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Whittier, California
City
Greenleaf Street Whittier Village Cinemas Hoover Hotel Whittier College Bank of Whittier Skyline of Whittier, California
Flag Seal
Location of Whittier in Los Angeles County, California
Whittier Location in California and the contiguous United States Show map of California Whittier Whittier (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 33°57′56″N 118°1′28″W / 33.96556°N 118.02444°W / 33.96556; -118.02444
Country	United States
State	California
County	Los Angeles
Incorporated	February 25, 1898[1]
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• Mayor	Joe Vinatieri
• Mayor Pro Tem	Jessica Martinez
• City Council	Fernando Dutra Cathy Warner Octavio Cesar Martinez
• City Manager	Brian Saeki
• Assistant City Manager	Shannon DeLong
Area [2]
• Total	14.66 sq mi (37.98 km2)
• Land	14.65 sq mi (37.94 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)  0.11%
Elevation [3]	367 ft (112 m)
Population  (2020)[4]
• Total	87,306
• Rank	95th in California
• Density	5,824.9/sq mi (2,249.0/km2)
Demonym	Whittierite
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes[5]	90601–90610
Area code	562
FIPS code	06-85292
GNIS feature IDs	1652813, 2412260
Website	www.cityofwhittier.org

Whittier (/ˈhwɪtiər/) is a city in Southern California in Los Angeles County, part of the Gateway Cities. The 14.7-square-mile (38.0 km²) city had 87,306 residents as of the 2020 United States census, an increase of 1,975 from the 2010 census figure. Whittier was incorporated in February 1898 and became a charter city in 1955.^[6] The city is named for the Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier and is home to Whittier College. The city is surrounded by three unincorporated areas sharing the Whittier name, West Whittier-Los Nietos, South Whittier, and East Whittier, which combined are home to a larger population than Whittier proper.

Etymology

In the founding days of Whittier, when it was a small, isolated town, Jonathan Bailey and his wife, Rebecca, were among the first residents. They followed the Quaker religious faith and practice and held religious meetings on their porch. Other early settlers, such as Aquila Pickering, espoused the Quaker faith. As the city grew, the citizens named it after John Greenleaf Whittier, a respected Quaker poet, and deeded a lot to him. Whittier wrote a dedication poem and is honored today with statues and a small exhibit at the Whittier Museum; a statue of him sits in Whittier's Central Park, and another representing his poem "The Barefoot Boy"^[7] used to reside by the City Hall and is now in front of the main library. Whittier never set foot there, but the city still bears his name and is rooted in the Quaker tradition.^[6]

History

The Gabrielino first inhabited the area.^[8]

Whittier's roots can be traced to Spanish soldier Manuel Nieto.^[9] In 1784, Nieto received a Spanish land grant of 300,000 acres (1,200 km²), Rancho Los Nietos, as a reward for his military service and to encourage settlement in California.^[6] The area of Nieto's land grant was reduced in 1790 as the result of a dispute with Mission San Gabriel. Nonetheless, Nieto still had a claim to 167,000 acres (680 km²) stretching from the hills north of Whittier, Fullerton, and Brea, south to the Pacific Ocean, and from what is known today as the Los Angeles River east to the Santa Ana River. Nieto built a rancho for his family near Whittier, purchased cattle and horses for his ranch, and planted cornfields. When Nieto died in 1804, his children inherited their father's property.

At the time of the 1840s Mexican–American War, much of the land that would become Whittier was owned by Pio Pico, a rancher and the last Mexican governor of Alta California.^[6] Pio Pico built a hacienda here on the San Gabriel River, known today as Pio Pico State Historic Park.^[6] Following the Mexican–American War, German immigrant Jacob F. Gerkens paid $234 to the U.S. government to acquire 160 acres (0.6 km²) of land under the Homestead Act and built the cabin known today as the Jonathan Bailey House.^[10] Gerkens would later become the first chief of police of the Los Angeles Police Department. Gerkens' land was owned by several others before a group of Quakers purchased it and expanded it to 1,259 acres (5 km²), intending to found a Quaker community. The area soon became known as a thriving citrus ranching region, with "Quaker Brand" fruit shipped all over the United States. Beginning in 1887, walnut trees were planted, and Whittier became the largest walnut grower in the United States.^[6][9] In addition to walnuts and citrus, Whittier was also a significant producer of pampas grass.

For many years, the sole means of transport from this area to Los Angeles was on foot or via horse and wagon over rough dirt roads, impeding settlement, development, and the export of agriculture.^[11] Thus in 1887 "enterprising and aggressive businessmen" contracted with the Southern Pacific Railroad to build the first railroad spur to Whittier, including a depot.^[12] The businessmen covered the $43,000 construction cost for the six-mile spur, which branched off from the Southern Pacific mainline at a junction near what is now Studebaker Road between Firestone Boulevard and Imperial Highway.^[13] By 1906, 650 carloads of oranges and 250 carloads of lemons were shipped annually by rail. In 1904, the Pacific Electric opened the trolley line known as "Big Red Cars" from Los Angeles to Whittier. In the first two decades, over a million passengers a year rode to and from Los Angeles on the Whittier Line.^[6] After World War II, Whittier grew rapidly. The sub-dividing of orange groves began, driven by housing shortages in southern California. In 1955, the new Civic Center complex was completed, and the City Council met in new chambers for the first time on March 8, 1955. The city continued to grow as the City annexed portions of Whittier Boulevard and East Whittier. The 1961 annexation added over 28,000 people to the population, bringing the total to about 67,000.^[6]

Quakers

The first Quaker meetings were held on the front porch of the Jonathan Bailey House.^[10] Eventually, as more Quakers arrived, the need for an actual Meeting House arose, and the first Quaker meeting house was built on the corner of Comstock Avenue and Wardman Street in 1887. The meeting soon outgrew this 100-seat meeting house, and a new larger building was erected on the corner of Philadelphia Street and Washington Avenue in 1902. By 1912, membership had grown to 1,200, and a third building was dedicated on the same site in 1917. With a capacity of 1,700, the 1917 meeting house featured a balcony and was constructed of brick with mahogany paneling and pews. The present meeting house, dedicated in 1975, features many architectural elements and materials from the 1917 building, including the stained glass windows and mahogany interior.^[14] The Quakers also founded Whittier Academy (later Whittier College), and additional meetings met in East Whittier and at Whittier College's Mendenhall. The Mendenhall and East Whittier meetings kept the silent meeting longer than the main church.

Colleges

In 1887, the Pickering Land and Water Company set aside a 20-acre (81,000 m²) parcel of land to develop a college, but a collapse in the land boom stalled construction. Progress on developing a college was sporadic, but on July 30, 1896, the Whittier Academy, operating since 1891, officially changed its name to Whittier College with 100 students enrolled. The school mascot is "The Poet." By 1906, Whittier College was an educational institution with laboratories, boarding halls, a large gymnasium, and athletic fields. Due to an economic depression in the 1890s, the first bachelor's degrees were not awarded at the college for 17 years.^[6]

Leona May Mendenhall donated the Mendenhall Building at Whittier College in honor of her husband, Oscar. The Mendenhalls were among the founding families of Whittier. Oscar's brother, Samuel Mendenhall, helped bring in the water system and post office. The Mendenhalls were large growers for Sunkist oranges and Blue Diamond walnuts.

Whittier was the first home to Azusa Pacific University, established on March 3, 1899, by the Quaker community and a Methodist evangelist under the name Training School for Christian Workers.^[15]

Whittier Narrows earthquake

On October 1, 1987, at 7:42 a.m., the Whittier Narrows earthquake struck, the epicenter being six miles (10 km) north by northwest of Whittier. The seismic event, which registered 5.9 on the moment magnitude scale, killed eight people and damaged many of uptown Whittier's historic buildings. Three days later, on October 4, 1987, at 3:59 a.m., a major aftershock measuring 5.2 caused further damage. Buildings and residential structures that were already borderline unsafe were now deemed unsafe or uninhabitable. In the years following the earthquake, the city's deteriorating uptown business district became the focus of renewed development, meeting opposition from many Whittier citizens. The Whittier Conservancy was formed in 1987 to stop the demolition of many historic buildings and residences after the disaster. The city also created a Historic Resources Commission to oversee the approval of landmark designations, historic districts, and Mills Act proposals. The Whittier Narrows earthquake also destroyed The Quad at Whittier, a shopping mall that had to be rebuilt.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.7 square miles (38 km²), virtually all land.

Whittier is bordered by the community of Hacienda Heights to the northeast, City of Industry to the north, and several other unincorporated communities in the San Gabriel Valley mostly along its northern sections. Pico Rivera lies at the west, La Habra Heights to the east, La Habra to the southeast and Santa Fe Springs to the south.

Neighborhoods

There are several neighborhoods in Whittier. The area centered around Philadelphia Street and Greenleaf Avenue is known as Uptown Whittier and contains the traditional central business core. Just north of Uptown Whittier are the neighborhoods known as Central Park and Hadley-Greenleaf. They have been designated historic districts by the city Historic Resources Commission and comprise most of the Whittier Historic Neighborhood Association area. These districts contain many Craftsman and Spanish Colonial Revival homes. In and abutting the hills north of the historic districts is Starlite Estates. The area surrounding Whittier College is known as College Hills and was also recently designated a historic district, as it has a small cluster of homes along Earlham Drive. The area east of College Avenue is called East Whittier. East Whittier was an unincorporated agricultural community until the postwar era. The eastern parts of East Whittier, developed in the 1950s and 1960s, are known as Friendly Hills, which was developed at the same time as Murphy Ranch and Leffingwell Ranch. Friendly Hills and Murphy Ranch are generally considered north of Whittier Boulevard, while Leffingwell Ranch is south of the boulevard. The area at the extreme east of Whittier is occasionally called Sunglow.

Climate

Whittier is about 15 miles (24 km) inland of the Pacific Ocean, resulting in higher daytime temperatures, and since it lies at a higher elevation than the cities further west, cold air drains into the lower elevation of the Los Angeles Basin which results in warmer night-time lows, producing an example of thermal inversion. Winter daytime highs typically range from 68 °F to 80 °F (20 °C to 27 °C) with overnight lows dropping to about 43 °F to 54 °F (6° to 12 °C). In the summer highs range from 78 °F to 95 °F (26 °C to 35 °C) and corresponding overnight lows in the 58 °F to 72 °F (14 °C to 22 °C). Rainfall follows a Mediterranean pattern, with most rain falling during winter, while summers tend to be rather dry. The mean annual rainfall is about 14 inches (360 mm).

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	585		—
1900	1,590		171.8%
1910	4,550		186.2%
1920	7,997		75.8%
1930	14,822		85.3%
1940	16,115		8.7%
1950	23,433		45.4%
1960	33,663		43.7%
1970	72,863		116.4%
1980	68,558		−5.9%
1990	77,671		13.3%
2000	83,680		7.7%
2010	85,331		2.0%
2020	87,306		2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]

2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Whittier had a total population of 87,306 people with a density of 5,824.9 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 48.7% White (24.5% Non-Hispanic white, 24.2% White Hispanic), 1.5% African American, 1.1% Native American, 5.3% Asian, 0.0% Asian Pacific American, and 8.4% from two or more races. Hispanic and Latino Americans were 65.8% of the population. 16.6% of the population were foreign born, and 3.1% of people were veterans.

There were 27,093 households, of which the average size was 3.07 persons. The median household income during 2016–2020 was $76,026, and 9.5% of the population was living in poverty.

The population was spread out, with 23.0% of the population under the age of 18 and 15.1% above the age of 65. Of all people aged above 25 years, 88.5% were high school graduates, and 26.7% had a bachelor's degree or higher. 61.5% of people aged above 16 years were in the civilian labor force.^[4]

Whittier, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[18]	Pop 2010[19]	Pop 2020[20]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	31,475	24,126	18,018	37.61%	28.27%	20.64%
Black or African American alone (NH)	838	780	1,014	1.00%	0.91%	1.16%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	341	226	248	0.41%	0.26%	0.28%
Asian alone (NH)	2,628	2,996	3,967	3.14%	3.51%	4.54%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	90	91	122	0.11%	0.11%	0.14%
Other race alone (NH)	113	131	440	0.14%	0.15%	0.50%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	1,430	900	1,694	1.71%	1.05%	1.94%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	46,765	56,081	61,803	55.89%	65.72%	70.79%
Total	83,680	85,331	87,306	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2010

The 2010 United States Census^[21] reported that Whittier had a population of 85,331. The population density was 5,818.6 inhabitants per square mile (2,246.6/km²). The racial makeup of Whittier was 55,117 (64.6%) White (28.3% Non-Hispanic White, 36.3% White Hispanic),^[22] 1,092 (1.3%) African American, 1,093 (1.3%) Native American, 3,262 (3.8%) Asian, 123 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 20,848 (24.4%) from other races, and 3,796 (4.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 56,081 persons (65.7%).

The Census reported that 83,696 people (98.1% of the population) lived in households, 1,083 (1.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 552 (0.6%) were institutionalized.

There were 28,273 households, out of which 11,289 (39.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 14,152 (50.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 4,566 (16.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,896 (6.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,770 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 247 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 6,096 households (21.6%) were made up of individuals, and 2,495 (8.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96. There were 20,614 families (72.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.46.

The population was spread out, with 21,686 people (25.4%) under the age of 18, 9,198 people (10.8%) aged 18 to 24, 23,627 people (27.7%) aged 25 to 44, 20,819 people (24.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 10,001 people (11.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

There were 29,591 housing units at an average density of 2,017.8 per square mile (779.1/km²), of which 16,207 (57.3%) were owner-occupied, and 12,066 (42.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. 49,393 people (57.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 34,303 people (40.2%) lived in rental housing units.

During 2009–2013, Whittier had a median household income of $68,522, with 12.4% of the population living below the federal poverty line.^[22]

2000

As of the census^[23] of 2000, there were 83,680 people, 28,271 households, and 20,468 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,719.4 inhabitants per square mile (2,208.3/km²). There were 28,977 housing units at an average density of 1,980.5 per square mile (764.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 43.2% White, 1.2% African American, 1.3% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 25.8% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 65.9% of the population.^[24]

There were 28,271 households, out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.38.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,256, and the median income for a family was $55,726. Males had a median income of $40,394 versus $34,223 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,409. About 7.8% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Mexican and German were the most common ancestries. Mexico and El Salvador were the most common foreign places of birth.^[25]

Homelessness

In 2022, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority's Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count counted 127 homeless individuals in Whittier.^[26]

Homeless population

Year	Pop.	±%
2016	244	—
2017	203	−16.8%
2018	178	−12.3%
2019	283	+59.0%
2020	230	−18.7%
2022	127	−44.8%
Source: Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority

Economy

Whittier's Redevelopment Agency has numerous projects underway to revitalize the community. This includes a $7 million project near the historic Hoover Hotel. In addition, the agency is working on developing a 480-acre (1.9 km²) project area near Whittier Blvd. The master plan was adopted in June 2005 by the City Council. In 2019, Whittier's first food hall, Poet Gardens, opened in Uptown Whittier.^[27]

The Whittwood Town Center is a shopping destination in Whittier.

Top employers

According to the city's 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[28] the top employers in the city are:

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#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital	2,600
2	Whittier Union High School District	950
3	Whittier Hospital Medical Center	850
4	Whittier City School District	720
5	City of Whittier	621
6	United States Postal Service	360
7	Bright Health Physicians	300
8	Ralph's	270
9	Los Angeles County