Signal Hill, California | |
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 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
 Location of Signal Hill inLos Angeles County,California | |
  Signal Hill, California Location in the contiguous United States | |
| Coordinates:33°47′58″N118°09′56″W / 33.79935°N 118.16558°W /33.79935; -118.16558 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Los Angeles |
| Incorporated | April 22, 1924[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Keir Jones |
| • Mayor Pro Tem | Tina L. Hansen |
| • City council[2] | Councilmember Robert D. Copeland Councilmember Charlie Honeycutt Councilmember Lori Y. Woods |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.19 sq mi (5.67 km2) |
| • Land | 2.19 sq mi (5.67 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0.08% |
| Elevation | 148 ft (45 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 11,848 |
| • Density | 5,217.6/sq mi (2,014.52/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 90755 |
| Area code | 562 |
| FIPS code | 06-71876 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1661443,2411899 |
| Website | www |
Signal Hill is acity 2.2 sq mi (5.7 km2) in area inLos Angeles County, California. Partially high on an eponymous hill, the city is anenclave completely surrounded by the city ofLong Beach. Signal Hill wasincorporated on April 22, 1924, roughly three years afteroil was discovered there. As of the2020 census, the population was 11,848, up from 11,016 at the2010 census.
Signal Hill was originally known asLos Cerritos ("The Little Hills") but got its current name when it became the signal point of theUnited States Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1889.[6]
The hill that the city is named after is 365 feet (111 m) above the surrounding city of Long Beach. Because of this height, it was used by the localTongvaIndians forsignal fires that could be seen throughout the surrounding area and even out toCatalina Island, 26 miles (42 km) away.[7]
After the Spanish claimedAlta California ("Upper California," or what is now the state of California), Signal Hill eventually became part of the first large rancho grant to be allotted under Spanish rule in Alta California. TheRancho San Pedro (Dominguez Rancho) land grant exceeded 74,000 acres (300 km2) as granted to a soldier,Juan Jose Dominguez, who accompanied Junipero Serra, by Governor Fages through authority ofKing Carlos III ofSpain in 1784.
Between 1913 and 1923 an early California movie studio,Balboa Amusement Producing Company (also known as Balboa Studios), was located in Long Beach and used 11 acres (45,000 m2) on Signal Hill for outdoor locations.Buster Keaton andFatty Arbuckle were two of the Balboa Studios actors who had films shot on Signal Hill.
Before oil was discovered in Signal Hill, there were large homes built on the hill itself, and in the lower elevations there were agricultural fields where fruits, vegetables, and flowers were grown.
Signal Hill changed forever when oil was discovered. The hill would soon become part of theLong Beach Oil Field, one of the most productiveoil fields in the world.[8] On June 23, 1921,Royal Dutch Shell'sAlamitos #1 well[9] erupted. Thegas pressure was so great thegusher rose 114 ft (35 m) in the air. Soon Signal Hill was covered with over 100oil derricks, and because of its prickly appearance at a distance became known as "Porcupine Hill". Today, many of the original oil wells andpumpjacks are gone, although Signal Hill is still a productive oil field and several wells and derricks remain. Signal Hill is now a mix of residential and commercial areas.
The city was incorporated on April 22, 1924. Among the reasons for incorporation was avoiding annexation by Long Beach with its zoning restrictions and per-barrel oil tax. Proving to be a progressive city, Signal Hill elected as its first mayor, Mrs. Jessie Nelson. She was California's first female mayor.
Signal Hill has a council-manager form of government. The city council has five members who are elected to four-year, staggered terms; council members elect the mayor from among their ranks.
On theLos Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Signal Hill is represented by 4th District SupervisorJanice Hahn.[10]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, Signal Hill is inCalifornia's 42nd congressional district, represented byDemocrat Robert Garcia.[11]
In theCalifornia State Legislature, Signal Hill is inthe 33rd senatorial district, represented byDemocrat Lena Gonzalez, and inthe 69th Assembly district, represented byDemocrat Josh Lowenthal.[12]
The Signal Hill Police Department provides local law enforcement.[13] In 2018, it budgeted for 38 police officers to enforce the law in the 2 square mile municipality.[14]
Basic life support and ambulance transport is provided byCare Ambulance Service[15]
TheLong Beach Memorial Medical Center provides medical services to the City and LACFD Station 60.
TheLos Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Whittier Health Center inWhittier, serving Signal Hill.[16]
TheLos Angeles County Fire Department provides fire protection services for the city of Signal Hill.
Prior to its dissolution, the airlineJet America Airlines was headquartered in Signal Hill.[17][18][19] The diner chainHof's Hut is headquartered in Signal Hill.
According to the city's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:[20]
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Office Depot | 428 |
| 2 | The Home Depot | 343 |
| 3 | Costco | 301 |
| 4 | Target | 265 |
| 5 | Edge Systems LLC | 191 |
| 6 | Warren Distributing | 163 |
| 7 | Long Beach BMW Auto | 143 |
| 8 | Accountable Healthcare IPA | 136 |
| 9 | Allied Refrigeration | 130 |
| 10 | Mercedes-Benz of Long Beach | 127 |
Signal Hill is served byLong Beach Unified School District.[21]
There are two operating elementary schools within the city limits:Signal Hill Elementary School and Juan Bautista Alvarado Elementary School. The former Burroughs Elementary School and adjacent Teacher Resource Center now serves as office space for the Head Start Program. Juan Bautista Alvarado Elementary School is located on the site of the former all male boarding school, theSouthern California Military Academy. There is one middle school within the city limits: Jessie Elwin Nelson Academy. High school students usually attendLong Beach Polytechnic High School (usually referred to as Long Beach Poly), although some students choose to attendLong Beach Wilson Classical High School. Signal Hill Elementary School has earned the California Achieving Schools Award, and the National Achieving Schools Award. Signal Hill and Alvarado are both California Distinguished Schools.
Community college students attend one of the two nearby campuses forLong Beach City College.
California State University, Long Beach andDeVry University are located less than five miles (8.0 km) away.
American University of Health Sciences (AUHS) is located within the city of Signal Hill. The university offers an education in Allied Healthcare, offering degrees such as a Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing (BSN; MSN), Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR), Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science (BSPS), and a Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD) program.
Although a small town, Signal Hill has several parks. The largest isSignal Hill Park at 10 acres (40,000 m2). It is adjacent to City Hall, the Community Center and the Library. The park has picnic tables, a playground, basketball courts, a softball field, and restrooms. There is also an amphitheater where there are weekly outdoor concerts during the summer.
Hilltop Park 3.2 acres (13,000 m2) is at the top of Signal Hill and is very popular for its scenic views. There are several telescopes in the park. There is also some public artwork in the park and a mist tower. This park is a popular location forgeocaching. On a clear day you can see as far as theSanta Monica Mountains,Downtown Los Angeles, theSan Gabriel Mountains, andSanta Catalina Island.
Reservoir Park 2.8 acres (11,000 m2) near theCalifornia Heights neighborhood of Long Beach is a large grassy area with picnic tables next to a 4.7 million gallon water reservoir.
Discovery Well Park 4.9 acres (20,000 m2), 1.8 acres (7,300 m2) flat is near the original well on Signal Hill.
There are also sixpocket parks of roughly 0.5 acres (2,000 m2) or less, includingCalbrisas Park,Hillbrook Park,Panorama Promenade,Raymond Arbor Park,Sunset View Park, andTemple View Park.
Near thePanorama Promenade, there is theUnity Sculpture, a 12' height sculpture atop a 4' pedestal with a seating courtyard that is dedicated in memory of the victims of September 11.
There are also several pedestrian-onlytrails that travel between various parks and roadways. Hiking along these trails, as well as on the sidewalks in Signal Hill is very popular. Some sections can be found that are between a 15% and 25% grade.
On the north slope of Signal Hill is a large area that is currently used for oil operations. This area has been proposed as anature preserve.[22]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2), virtually all land. The city is surrounded on all sides by the city ofLong Beach, California.
Signal Hill lies in the562 area code. The city once shared three different postalZIP codes with the city of Long Beach but in July 2002, the city of Signal Hill received its own ZIP code, 90755.[23]
According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Signal Hill has asemi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.[24]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 2,932 | — | |
| 1940 | 3,184 | 8.6% | |
| 1950 | 4,040 | 26.9% | |
| 1960 | 4,627 | 14.5% | |
| 1970 | 5,588 | 20.8% | |
| 1980 | 5,734 | 2.6% | |
| 1990 | 8,371 | 46.0% | |
| 2000 | 9,333 | 11.5% | |
| 2010 | 11,016 | 18.0% | |
| 2020 | 11,848 | 7.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[25] 1860–1870[26][27] 1880-1890[28] 1900[29] 1910[30] 1920[31] 1930[32] 1940[33] 1950[34] 1960[35][36] 1970[37] 1980[38] 1990[39]2000[40] 2010[41] 2020[42] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[43] | Pop 2010[44] | Pop 2020[42] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 3,340 | 3,340 | 2,831 | 35.79% | 30.32% | 23.89% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,167 | 1,427 | 1,550 | 12.50% | 12.95% | 13.08% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 23 | 27 | 33 | 0.25% | 0.25% | 0.28% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1,515 | 2,211 | 2,586 | 16.23% | 20.07% | 21.83% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 186 | 112 | 80 | 1.99% | 1.02% | 0.68% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 31 | 36 | 48 | 0.33% | 0.33% | 0.41% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 364 | 391 | 512 | 3.90% | 3.55% | 4.32% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,707 | 3,472 | 4,208 | 29.00% | 31.52% | 35.52% |
| Total | 9,333 | 11,016 | 11,848 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The2020 United States census reported that Signal Hill had a population of 11,848. The population density was 5,412.5 inhabitants per square mile (2,089.8/km2). The racial makeup of Signal Hill was 29.1%White, 13.7%African American, 1.6%Native American, 22.3%Asian, 0.8%Pacific Islander, 20.0% fromother races, and 12.5% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 35.5% of the population.[45]
The census reported that 98.9% of the population lived in households, 0.6% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.5% were institutionalized.[45]
There were 4,561 households, out of which 31.8% included children under the age of 18, 38.2% were married-couple households, 9.4% werecohabiting couple households, 31.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 20.6% had a male householder with no partner present. 26.6% of households were one person, and 8.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.57.[45] There were 2,910families (63.8% of all households).[46]
The age distribution was 20.3% under the age of 18, 8.1% aged 18 to 24, 31.6% aged 25 to 44, 27.1% aged 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males.[45]
There were 4,749 housing units at an average density of 2,169.5 units per square mile (837.6 units/km2), of which 4,561 (96.0%) were occupied. Of these, 51.7% were owner-occupied, and 48.3% were occupied by renters.[45]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $102,303, and theper capita income was $52,980. About 8.0% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line.[47]
The2010 United States census[48] reported that Signal Hill had a population of 11,016. The population density was 5,029.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,941.7/km2). The racial makeup of Signal Hill was 4,650 (42.2%)White (30.3% Non-Hispanic White),[49] 1,502 (13.6%)African American, 83 (0.8%)Native American, 2,245 (20.4%)Asian, 135 (1.2%)Pacific Islander, 1,778 (16.1%) fromother races, and 623 (5.7%) from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3,472 persons (31.5%).
The Census reported that 10,970 people (99.6% of the population) lived in households, 2 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 44 (0.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 4,157 households, out of which 1,419 (34.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,580 (38.0%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 660 (15.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 258 (6.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 302 (7.3%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 156 (3.8%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,128 households (27.1%) were made up of individuals, and 245 (5.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64. There were 2,498families (60.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.33.
The population was spread out, with 2,624 people (23.8%) under the age of 18, 1,034 people (9.4%) aged 18 to 24, 3,476 people (31.6%) aged 25 to 44, 2,970 people (27.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 912 people (8.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.
There were 4,389 housing units at an average density of 2,003.7 per square mile (773.6/km2), of which 2,141 (51.5%) were owner-occupied, and 2,016 (48.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%. 5,253 people (47.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,717 people (51.9%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States census, Signal Hill had a median household income of $70,442, with 14.1% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[49]
Mexican (20.9%) andCambodian (8.4%) were the most common ancestries.Mexico (28.5%) andCambodia (19.9%) were the most common foreign places of birth.[50]
33°47′58″N118°09′56″W / 33.79935°N 118.16558°W /33.79935; -118.16558
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