Norwalk, California
Norwalk is a city in
Los Angeles County,
California,
United States. The population was 103,298 at the 2000 census.
The City of Norwalk was incorporated in 1957. It is located 17 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Like much of Southern California, Norwalk went from a predominantly agricultural area at the end of
World War II to a well-developed
suburb of
Los Angeles. Due to an influx of immigration primarily from
Mexico, the latino population has grown significantly. In the 1990s, Norwalk gained a significant Asian population from families priced out of wealthier neighboring
Cerritos and communities in
Orange County.
Norwalk operates under a Council/Manager form of government, established by the Charter of the City of Norwalk which was drafted in 1957. The five-member City Council acts as the City's chief policy-making body. Every two years, Councilmembers are elected by the citizens of Norwalk to serve four-year, overlapping terms. Councilmembers are not limited to the number of terms they may serve. The Mayor is selected by the Council and serves a one-year term.
Norwalk is currently a
contract city, in which the
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department provides police services. It maintains its own station, which also provides police services to
La Mirada and South Whittier (unincorporated).
Norwalk is located at (33.906914, -118.083398).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.2
km² (9.35
mi²). 24.2 km² (9.35 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.51%) is water.
Norwalk is bordered by
Downey on the Northwest,
Bellflower on the Southwest,
Cerritos and
Artesia on the South, and
Santa Fe Springs on the North and East.
As of the
census of 2000, there were 103,298 people, 26,887 households, and 22,531 families residing in the city. The
population density was 4,120.2/km² (10,667.6/mi²). There were 27,554 housing units at an average density of 1,099.0/km² (2,845.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 44.82%
White, 4.62%
African American, 1.16%
Native American, 11.54%
Asian, 0.39%
Pacific Islander, 32.75% from
other races, and 4.71% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 62.89% of the population.
There were 26,887 households out of which 46.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were
married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.2% were non-families. 12.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.79 and the average family size was 4.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.1% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,047, and the median income for a family was $47,524. Males had a median income of $31,579 versus $26,047 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $14,022. About 9.5% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Freeways and highways
Norwalk has extensive freeway links. The
Santa Ana Freeway (
I-5) and
San Gabriel River Freeway (
I-605) intersect at its northern edge, while the
Century Freeway (
I-105) terminates at the San Gabriel River Freeway at the city's western edge. The
Artesia Freeway (
CA/SR-91) runs just south of the city's southern border. Imperial Highway (
CA/SR-90) and Firestone Boulevard (
CA/SR-42), two major east-west routes in southern Los Angeles County, intersect in the northwestern part of the city.
Norwalk Transit
The Norwalk Transit serves Norwalk and its adjacent the communities. Currently there are 5 different bus lines operating in the city and surrounding areas. The Norwalk Transit links riders to other buslines including the
Long Beach Transit,
Orange County Transportation Authority, and the
MTA.
Los Angeles Metro and Metrolink
The
Los Angeles MTA ("Metro") and
Southern California Regional Rail Authority ("Metrolink") have made Norwalk a transportation hub. One MTA rail line and two Metrolink lines connect Norwalk with greater Los Angeles. The Metro Green Line
light rail line, which originates in Norwalk, offers a direct route to
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and continues to Redondo Beach. The Metrolink Orange County Line and 91 Line (which operate on the same track in this area) connect Norwalk with Orange County,
Riverside County, and Downtown Los Angeles. Unfortunately, due to the abandonment of the easternmost extension of the
Century Freeway (which provides the Green Line with most of its right-of-way) through the city, there is a gap of four miles between the Green Line's eastern terminus and the Metrolink stop at the Norwalk-
Santa Fe Springs Transportation Center. MTA is currently exploring the possibility of extending the Green Line eastward along Imperial Highway to the Transportation Center.
The area known as "Norwalk" was first home to the Shoshonean Indian tribe. They survived primarily on honey, an array of berries, acorns, sage, squirrels, rabbits and birds. Their huts were part of the Sejat Indian village.
In the late 1760s, Spanish settlers, Padres and missions flourished in the area under Spanish rule with the famous
El Camino Real trail traversing the area. In 1833, the new Mexican government passed the Secularization Bill, which returned the land to the Indian tribes. However, the Indian tribes suffered the loss of much of their culture, and were unable to successfully cope with the return of their land.
The Rancho and mining days in the new California ended around the 1860's and the land was subdivided once again and made available for sale now as part of the State of California. Word of this land development reached the Sproul Brothers in Oregon. They recalled the fertile land and huge sycamore trees they saw during an earlier visit to the Southern California area. In 1869, Atwood Sproul, on behalf of his brother, Gilbert, purchased 463 acres (1.9 km²) of land at $11 an acre ($2700/km²) in an area known as Corazon de los Valles, or "Heart of the Valleys."
By 1873, railroads were being built in the area and the Sprouls deeded 23 acres (93,000 m²) stipulating a "passenger stop" clause in the deed. Three days after the Anaheim Branch Railroad crossed the "North-walk" for the first time, Gilbert Sproul surveyed a town site. In 1874, the name was recorded officially as Norwalk. While a majority of the Norwalk countryside remained undeveloped during the 1880's, the Norwalk Station allowed potential residents the opportunity to visit the "country" from across the nation.
This pre-1900 era also brought the "first families" to Norwalk, including the Sprouls, the Dewitts, the Settles, the Orrs, and many others. D.D. Johnston pioneered the first school system in Norwalk in 1880. Johnston was also responsible for the first real industry in town, a cheese factory, by furnishing Tom Lumbard with the money in 1882. Norwalk's prosperity was evident in the 1890s with the construction of a number of fine homes that were located in the middle of orchards, farms and dairies. Headstones for these families can be found at Little Lake Cemetery founded in 1843. The cemetery in on the Norwalk-Santa fe Springs border at 11959 E. Lakeland Rd.
At the turn of the century, Norwalk had become established as the dairy center. Of the 50 local families reported in the 1900 census, most were associated with farming or with the dairy industry. Norwalk was also the home of some of the largest sugar beet farms in all of Southern California during this era.
The Hargitt House
Built in 1891 by the D. D. Johnston family, the Hargitt House is an 1891 Victorian Eastlake. The Hargitt House Museum, located at 12426 Mapledale, was donated to the people of Norwalk by Charles ("Chun") and Ida Hargitt. The Museum is open on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Norwalk is home to
Cerritos College.
*
Tiffany Darwish, 80's Teen Idol
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Poncho Sanchez, Latin jazz Artist
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Pat Nixon Excelsior High School Class of 1929 and wife of President Richard Nixon (Family bought a Truck Farm in Dairy Valley, formerly in Artesia, but now part of Cerritos)
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Cindy Sheehan, anti-Iraq War activist
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Nikki Schieler Ziering, Playboy Playmate, actress and Ian Ziering's ex-wife
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William Conrad, Graduate of Excelsior High School; Actor, director and producer in film and television (b. 1920, d. 1994)
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Alexandra Nechita, Artist, considered the youngest cubist ever discovered (at the age of 8) and nicknamed "petite Picasso". Attended Moffit Elementary School prior to her fame when she relocated outside of Norwalk, CA.
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The Postman Always Rings Twice - (1946) Includes scene filmed on location at the Norwalk train depot near Front Street and Funston Avenue
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Grease 2 (1982) - Mostly filmed at Excelsior High School
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High School U.S.A. (1983) - Filmed at Excelsior High School
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The Karate Kid (1984) - Golf 'N' Stuff
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Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995) - Outside scenes filmed at Keystone Lanes, a bowling alley on Imperial Highway
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Best Men (1997) - Mostly filmed on Front Street
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Another Day in Paradise (1998) - Locations include both Front Street and Firestone Blvd
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Life (1999) - Scene filmed at Greyhound bus station on Front Street
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City of Norwalk website*
Norwalk City, California*
Norwalk Chamber of Commerce*
Norwalk Municipal Code*
Norwalk QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
