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San Fernando, California
Santa Rosa Catholic Church, San Fernando, CA.JPG
Casa de Lopez (Lopez Adobe), San Fernando, CA.JPG
Saint Ferdinand Catholic Church, San Fernando, CA.JPG
Clockwise: Santa Rosa Church; Saint Ferdinand Catholic Church; Lopez Adobe.
Official seal of San Fernando, California
Seal
Location of San Fernando in Los Angeles County, California
Location of San Fernando in Los Angeles County, California
San Fernando, California is located in the United States
San Fernando, California
San Fernando, California
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  California
County Los Angeles
Incorporated August 31, 1911
Named for St. Ferdinand
Area
 • Total 2.37 sq mi (6.15 km2)
 • Land 2.37 sq mi (6.15 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation
1,070 ft (326 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 23,645
 • Estimate 
(2019)
24,322
 • Density 10,245.16/sq mi (3,955.63/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
91340-91342, 91344-91346
Area code(s) 818, 747
FIPS code 06-66140
GNIS feature IDs 1652786, 2411785

San Fernando (Spanish for "St. Ferdinand") is a city in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It is bordered on all sides by the City of Los Angeles. As of the 2010 census the population of San Fernando was 23,645.

History

Exterior view of the Mission Hotel in San Fernando, ca.1888 (1874?) (CHS-9501)
Mission Hotel in San Fernando, c. 1888

The city was named for the nearby Mission San Fernando Rey de España, and was part of the Mexican land grant of Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando. In 1874 Charles Maclay, San Fernando founder, bought 56,000 acres (227 km2) of the Rancho. In 1882, cousins George K. Porter and Benjamin F. Porter of future Porter Ranch each received one-third of the total land. In 1885, Maclay founded the Maclay School of Theology, a Methodist seminary in his newly founded town of San Fernando. After his death it became an affiliate and moved to the campus of the University of Southern California and then the Claremont School of Theology.

While most of the towns in the surrounding San Fernando Valley agreed to annexation by Los Angeles in the 1910s, eager to tap the bountiful water supply provided by the newly opened Los Angeles Aqueduct, San Fernando's abundant groundwater supplies allowed it to remain a separate city. Even as the San Fernando Valley transformed itself from an agricultural area to a suburban one in the decades after World War II, San Fernando retained its independence.

As with much of the San Fernando Valley east of the San Diego Freeway, the city of San Fernando has seen a significant demographic shift in recent years; declining birth-rates, an aging population of middle-class caucasians, who once dominated the area in the 1950s, has contributed to the movement into other parts of the San Fernando Valley. There has also been movement into the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys to the north. Income levels have declined as a result. Latinos became the majority population. Since late 2004, the city has been going through a series of planning development projects, that can be defined as gentrification.

Geography

San Fernando is completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, with the districts of Sylmar to the north, Lake View Terrace to the east, Pacoima to the south, and Mission Hills to the west. It is served by the Golden State (Interstate 5), Foothill (Interstate 210), Ronald Reagan (State Route 118), and San Diego (Interstate 405) freeways.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1920 3,204
1930 7,567 136.2%
1940 9,094 20.2%
1950 12,992 42.9%
1960 16,093 23.9%
1970 16,571 3.0%
1980 17,731 7.0%
1990 22,580 27.3%
2000 23,564 4.4%
2010 23,645 0.3%
2019 (est.) 24,322 2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010

At the 2010 census San Fernando had a population of 23,645. The population density was 9,959.9 people per square mile (3,845.5/km2). The racial makeup of San Fernando was 12,068 (51.0%) White (5.3% Non-Hispanic White), 222 (0.9%) African American, 314 (1.3%) Native American, 248 (1.0%) Asian, 33 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 9,877 (41.8%) from other races, and 883 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21,867 persons (92.5%).

The census reported that 23,531 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 46 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 68 (0.3%) were institutionalized.

There were 5,967 households, 3,247 (54.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,282 (55.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,098 (18.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 592 (9.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 476 (8.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 34 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 731 households (12.3%) were one person and 295 (4.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.94. There were 4,972 families (83.3% of households); the average family size was 4.18.

The age distribution was 6,941 people (29.4%) under the age of 18, 2,659 people (11.2%) aged 18 to 24, 7,132 people (30.2%) aged 25 to 44, 4,920 people (20.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,993 people (8.4%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 30.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

There were 6,291 housing units at an average density of 2,649.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 3,252 (54.5%) were owner-occupied and 2,715 (45.5%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.9%. 13,425 people (56.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 10,106 people (42.7%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, San Fernando had a median household income of $55,192, with 16.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000

At the 2000 census there were 23,564 people in 5,774 households, including 4,832 families, in the city. The population density was 9,880.7 inhabitants per square mile (3,822.7/km2). There were 5,932 housing units at an average density of 2,487.4 per square mile (962.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 42.76% White, 0.98% African American, 1.69% Native American, 1.12% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 49.35% from other races, and 3.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 89.28%.

Of the 5,774 households 52.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.3% were non-families. 12.4% of households were one person and 5.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 4.07 and the average family size was 4.33.

The age distribution was 34.4% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% 65 or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.9 males.

The median household income was $39,909 and the median family income was $40,138. Males had a median income of $26,068 versus $22,599 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,485. 15.3% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Top employers

According to the city's 2017-2018 annual financial report, the top ten employers in the city (not including the city itself as an employer) are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Los Angeles Unified School District 2010
2 Pharmavite LLC 360
3 County of Los Angeles 277
4 Home Depot 271
5 Pepsi Bottling Company 270
6 PureTek 200
7 Production Resource Group LLC 200
8 Vallarta Supermarkets 162
9 Ricon Corp 149
10 Valley Crest Landscape Co. 136

As of 2018, the City of San Fernando has a total labor force of 11,700 with 4,035 (34.49%) working for the top ten employers listed. The City of San Fernando also employs 129 people as of 2018.

Education

MaclaySchoolofTheology-1890
Maclay School of Theology, in San Fernando c. 1890.

San Fernando is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

San Fernando is served by the following LAUSD schools:

  • O'Melveny Elementary School
  • Morningside Elementary School
  • San Fernando Elementary School
  • Gridley Elementary School in nearby Sylmar
  • San Fernando Middle School
  • San Fernando institute for Applied Media
  • César Chávez Learning Academies
  • San Fernando High School
  • Vaughn International Studies Academy (VISA); Charter School

The nearest community college to San Fernando is Los Angeles Mission College in the Sylmar neighborhood of Los Angeles.

PUC Schools operates some charter schools in San Fernando. They include Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy (MS and HS) and PUC Inspire Charter Academy. At one time Lakeview Charter Academy and Triumph Charter Academy, both of PUC Schools, were located in San Fernando now they are located in Sylmar.

A private school, The Concordia Schools San Fernando, was in the city. First Lutheran Schools was previously located where Concordia San Fernando was later now located. In 2011 the middle and high school consolidated into Concordia Junior Senior High School.

Infrastructure

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Pacoima Health Center in Pacoima in Los Angeles, serving the City of San Fernando.

The City of San Fernando produces, treats, sells and maintains its own water supply.

The United States Postal Service operates the San Fernando Post Office.

Fire

The Los Angeles Fire Department provides fire protection services for the city of San Fernando, which serves the community from three nearby fire stations (Station 75, Station 91, and Station 98), all of which are located in the City of Los Angeles.

Fire Station 75 in Mission Hills serves western San Fernando. Fire Station 91 in Sylmar serves northeast San Fernando Fire Station 98 in Pacoima serves southeast San Fernando.

Transportation

The Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink station serves the city on the Antelope Valley Line that passes through the city on a route adjacent to and parallel with San Fernando Boulevard. The officials and citizens have expressed their concern about the impact of the California High-Speed Rail if it follows the same route through the city. The city will become the future northern terminus of the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor, the valley's first light rail line by 2027.

Notable people

See also

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