Marina del Rey, California | |
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 A boat slip in Marina del Rey | |
 Location within Los Angeles County | |
  Marina del Rey Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area Show map of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Marina del Rey Location within California Show map of California Marina del Rey Location within the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:33°58′46″N118°27′10″W / 33.97944°N 118.45278°W /33.97944; -118.45278 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Los Angeles |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.455 sq mi (3.768 km2) |
| • Land | 0.858 sq mi (2.221 km2) |
| • Water | 0.597 sq mi (1.546 km2) 41.04% |
| Elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 11,373 |
| • Density | 13,260/sq mi (5,121/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes | 90291–90292, 90295 |
| Area code | 310/424 |
| FIPS code | 06-45806 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1852255 |
Marina del Rey (Spanish for "Docks of the King") is anunincorporated seaside community inLos Angeles County, California, United States. Themarina, which includes residential, light commercial, and office facilities, is a major boating and water recreation destination of theGreater Los Angeles area. It is North America's largest man-made small-craft harbor with slips for approximately 5,000 boats. The area is a popular tourism destination for both land and water activities, such as paddleboard and kayak rentals, dining cruises, and yacht charters. Land activities include bicycling on several bicycle paths, walking paths along the waterfront, and birdwatching (birding). Wildlife watching opportunities includeCalifornia sea lions andharbor seals. Dolphins and whales occasionally visit the deeper waters of the harbor. ThisWestside locale is approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south ofSanta Monica, 4 miles (6.4 km) north ofLos Angeles International Airport, and 12.5 miles (20.1 km) west-southwest ofdowntown Los Angeles. It is surrounded by theCity of Los Angeles.
The harbor is owned by Los Angeles County and managed by theDepartment of Beaches and Harbors (DBH), but the waters are environmentally regulated by the state and the federal governments through their many agencies and departments with overlapping oversight. TheLos Angeles Times in a 1997 editorial called the harbor "perhaps the county's most valuable resource."[4] For statistical purposes, theUnited States Census Bureau has defined Marina del Rey as acensus-designated place (CDP). The population of the CDP was 11,373 at the 2020 census.[5] The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name; for example, the 90292ZIP Code includes all of Marina del Rey and portions of neighboring Los Angeles (including parts ofVenice) as well as the far western portion ofCulver City, and has a population of 21,576,[6] more than double that of the CDP. Many residents of the 90292 ZIP code consider themselves to live in Marina del Rey even if they in fact live outside the official boundaries of the CDP.[citation needed]
Before its development as a small-craft harbor, the land occupied by Marina del Rey was asalt marsh fed by fresh water fromBallona Creek. The area was frequented by theTongva, who used plank boats, known aste'aats, to traverse the waters and to paddle out to theChannel Islands. Fishing and shellfish harvesting were common. The village ofGuashna was a major regional trade center between villages on the islands and the mainland.[7][8]
With the increasing arrival of European settlers, Moye C. Wicks thought in the mid-19th century of turning theestuary and the wetland ofPlaya del Rey into a commercial port.[9] He formed the Ballona Development Company in 1888 to develop the area, but three years later the company went bankrupt. The area became frequented by duck hunters, including their hunting club, as well as by birdwatchers of the Los AngelesAudubon Society and the southern chapter of the Cooper Ornithological Club.Burton W. Chace, a former councilman of theCity of Long Beach who later became a member of theLos Angeles County Board of Supervisors, referred to the area asmud flats, but the area would today more properly be referred to as an estuary andwetland.
Port Ballona was made byLouis Mesmer and Moye Wicks and then sold toMoses Sherman. Sherman purchased 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land around the Ballona lagoon and Port Ballona in 1902 under the name theBeach Land Company. Sherman and Clark renamed the land "Del Rey". Port Ballona was then renamedPlaya Del Rey. The port was serviced by theCalifornia Central Railway opened in September 1887. This line later became theSanta Fe Railway, which later became theAtchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. The rail line ran from the port toRedondo Junction. Astreet car tram line was made to the Port by theRedondo and Hermosa Beach Railroad company, which had incorporated on February 21, 1901. This company was part of the Los Angeles Pacific Railroad, owned by Sherman. The tram line opened December 1902 departed downtown at 4th and Broadway.[10][11]
In 1916, theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers revisited the idea of a commercial harbor, but declared it economically impractical. In 1936 theU.S. Congress ordered a re-evaluation of that determination, and the Army Corps of Engineers returned with a more favorable determination; however, the Marina del Rey Harbor concept lost out toSan Pedro as a commercial harbor and development funding went to thePort of Los Angeles instead.
In 1949, theUS Army Corps of Engineers submitted an elaborate $23 million plan for a marina with mooring space for over 8,000 small-craft boats. In 1954,President Eisenhower signed Public Law 83-780, authorizing the study of the creation of the Marina as a federal project. After seven years of legislative wrangling, Public Law 87-402 renamed the Playa Del Rey Inlet and Harbor as Marina del Rey, implicitly enshrining the authorization of the project into law.[12]
Groundbreaking began shortly afterward, during the early years of theKennedy administration.
With construction almost complete, the marina was put in danger in 1962–1963 by a winter storm. The storm caused millions of dollars in damage to both the marina and the few small boats anchored there. A plan was put into effect to build a breakwater at the mouth of the marina, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors appropriated $2.1 million to build it. On April 10, 1965, Marina del Rey was formally dedicated.[13] The total cost of the marina was $36.25 million for land, construction, and initial operation.
Los Angeles County then solicited bids for the harbor and port development and sold 60-year leaseholds to willing developers.[14][15] Real estate developerAbraham M. Lurie was the single largest leaseholder responsible for the building of three hotels, two apartment complexes, 1,000 boat slips, and several shopping centers, offices, restaurants; his holdings also included the last undeveloped piece of waterfront land in Marina del Rey.[15] He eventually ran into cash flow problems and sold a 49.9% interest to Saudi Arabian SheikWaleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, a brother ofWaleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim and a brother-in-law ofKing Fahd; the investment soon turned sour. After a protracted and aggressive lawsuit, Lurie lost his entire interest in 1993 in the development to Abdul Aziz.[16]
Marina del Rey falls within unincorporated Los Angeles County and is southeast ofVenice and north ofPlaya del Rey, near the mouth ofBallona Creek. The harbor and port are located four miles (6.4 km) north ofLos Angeles International Airport.
The harbor and the unincorporated residential and business community of Marina del Rey are bounded on all sides by the city ofLos Angeles. The beach-style homes, on the inner portion of the coastal strand and the beach, west of the harbor, are within the city limits of Los Angeles, but share the same ZIP code as Marina del Rey. The name of this coastal strand (surrounding an estuarine inlet known as theBallona Lagoon Marine Preserve) is theMarina Peninsula. The city street, Via Dolce, forms the boundary between Los Angeles and the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County known as Marina del Rey.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Marina del Rey has an area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2). Nine-tenths of a square mile (2.2 km2) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) is water (40.91%).
One of the highest and tallest building complexes in Marina del Rey (though it is technically just across the border, in the City of Los Angeles) is the high-rise condominium complex known as "The Admiralty High-Rise" or simply AHR. AHR is a large condominium complex of three buildings: The Azzura condos, The Regatta condos, and The Cove. AHR has a height of about 170 feet (52 m), 20 floors, and can house a maximum of about 2,500 people (800 condominiums), which is almost 30% of the population of Marina del Rey. AHR is located across Admiralty Way from the harbor and is a bright green-aquamarine color. It was built in 2003. AHR, or specifically The Cove, was the main location in the filmSkyline (2010).
The specially designed harbor has many kinds of moorings with significant cement pilings for pleasure craft and large boats, includingCatalina Island multi-passenger ferry boats, a largewhale watching boat as well as apelagic seabird watching boat, commercial fishing boats, harbor cruise ships, aUS Coast Guard cutter ship, LA County Fire Department and Sheriff Department boats, and is surrounded by high-rise condos, hotels, apartments, shops, and restaurants. The area also includes theUniversity of Southern CaliforniaInformation Sciences Institute, theUCLA Marina Aquatic Center, and theLoyola Marymount University boathouse. The Polynesian double-hulled canoeHōkūleʻa docked in Marina del Rey in October 2023 as part of a four-year circumnavigation of the Pacific.
The community is served by the 3-mile-long (4.8 km)Marina Freeway (State Route 90), which links Marina del Rey directly toInterstate 405 and nearbyCulver City.
Thearea codes of Marina del Rey are 310 and 424. ItsZIP code is 90292.
| Climate data for Marina del Rey, California | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 67 (19) | 66 (19) | 67 (19) | 69 (21) | 70 (21) | 72 (22) | 75 (24) | 76 (24) | 76 (24) | 74 (23) | 70 (21) | 66 (19) | 70.6 (21.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 49 (9) | 50 (10) | 53 (12) | 55 (13) | 58 (14) | 61 (16) | 64 (18) | 64 (18) | 63 (17) | 59 (15) | 54 (12) | 49 (9) | 56.5 (13.6) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.19 (81) | 3.25 (83) | 2.66 (68) | 0.58 (15) | 0.26 (6.6) | 0.04 (1.0) | 0.02 (0.51) | 0.07 (1.8) | 0.08 (2.0) | 0.33 (8.4) | 0.94 (24) | 1.90 (48) | 13.32 (338) |
| Source: IDcide[17] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 8,065 | — | |
| 1990 | 7,431 | −7.9% | |
| 2000 | 8,176 | 10.0% | |
| 2010 | 8,866 | 8.4% | |
| 2020 | 11,373 | 28.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18] 1860–1870[19][20] 1880-1890[21] 1900[22] 1910[23] 1920[24] 1930[25] 1940[26] 1950[27] 1960[28][29] 1970[30] 1980[31] 1990[32]2000[33] 2010[34] 2020[35] | |||
Marina del Rey first appeared as acensus designated place in the1980 United States census as part of the Los Angeles census county division.[31]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[36] | Pop 2010[37] | Pop 2020[35] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 6,443 | 6,624 | 8,099 | 78.80% | 74.71% | 71.21% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 377 | 453 | 503 | 4.61% | 5.11% | 4.42% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 10 | 16 | 10 | 0.12% | 0.18% | 0.09% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 664 | 736 | 841 | 8.12% | 8.30% | 7.39% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 13 | 10 | 17 | 0.16% | 0.11% | 0.15% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 28 | 25 | 145 | 0.34% | 0.28% | 1.27% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 204 | 316 | 637 | 2.50% | 3.56% | 5.60% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 437 | 686 | 1,121 | 5.34% | 7.74% | 9.86% |
| Total | 8,176 | 8,866 | 11,373 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The2010 United States census reported that Marina del Rey had a population of 8,866, of whom 80% areWhite (75% Non-Hispanic White),[38] 8%Asian, 8%Hispanic orLatino, and 5%African American. Marina del Rey had a median household income of $95,248, with 9.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[38][39]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing information.(September 2024) |
TheCounty of Los Angeles Public Library operates the Lloyd Taber-Marina del Rey Library. The library has a nautical collection to serve small boaters in the area.[41] The Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch of theLos Angeles Public Library is in Venice.[42]
Marina del Rey is managed by theLos Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.[51] All of the area's land is owned by the County of Los Angeles, which issues long-term leases.
Marina del Rey is in the Second District of theLos Angeles County Board of Supervisors, represented byHolly Mitchell.
In theCalifornia State Legislature, Marina del Rey is inthe 24th senatorial district, represented byDemocrat Ben Allen, and inthe 61st Assembly district, represented byDemocrat Tina McKinnor.[52]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, Marina del Rey is inCalifornia's 36th congressional district, represented byDemocrat Ted Lieu.[53]
Marina del Rey is in theLos Angeles Unified School District, although there are no schools in the area proper.[54] Students from Marina del Rey attend either Anchorage Street Elementary (now Westside Global Awareness Magnet School)[55] orCoeur d'Alene Avenue Elementary School, Marina del Rey Middle School, andVenice High School.
TheLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) has a substation in Marina del Rey. Before 1985, maritime and land law enforcement was provided by the Los Angeles County Harbor Patrol, a division of the Department of Small Craft Harbors. The Harbor Patrol was merged into the Sheriff's Department, with sworn Harbor Patrol officers becoming Deputy Sheriffs.[56]
TheLos Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) serves Marina del Rey and is based at Station #110, a part of Battalion 1, at 4433 Admiralty Way.[57] TheLos Angeles County Department of Health Services has an office in Marina del Rey.[58]
TheMarina Expressway, California State Route 90, terminates at Lincoln Boulevard (California State Route 1) in northeastern Marina del Rey and links the area withCulver City. Awater shuttle service, the WaterBus, operates on select days, typically weekends and holidays, during the summer months.
Bus shuttle services operate on the roads within the marina and between the nearby sites ofPlaya Vista, and theVenice Pier.
Washington Boulevard bounds the Marina to the northwest, thePacific Ocean to the southwest,Ballona Creek to the southeast,Lincoln Boulevard to the northeast, and Admiralty Way along Yvonne B. Burke Park to the north. Marina del Rey separates into two distinct regions, the harbor area and the suburban area (just outside its boundaries).
The harbor area has eight basins separated by six strips of land, each of which has at least one street on it. From the northeastern end of the Marina, going clockwise, these streets are: Bali Way, Mindanao Way (with west terminus atBurton Chace Park), Fiji Way (bordering the southeastern edge of the Marina), Bora Bora Way, Tahiti Way, Marquesas Way, Panay Way, and Palawan Way. Panay Way, Marquesas Way, Tahiti Way, and Bora Bora Way are all on the western side of the Marina and all terminate at Via Marina, which in turn terminates at Washington Boulevard. Palawan Way is also on the west side, but it terminates directly at Washington Boulevard east of Via Marina. On the east side, Bali Way ends at Lincoln Boulevard, Fiji Way ends at the Marina Freeway, and Mindanao Way turns into Short Avenue in Los Angeles after crossing Alla Road. Admiralty Way lies north of the harbor and forms an arc that intersects the roads that lead to either Washington Boulevard or Lincoln Boulevard.
The suburban area (adjacent to Marina del Rey in the city of Los Angeles) bounded by Admiralty Way to the south, Washington Boulevard to the west, and Lincoln Boulevard to the east consists mostly of homes and apartments and is referred to by the real estate industry as the Golden Triangle.[59][60]
Places adjacent to Marina del Rey, California | |
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