Carson, California

Carson is a city in the South Bay and Harbor regions of Los Angeles County, California. It is located about 13 miles south of downtown Los Angeles and around 14 miles from Los Angeles International Airport. The city became officially recognized as a city on February 20, 1968.

Carson is well-known for having many Filipino-Americans and immigrants living there. In the year 2020, when people counted how many live in the city, there were 95,558 people living in Carson. This makes it a special place for many families and cultures to call home.

History

For thousands of years before Europeans arrived, Tongva Indians lived in the area where Carson is today. Carson is part of a land grant called Rancho San Pedro given by the King of Spain in 1784. The Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum, not far from Carson, shows what life was like back then.

Carson was named after George Henry Carson, who married into the Dominguez family in 1857 and helped manage their land. In 1921, people began drilling for oil near Dominguez Hill. Later, in 2011, work began to clean up pollution in a neighborhood there. In 2021, Carson experienced air pollution from a nearby channel.

Geography

Carson covers an area of 19.0 square miles (49 km²), with 18.7 square miles (48 km²) of land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²) of water. It is next to West Rancho Dominguez to the north, Rancho Dominguez and Long Beach to the southeast, West Carson to the southwest, and Compton to the north. The area also includes Bixby Marshland, a 17-acre wetland.

Carson has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, much like the Los Angeles area. The nearby Pacific Ocean keeps summers a bit cooler. While summer rain is rare, the city gets enough rain during the year to stay green. Carson sometimes experiences "June Gloom," with cloudy or foggy mornings that clear up by early afternoon.

Demographics

The 2020 census showed Carson had 95,558 people. The average age was 42.2 years, with about 18.7% of people younger than 18 and 19.0% aged 65 or older.

In 2010, Carson had 91,714 people. About 38.6% were of Hispanic or Latino origin, and many people came from the Philippines and Mexico. The city also had large groups of African American, Asian, and Pacific Islander residents.

In 2000, Carson's population was 89,730. Around 34.92% of people were of Hispanic or Latino origin. The city had a special fact: the African American population had a higher median income than the white population, which was unusual for cities in the United States.

Economy

Some big companies used to have offices in Carson. For example, Nissan had its main office in North America there. They had many buildings and lots of space for work. But in 2006, Nissan moved their office to Franklin, Tennessee. Many of the workers decided to stay in the Los Angeles area instead of moving.

Arts and culture

The County of Los Angeles Public Library runs two libraries in Carson: the Carson Regional Library and the Dr. Martin Luther King Library.

Carson is home to California State University, Dominguez Hills, a big college where many students from nearby cities like Long Beach, Compton, and West Carson study. The campus is known for having students from many different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

The city also has Dignity Health Sports Park, a large sports area. It includes a special stadium for soccer teams like the Los Angeles Galaxy, a place for tennis competitions, and a track and field facility.

Sports

One professional sports team currently plays its home games in Carson:

The Los Angeles Chargers of the NFL played their home games in Carson from 2017 to 2019.

2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics

During the 2028 Summer Olympics, Carson will host Rugby sevens, archery, tennis, field hockey and track cycling. During the 2028 Summer Paralympics, Carson will host wheelchair tennis, track cycling and archery.

Government

Carson has its own local government with money coming in and going out. It also has representatives at the state and national levels who help make decisions for the area.

In the California State Legislature, Carson is in the 35th senatorial district, represented by Democrat Laura Richardson, and in the 69th Assembly district, represented by Democrat Josh Lowenthal.

In the United States House of Representatives, Carson is in California's 44th congressional district, represented by Democrat Nanette Barragán.

Education

Most of Carson is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District, with a small part in the Compton Unified School District. High schools include Carson High School in Carson, Rancho Dominguez Preparatory School in Long Beach, and Banning High School in the Wilmington area of Los Angeles.

There is also Magnolia Science Academy-3, a public school for grades 6 to 12, and plans were made around 2019 to start a charter school called Ganas Academy, though this faced some opposition. The California Academy of Mathematics and Science is on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills and serves students from several school districts.

The LA County Library runs the Carson Branch.

Infrastructure

Fire protection in Carson is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which has several fire stations in the area. Ambulance services are handled by McCormick Ambulance Service Station 17. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department runs the Carson Station to keep the city safe.

The city used to run a local bus service called the Carson Circuit before the COVID-19 pandemic. This bus connected people to other transit options, including the Los Angeles Metro A Line at the Del Amo Station. Although the bus service stopped in March 2020, a Dial-A-Ride service was still available. In the past, the city was also served by the Pacific Electric Long Beach Line.

Notable people

Carson, California has been home to many famous people from different fields. Some well-known names include Ab-Soul, a rapper, and Dr. Dre, a famous rapper and music producer who lived there during his school years. The city has also seen athletes like Uchenna Nwosu, an NFL player, and Forest Whitaker, an award-winning actor and director. Musicians, actors, and sports figures have all made Carson their home at different times.

In popular culture

Carson, California has been shown or mentioned in several TV shows and movies. Some of these include Reno 911!, Jackie Brown, Gone in 60 Seconds (1974 Version), Emergency!, Pros vs. Joes, 10 Items or Less, and Larry Crowne. In Emergency!, the outside of a fire station was used, which was part of the real Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Sister cities

Carson has several sister cities around the world. These include:

• La Carlota, Philippines
• Muntinlupa, Philippines
• Parañaque, Philippines
• Sōka, Japan
• Taguig, Philippines
• Wanju County, South Korea