Chatsworth | |
|---|---|
 Chatsworth neighborhood as mapped by theLos Angeles Times | |
  Chatsworth Location within Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley | |
| Coordinates:34°15′26″N118°36′04″W / 34.25722°N 118.60111°W /34.25722; -118.60111 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Los Angeles |
| City | Los Angeles |
| Named after | Chatsworth House,Derbyshire, England |
| Elevation | 978 ft (298 m) |
| Population (2000)[1] | |
• Total | 41,255 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 91311 |
| Area codes | 747 and 818 |
Chatsworth is a suburban neighborhood inLos Angeles, California, in theSan Fernando Valley. The area around the town was home to Native Americans, who left caves containingrock art. Chatsworth was explored and colonized by theSpanish beginning in the18th century. The land was part of a Spanish land grant,Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando. After the United States took over the land following theMexican–American War, it was the largest such grant inCalifornia. Chatsworth has seven public and eight private schools. There are large open-space and smaller recreational parks as well as a public library and a transportation center. Landmarks in the town include the former Chatsworth Reservoir and the Santa Susana Field Laboratory.The neighborhood has one of the lowest population densities in Los Angeles and a relatively high income level. Chatsworth is the home of theIverson Movie Ranch, a 500-acre area which was the most filmed movie ranch in history, as more than 2,000 productions used it as a filming location.
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2025) |
The 2000 U.S. census counted 35,073 residents in the 15.2 square miles (39 km2) Chatsworth neighborhood, or 2,301 people per square mile, among the lowestpopulation densities for both the city andthe county. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 37,102. In 2000, the median age for residents was 40, considered old for city and county neighborhoods; the percentages of residents aged 35 and older were among the county's highest.[2]
The neighborhood was considered to be ethnically "moderately diverse" for both the city of Los Angeles and its county, with a relatively high percentage of whites and Asian people, and a sizable Hispanic/Latino community. The population was 65.7%Non-Hispanic White, 14.4%Asian, 13.5%Hispanic or Latin, 2.2%Black, and 4.2% of other origins. Among the 25.2% of residents born abroad - a low figure for Los Angeles -Korea (10.4%) and thePhilippines (9.3%) were the most common places of birth.[2]
The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $84,456, considered to be a high income for the city. The percentages of families that earned more than $40,000 was considered high for the county. Renters occupied 28.9% of the housing stock, and house- or apartment-owners held 71.1%. The average household size of 2.6 people was considered average for Los Angeles.[2]
In 2000, there were 2,933 military veterans, or 10.8% of the population, a high percentage compared to the rest of the city. The percentage of married people was among the county's highest. The rate of 10% of families headed by single parents was low for the city.[2]
Chatsworth is flanked by theSanta Susana Mountains on the north,Porter Ranch andNorthridge on the east,Winnetka,Canoga Park,West Hills on the south, theSimi Hills, and unincorporated Los Angeles County andVentura County on the west, and Twin Lakes, a community founded by San Francisco's George Haight in the early 20th century and unincorporated Los Angeles County which includes a 1,600-acre park with equestrian trails, to the north.[3][4]
This region experiences hot and dry summers, with average daily high temperatures of 90–100 °F. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Chatsworth has aMediterranean climate.[5]
Chatsworth was inhabited by theTongva,Chumash, andTataviam. They inhabited the valley for an estimated 8,000 years.Stoney Point is the site of theTongva village ofMomonga, which was also a trading place with the neighboringTataviam andChumash people.[6] The nearbyBurro Flats Painted Cave remains a legacy of the Chumash culture'srock art andsolstice ceremony spirituality.[7]
The first European explorers came into the Chatsworth area on August 5, 1769, led by the Spanish military leaderGaspar de Portolà. With its establishment in 1797 and subsequent Spanish Land Grant by the King of Spain,Mission San Fernando (Mission San Fernando Rey de España) gained dominion over the San Fernando Valley's lands, including future Chatsworth.
The Native American trail that had existed from the Tongva-Tatavium village called rancheria Santa Susana (Chatsworth) to another village, replaced byMission San Fernando, became the route for missionaries and other Spanish travel up and down California. It was part of theEl Camino del Santa Susana y Simi trail that connected the Valley's Mission, Los Angeles pueblo (town), and the southern missions with theMission San Buenaventura, thePresidio of Monterey, and the northward missions. The trail crossed over theSanta Susana Pass to theSimi Valley, through present day city park Chatsworth Park South and theSanta Susana Pass State Historic Park. In 1795, the Spanish land grant had been issued forRancho Simi, reconfirmed in 1842 by the Mexican governor.[8][9][10] Its lands included part of current Chatsworth, westward from Andora Avenue.
In 1821, after theMexican War of Independence fromSpain, the Mission San Fernando became part ofAlta California, Mexico. In 1834, the Mexican government began redistributing the mission lands. In 1846, the Mexican land grant forRancho Ex-Mission San Fernando was issued by GovernorPío Pico. It was bounded on the north byRancho San Francisco and theSanta Susana Mountains, on the west by theSimi Hills, on the east byRancho Tujunga, and on the south by the Montañas de Portesuelo (Santa Monica Mountains). The Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando received a Federal land patent to retain ownership by the United StatesPublic Land Commission in 1873 and was the single largest land grant in California.[11]
The Chatsworth Historical Society was formed in 1963 in an effort to successfully save the historic Pioneer Church from demolition. The society and Chatsworth Museum are located in Chatsworth Park South at Los Angeles Cultural Historical Monument No. 133, the Homestead Acre . In addition to preserving Chatsworth history and educating the public, the society acts as conservator of the Homestead Acre.[12]
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In 1869, the grantee's son, Eulogio F. de Celis, returned from Spain to Los Angeles.[13] In 1874, the family sold their northern half ofRancho Ex-Mission San Fernando to northern Californians,California State SenatorCharles Maclay and his partners George K. Porter, a San Francisco shoe manufacturer, and his cousin Benjamin F. Porter. The Porters' land was west of present-daySepulveda Boulevard including most of Chatsworth, and the Maclay land was east of Sepulveda Boulevard.[14]
TheOld Santa Susana Stage Road or Santa Susana Wagon Road continued in use as an alternative to the route along El Camino Viejo from 1861 to 1875, replacing the older road as the main route between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The downgrade from the Santa Susana Pass into Chatsworth was known as "The Devil's Slide". A new wagon route bypassing the deteriorating Devil's Slide was opened in 1895. Initially calledEl Camino Nuevo (the New Road), it was later named the Chatsworth Grade Road, which continued in use until Santa Susana Pass Road (now Old Santa Susana Pass Road) was built in 1917. In 1876, theSouthern Pacific Railroad opened a tunnel through theNewhall Pass, enabling rail connections from Los Angeles north to San Francisco, and rail travel soon replaced travel by stagecoach between Los Angeles and San Francisco. From this time, the stagecoach traffic to Santa Barbara once again used the coast route, and the Santa Susana Pass road was relegated to local traffic.[15] Construction of the 118 Ronald Reagan Freeway through the Santa Susana Pass began in 1968 with major traffic now bypassing Santa Susana Pass Road.[16]
The Chatsworth name, which hails from the statelyChatsworth House inDerbyshire, England, was first recorded in 1888, when George R. Crow filed with the Los Angeles County Recorder's Office a map of the San Fernando Valley with a subdivision he called "Chatsworth Park". William Booth Barber, the president of the San Fernando Valley Improvement Company, was born in England 17 miles from the Duke of Devonshire's palatial estate, Chatsworth House. In 1893 W.B. Barber filed an additional map with the Recorder's Office called the "Plat of Chatsworth Park Townsite".[17]
The Chatsworth Branch Library, operated by theLos Angeles Public Library, is located at 21052Devonshire Street.[18] It was rebuilt in a modern style in 2002.[19]
The Chatsworth Post Office, of theUnited States Postal Service, is located at 21606Devonshire Street.[20]
TheU.S. Census Bureau operates the Los Angeles Regional Census Center in Chatsworth.[21][22]
TheChatsworth Transportation Center, a major transportation hub for the town and west valley, is served by 20 daily trains on theMetrolinkVentura County Line fromVentura toUnion Station inDowntown Los Angeles.Amtrak CaliforniaPacific Surfliner has 10 trains daily traveling through here[23] on theCoast Line which also handles freight transport byUnion Pacific Railroad and was involved in the2008 Chatsworth train collision near here.
TheOrange Line of theLos Angeles Metro system was extended to Chatsworth Station in 2012, with a dedicated right-of-way across the Valley toNorth Hollywood Station of theRed Line subway.[24][25][26]
The Chatsworth Transportation Center also offers connections to several Los Angeles Metro,Simi Valley, andSanta Clarita bus routes. It is located at 10046 Old Depot Plaza Road, betweenDevonshire and Lassen streets.[27]
Chatsworth is serviced by the118 freeway in the northern end of the neighborhood.
Thirty-four percent of Chatsworth residents aged 25 and older had earned afour-year degree by 2000, an average percentage for the city.[2]
Schools within the Chatsworth boundaries are:[28]
The City of Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Department,California Department of Parks and Recreation, County of Los Angeles, California State Park Volunteers, and theSanta Monica Mountains Conservancy operate the various naturalopen space preserve parks andneighborhood recreation parks.
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A distinctive feature in Chatsworth is the Chatsworth Dam and reservoir. Built in 1918 as part of theLos Angeles Aqueduct system, the property belongs to theLos Angeles Department of Water and Power. Due to increasing concerns of the water quality because of algae plumes and storm water inflow, it was taken out of service in August 1969. After the1971 San Fernando earthquake additional concerns for seismic safety led to its abandonment by the LADWP as a storage facility.[49]Chatsworth Oaks Park and theChatsworth Nature Preserve are located here giving views of migrating birds and other animals, and their sounds such as the coyotes calling in the evening. The views of the rocky and dramaticSimi Hills surround the open space.[50]
Chatsworth Reservoir is classified by theLos Angeles Times as a city neighborhood, but "because there are relatively few homes in this area," theTimes does not provide separate statistics for it, but adds them to Chatsworth.[51] The Devonshire and Topanga stations of the Los Angeles Police Department provide services in the area.[52]
Chatsworth is the home of theNational Notary Association and the headquarters forPremier America (formerly Litton Federal Credit Union) and Matadors Community Credit Union.
TheSanta Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL), once busy withRocketdyne testing rocket engines andAtomics International doing nuclear research, is quiet and high in theSimi Hills west of Chatsworth.[53] It has been closed, will undergo an extensive environmental cleanup, and will become an open-space park.[54] The park will permanently add to Chatsworth's scenic backdrop,greenway, andhiking opportunities.[55]
Some of the current large employers based in Chatsworth areCapstone Turbine,Natel Engineering, andHydraulics International.Lamps Plus has production and distribution facilities in Chatsworth.
Titus Software's United States subsidiary once had its headquarters in Chatsworth.[56]
Seltzer Motor Industries, of Chatsworth, in 1979 produced theWillow, a two-seat sports car kit. It is the first transverse, inline four-cylinder, mid-engined kit car ever offered to the public.[57]
Places adjacent to Chatsworth, Los Angeles | |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
34°15′26″N118°36′01″W / 34.25722°N 118.60028°W /34.25722; -118.60028
