La Cañada Flintridge, California
Encyclopedia
La Cañada Flintridge is a small and affluent city in Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, United States whose population at the 2010 census was 20,246, down from 20,318 at the 2000 census. According to Forbes, as of 2010, La Cañada Flintridge ranks as the 143rd most expensive U.S. city to live in, with a median home price of $1,321,367.
Pronunciation
Part of the name for La Cañada Flintridge comes from the Spanish word cañada, meaning canyon, gorge, ravine. In Spanish, this has a tildeTilde
The tilde is a grapheme with several uses. The name of the character comes from Portuguese and Spanish, from the Latin titulus meaning "title" or "superscription", though the term "tilde" has evolved and now has a different meaning in linguistics....
(ñ
Ñ
Ñ is a letter of the modern Latin alphabet, formed by an N with a diacritical tilde. It is used in the Spanish alphabet, Galician alphabet, Asturian alphabet, Basque alphabet, Aragonese old alphabet , Filipino alphabet, Chamorro alphabet and the Guarani alphabet, where it represents...
) and is pronounced "canyada" kaˈɲaða; the English pronunciation is kənˈjɑːdə. "Flintridge" is simply pronounced as the two English words "flint" and "ridge", but does not refer to an outcropping ridge of flint (see history section). The name has nothing to do with the country Canada (whose name derives from the St. Lawrence Iroquois word for "village" or "settlement").
Geography
La Cañada Flintridge is located at 34°12′22"N 118°11′58"W (34.206047, -118.199499).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²), over 99% of it land.
The city is situated in the far western end of the San Gabriel Valley
San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
. It is nestled between the San Gabriel Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
and Angeles National Forest
Angeles National Forest
The Angeles National Forest of the U.S. National Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, southern California. It was established on July 1, 1908, incorporating the first San Bernardino National Forest and parts of the former Santa Barbara and San Gabriel...
on the north, and the San Rafael Hills on the south. Most of the city drains southeastward toward Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
to Arroyo Seco
Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County)
The Arroyo Seco, meaning "dry stream" in Spanish, is a seasonal river, canyon, watershed, and cultural area in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The Arroyo Seco has been called the most celebrated canyon in Southern California.-River course:...
, but the western part of the city (generally west of Alta Canyada Road) drains southward toward Glendale
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
via Verdugo Canyon. Both drainages join the Los Angeles River
Los Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
north of downtown Los Angeles.
La Cañada Flintridge varies in elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
from about 970 feet (295 m) just below Devil's Gate Dam in the Arroyo Seco to about 2400 feet (730 m) at the highest neighborhood, along the mountain front east of Pickens Canyon, at the upper end of Ocean View Blvd. The city limits extend into the San Gabriel Mountains and reach 3440 feet (1050 m) along Mount Lukens Road, which follows the crest line well above the developed city.
The city is home to Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens, located in La Cañada Flintridge, Los Angeles County, California, is a botanical garden.At one time, this property belonged to newspaper magnate E. Manchester Boddy, who owned the Los Angeles Daily News...
and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
.
Weather
The climate of La Cañada Flintridge is typical of a Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
inland valley, with mild winters and hot summers. Spring often has hazy days, in contrast to the more persistently clear weather of fall. On average, the warmest month is August with high temperatures (F) in the low 90s and lows in the low 60s. December and January are the coolest months with typical highs in the high 60s (F) and lows in the mid-40s. Rainfall occurs mostly during winter, averaging about 22 inches annually. Rainfall is rare in summer. The moderating influence of the ocean (22 miles, 35 km, away) is limited due to the city's location inland from the intervening Santa Monica Mountains
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the United States.-Geography:...
and the Verdugo Mountains
Verdugo Mountains
The Verdugo Mountains are a small, rugged mountain range of the Transverse Ranges system, located just south of the western San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, Southern California...
and San Rafael Hills. Consequently, summers are generally hotter and winters often cooler than in coastal parts of metropolitan Los Angeles if winds are calm or blowing gently offshore. Occasional strong offshore winds, known as Santa Ana winds, can bring particularly hot air in summer and fall as air from the deserts plateaus crosses the mountains and descends, thus warming further by adiabatic heating. Summer and early fall temperatures are substantially cooler if the prevailing wind is persistently onshore. Occasionally during a winter storm, the upper elevations of the city may see trace amounts of snow. The small ski resorts Mountain High
Mountain High
Mountain High resort is a winter resort in the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County in California. Mountain High is the most-visited resort in Southern California. The resort is located along State Route 2 west of Wrightwood, California...
, Mount Baldy
Mount Baldy
Mount Baldy or Baldy Mountain may refer to:* Baldy Mountain * Mount Baldy * Mount Baldy * Mount Baldy * Mount Baldy...
, and Mount Waterman
Mount Waterman
Mount Waterman is a ski area on Waterman Mountain in the San Gabriel Mountains of the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California. The area is located on California State Route 2, the Angeles Crest Highway, and reaches a height of with an overall vertical drop of . Mount Waterman is...
are located about 30 miles to the northeast. In August 2009, the city came under threat by the Station Fire.
History
During the Spanish era, the area was known as Rancho La Cañada.Prior to the city's incorporation in 1976, the area consisted of two distinct communities, La Cañada and Flintridge (the latter named after developer and United States Senator Frank P. Flint
Frank P. Flint
Frank Putnam Flint was a politician and banker. He served as United States Attorney for the Southern District of California from 1897 to 1901 and as a U.S. Senator from California from 1905 until 1911, as a Republican...
). Flintridge comprises the southern part of the city, covering the northern flank of the San Rafael Hills, but more generally including most areas south of Foothill Blvd. The eastern part of the city, even north of Foothill Blvd., was also originally considered Flintridge and is still home to the Flintridge Riding Club and Flintridge Preparatory School
Flintridge Preparatory School
Flintridge Preparatory School, familiarly known as Flintridge Prep or simply Prep, is a day school for grades 7-12. Founded in 1933, it is located in La Cañada Flintridge, California.-Facilities:...
. Reference to the entire city is often shortened to just 'La Cañada' but seldom to just 'Flintridge'. The full city name specifically does not have a hyphen in it, to illustrate unity between the communities that were once separately known as La Cañada and Flintridge.
La Cañada Flintridge had the longest city name in California with 18 letters until the year 2000, when the title was ceded to Rancho Santa Margarita
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Rancho Santa Margarita is a city in Orange County, California. One of Orange County's youngest cities, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master planned community set upon rolling hills. Most neighborhoods in Rancho Santa Margarita are within various homeowners associations...
.
Demographics
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that La Cañada Flintridge had a population of 20,246. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,341.8 people per square mile (904.2/km²). The racial makeup of La Cañada Flintridge was 13,959 (68.9%) White, 109 (0.5%) African American, 24 (0.1%) Native American, 5,214 (25.8%) Asian, 5 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 245 (1.2%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 690 (3.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,267 persons (6.3%).
The Census reported that 20,219 people (99.9% of the population) lived in households, 21 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 6 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 6,849 households, out of which 2,873 (41.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 5,029 (73.4%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 525 (7.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 214 (3.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 103 (1.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 36 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 924 households (13.5%) were made up of individuals and 559 (8.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95. There were 5,768 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(84.2% of all households); the average family size was 3.24.
The population was spread out with 5,315 people (26.3%) under the age of 18, 1,363 people (6.7%) aged 18 to 24, 3,157 people (15.6%) aged 25 to 44, 7,224 people (35.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,187 people (15.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.9 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
There were 7,089 housing units at an average density of 820.0 per square mile (316.6/km²), of which 6,120 (89.4%) were owner-occupied, and 729 (10.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%. 18,052 people (89.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,167 people (10.7%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,318 people, 6,823 households, and 5,690 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,348.9 inhabitants per square mile (906.9/km²). There were 6,989 housing units at an average density of 808.0 per square mile (312.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.53% WhiteRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.36% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.18% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 31.57% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.01% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.31% from two or more races. 4.80% of the population was Hispanic or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 6,823 households out of which 44.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.7% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.6% were non-families. 14.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 20.9% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
According to a 2008 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $140,474, and the median income for a family was $157,511. This makes La Cañada Flintridge the 18th most affluent city in the United States of America, according to www.forbes.com. Males had a median income of $92,760 versus $57,321 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $52,838. About 3.6% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
La Cañada Flintridge has been home to many celebrities over the years, including Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
; Mark Geragos
Mark Geragos
Mark John Geragos is an Armenian/ American criminal defense attorney who defended the musician Michael Jackson, actress Winona Ryder, politician Gary Condit, and Susan McDougal. He was also involved in the Whitewater scandal. He also represented Scott Peterson, in another trial that received...
; Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
; Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment is an American actor. After a series of roles in television and film during the 1990s, including a small part in Forrest Gump playing Tom Hanks' title character’s son, Osment rose to fame with his performance as Cole Sear in M...
and Emily Osment
Emily Osment
Emily Jordan Osment is an American teen actress, singer-songwriter and voice actress born in Los Angeles, California. After working in several television films in her childhood, she gained fame for co-starring as Gerti Giggles in Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams and Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over...
; Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
; Bill Plaschke
Bill Plaschke
William Paul "Bill" Plaschke is an American sports journalist who has written for the Los Angeles Times since 1987. As a child he attended St. Albert the Great Elementary School in Louisville. He then went on to attend Ballard High School. He spent his freshman year at Baylor University in Waco,...
, Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
and Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
. Three of Walt Disney's top animators, Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas (animator)
Franklin M. "Frank" Thomas was an American animator. He was one of Walt Disney's team of animators known as the Nine Old Men....
, Ollie Johnston
Ollie Johnston
Oliver Martin Johnston, Jr. was an American motion picture animator. He was one of Disney's Nine Old Men, and the last surviving at the time of his death. He was recognized by The Walt Disney Company with its Disney Legend Award in 1989...
and Eric Larson
Eric Larson
Eric Larson was an animator for the Walt Disney Studios starting in 1933 and was one of the "Disney's Nine Old Men."...
settled here. Currently several prominent animators and TV news personalities make La Cañada Flintridge their home. It is also a popular filming location, where parts of movies such as "American Pie", "Date Movie", "Old School" and the 1946 Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
/ James Stewart (actor)
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra and based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" written by Philip Van Doren Stern....
" have been shot. La Cañada Flintridge is also the home of current MLB infielder Rafael Furcal
Rafael Furcal
Rafael Antonio Furcal , is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent.-Early career:...
and outfielder Manny Ramirez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
, as well as former MLB pitcher Jae Seo.
Mapping L.A.
In 2009, the Los Angeles Timess "Mapping L.A." project supplied these neighborhood statistics based on the 2000 census.Comparison of La Cañada Flintridge with nearby neighborhoods
Most percentages are rounded to the nearest whole figure.
| •• | Tujunga | La Crescenta- Montrose |
Glendale | La Cañada Flintridge |
Pasadena |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,527 | 18,507 | 195,047 | 20,381 | 134,941 |
| White | 61% | 66% | 54% | 71% | 39% |
| Latino | 26% | 20% | 20% | 5% | 33% |
| Asian | 7% | 20% | 16% | 20% | 10% |
| Black | 2% | ½% | 1% | ½% | 14% |
| Household income | $58,001 | $82,693 | $57,112 | $148,996 | $62,825 |
| College degree | 22% | 41% | 32% | 64% | 42% |
| Median age | 36 | 38 | 37 | 41 | 34 |
| Single parents | 14% | 9% | 9% | 7% | 13% |
| Veteran | 10% | 11% | 6% | 11% | 8% |
| Foreign born | 30% | 28% | 54% | 19% | 32% |
| Where? | Mexico, Iran |
South Korea, Iran |
Armenia, Mexico |
South Korea, Iran |
Mexico, Philippines |
| Ethnic diversity for L.A. County |
Moderate | Average | High | Moderate | Average |
| Home ownership | 55% | 65% | 38% | 90% | 46% |
Public schools
The La Cañada Unified School DistrictLa Cañada Unified School District
The La Cañada Unified School District is located in La Cañada Flintridge, Los Angeles County, California, United States.The schools in the district are:*La Cañada High School...
serves most of the city and is often regarded as one of the top school districts in the state. On September 13, 2010, the California Department of Education announced that 2010 California Standards Tests (CSTs) results indicate that the La Cañada Unified School District earned the second highest Academic Performance Index (API) score in the state. The API reflects a district's performance level, based on the results of statewide testing. The district has three public elementary schools that serve grades K-6: La Cañada Elementary, Palm Crest Elementary, and Paradise Canyon Elementary School. The public high school, La Cañada High School
La Cañada High School
La Cañada High School is a high school located in La Cañada Flintridge, California. It sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, below the Angeles National Forest, in the City of La Cañada Flintridge...
, which also serves as a middle school (grades 7-8), is a 1993 and 2004 Blue Ribbon School. La Cañada High School
La Cañada High School
La Cañada High School is a high school located in La Cañada Flintridge, California. It sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, below the Angeles National Forest, in the City of La Cañada Flintridge...
is currently ranked by the U.S. News and World Report as the 80th best high school in the country, 23rd best public high school in the country, 15th best high school in California, 5th best public high school in California, and best public high school in Southern California.
A small portion of the city is served by the Glendale Unified School District
Glendale Unified School District
The Glendale Unified School District is a school district based in Glendale, California, United States.The school district serves the city of Glendale, portions of the city of La Cañada and the unincorporated communities of Montrose and La Crescenta...
, with La Cañada Flintridge students attending Mountain Avenue Elementary School (a 2005 Blue Ribbon School), Rosemont Middle School, Clark Magnet High School
Clark Magnet High School
Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School is located at 4747 New York Avenue in La Crescenta, California. The school is managed as a part of the Glendale Unified School District.-History:...
(a 2005 California Distinguished School
California Distinguished School
A California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately five percent of California schools are awarded this honor each year following a selection...
), and Crescenta Valley High School
Crescenta Valley High School
Crescenta Valley High School is a secondary school located at 2900 Community Avenue in La Crescenta-Montrose, an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The school is a part of the Glendale Unified School District....
(a 2005 California Distinguished School
California Distinguished School
A California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately five percent of California schools are awarded this honor each year following a selection...
).
Private schools
La Cañada Flintridge is also home to many private schools including the highly regarded St. Francis High SchoolSaint Francis High School (La Cañada Flintridge)
Saint Francis High School is a Catholic preparatory high school for young men, located in La Cañada Flintridge, California, USA. Founded in 1946 on the lands bought from a golf club, it is owned and directed by the Capuchin Friars of the Western American Province of Our Lady of Angels.Its official...
, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, and Flintridge Preparatory School
Flintridge Preparatory School
Flintridge Preparatory School, familiarly known as Flintridge Prep or simply Prep, is a day school for grades 7-12. Founded in 1933, it is located in La Cañada Flintridge, California.-Facilities:...
.
Delphi Academy of Los Angeles, a Delphi Academy school, opened in La Cañada Flintridge in 1984. The school left the city when its current campus in Lake View Terrace, Los Angeles opened in 2003.
Elementary schools: The Learning Castle (Kindergarten-3rd Grade), La Canada Preparatory (4th-8th), and Crestview Preparatory (K-6).
Media
La Cañada is served by two distinct weekly newspapers: La Cañada Valley Sun, owned by Times Community News, a division of the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
; and La Cañada Outlook, owned by La Cañada News, Inc. Both newspapers publish on Thursdays.
City government
La Cañada Flintridge is governed by the City CouncilCity council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
, which has five councilmembers, each elected to overlapping four-year terms. Each year, the City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
selects one of its members to serve as Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and one to serve as Mayor Pro-Tem for terms of one year. The City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
is aided by five commissions and two committees, each with its own area of responsibility. In addition, the City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
appoints the City Manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
, City Attorney, City Treasurer, and all members of its advisory bodies. It also serves as the governing board for the Public Improvement Corporation, the Redevelopment Agency, the LCF Local Financing Authority, and Sanitation Districts No. 28 and No. 34.
The Current Members of the City Council are:
- MayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
: David Spence - Mayor Pro-Tem: Stephen A. Del Guercio
- Councilmember: Laura Olhasso
- Councilmember: Donald R. Voss
- Councilmember: Michael T. Davitt
The City Council meets on the first and third Mondays of each month at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers of La Cañada Flintridge City Hall.
Points of interest
- The city is home to NASA's Jet Propulsion LaboratoryJet Propulsion LaboratoryJet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
(JPL), which is the primary United States research and development center for the robotic exploration of the solar systemSolar SystemThe Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
. - The first Frisbee golf course is located in the Hahamongna Watershed Park (formerly Oak Grove Park), outside of La Cañada Flintridge and across the street from La Cañada High SchoolLa Cañada High SchoolLa Cañada High School is a high school located in La Cañada Flintridge, California. It sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, below the Angeles National Forest, in the City of La Cañada Flintridge...
. - Descanso GardensDescanso GardensDescanso Gardens, located in La Cañada Flintridge, Los Angeles County, California, is a botanical garden.At one time, this property belonged to newspaper magnate E. Manchester Boddy, who owned the Los Angeles Daily News...
hosts the largest collection of camelliaCamelliaCamellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number...
species in North America. - The La Cañada Town Center opened on Aug. 21, 2008. The $60 million shopping center development at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Angeles Crest Highway includes Sport ChaletSport ChaletSport Chalet operates 52 owned stores in Southern & Northern California, Arizona, Nevada, and most recently in Utah . Most stores are over in size, with many including dive pools and offering SCUBA classes...
, a remodeled Taylor's Steakhouse, and a HomeGoodsHomeGoodsHomeGoods is a chain of home furnishing stores operated by TJX Companies and has 270 stores across the US as of February 2007.HomeGoods operates the home furnishings sections of T.J. Maxx 'n More and Marshalls Mega Store stores....
store, other retailers and eateries. - La Cañada Congregational Church, formerly Church of the Lighted Window, is the city's oldest church.
- Lanterman House, museum and local historical archives in one of the early (1915) homes of the area.
Angeles Crest Highway Controversy
On September 5, 2008, a big rig carrying 78,000 pounds of onions lost its brakes on Angeles Crest HighwayAngeles Crest Highway
The Angeles Crest Highway is a two-lane segment of California State Route 2 in the United States. The road is in length, with its western terminus at the intersection at Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge and its eastern terminus at State Route 138 northeast of Wrightwood...
. It entered a driveway at Hill Street Cafe, crashed into a wall, a garbage bin, a tree and six vehicles before coming to rest in the parking lot. James Bines, 43, of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and his passenger Willy Robinson, had been hauling a full load of onions through the high desert area in the 18-wheeler. They traveled over Angeles Crest Highway because, Bines said, he had received directions from his global positioning system
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
that the highway, State Route 2, was the most direct route from there to Los Angeles.
On April 1, 2009, a similar incident occurred at roughly the same location. A car carrier carrying 3 cars heading southbound on Angeles Crest Highway shortly before 6 p.m. lost its brakes, causing a multiple vehicle accident that resulted in two fatalities and 12 injuries, three of them critical. Angel Jorge Posca, 58, and his 12-year-old daughter Angelina, both of Palmdale, had just exited the eastbound Foothill Freeway at Angeles Crest Highway in their red Ford Escort and were starting to turn north on the highway to return to Palmdale when the semi-truck struck their vehicle.
The scene has become all-too-familiar to La Cañada residents, business owners and city officials: a vehicle loses its brakes or has some other mechanical failure while traveling southbound on Angeles Crest Highway and crashes into the route's terminus on Foothill Boulevard
Foothill Boulevard
Foothill Boulevard may refer to:*Foothill Boulevard *Foothill Boulevard...
in the heart of the city's commercial district. Articles detailing several such incidents go back to at least 1951.
A bill that bans heavy trucks with three or more axles from driving on Angeles Crest highway was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on August 6, 2009.