lies between Redondo Beach
and Malaga Cove on Santa Monica Bay
. The southernmost stretch of Torrance Beach, on a cove at the northern end of the Palos Verdes
peninsula, is known to locals as "Rat Beach
."
One of the country's few urban wetland
s, the Madrona Marsh
, is found in Torrance to explore. It is a nature preserve
, on land once set for oil production and saved development, with restoration
projects enhancing the vital habitat for birds, wildlife, and native plant
s. A Nature center
provides activities, information, and classes for school children and visitors of all ages.
Residents of an unincorporated area to the east of Harbor Gateway abutting the city of Carson
are allowed to use "Torrance" in their addresses by the USPS
.
The Del Amo Fashion Center
, at 2.5 million square feet (232,000 m²), is one of the largest malls
in the United States
. Estimates vary between the second largest (after the Mall of America
) and the fourth largest, depending on the measurements used. The current mall was created when Del Amo Center, built in 1958, merged with Del Amo Fashion Square, built in 1970. Once located on opposite sides of Carson Street, a gigantic expansion of the mall spanning Carson Street joined the two centers by 1982, making it the longest mall in the world at the time. In 2005, the east end of the original mall north of Carson Street was demolished to make way for a new open-air shopping center, opened in mid-September, 2006. The new center features upscale clothiers Anthropologie
, Coach, H&M
and Urban Outfitters
as well as the restaurant P.F. Chang's
. The housewares retail giant Crate & Barrel
opened in what was once a section of the mall parking lot in Spring 2007. Torrance also borders the South Bay Galleria
, which resides in Redondo Beach.
The Armed Forces Day
Parade in Torrance, which was first produced in 1960, is the longest running military parade sponsored by a city. It is held annually on Armed Forces Day, and runs down Torrance Boulevard. The parade features military vehicles, school bands, and prominent community members.
The Torrance Cultural Arts Center hosts cultural events year-round. Regular performances are provided by the groups belonging to the Torrance Performing Arts Consortium, including The Aerospace Players
, Los Cancioneros Master Chorale, South Bay Ballet, South Bay Conservatory, and The Torrance Symphony.
Torrance is also home to the Southern California Live Steamers Miniature Railroad. located at the Southeast corner of Charles H. Wilson Park. Free train rides on actual miniature live steam trains are given on the first Sunday and third Saturday of each month and the 4th of July. SCLS was one of the first live steam clubs in California started in 1946 with original members like Walt Disney, Olie Johnston and Ward Kimball all of Disney fame. The club moved to Torrance in 1986 after leaving the Lomita Railway Museum property.
The Torrance City Parks Department directs and maintains the thirty varied Torrance City Parks. They include:
or Dry-Summer Subtropical (Köppen climate classification
Csb on the coast).
The period of November through March is somewhat rainy, as shown in the table to left.
The Los Angeles area is also subject to the phenomenon typical of a microclimate
. As such, the temperatures can vary as much as 18°F (10°C) between inland areas and the coast, with a temperature gradient of over one degree per mile (1.6 km) from the coast inland. California has also a weather phenomenon called "June Gloom
or May Gray", which sometimes brings overcast or foggy skies in the morning on the coast, followed by sunny skies by noon during late spring and early summer.
was 7,076.1 people per square mile (2,732.1/km²). The racial makeup of Torrance was 74,333 (51.1%) White, 3,955 (2.7%) African American, 554 (0.4%) Native American, 50,240 (34.5%) Asian, 530 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 7,808 (5.4%) from other races
, and 8,018 (5.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23,440 persons (16.1%).
The Census reported that 144,292 people (99.2% of the population) lived in households, 506 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 640 (0.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 56,001 households, out of which 18,558 (33.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 29,754 (53.1%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 6,148 (11.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,510 (4.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,152 (3.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 309 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 14,472 households (25.8%) were made up of individuals and 5,611 (10.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58. There were 38,412 families
(68.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.14.
The population was spread out with 31,831 people (21.9%) under the age of 18, 10,875 people (7.5%) aged 18 to 24, 38,296 people (26.3%) aged 25 to 44, 42,710 people (29.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 21,726 people (14.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.
There were 58,377 housing units at an average density of 2,840.3 per square mile (1,096.6/km²), of which 31,621 (56.5%) were owner-occupied, and 24,380 (43.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%. 85,308 people (58.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 58,984 people (40.6%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 137,946 people, 54,542 households, and 36,270 families residing in the city. The population density
was 6,715.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,593.1/km²). There were 55,967 housing units at an average density of 2,724.7 per square mile (1,052.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 59.16% White
, 28.61% Asian
, 2.19% Black
or African American
, 0.41% Native American, 0.35% Pacific Islander
, 4.57% from other races
, and 4.72% from two or more races. 12.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino
of any race.
There were 54,542 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples
living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $76,312, and the median income for a family was $93,473. Males had a median income of $50,606 versus $36,334 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $39,118. About 4.7% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
ese automaker
s, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.
(overseas office of Toyota), and American Honda Motor Company
. Robinson Helicopter
s are designed and built in Torrance as are Honeywell
's Garrett
turbocharger
s, used on automobile
engines worldwide. Alcoa
Fastening Systems is Headquartered in Torrance as well, producing aerospace fasteners. Pacific Sales, PC Mall
and Pelican Products
are among the other companies based in Torrance.
According to the City’s 2009-10 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s top 10 employers (and # of employees) are:
As a major oil-producing region, Torrance was once dotted with thousands of oil wells and oil derricks. Though the oil wells are not as common as they once were, the ExxonMobil
refinery
in the north end of the city is responsible for much of Southern California's gasoline supply. Torrance was also an important hub and shop site of the Pacific Electric Railway
.
Torrance has a busy general aviation
airport, originally named simply "Torrance Airport" and since renamed Zamperini Field
after local track star, World War II hero and Torrance High graduate Louis Zamperini
. The airport handles approximately 175,000 annual take-offs and landings (473 per day ), down from the 1974 record of 428,000 operations. Airport noise abatement is a major local issue. In 2007 the Western Museum of Flight
moved to Zamperini Field.
Torrance is also home to the world headquarters of Sunrider
International, as well as the U.S. Headquarters of numerous leading automotive aftermarket companies, including: Alpine Electronics
, Speed Star Racing Wheels, Tanabe Racing Development, Koyo
radiators, Stoptech brakes, Cosworth
, and Edelbrock
.
Torrance is also home to the main bakery facility for King's Hawaiian
, the dominant brand
of Hawaii
an bread
in North America
.
Girl Skateboards and footwear companies Lakai
and Globe have headquarters in Torrance. Electronics manufacturer Panasonic
has a plant manufacturing DVD-RAM
and Blu-Ray media in Torrance. The United States division of Japanese videogame company Tecmo is also headquartered in Torrance. TabletKiosk
, manufacturer of Tablet PCs, UMPCs and Mobile Computing Accessories is headquartered in Torrance.
operates its United States headquarters, a customer relations and services office, in Suite 100 at Gramercy Plaza at 2050 West 190th Street in Torrance. The Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) raided the office on Thursday March 15, 2007; Laura Eimiller, the FBI spokesperson, did not say why the office was raided. The office resumed operations that afternoon. The raid caused the carrier to not sell ticket reservations for several hours. Aurora Publishing
, American subsidiary of Japanese publisher Ohzora Publishing
, is headquartered in Torrance.
Using the Council/Manager form of government, the City Council, as the elected body, adopts legislation, sets policy, adjudicates issues, and establishes the budget of the City. The municipality is supported by a general fund budget of about $160 million. The City Council appoints the City Manager and the City Attorney.
According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s various funds had $192.7 million in Revenues, $167.3 million in expenditures, $179.1 million in total assets, $56.1 million in total liabilities, and $140.2 million in cash in investments.
The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:
cable TV interests, scheduling public-access programming, facilities, and equipment for the community and Public-access television channels, and disbursement of Foundation funds. The Civil Service Commission is responsible for all examinations for the original selection and promotion of city employees. The Commission on Aging deals with the needs and issues confronting senior citizens in the community. The Cultural Arts Commission assists the City Council in providing for and promoting opportunities for the artistic and cultural development of citizens. The Disaster Council conducts regular surveys of disaster readiness in the City and disseminates alert information to the public. The Environmental Quality Energy Conservation Commission deals with commercial sign reviews, oil production and oil site maintenance, animal control, beautification awards, community noise control, energy conservation, property nuisances, and property maintenance. The Library Commission makes recommendations regarding the operation of the library system. The Parks Recreation Commission advises and makes recommendations on matters pertinent to a public park and recreation program. The Planning Commission works with the Community Development Department in the preparation of master plans and zoning studies that affect the growth and development of Torrance. The Traffic Commission makes recommendations to the City Council on street and traffic improvement. The Water Commission makes recommendations for assuring high-quality non-interruptible water service at the lowest possible cost. The Youth Council is an advisory body to City Council on matters pertaining to youth in Torrance.
operates the Torrance Post Office at 2510 Monterrey Street, the Marcelina Post Office at 1433 Marcelina Avenue, the Walteria Post Office at 4216 Pacific Coast Highway, the North Torrance Post Office at 18080 Crenshaw Boulevard, and the Del Amo Post Office at 291 Del Amo Fashion Square.
HealthCare Partners Medical Group
's corporate headquarters is in Torrance on Vermont Ave. HealthCare Partners is one California's largest medical groups.
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
operates the Torrance Health Center in Harbor Gateway
, Los Angeles
, serving Torrance.
, I-405
, SR 91
, SR 107, and SR 1
.
Rail transport includes the historic Harbor Subdivision which carries Union Pacific and BNSF
lines.
The city also has Torrance Transit
, LACMTA
Metro bus
, and LADOT
services. Zamperini Field
(IATA
: TOA ICAO
: KTOA) is a general aviation airport and serves no commercial airlines. However, Torrance is within 15 minutes of both Los Angeles International Airport
and Long Beach Airport.
, City of Torrance's entry won the top Lathrop K. Leishman trophy for its Garden of Dreams float, judged as the "Most Beautiful Non-Commercial" float.
Torrance is located in the 28th Senate
District, represented by Democrat Ted Lieu
, and in the 53rd Assembly
District, represented by Democrat Betsy Butler
. Federally, Torrance is located in California's 36th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of D +11 and is represented by Democrat Janice Hahn
.
(TUSD) was established as a school district in 1947 and unified in 1948. The district encompasses all of the City of Torrance, bordered by the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the south, the cities of Redondo Beach and Gardena on the north, the City of Carson on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. The district's jurisdiction includes approximately 21 square miles (54.4 km²), and it operates 17 elementary schools, eight middle schools, five high schools (one of which is a continuation school), three adult education centers, and a child development center.
The Torrance Unified School District's five high school
s are:
Area districts have created the Southern California Regional Occupational Center
(SCROC) to teach technical classes to their students and to local adults. TUSD is a participant feeder district of the California Academy of Mathematics and Science
or CAMS, a mathematics and science magnet high school, administered by the Long Beach Unified School District
.
Two private high schools are also located in Torrance:
Eight private elementary/middle schools are in Torrance: Ascension Lutheran School, Riviera Hall Lutheran School, Riviera Methodist School, South Bay Junior Academy, Nativity Catholic School, First Lutheran School, St James Catholic School and St Catherine Laboure Catholic School.
uses a Torrance mailing address, but the campus is actually located just outside the city limits in the unincorporated Los Angeles county area known as El Camino Village. El Camino College was founded in 1947, and the campus covers 126 acres. As of 2011, the college enrolls over 25,000 students each semester.
, a 70,000-circulation daily newspaper
, is published in Torrance. It serves the South Bay
cities of Los Angeles County. Its slogan is "LAX to LA Harbor". Herald Publications, media group started the Torrance Tribune, a community newspaper, which was started November 2010, it has a distribution of 15,000 newspapers to single-family homes and businesses in the City of Torrance, only.
, Japan
, as part of the Sister Cities International
program. Since then, citizens of Torrance have regularly engaged in cultural exchange with Kashiwa through the guidance of the Torrance Sister City Association, which facilitates a Japanese cultural festival, a yearly student exchange program, and contact between officials of the two cities. North High
is the official sister high school of Kashiwa Municipal High.
his character Eddie Adams/Dirk Diggler is from Torrance, and in Three Kings his character Sfc. Troy Barlow in the epilogue is revealed to go on to manage a carpet store in Torrance, California. Coincidently, Three Kings co-star Spike Jonze
directed a mocumentary chronicling the fictional Torrance Community Dance Group (from Fatboy Slim
's "Praise You
" video, also directed by Jonze) on their road to the MTV Video Music Awards. Torrance is also mentioned in the South Park episode Freak Strike
. Torrance was also a filming location for the 1997 film Volcano. Torrance Beach is mentioned in the 1994 comedy The Stoned Age
.
Much of the film "Lifeguard" starring Sam Elliott was filmed on Torrance beach, with numerous scenes shot throughout the Torrance area.
The Del Amo Fashion Center
has been used as a location for several motion pictures, including Jackie Brown
and Bad Santa
.
The Torrance Drive-In, now gone, is the mentioned in chapter 8 of the Philip K. Dick
novel, A Scanner Darkly
.
Torrance High School
's facade is familiar to television viewers as the setting for Beverly Hills, 90210
and its spinoff, 90210
and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and to filmgoers for its appearances in She's All That
, Not Another Teen Movie
and The Wild Life
.
South High School
, near the southern border of Torrance, was used as a location for the 1999 filming of the film American Beauty
.
Torrance is also the home of filming the hit show Zeke and Luther
. They have appeared skateboarding at the Daily Breeze
building, and Wilson Park.
Torrrance Beach was a filming location in the Fox Television series The O.C.
In Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, School 2 references North High.
was in the last game of the qualifying tournament, the U.S. needed only a draw against Costa Rica
, whom the U.S. had beaten 3–0 in the Olympics the year before, in order to reach the final qualification group against Honduras
and Canada
. U.S. Soccer scheduled the game to be played at El Camino College
, an area with many Costa Rican
expatriates, and marketed the game almost exclusively to the Costa Rican community, even providing Costa Rican folk dances as halftime entertainment. A 35th minute goal by Evaristo Coronado
won the match for Costa Rica and kept the United States from reaching its fourth World Cup finals.
In 1988, N.W.A.
recorded Straight Outta Compton
at Audio Achievements studio in Torrance.
Torrance is also known for its multicultural diversity
of East Asian and European ethnic groups, and even many Polynesians
, Indian American
s, Arab American
s and Persian Americans. Some of the city's sections like El Nido, Moneta, Clifton along with Redondo Beach
and Hollywood Riviera are examples of the ethnoburb
phenomenon.
Historically, local whites tolerated the presence of Japanese American
, Portuguese American
and Mexican residents, but not much support for African American
s to relocate in their neighborhoods until the 1980s, which is the common racial consciousness in majority white neighborhoods even at present. Several members of the KKK
were active in local politics in the 1920s and 1930s, which was also the case in nearby Inglewood, California
and Anaheim, California
as well.
:
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay
South Bay, Los Angeles
The South Bay is a region of the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The name stems from its geographic features stretching along the southern shores of Santa Monica Bay which forms its western border.The picture at right uses the broadest definition of the...
(southwestern) region of Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Torrance has 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay
Santa Monica Bay
Santa Monica Bay is a bight of the Pacific Ocean in southern California, United States. Its boundaries are slightly ambiguous, but it is generally considered to be the part of the Pacific within an imaginary line drawn between Point Dume, in Malibu, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Its eastern...
, such as those of neighboring Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
and Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach, California
Manhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the...
. Torrance enjoys a moderate year-round climate with warm temperatures, sea breezes, low humidity and an average rainfall of 12.55 inches per year.
The Torrance population was 145,438 at the 2010 census. This residential and light-high-tech industries city has 90,000 street trees and 30 city parks. Torrance is the birthplace of the AYSO – American Youth Soccer Organization
American Youth Soccer Organization
The American Youth Soccer Organization is a non-profit soccer organization in the United States for children aged 4 through 19. Headquartered in Torrance, California, AYSO has local programs known as "regions" in all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago...
.
History
Torrance was originally part of the Tongva Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
homeland for thousands of years. In 1784 the Spanish land grant
Ranchos of California
The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...
for Rancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro was one of the first California land grants, and the first to win a patent from the United States. The land grant was validated by the Mexican government at in 1828, and a US patent validating was issued in 1858...
, in the upper Las Californias
Las Californias
The Californias, or in — - was the name given by the Spanish to their northwestern territory of New Spain, comprising the present day states of Baja California and Baja California Sur on the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico; and the present day U.S. state of California in the United States of...
Province of New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
and encompassing present day Torrance, was issued to Juan Jose Dominguez by King Carlos III—the Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
. It was later divided in 1846 with Governor Pío Pico
Pío Pico
Pío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...
granting Rancho de los Palos Verdes
Rancho de los Palos Verdes
Rancho de los Palos Verdes was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to José Loreto and Juan Capistrano Sepulveda. The name means "range of green trees"...
to José Loreto and Juan Capistrano Sepulveda, in the Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
territory of independent Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
In the early 1900s, real estate developer Jared Sidney Torrance
Jared Sidney Torrance
Jared Sidney Torrance was an American real estate developer, best known as the founder of Torrance in southwest Los Angeles County, California.-Southern California:...
and other investors saw the value of creating a mixed industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
-residential community south of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. They purchased part of an old Spanish land grant and hired landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. was an American landscape architect best known for his wildlife conservation efforts. He had a lifetime commitment to national parks, and worked on projects in Acadia, the Everglades and Yosemite National Park. Olmsted Point in Yosemite and Olmsted Island at Great Falls...
to design a new planned community. The resulting town was founded in October 1912 and named after Torrance. The city of Torrance was formally incorporated in May 1921. The first residential avenue created in Torrance was Gramercy and the second avenue was Andreo. Many of the house on these avenues turn 100 years of age in 2012. Both avenues are located in the area referred to as Old Town Torrance. This section of Torrance is under review to be classified as a historical district. Some of the early civic and residential buildings were designed by the renowned and innovative Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Irving Gill
Irving Gill
Irving John Gill , American architect, is considered a pioneer of the modern movement in architecture. He designed several buildings considered examples of San Diego's best architecture.-Biography:...
, in his distinctive combining of Mission Revival
Mission Revival Style architecture
The Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century for a colonial style's revivalism and reinterpretation, which drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California....
and early Modernist architecture
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
.
Historically the El Nido neighborhood was home to many European immigrants, such as originally Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
, German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, Italian and Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
people; soon joined by Mexican-American and Hispanic and Latino
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
immigrants; employed in the growing early 20th century agriculture, petroleum, and manufacturing industries, such as the fish canneries.
Rapid new growth in Torrance began after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as wartime industries transformed into Post-war
Post-war
A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...
Aerospace manufacturer
Aerospace manufacturer
An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft....
s and related technology industries. Large housing developments were built in the 1950s and 1960s to accommodate the new population. Torrance moved on after the closure of some aerospace development and oil refinery plants in the 1990s statewide recession.
Torrance survived the deindustrialization, regional economic slowdowns and national recessions in the 1970s to 2000s. Large-scale Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
immigration in the past couple of decades has transformed Torrance into a diverse and multicultural
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
city.
Geography
Torrance is located at 33°50′5"N 118°20′29"W (33.834815, −118.341330).. The United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
boundaries show the city has a total area of 20.5 square miles (53.1 km²), virtually all land.
Description
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
. Its boundaries are: Redondo Beach Boulevard and the cities of Lawndale
Lawndale, California
Lawndale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 32,769 at the 2010 census, up from 31,711 according to the 2000 census...
and Gardena
Gardena, California
Gardena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 58,829 at the 2010 census, up from 57,746 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gardena is located at ....
to the north; Western Avenue
Western Avenue (Los Angeles)
Western Avenue is a major four lane street slightly west of Downtown Los Angeles and the center portion of Los Angeles County. Besides Sepulveda Boulevard, it is one of the longest north/south streets in Los Angeles...
and the Harbor Gateway neighborhood of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to the east; the Palos Verdes Hills
Palos Verdes Hills
The Palos Verdes Hills are a mountain range on the south coast of Los Angeles County, California.They are the landed end of the Channel Islands of California Transverse Ranges formation, and are the location of Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and other communities.The South Coast Botanic...
with the cities of Lomita
Lomita, California
Lomita is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 20,256 at the 2010 census, up from 20,046 at the 2000 census...
, Rolling Hills Estates
Rolling Hills Estates, California
Rolling Hills Estates is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 8,067 at the 2010 census, up from 7,676 at the 2000 census....
and Palos Verdes Estates
Palos Verdes Estates, California
Palos Verdes Estates is a city, incorporated in 1939, in Los Angeles County, California, USA on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The city was masterplanned by the noted American landscape architect and planner Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. The population was 13,438 at the 2010 census, up from 13,340 in the...
on the south; and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and city of Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
to the west.
Torrance Beach lies between Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
and Malaga Cove on Santa Monica Bay
Santa Monica Bay
Santa Monica Bay is a bight of the Pacific Ocean in southern California, United States. Its boundaries are slightly ambiguous, but it is generally considered to be the part of the Pacific within an imaginary line drawn between Point Dume, in Malibu, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Its eastern...
. The southernmost stretch of Torrance Beach, on a cove at the northern end of the Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes is a name often used to refer to a group of coastal cities in the Palos Verdes Hills on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, within southwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S...
peninsula, is known to locals as "Rat Beach
Rat beach
"Rat Beach", or "Right After Torrance" Beach and "Redondo and Torrance" Beach, is located on southern Santa Monica Bay in Torrance, between Redondo Beach and Palos Verdes Estates, in Los Angeles County, California-Access:...
."
One of the country's few urban wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s, the Madrona Marsh
Madrona Marsh
The Madrona Marsh Preserve, located in Torrance, California, is the last vernal marsh remaining in the South Bay area of Los Angeles and one of few wetlands located within an urban landscape....
, is found in Torrance to explore. It is a nature preserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
, on land once set for oil production and saved development, with restoration
Restoration ecology
-Definition:Restoration ecology is the scientific study and practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human intervention and action, within a short time frame...
projects enhancing the vital habitat for birds, wildlife, and native plant
Native plant
Native plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...
s. A Nature center
Nature center
A nature center is an organization with a visitor center or interpretive center designed to educate people about nature and the environment. Usually located within a protected open space, nature centers often have trails through their property. Some are located within a state or city park, and...
provides activities, information, and classes for school children and visitors of all ages.
Residents of an unincorporated area to the east of Harbor Gateway abutting the city of Carson
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
are allowed to use "Torrance" in their addresses by the USPS
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
.
Torrance Attractions
Del Amo Fashion Center
Del Amo Fashion Center is a two-level regional shopping mall in Torrance, California, USA. It is currently managed and co-owned by Simon Property Group....
, at 2.5 million square feet (232,000 m²), is one of the largest malls
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Estimates vary between the second largest (after the Mall of America
Mall of America
The Mall of America, also called MOA and the Megamall, is a shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities, in the United States. It is located southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north of the Minnesota River and is across the...
) and the fourth largest, depending on the measurements used. The current mall was created when Del Amo Center, built in 1958, merged with Del Amo Fashion Square, built in 1970. Once located on opposite sides of Carson Street, a gigantic expansion of the mall spanning Carson Street joined the two centers by 1982, making it the longest mall in the world at the time. In 2005, the east end of the original mall north of Carson Street was demolished to make way for a new open-air shopping center, opened in mid-September, 2006. The new center features upscale clothiers Anthropologie
Anthropologie
Anthropologie is a chain of retail stores that sells women's apparel and accessories, home furnishings, imitation found objects and an array of gifts and decorative items.Headquartered in Philadelphia, the company is owned by Urban Outfitters, Inc...
, Coach, H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
and Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters, Inc. is a publicly traded American company that owns and operates five retail brands: Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain, and BHLDN....
as well as the restaurant P.F. Chang's
P. F. Chang's China Bistro
'P. F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. is an American restaurant chain with headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona.The chain was founded in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1993 by Paul Fleming and Philip Chiang. The restaurants serve American Chinese cuisine from a menu originally conceived and planned by chef...
. The housewares retail giant Crate & Barrel
Crate and Barrel
Crate & Barrel is a 170+ store chain of American retail stores, based in Northbrook, Illinois, specializing in housewares, furniture , and home accessories. Its corporate name is Euromarket Designs, Inc. The company is wholly owned by Otto GmbH.-Founding:Gordon and Carole Segal opened the first...
opened in what was once a section of the mall parking lot in Spring 2007. Torrance also borders the South Bay Galleria
South Bay Galleria
South Bay Galleria, formerly named Galleria at South Bay, is a mall in Redondo Beach outside of Los Angeles, California. It is anchored by Macy's, Kohl's and Nordstrom, as well as a 16-screen AMC Theatres multiplex.-History:...
, which resides in Redondo Beach.
The Armed Forces Day
Armed Forces Day
Several nations of the world hold an annual Armed Forces Day in honor of their military forces. - Armenia :Բանակի օր is celebrated on 28 January to commemorate the formation of the armed forces of the newly independent Republic of Armenia in 1992....
Parade in Torrance, which was first produced in 1960, is the longest running military parade sponsored by a city. It is held annually on Armed Forces Day, and runs down Torrance Boulevard. The parade features military vehicles, school bands, and prominent community members.
The Torrance Cultural Arts Center hosts cultural events year-round. Regular performances are provided by the groups belonging to the Torrance Performing Arts Consortium, including The Aerospace Players
The Aerospace Players
The Aerospace Players, or TAP, is a theater organization based in El Segundo, California, founded in 1988 as part of the . TAP enables and encourages Aerospace employees, Air Force personnel, and members of the community to participate with high-quality musical productions...
, Los Cancioneros Master Chorale, South Bay Ballet, South Bay Conservatory, and The Torrance Symphony.
Torrance is also home to the Southern California Live Steamers Miniature Railroad. located at the Southeast corner of Charles H. Wilson Park. Free train rides on actual miniature live steam trains are given on the first Sunday and third Saturday of each month and the 4th of July. SCLS was one of the first live steam clubs in California started in 1946 with original members like Walt Disney, Olie Johnston and Ward Kimball all of Disney fame. The club moved to Torrance in 1986 after leaving the Lomita Railway Museum property.
City Parks
- Wilson Park, the focal point 44 acre (0.17806184 km²) park, which has extensive picnic and sports facilities, including a modern gymnasium, skatepark, and roller-hockey rink. Wilson Park also hosts the Torrance Farmers Market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and is the site of the city's annual Fourth of JulyIndependence Day (United States)Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
fireworks display. - Madrona Marsh Wildlife Preserve & Nature CenterMadrona MarshThe Madrona Marsh Preserve, located in Torrance, California, is the last vernal marsh remaining in the South Bay area of Los Angeles and one of few wetlands located within an urban landscape....
is a rare Southern California wetlandWetlandA wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s habitatHabitat* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
with higher Coastal sageCoastal sage scrubCoastal sage scrub is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the...
community native plantCalifornia native plantsCalifornia native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century...
s areas, wildlife and birdwatchingBirdwatchingBirdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
, and a Nature centerNature centerA nature center is an organization with a visitor center or interpretive center designed to educate people about nature and the environment. Usually located within a protected open space, nature centers often have trails through their property. Some are located within a state or city park, and...
with natural gardens classes – located centrally in the city. - Columbia ParkColumbia Park, Torrance, CaliforniaColumbia Park is a recreational urban regional park in the City of Torrance, located in southern Los Angeles County, California. Columbia Park provides the community with soccer fields, baseball diamonds, a roller hockey rink, community gardening beds, walking paths, and a jogging—competitive...
the large recreational urbanUrban parkAn urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
regional parkRegional parkRegional park is a term used for an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreational use or other reason, and under the administration of a form of local government.-Definition:...
, with numerous picnic areas, field sports facilities, walking pathTrailA trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
s, joggingJoggingJogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running.-Definition:...
trails, and a competitive cross country runningCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
racecourse. The city's Cherry blossom tree grove, part of Living Tree Dedication program, is in Columbia Park. - Torrance Smart Gardening Center: Columbia Park features a Community GardenCommunity gardeningA community garden is a single piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people.-Purpose:Community gardens provide fresh produce and plants as well as satisfying labor, neighborhood improvement, sense of community and connection to the environment...
providing planting beds and 'community' for residents. It is one of twelve county-operated Smart Gardening Centers around the region. Columbia Park additionally serves as home to the Home Garden Learning Center, and is a backyard compostCompostCompost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming. At its most essential, the process of composting requires simply piling up waste outdoors and waiting for the materials to break down from anywhere...
ing demonstration center provided by Los Angeles County. - Living Tribute Trees park program: The Torrance Parks Living Dedication Tree Program is coordinated and by the City, so that families, individuals, and groups can sponsor the planting of a new tree in the park to honor a person or commemorate an event with a living tribute Tree Dedication.
- Torrance Beach Park and Rat beachRat beach"Rat Beach", or "Right After Torrance" Beach and "Redondo and Torrance" Beach, is located on southern Santa Monica Bay in Torrance, between Redondo Beach and Palos Verdes Estates, in Los Angeles County, California-Access:...
, The StrandThe Strand (bicycle path)The Strand is a paved bicycle path that runs mostly along the Pacific Ocean shoreline in Los Angeles County, California. The northern terminus of the trail is a paved Class 1 bicycle path at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. The southern terminus of the trail is in...
, a paved bicycle path that runs mostly along the Pacific OceanPacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
shoreline in Los Angeles County, ends here.
Climate
Torrance has a Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
or Dry-Summer Subtropical (Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Csb on the coast).
The period of November through March is somewhat rainy, as shown in the table to left.
The Los Angeles area is also subject to the phenomenon typical of a microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
. As such, the temperatures can vary as much as 18°F (10°C) between inland areas and the coast, with a temperature gradient of over one degree per mile (1.6 km) from the coast inland. California has also a weather phenomenon called "June Gloom
June Gloom
June Gloom is a southern California term for a weather pattern that results in cloudy, overcast skies with cool temperatures during the late spring and early summer. June Gloom in southern California is caused by the marine layer effect common to the West Coast, and is enhanced by the Catalina eddy...
or May Gray", which sometimes brings overcast or foggy skies in the morning on the coast, followed by sunny skies by noon during late spring and early summer.
Demographics
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Torrance had a population of 145,438. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 7,076.1 people per square mile (2,732.1/km²). The racial makeup of Torrance was 74,333 (51.1%) White, 3,955 (2.7%) African American, 554 (0.4%) Native American, 50,240 (34.5%) Asian, 530 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 7,808 (5.4%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 8,018 (5.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23,440 persons (16.1%).
The Census reported that 144,292 people (99.2% of the population) lived in households, 506 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 640 (0.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 56,001 households, out of which 18,558 (33.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 29,754 (53.1%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6,148 (11.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,510 (4.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,152 (3.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 309 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 14,472 households (25.8%) were made up of individuals and 5,611 (10.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58. There were 38,412 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(68.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.14.
The population was spread out with 31,831 people (21.9%) under the age of 18, 10,875 people (7.5%) aged 18 to 24, 38,296 people (26.3%) aged 25 to 44, 42,710 people (29.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 21,726 people (14.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.
There were 58,377 housing units at an average density of 2,840.3 per square mile (1,096.6/km²), of which 31,621 (56.5%) were owner-occupied, and 24,380 (43.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%. 85,308 people (58.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 58,984 people (40.6%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 137,946 people, 54,542 households, and 36,270 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6,715.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,593.1/km²). There were 55,967 housing units at an average density of 2,724.7 per square mile (1,052.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 59.16% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 28.61% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 2.19% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.41% Native American, 0.35% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 4.57% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4.72% from two or more races. 12.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 54,542 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $76,312, and the median income for a family was $93,473. Males had a median income of $50,606 versus $36,334 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $39,118. About 4.7% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Torrance is home to the U.S. headquarters of two of the three largest JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese automaker
Automaker
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
s, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. is the Toyota sales, marketing, and distribution subsidiary devoted to the U.S. market. Founded in 1957 in California, TMS currently employs more than 6,500 people...
(overseas office of Toyota), and American Honda Motor Company
American Honda Motor Company
The American Honda Motor Company, Inc. is a North American subsidiary of the Honda Motor Company, Ltd. It was founded in 1959 and is based in Torrance, California...
. Robinson Helicopter
Robinson Helicopter
The Robinson Helicopter Company, based at Zamperini Field in Torrance, California, is the largest manufacturer of civil helicopters in North America.-History:...
s are designed and built in Torrance as are Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
's Garrett
Garrett AiResearch
Garrett AiResearch was a manufacturer of turboprop engines and turbochargers, and a pioneer in numerous aerospace technologies. It was previously known as Aircraft Tool and Supply Company, Garrett Supply Company, AiResearch Manufacturing Company, or simply AiResearch...
turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
s, used on automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
engines worldwide. Alcoa
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
Fastening Systems is Headquartered in Torrance as well, producing aerospace fasteners. Pacific Sales, PC Mall
PC Mall, Inc.
PC Mall, Inc. is a value-added direct marketing company that offers computer and electronic products, services, and solutions to individual consumers, small and medium businesses, large enterprises, as well as for government and educational institutions...
and Pelican Products
Pelican Products
Pelican Products is an American multinational company that designs and manufactures flashlights and cases. Their products are used in many industries including military, police, firefighting and entertainment. Pelican has over 1,500 employees worldwide...
are among the other companies based in Torrance.
According to the City’s 2009-10 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s top 10 employers (and # of employees) are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Toyota Motor Sales Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. is the Toyota sales, marketing, and distribution subsidiary devoted to the U.S. market. Founded in 1957 in California, TMS currently employs more than 6,500 people... |
3,372 |
| 2. | American Honda American Honda Motor Company The American Honda Motor Company, Inc. is a North American subsidiary of the Honda Motor Company, Ltd. It was founded in 1959 and is based in Torrance, California... |
2,196 |
| 3. | Honeywell Honeywell Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments.... |
1,163 |
| 4. | Robinson Helicopter | 1,107 |
| 5. | Hi Shear Corporation | 1,000 |
| 6. | Alcoa Alcoa Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries... Fastening Systems |
902 |
| 7. | L-3 Communications L-3 Communications L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. is a company that supplies command and control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems and products, avionics, ocean products, training devices and services, instrumentation, space, and navigation products. Its customers include... Electron Tech, Inc. |
673 |
| 8. | ExxonMobil ExxonMobil Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas... |
674 |
| 9. | Pelican Products Pelican Products Pelican Products is an American multinational company that designs and manufactures flashlights and cases. Their products are used in many industries including military, police, firefighting and entertainment. Pelican has over 1,500 employees worldwide... |
569 |
| 10. | Adecco Adecco Adecco S.A. is a human resources company, based in Glattbrugg near Zurich, Switzerland. Adecco employs 700,000 temporary workers and contractors who are supplied to business clients, and has over 32,000 employees and 5,500 offices in 60 countries and territories around the world... |
434 |
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
refinery
Refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.-Types of refineries:Different types of refineries are as follows:...
in the north end of the city is responsible for much of Southern California's gasoline supply. Torrance was also an important hub and shop site of the Pacific Electric Railway
Pacific Electric Railway
The Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
.
Torrance has a busy general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
airport, originally named simply "Torrance Airport" and since renamed Zamperini Field
Zamperini Field
Zamperini Field is a city-owned public-use airport located three miles southwest of the central business district of Torrance, in Los Angeles County, California, United States....
after local track star, World War II hero and Torrance High graduate Louis Zamperini
Louis Zamperini
Louis Silvie Zamperini is a World War II prisoner of war survivor, inspirational speaker, and former American Olympic distance runner.-Early life:...
. The airport handles approximately 175,000 annual take-offs and landings (473 per day ), down from the 1974 record of 428,000 operations. Airport noise abatement is a major local issue. In 2007 the Western Museum of Flight
Western Museum of Flight
The Western Museum of Flight is an aviation museum located at Zamperini Field, the municipal airport in Torrance, California. WMOF is operated by the Southern California Historical Aviation Foundation....
moved to Zamperini Field.
Torrance is also home to the world headquarters of Sunrider
Sunrider
Sunrider Corporation, or Sunrider International, is a privately owned direct sales company with thousands of franchise stores worldwide, the stated goal of which is "to bring wealth and health to people all over the world". Its headquarters are in Torrance, California. Sunrider manufactures...
International, as well as the U.S. Headquarters of numerous leading automotive aftermarket companies, including: Alpine Electronics
Alpine Electronics
is traditionally known as an aftermarket car audio and navigation systems manufacturer, famed for their high quality, premium in-car audio units commonly known as headunits. It is a subsidiary of Alps Electric Co. and its registered head office is in Tokyo, Japan. However its main offices, or the...
, Speed Star Racing Wheels, Tanabe Racing Development, Koyo
Koyo
Koyo can be:* Koyo Seiko, a manufacturer of ball and roller bearings* Koyo Kawanishi, a Japanese astronomer* Koyo Zom, highest peak in the Hindu Raj range, Pakistan* Kōyō Gunkan, a record of the military exploits of the Takeda family, Japan...
radiators, Stoptech brakes, Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...
, and Edelbrock
Edelbrock
Edelbrock, LLC is a specialty performance automotive and motorcycle aftermarket parts manufacturer based in Torrance, California. The company has five locations, including four in Torrance: its headquarters, a distribution center and museum, the Russell division , and the exhaust plant...
.
Torrance is also home to the main bakery facility for King's Hawaiian
King's Hawaiian
King's Hawaiian is a family-owned and operated commercial bakery in the U.S founded by Robert Taira, in Hilo, Hawaii. It is currently based in Torrance, California.Its products include its original Hawaiian sweet bread and other bread products.-History:...
, the dominant brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Girl Skateboards and footwear companies Lakai
Lakai Limited Footwear
Lakai Footwear Limited is a footwear company based in Torrance, California that creates shoes designed for and inspired by skateboarding. Lakai was founded by professional skateboarders and Girl Skateboards co-founders Mike Carroll and Rick Howard in 1999...
and Globe have headquarters in Torrance. Electronics manufacturer Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
has a plant manufacturing DVD-RAM
DVD-RAM
DVD-RAM is a disc specification presented in 1996 by the DVD Forum, which specifies rewritable DVD-RAM media and the appropriate DVD writers. DVD-RAM media have been used in computers as well as camcorders and personal video recorders since 1998.-Design:DVD-RAM is one of three competing...
and Blu-Ray media in Torrance. The United States division of Japanese videogame company Tecmo is also headquartered in Torrance. TabletKiosk
TabletKiosk
TabletKiosk is a manufacturer of Tablet PCs and UMPCs located in Torrance, California, United States. All mobile computers produced by TabletKiosk fall into the slate category, featuring touchscreen or pen input, in lieu of integrated or convertible keyboards...
, manufacturer of Tablet PCs, UMPCs and Mobile Computing Accessories is headquartered in Torrance.
Operations of foreign companies
All Nippon AirwaysAll Nippon Airways
, also known as or ANA, is one of the largest airlines in Japan. It is headquartered at the Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It operates services to 49 destinations in Japan and 35 international routes and employed over 14,000 employees as of May 2009...
operates its United States headquarters, a customer relations and services office, in Suite 100 at Gramercy Plaza at 2050 West 190th Street in Torrance. The Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) raided the office on Thursday March 15, 2007; Laura Eimiller, the FBI spokesperson, did not say why the office was raided. The office resumed operations that afternoon. The raid caused the carrier to not sell ticket reservations for several hours. Aurora Publishing
Aurora Publishing
Aurora Publishing, Inc. is the American subsidiary of Japanese publisher Ohzora Publishing, the leading josei manga publisher in Japan. Headquartered in Torrance, California, it licensed and published Japanese manga for the North American market...
, American subsidiary of Japanese publisher Ohzora Publishing
Ohzora Publishing
, also known as Ohzora Shuppan is the leading josei manga publisher in Japan, founded in 1990. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, it publishes Japanese manga, manga magazines and comic anthologies. The company is headed by . Kitawaki also runs affiliated American company Aurora Publishing, established...
, is headquartered in Torrance.
Local government
The City of Torrance is a Charter City. The original Torrance City Charter was voted on and ratified by the qualified electors at an election held August 20, 1946, and filed with the Secretary of State January 7, 1947. The elective officers of the City are the Mayor, six members of the City Council, five members of the Board of Education, the City Clerk and the City Treasurer.Using the Council/Manager form of government, the City Council, as the elected body, adopts legislation, sets policy, adjudicates issues, and establishes the budget of the City. The municipality is supported by a general fund budget of about $160 million. The City Council appoints the City Manager and the City Attorney.
According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s various funds had $192.7 million in Revenues, $167.3 million in expenditures, $179.1 million in total assets, $56.1 million in total liabilities, and $140.2 million in cash in investments.
The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:
| Department | Director |
|---|---|
| City Manager | LeRoy Jackson |
| Assistant City Manager | Mary K. Giordano |
| Finance Director | Eric Tsao |
| City Attorney | John L. Fellows III |
| Police Chief | John J. Neu |
| Fire Chief | William Racowski |
| Community Development Director | Jeffery W. Gibson |
| General Services Director | Sheryl Ballew |
| Community Services Director | John Jones |
| Human Resources Director | Elaine Winer |
| Information Technology Director | Richard Shigaki |
| Public Works Director | Robert J. Beste |
| Transit Director | Kim Turner |
Commissions
The city also has appointed Commissions to give residents a greater voice in local decisions. The Airport Commission advises the City Council on matters concerning the Torrance Airport. The Cable Television Advisory Board advises and makes recommendations in the area of policies and procedures in Public-access televisionPublic-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV interests, scheduling public-access programming, facilities, and equipment for the community and Public-access television channels, and disbursement of Foundation funds. The Civil Service Commission is responsible for all examinations for the original selection and promotion of city employees. The Commission on Aging deals with the needs and issues confronting senior citizens in the community. The Cultural Arts Commission assists the City Council in providing for and promoting opportunities for the artistic and cultural development of citizens. The Disaster Council conducts regular surveys of disaster readiness in the City and disseminates alert information to the public. The Environmental Quality Energy Conservation Commission deals with commercial sign reviews, oil production and oil site maintenance, animal control, beautification awards, community noise control, energy conservation, property nuisances, and property maintenance. The Library Commission makes recommendations regarding the operation of the library system. The Parks Recreation Commission advises and makes recommendations on matters pertinent to a public park and recreation program. The Planning Commission works with the Community Development Department in the preparation of master plans and zoning studies that affect the growth and development of Torrance. The Traffic Commission makes recommendations to the City Council on street and traffic improvement. The Water Commission makes recommendations for assuring high-quality non-interruptible water service at the lowest possible cost. The Youth Council is an advisory body to City Council on matters pertaining to youth in Torrance.
Postal Service
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Torrance Post Office at 2510 Monterrey Street, the Marcelina Post Office at 1433 Marcelina Avenue, the Walteria Post Office at 4216 Pacific Coast Highway, the North Torrance Post Office at 18080 Crenshaw Boulevard, and the Del Amo Post Office at 291 Del Amo Fashion Square.
Healthcare
- Two major hospitals are located within the city – Torrance Memorial Medical CenterTorrance Memorial Medical CenterTorrance Memorial Medical Center is a private community hospital located in Torrance, California.Torrance Memorial was founded by the estate of Mateo Morales and Sidney Torrance in 1925, and merged with the smaller Riviera Community Hospital in 1967...
and Little Company of Mary HospitalLittle Company of Mary Hospital (Torrance)Little Company of Mary Hospital is a hospital in Torrance, California, USA. The hospital was founded by the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary, and is part of the Providence Health & Services.- External links :*...
. A third hospital, Los Angeles County Department of Health ServicesLos Angeles County Department of Health ServicesHealth services to over 10 million residents in the Los Angeles County are provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Mental health services are provided by the County Department of Mental Health...
Harbor-UCLA Medical CenterHarbor-UCLA Medical CenterHarbor–UCLA Medical Center is a 570-bed public teaching hospital located at 1000 West Carson Street within the unincorporated Los Angeles County area of West Carson, California...
, lies just outside the city limits (in the unincorporatedUnincorporated areaIn law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Los Angeles County community of West Carson) but also has a Torrance address.
HealthCare Partners Medical Group
HealthCare Partners
HealthCare Partners is a managed care provider, based in Torrance, California, United States, which operates in California, Nevada, and Florida.-History:1990's...
's corporate headquarters is in Torrance on Vermont Ave. HealthCare Partners is one California's largest medical groups.
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Health services to over 10 million residents in the Los Angeles County are provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Mental health services are provided by the County Department of Mental Health...
operates the Torrance Health Center in Harbor Gateway
Harbor Gateway, Los Angeles, California
The Harbor Gateway is a neighborhood in southern part of the city of Los Angeles, California. As of the 2000 census, the neighborhood had a population of 39,860.-Description:...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, serving Torrance.
Emergency services
- Torrance Fire Department staffs five paramedic rescue squads at Fire Station 1 (Headquarters), Fire Station 3, Fire Station 4, A new one at Fire Station 5 as of February, 2008, and Fire Station 6. Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Little Company of Mary Hospital, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Kaiser Hospital-South Bay, and Memorial Hospital of Gardena are receiving hospitals for residents in Torrance who call 911 for medical assistance. Ambulance transportation is provided through Gerber Ambulance Service.
Public libraries
The City of Torrance operates a main library facility (named after former mayor Katy Geissert) in the city Civic Center, plus five branches at locations throughout the city.Transportation
Highways and freeways in the region include I-110Interstate 110 (California)
Route 110, consisting of two segments of State Route 110 joined by Interstate 110 , is a state highway in the Los Angeles area of the U.S. state of California, mostly built to freeway standards...
, I-405
Interstate 405 (California)
Interstate 405 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the western areas of the Greater Los Angeles Area from Irvine in the south to near San Fernando in the north...
, SR 91
California State Route 91
State Route 91 is a major east–west freeway located entirely within Southern California and serving several regions of the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area...
, SR 107, and SR 1
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
.
Rail transport includes the historic Harbor Subdivision which carries Union Pacific and BNSF
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
lines.
The city also has Torrance Transit
Torrance Transit
Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:...
, LACMTA
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
Metro bus
Metro Local
Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service...
, and LADOT
Los Angeles Department of Transportation
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation, commonly referred to as LADOT, is an agency created by Los Angeles City Ordinance, and is governed by a citizen commission. The LADOT is best known for providing public transportation to the City of Los Angeles. It currently operates the second largest...
services. Zamperini Field
Zamperini Field
Zamperini Field is a city-owned public-use airport located three miles southwest of the central business district of Torrance, in Los Angeles County, California, United States....
(IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
: TOA ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
: KTOA) is a general aviation airport and serves no commercial airlines. However, Torrance is within 15 minutes of both Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
and Long Beach Airport.
Activities
In the 2010 Rose ParadeTournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
, City of Torrance's entry won the top Lathrop K. Leishman trophy for its Garden of Dreams float, judged as the "Most Beautiful Non-Commercial" float.
Politics
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Torrance is located in the 28th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Democrat Ted Lieu
Ted Lieu
Ted W. Lieu is a Democratic Party California State Senator, who has represented the 28th Senate District since February 18, 2011, after being elected to fill the seat of deceased Senator Jenny Oropeza...
, and in the 53rd Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Democrat Betsy Butler
Betsy Butler
Betsy Butler is an American politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. She is a Democrat representing the 53rd district, encompassing parts of Los Angeles and the South Bay...
. Federally, Torrance is located in California's 36th congressional district
California's 36th congressional district
California's 36th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Los Angeles County. The district covers most of the coastal communities of Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Torrance, El Segundo, Venice, Wilmington, and San Pedro in Greater Los Angeles.The...
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of D +11 and is represented by Democrat Janice Hahn
Janice Hahn
Janice Kay Hahn is the U.S. Representative from California's 36th congressional district and a member of the Democratic Party. She was previously a Los Angeles City Councilwoman representing the 15th district from 2001 to 2011...
.
Public schools
Torrance Unified School DistrictTorrance Unified School District
Torrance Unified School District is a school district in Los Angeles County, California, with its headquarters in Torrance.The district board of education has a president, a vice president, a clerk, and two members. As of 2011, the District Superintendent is Dr. George Mannon...
(TUSD) was established as a school district in 1947 and unified in 1948. The district encompasses all of the City of Torrance, bordered by the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the south, the cities of Redondo Beach and Gardena on the north, the City of Carson on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. The district's jurisdiction includes approximately 21 square miles (54.4 km²), and it operates 17 elementary schools, eight middle schools, five high schools (one of which is a continuation school), three adult education centers, and a child development center.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s are:
- Torrance High SchoolTorrance High SchoolTorrance High School is a high school located in Torrance, California. Founded in 1917, it is one of the oldest high schools in continuous use in California and is the oldest of the four high schools in the Torrance Unified School District. Four of its buildings are listed on the U.S...
- North High SchoolNorth High School (Torrance)North High School is a four year public high school located at 3620 W. 182nd St. in Torrance, California. Of the four public high schools in the Torrance Unified School District, North High is the second oldest...
- South High SchoolSouth High School (Torrance)South High School is a public high school in Torrance, California. It is one of five high schools in the Torrance Unified School District.-History:...
- West High SchoolWest High School (Torrance)West Torrance High School is a public high school in Torrance, California, United States. The mascot is the Warrior.-History:West Torrance High was established in 1962. It serves area bounded by 190th Street, Hawthorne, Sepulveda and west city boundary. The school colors are brown and gold. The...
- Kurt Shery High School (continuation)
Area districts have created the Southern California Regional Occupational Center
Southern California Regional Occupational Center
The Southern California Regional Occupational Center or SCROC is a collective endeavor of seven public school districts in the South Bay suburbs of Los Angeles...
(SCROC) to teach technical classes to their students and to local adults. TUSD is a participant feeder district of the California Academy of Mathematics and Science
California Academy of Mathematics and Science
The California Academy of Mathematics and Science is a public magnet high school in Carson, California, United States focusing on science and mathematics...
or CAMS, a mathematics and science magnet high school, administered by the Long Beach Unified School District
Long Beach Unified School District
The Long Beach Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Long Beach, California, United States.LBUSD serves most of Long Beach, all of the city of Signal Hill, and portions of Lakewood, and Paramount, as well as Avalon and Two Harbors on Santa Catalina Island.-School uniforms...
.
Private schools
Two private high schools are also located in Torrance:
- Bishop Montgomery High SchoolBishop Montgomery High SchoolBishop Montgomery High School is a Catholic high school serving twenty-five parishes in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. BMHS was founded in 1957, and staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Conventual Franciscans, and lay faculty...
(administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los AngelesRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Los AngelesThe Archdiocese of Los Angeles is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the archdiocese comprises the California counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the...
) - Pacific Lutheran High SchoolPacific Lutheran High SchoolPacific Lutheran High School is a private Lutheran high school located in Torrance, California. It was founded in 1996 by Tim Warneke and Norb Huber as a satellite campus of South Bay Lutheran High School, Inglewood...
Eight private elementary/middle schools are in Torrance: Ascension Lutheran School, Riviera Hall Lutheran School, Riviera Methodist School, South Bay Junior Academy, Nativity Catholic School, First Lutheran School, St James Catholic School and St Catherine Laboure Catholic School.
Colleges and universities
Torrance lies within the El Camino Community College District and El Camino CollegeEl Camino College
El Camino College is a two-year public community college located partially in the unincorporated area of Alondra Park and partially in the City of Torrance in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is commonly referred to as "Elco" or "ECC"...
uses a Torrance mailing address, but the campus is actually located just outside the city limits in the unincorporated Los Angeles county area known as El Camino Village. El Camino College was founded in 1947, and the campus covers 126 acres. As of 2011, the college enrolls over 25,000 students each semester.
Media
The Daily BreezeDaily Breeze
The Daily Breeze is a 70,000-circulation daily newspaper published in Torrance, California. It serves the South Bay cities of Los Angeles County. Its slogan is "LAX to LA Harbor".- Early history :...
, a 70,000-circulation daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, is published in Torrance. It serves the South Bay
South Bay, Los Angeles
The South Bay is a region of the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The name stems from its geographic features stretching along the southern shores of Santa Monica Bay which forms its western border.The picture at right uses the broadest definition of the...
cities of Los Angeles County. Its slogan is "LAX to LA Harbor". Herald Publications, media group started the Torrance Tribune, a community newspaper, which was started November 2010, it has a distribution of 15,000 newspapers to single-family homes and businesses in the City of Torrance, only.
Sister cities
In 1973, Torrance established a sister-city relationship with Kashiwa, ChibaKashiwa, Chiba
is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 404,820 and a population density of 3520 persons per km²...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, as part of the Sister Cities International
Sister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
program. Since then, citizens of Torrance have regularly engaged in cultural exchange with Kashiwa through the guidance of the Torrance Sister City Association, which facilitates a Japanese cultural festival, a yearly student exchange program, and contact between officials of the two cities. North High
North High School (Torrance)
North High School is a four year public high school located at 3620 W. 182nd St. in Torrance, California. Of the four public high schools in the Torrance Unified School District, North High is the second oldest...
is the official sister high school of Kashiwa Municipal High.
Notable natives and residents
- AlysonAlyson MichalkaAlyson Renae "Aly" Michalka , often credited as Aly, is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. Michalka gained fame for playing the role of Marti Perkins in the CW television drama Hellcats...
& Amanda MichalkaAmanda MichalkaAmanda Joy "AJ" Michalka , often credited as AJ, is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. She used to be a model prior to becoming an actress, and was best known as one-half of the duo 78violet with her sister, Alyson Michalka. AJ recently recorded the theme song for the film...
(Aly & AJAly & AJ78violet is a pop rock band consisting of sisters Alyson and Amanda Michalka. They were born in Torrance, California, but spent part of their childhood in Seattle, Washington. They are both actresses, singer-songwriters, and guitarists. They signed a record deal with the Disney-owned label,...
) – Singers & actresses - Adán SánchezAdán SánchezAdán Santos Sánchez , was a popular American singer.-Biography:Sánchez was born in Torrance, CA. He was the son of singer Chalino Sánchez. He was eight years old when his father was kidnapped and killed in the Mexican state of Sinaloa in 1992...
– Mexican American corrido singer - Amy OkudaAmy OkudaAmy Okuda is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Tinkerballa in the web series The Guild.- Career :Okuda in her early years, focused on basketball, which she played from the age of five. She began dancing in the seventh grade and took up acting a few years later.She has appeared in...
– actress - Antonio MargaritoAntonio MargaritoAntonio Margarito Montiel is a Mexican professional boxer. He is a former WBA, WBO, & IBF welterweight champion...
– Mexican-American professional boxer - Ben GoingBen GoingBen Going , username boh3m3 on YouTube, is a video blog personality based in Torrance, California. According to the Associated Press in 2007, Going is "one of the best-known members of the YouTube community."...
– YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
Celebrity - Bobby EastBobby EastRobert East, born in Torrance, California on December 17, 1984, is an American auto racing driver. He has raced in the United States Auto Club, the Auto Racing Club of American, and NASCAR...
– NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver - Bud SmithBud SmithRobert Allan "Bud" Smith is a retired American baseball player. Smith was active at the Major League level in 2001 and 2002, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.- No-hitter and Major League career :...
– Retired MLB player; threw a no-hitterNo-hitterA no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
in his rookie season (2001) - Brandon ManumaleunaBrandon Manumaleuna-St. Louis Rams:Manumaleuna was selected in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. He signed with the team on June 21, 2001. He agreed to a three-year $1.15 million contract including a $255,000 signing bonus. In 2001, Manumaleuna only had one reception on the season...
– NFL tight end for Chicago Bears - Chad MortonChad MortonChad Akio Morton is a former American football running back and kick/punt returner in the National Football League...
– NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player - Chris DemariaChris DemariaChris Demaria is an American baseball player who briefly played in the major leagues on two different occasions: for the Kansas City Royals in , and for the Milwaukee Brewers in ....
– Former MLB pitcher for the RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
and BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League... - Chuck NorrisChuck NorrisCarlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
– Karate expert; opened his first DojoDojoA is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
in Torrance - Daewon SongDaewon SongDavid Daewon Song is a Korean-American professional skateboarder, recognized for his technical street skateboarding. He is a co-owner of Almost Skateboards along with Rodney Mullen, and skates for the company-sponsored team.-Career:Daewon Song was first sponsored by Sporting Ideas in Gardena,...
– Professional skateboarder - Daryl SabaraDaryl SabaraDaryl Christopher Sabara is an American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Juni Cortez in the Spy Kids film series, as well as for a variety of television and film appearances, including Wizards of Waverly Place, Father of the Pride, The Polar Express, Keeping Up with...
& Evan SabaraEvan SabaraEvan Michael Sabara is an American actor.Sabara was born in Torrance, California. He is the fraternal twin brother of child actor Daryl Sabara. He has appeared in some of his brother's movies, such as, Spy Kids, Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, and Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over...
– Actors (Spy KidsSpy KidsThe Spy Kids series is a series of family action adventure films written, produced and directed by Robert Rodriguez. The main plot follows the adventures of two Cortez children who become involved in their parents' espionage. The rest of their family are spies as well, including their estranged...
and Keeping Up with the SteinsKeeping Up with the SteinsKeeping Up with the Steins is a 2006 comedy film directed by Scott Marshall, and starring Garry Marshall, Jeremy Piven, Jami Gertz and Daryl Hannah...
) - David WellsDavid WellsDavid Lee Wells , nicknamed "Boomer", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Wells was considered to be one of the game's better left-handed pitchers, especially during his years with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched the fifteenth perfect game in baseball history...
– MLBMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher, formerly with the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... - Denzel WhitakerDenzel WhitakerDenzel Dominique Whitaker is an American actor, playing key roles in the films The Great Debaters and Training Day, as well as TV shows ER, Brothers & Sisters and The War At Home. He later went on to be a featured cast member during the tenth and final season of the Nickelodeon sketch-comedy...
– Actor - Deon ThompsonDeon ThompsonDeon Thompson is an American college basketball player that played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Thompson is 6'9" tall and played the forward position....
– North Carolina Tar HeelsUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
basketball player - Don NewcombeDon NewcombeDonald Newcombe , nicknamed "Newk", is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians .Until 2011 when Detroit Tigers Pitcher Justin Verlander did it, Newcombe was the only baseball...
– Former LA DodgerLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
; only winner of Rookie of the YearMLB Rookie of the Year AwardIn Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
, MVPMLB Most Valuable Player AwardThe Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
, and Cy YoungCy Young AwardThe Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
awards - Francisco MendozaFrancisco MendozaFrancisco Juan "Panchito" Mendoza Martínez is a Mexican footballer who currently plays for Guadalajara.He has represented Mexico on its under-17 team for the cycle of the 2001 FIFA tournament.-Chivas USA:...
– MLSMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
player - Fred KendallFred KendallFred Kendall was a catcher for parts of 12 seasons in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, and Boston Red Sox....
– Former MLBMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
catcher and manager - Gina HiraizumiGina HiraizumiGina Hiraizumi is an American actress and singer. Her father is a third generation Japanese American and her mother is from Japan. She is Yonsei or part of the fourth generation Nikkei....
- Actress, Recording Artist - George NakanoGeorge NakanoGeorge Nakano served as a California State Assemblyman from 1998 until 2004. During his time in the Assembly, Nakano was chosen to serve as the chairman of the Democratic caucus. In 2006, Nakano sought the State Senate seat of his Assembly predecessor, Debra Bowen, who was running for the...
– California politician - Jack StewartJack Stewart (soccer)Jack Stewart is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer, on loan from NSC Minnesota Stars of the North American Soccer League.-College and Amateur:...
– Soccer player, currently with the Carolina RailHawks in the USL-1USL First DivisionThe United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.... - Jason "Wee-Man" Acuña – American TV host and actor
- Jason KendallJason KendallJason Daniel Kendall is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He is the son of former catcher Fred Kendall, who played in the majors from 1969–1980.-High school:...
– Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
catcher - Jennifer Kita: Angel/Lil Angel of The Harajuku Girls
- Joe StevensonJoe StevensonJoseph Christopher Stevenson is an American mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing as a welterweight, he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament. Stevenson fought most of his UFC career as a lightweight, and made his featherweight debut at UFC Live: Kongo vs....
– Mixed martial artsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
practitioner and UFCUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
fighter
- John ButlerJohn Butler (musician)John Charles Wiltshire-Butler or John Charles Butler is an Australian musician, songwriter, record label owner and producer...
– Leader of the John Butler TrioJohn Butler TrioThe John Butler Trio are an eclectic roots and jam band from Australia led by guitarist and vocalist John Butler. They formed in Fremantle in 1998 with Jason McGann on drums and Gavin Shoesmith on bass guitar... - Jimmy BriggsJimmy BriggsJames "Jimmy" Briggs was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a full back. Briggs played the majority of his career with Dundee United, making nearly 400 appearances and captaining the side when they defeated Barcelona in their first European campaign in the 1960s...
– Stand Up Comic - John G. Barrett – Martial artistMartial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and actor - John ChiangJohn Chiang (California politician)John Chiang is a Democratic politician and has been California State Controller since January 8, 2007. He previously served as Chair of the California Board of Equalization and represented the Fourth District, primarily serving southern Los Angeles County...
– California State Controller - Johnnie MortonJohnnie MortonJohnnie James "Big Play" Morton, Jr. is a former NFL wide receiver. Originally drafted by the Lions in the 1st round in the 1994 NFL Draft, he played in Detroit until 2002. He subsequently signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played for three seasons. In 2005, he signed with the San...
– NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player - Jonathan BornsteinJonathan BornsteinJonathan Rey Bornstein is an American soccer player who currently plays for UANL of the Primera División de México and for the United States national team.-Youth and College:...
- soccer left back/midfielder (UANL & national team) - Justin Conway – Total Jabroni
- Justin ShenkarowJustin ShenkarowJustin Moran Shenkarow is an American actor best known for his roles of Matthew Brock in Picket Fences, Simon Holmes in Eerie, Indiana, and the voice of Harold Berman on Hey Arnold!.-Life and career:...
– Actor - Justin MillerJustin Miller (baseball)Justin Mark Miller is an American professional baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent.-Amateur career:...
– MLBMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher - Kevin KimKevin Kim- External links :* *...
– Professional tennis player - Larry CarltonLarry CarltonLarry Carlton is an American jazz, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, pop, and rock guitarist and singer. He has divided his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with various well-known bands...
– Guitarist - Lisa MorettiLisa MorettiLisa Moretti is a retired American professional wrestler. She is best known for her appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment between 1999 and 2005 under the ring name Ivory...
– WWEWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
's "Ivory" - Louis ZamperiniLouis ZamperiniLouis Silvie Zamperini is a World War II prisoner of war survivor, inspirational speaker, and former American Olympic distance runner.-Early life:...
– 1936 Olympic track star, World War II veteran, author (Devil At My Heels), speaker - Michael DudikoffMichael DudikoffMichael Joseph Dudikoff II is an American actor who has been in numerous films, including the American Ninja series , Tron , Bachelor Party , Platoon Leader , River of Death , Soldier Boyz , Ringmaster , and The Silencer , to name a few...
– Film actor - Mikel J. Hennessay – former NHRA Super Stock driver
- Michelle KwanMichelle KwanMichelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...
– 5-time World Figure Skating Champion and Olympian - Parnelli JonesParnelli JonesRufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones , is a retired American racing driver and racecar owner. He is most remembered for his 1963 Indianapolis 500 win, and almost winning the 1967 Indy 500 in a turbine car...
– USACUnited States Automobile ClubThe United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500...
driver and his son, P. J. Jones – IRL driver - Paul MoyerPaul MoyerPaul Moyer is a veteran television news broadcaster in Southern California. He co-anchored the 5 PM and 11 PM weekday editions of KNBC-TV's Channel 4 News with Colleen Williams. Moyer has worked primarily in the two major television markets—New York and Los Angeles—in addition to briefly working...
– Veteran television news broadcaster - Paul WestphalPaul WestphalPaul Westphal is a retired American basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA...
– retired NBA player and current head coach of the Sacramento KingsSacramento KingsThe Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association... - Quentin TarantinoQuentin TarantinoQuentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
– Filmmaker - Roger ClintonRoger Clinton, Jr.Roger Cassidy Clinton is an American actor and musician and the half-brother of former President Bill Clinton.Roger Clinton was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas , the son of Virginia Clinton Kelley and Roger M...
– Half-brother of President Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation... - Rorion GracieRorion GracieRorion Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and instructor, a prominent member of the Gracie family, and a founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the oldest son of Hélio Gracie and one of the few people in the world to hold a 9th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,...
& Royce GracieRoyce GracieRoyce Gracie is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A legend and pioneer in the sport of mixed martial arts, he is widely considered to be the most influential figure in the history of modern MMA.Gracie gained fame for his...
– Mixed martial artsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
practitioners and UFCUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
fighters - Sean Hinkley – Japan Basketball National Team Member (Team B) and Link Tochigi BrexLink Tochigi BrexLink Tochigi Brex is a Japanese professional basketball team based in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. After winning the JBL 2 in 2008, the team currently plays in the JBL Super League.-Roster 2009-10:*C Scott Merritt 208cm 1982...
player in the Japanese Basketball League. - Skip SchumakerSkip SchumakerJared Michael "Skip" Schumaker is a Major League Baseball Outfielder and Second Baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals.-Biography:...
– MLBMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder for the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to... - Snoop DoggSnoop DoggCalvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
– Rap artist, reportedly owns a mansion in Torrance - Steve SarkisianSteve SarkisianSteve Sarkisian is an American football coach and former player of American and Canadian football. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Washington, a position he has held since the 2009 season...
– University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
Head Football Coach - Stuart Lown - Owner and founder of Crazy Can
- Ted LillyTed LillyTheodore Roosevelt "Ted" Lilly III , is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats and throws left-handed...
– Starting pitcher for the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... - Tony Gonzalez – Tight endTight endThe tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta FalconsThe Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
; eleven time Pro BowlPro BowlIn professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection
Media appearances
The city has been subject of a number of cultural references. Mark Wahlberg is involved in two, in Boogie NightsBoogie Nights
Boogie Nights is a 1997 drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, the script focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic films, and chronicles his rise and fall from the Golden Age of Porn of the 1970s...
his character Eddie Adams/Dirk Diggler is from Torrance, and in Three Kings his character Sfc. Troy Barlow in the epilogue is revealed to go on to manage a carpet store in Torrance, California. Coincidently, Three Kings co-star Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
directed a mocumentary chronicling the fictional Torrance Community Dance Group (from Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
's "Praise You
Praise You
"Praise You" is a song by English big beat musician Fatboy Slim. It was released as the third single from his second studio album, You've Come a Long Way, Baby, in 1999. It reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1999 and No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States on 11 May 1999....
" video, also directed by Jonze) on their road to the MTV Video Music Awards. Torrance is also mentioned in the South Park episode Freak Strike
Freak Strike
"Freak Strike" is the 3rd episode of the sixth season of the Comedy Central series South Park and the 82nd episode of the series overall. It originally aired on March 20, 2002.-Plot:...
. Torrance was also a filming location for the 1997 film Volcano. Torrance Beach is mentioned in the 1994 comedy The Stoned Age
The Stoned Age
The Stöned Age is a 1994 American comedy film directed by James Melkonian, set during the 1970s about two long haired stoners named Michael Hubbs and Joe Connolly and one night cruising Southern California looking for alcohol, parties, and chicks.-Plot summary:The story takes place in Torrance,...
.
Much of the film "Lifeguard" starring Sam Elliott was filmed on Torrance beach, with numerous scenes shot throughout the Torrance area.
The Del Amo Fashion Center
Del Amo Fashion Center
Del Amo Fashion Center is a two-level regional shopping mall in Torrance, California, USA. It is currently managed and co-owned by Simon Property Group....
has been used as a location for several motion pictures, including Jackie Brown
Jackie Brown (film)
Jackie Brown is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch by American novelist Elmore Leonard and pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation films....
and Bad Santa
Bad Santa
Bad Santa is a 2003 American screwball black comedy film directed and co-written by Terry Zwigoff, produced by the Coen brothers, and starring Billy Bob Thornton as the title character and Tony Cox as his partner in crime. Actors Bernie Mac and John Ritter co-star...
.
The Torrance Drive-In, now gone, is the mentioned in chapter 8 of the Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
novel, A Scanner Darkly
A Scanner Darkly
A Scanner Darkly is a BSFA Award winning 1977 science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. The semi-autobiographical story is set in a dystopian Orange County, California, in the then-future of June 1994...
.
Torrance High School
Torrance High School
Torrance High School is a high school located in Torrance, California. Founded in 1917, it is one of the oldest high schools in continuous use in California and is the oldest of the four high schools in the Torrance Unified School District. Four of its buildings are listed on the U.S...
's facade is familiar to television viewers as the setting for Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
and its spinoff, 90210
90210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and to filmgoers for its appearances in She's All That
She's All That
She's All That is a 1999 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Iscove, and is a modern adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion...
, Not Another Teen Movie
Not Another Teen Movie
Not Another Teen Movie is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Joel Gallen, released on December 14, 2001 by Columbia Pictures. It is a parody of teen movies which have accumulated in Hollywood over the last few decades...
and The Wild Life
The Wild Life (film)
The Wild Life is a 1984 comedy-drama film, written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Art Linson.The movie was an indirect sequel to the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The film is only available on VHS and Laserdisc in pan and scan with stereo analog tracks. No DVD version has been released due...
.
South High School
South High School (Torrance)
South High School is a public high school in Torrance, California. It is one of five high schools in the Torrance Unified School District.-History:...
, near the southern border of Torrance, was used as a location for the 1999 filming of the film American Beauty
American Beauty (film)
American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a middle-aged magazine writer who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend, Angela...
.
Torrance is also the home of filming the hit show Zeke and Luther
Zeke and Luther
Zeke and Luther is an American Disney XD sitcom about two best friends setting their sights on becoming the world's greatest skateboarders. The show stars Hutch Dano, Adam Hicks, Daniel Curtis Lee and Ryan Newman ....
. They have appeared skateboarding at the Daily Breeze
Daily Breeze
The Daily Breeze is a 70,000-circulation daily newspaper published in Torrance, California. It serves the South Bay cities of Los Angeles County. Its slogan is "LAX to LA Harbor".- Early history :...
building, and Wilson Park.
Torrrance Beach was a filming location in the Fox Television series The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
In Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, School 2 references North High.
Miscellaneous
In 1986 the United States men's national soccer teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
was in the last game of the qualifying tournament, the U.S. needed only a draw against Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
, whom the U.S. had beaten 3–0 in the Olympics the year before, in order to reach the final qualification group against Honduras
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
and Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
. U.S. Soccer scheduled the game to be played at El Camino College
El Camino College
El Camino College is a two-year public community college located partially in the unincorporated area of Alondra Park and partially in the City of Torrance in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is commonly referred to as "Elco" or "ECC"...
, an area with many Costa Rican
Costa Rican American
A Costa Rican American is an inhabitant of the United States who is of Costa Rican descent or birth.The American Community Survey estimated the population of Costa Rican Americans to be 117,563 in 2007.- History :...
expatriates, and marketed the game almost exclusively to the Costa Rican community, even providing Costa Rican folk dances as halftime entertainment. A 35th minute goal by Evaristo Coronado
Evaristo Coronado
Evaristo Coronado Salas is considered the best Costa Rican soccer striker during the 1980s.Coronado is one of the most recognized sports figures in his country. He played his entire career for Deportivo Saprissa, where he holds the team record for most goals scored ever...
won the match for Costa Rica and kept the United States from reaching its fourth World Cup finals.
In 1988, N.W.A.
N.W.A.
N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Compton, California, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap sub-genre....
recorded Straight Outta Compton
Straight Outta Compton
The lyrics on the album were mainly written by Ice Cube and MC Ren. Critics of the album expressed their view that the record glamorized Black-on-Black crime, but the emcees stated that the group was simply showing the reality of living in the areas of Compton, California, and South Central Los...
at Audio Achievements studio in Torrance.
Torrance is also known for its multicultural diversity
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
of East Asian and European ethnic groups, and even many Polynesians
Polynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
, Indian American
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
s, Arab American
Arab American
An Arab American is a United States citizen or resident of Arab ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage or identity, who identifies themselves as Arab. Arab Americans trace ancestry to any of the various waves of immigrants of the countries comprising the Arab World...
s and Persian Americans. Some of the city's sections like El Nido, Moneta, Clifton along with Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
and Hollywood Riviera are examples of the ethnoburb
Ethnoburb
An ethnoburb is a suburban residential and business area in North America with a notable cluster of a particular ethnic minority population. The term was first coined in 1997 by Dr. Wei Li, then assistant professor of Geography and Asian American Studies at the University of Connecticut, in a...
phenomenon.
Historically, local whites tolerated the presence of Japanese American
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
, Portuguese American
Portuguese American
Portuguese Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in the southwest European nation of Portugal, including the offshore island groups of the Azores and Madeira....
and Mexican residents, but not much support for African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s to relocate in their neighborhoods until the 1980s, which is the common racial consciousness in majority white neighborhoods even at present. Several members of the KKK
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
were active in local politics in the 1920s and 1930s, which was also the case in nearby Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
and Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
as well.
Historic Landmarks
These Torrance landmarks are on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
:
- Main Building (Torrance High School)Main Building (Torrance High School)The Main Building of the Torrance High School in Torrance, in Los Angeles County, California, was built in 1917. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983....
– Mediterranean Revival architecture, 1917 and 1921 - original Science Building—current Home Economics Building (Torrance High School)Home Economics Building (Torrance High School)The Home Economics Building in Torrance, California is a building on the campus of Torrance High School built in 1923. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983....
- Auditorium (Torrance High School)Auditorium (Torrance High School)The Auditorium, also known as the Assembly Hall, of the Torrance High School is a PWA Moderne building from 1938. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983....
– Streamline ModerneStreamline ModerneStreamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
, 1938 - Torrance Elementary School—current High School AnnexTorrance SchoolThe Torrance School, also known as Torrance High School Annex, is one of three buildings on the campus of the Torrance High School in Torrance, California that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building, built in 1923, was listed on the NRHP in 1983.The other NRHP-listed...
– Mediterranean Revival - Pacific Electric Railroad BridgePacific Electric Railroad BridgeThe Pacific Electric Railroad Bridge or Southern Pacific Railroad Bridge is a historic double-tracked arch bridge located in Torrance, California USA, spanning Torrance Boulevard at Bow Street, a short distance west of Western Avenue...
– designed by Irving GillIrving GillIrving John Gill , American architect, is considered a pioneer of the modern movement in architecture. He designed several buildings considered examples of San Diego's best architecture.-Biography:...
, 1913
External links
- Official Torrance website
- Discover Torrance the Official Visitors Bureau for Torrance, California
- City-Data.com: Torrance information page
- airnav.com: Torrance Airport
- Torrance Historical Society and Museum website
- The South Bay History blog
- Friends of Madrona Marsh Preserve website