San Fernando, California
Encyclopedia
San Fernando is a city located in the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...

, in northwestern region of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 23,645 at the 2010 census, up from 23,564 at the 2000 census.

History

The city was named for the nearby Mission San Fernando Rey de España
Mission San Fernando Rey de España
Mission San Fernando Rey de España was founded on "The Feast of the Birth of Mary" , 1797. The settlement is located on the former Encino Rancho in the Mission Hills community of northern Los Angeles, near the site of the first gold discovery in Alta California.-History:Mission San Fernando Rey de...

, and was part of the Mexican land grant
Ranchos of California
The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...

 of Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando
Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando
Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California granted in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Eulogio de Celis...

. In 1874 Charles Maclay
Charles Maclay
Charles Maclay was a California State Senator and the funder of the city of San Fernando, California in the San Fernando Valley.-History:Charles Maclay's heritage was from Ireland and Scotland...

, San Fernando founder, bought 56000 acres (227 km²) of the Rancho. In 1882, cousins George K. Porter and Benjamin F. Porter of future Porter Ranch
Porter Ranch, Los Angeles, California
Porter Ranch is an affluent neighborhood in the northwest region of the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.It is bounded by Chatsworth on the south and west, Northridge on the south, and Granada Hills on the north and east. The Santa Susana Mountains, which separate...

 each received one-third of the total land.

In 1885, Maclay founded the Maclay School of Theology, a Methodist seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...

 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
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

 and then the Claremont School of Theology
Claremont School of Theology
Claremont School of Theology is a graduate school located in Claremont, California, offering Master of Art, Masters of Divinity, Doctorate of Ministry and Ph.D...

.

Geography

San Fernando is completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

, with the districts of Sylmar
Sylmar, Los Angeles, California
Sylmar is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. The northernmost neighborhood in the city, Sylmar is located east of Interstate 5 and north of the city of San Fernando...

 to the north, Lake View Terrace
Lake View Terrace, Los Angeles, California
Lake View Terrace is a suburb district in the north east quadrant of the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.Surrounding areas include the Angeles National Forest, Little Tujunga Canyon, Big Tujunga Canyon, Hansen Dam, Kagel Canyon, and a portion of the Verdugo Mountains...

 to the east, Pacoima
Pacoima, Los Angeles, California
Pacoima is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.It is bordered by the Los Angeles districts of Mission Hills on the west, Arleta on the south, Sun Valley on the southeast, Lake View Terrace on the northeast, and by the city of San Fernando on the north...

 to the south, and Mission Hills
Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California
Mission Hills is a suburban community in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.It is located near the northern junction of the Golden State Freeway and the San Diego Freeway . The Ronald Reagan Freeway bisects the neighborhood. Mission Hills is the northern...

 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 (California)
Interstate 405 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the western areas of the Greater Los Angeles Area from Irvine in the south to near San Fernando in the north...

 (Interstate 405) freeways.

While most of the towns in the surrounding San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...

 agreed to annexation by Los Angeles in the 1910s, eager to tap the bountiful water supply provided by the newly opened Los Angeles Aqueduct
Los Angeles Aqueduct
The Los Angeles Aqueduct system comprising the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct, is a water conveyance system operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power...

, San Fernando's abundant groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...

 supplies allowed it to remain a separate city. Even as the San Fernando Valley transformed itself from an agricultural area to a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

an one in the decades after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, San Fernando retained its independence.

As with much of the San Fernando Valley east of the San Diego Freeway
Interstate 405 (California)
Interstate 405 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the western areas of the Greater Los Angeles Area from Irvine in the south to near San Fernando in the north...

, the city of San Fernando has seen a significant demographic shift in recent years; declining birth-rates, an aging population of middle-class whites, 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
Santa Clarita Valley
The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the Rancho San Francisco Mexican land grant...

 and Antelope Valley
Antelope Valley
The Antelope Valley in California, United States, is located in northern Los Angeles County and the southeastern portion of Kern County, California, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert...

s 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
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...

.

Demographics

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that San Fernando had a population of 23,645. The population density
Population 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 9,959.9 people per square mile (3,845.5/km²). The racial makeup of San Fernando was 12,068 (51.0%) 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
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 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, out of which 3,247 (54.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,282 (55.0%) 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, 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
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 34 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 731 households (12.3%) were made up of individuals and 295 (4.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.94. There were 4,972 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...

 (83.3% of all households); the average family size was 4.18.

The population was spread out with 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 years of age 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 (1,023.1/km²), of which 3,252 (54.5%) were owner-occupied, and 2,715 (45.5%) were occupied by renters. 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.

2000

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 23,564 people, 5,774 households, and 4,832 families residing in the city. The population density
Population 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 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
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 3.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 89.28% of the population.

There were 5,774 households out of which 52.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were 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, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.3% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.07 and the average family size was 4.33.

In the city the population was spread out with 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% who were 65 years of age 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 income for a household in the city was $39,909, and the median income for a family was $40,138. Males had a median income of $26,068 versus $22,599 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 $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.

Local government

The City of San Fernando is governed by a 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...

. Members of the City Council are elected and serve four year terms. The Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 is appointed every year, on a rotating basis, by a majority vote of the Council. The Council meets on the first and third Monday of each month at 6:00 pm in the Council Chambers.

Police

Police services in San Fernando is provided by the San Fernando Police Department. The police department has 35 sworn police officers and 25 non-sworn personnel. The department is also augmented by 20 sworn reserve police officers. In times of need, the police department can deploy a total of 55 sworn police officers.

San Fernando Police is a member of the Los Angeles County Disaster Management Area "C". Area "C" consists of the cities of Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....

, 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...

, 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...

, San Fernando, San Gabriel
San Gabriel
San Gabriel may mean:Ecuador*San Gabriel, EcuadorGuatemala*San Gabriel, SuchitepéquezMexico*San Gabriel, Durango*San Gabriel, Guanajuato*San Gabriel, Jalisco*San Gabriel Chilac, Puebla*San Gabriel Mixtepec, OaxacaPhilippines*San Gabriel, La Union...

, Monterey Park, Alhambra
Alhambra
The Alhambra , the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra , is a palace and fortress complex located in the Granada, Andalusia, Spain...

 and South Pasadena
South Pasadena, California
South Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 25,619, up from 24,292 at the 2000 census. It is located in in the West San Gabriel Valley...

. San Fernando Police has, in the past, requested mutual aid from LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...

 during major incidents due to their close proximity (The City of Los Angeles surrounds San Fernando).

Fire

Fire services is provided by the Los Angeles City Fire Department, 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
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

.

Fire Station 75 in Mission Hills
Mission Hills, California
Mission Hills is a census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California, a short distance north of Lompoc on Highway 1. The population was 3,576 at the 2010 census, up from 3,142 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...

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

County, state, and federal representation

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Health services to over 10 million residents in the Los Angeles County are provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Mental health services are provided by the County Department of Mental Health...

 operates the Pacoima Health Center in Pacoima
Pacoima, Los Angeles, California
Pacoima is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.It is bordered by the Los Angeles districts of Mission Hills on the west, Arleta on the south, Sun Valley on the southeast, Lake View Terrace on the northeast, and by the city of San Fernando on the north...

 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, serving the City of San Fernando.

The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...

 operates the San Fernando Post Office.

San Fernando is located in the 20th District of the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

 and is represented by Democrat Alex Padilla
Alex Padilla
Alejandro "Alex" Padilla is a California State Senator. He was elected as the state senator for California's 20th State Senate district in November 2006 and was inaugurated in early December. Prior to serving in the Senate he served 7½ years on the Los Angeles City Council representing the 7th...



San Fernando is located in the 39th District of the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 and is represented by Democrat Felipe Fuentes
Felipe Fuentes
Felipe Fuentes is a Democratic politician from the San Fernando Valley in the U.S. state of California. He won election to the California State Assembly for the 39th district on a May 15, 2007 special election. He slightly exceeded the 50%+1 margin needed to avoid a runoff...

.

In the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

, San Fernando is located in California's 28th congressional district
California's 28th congressional district
California's 28th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Los Angeles County. The district takes in about half of the San Fernando Valley and North Hollywood in the Greater Los Angeles Area....

 and is represented by Democrat Howard Berman
Howard Berman
Howard Lawrence Berman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He earlier served in the California State Assembly from 1974 to 1982, and as the U.S...

.

Top Employers

According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
# Employer # of Employees
1 Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...

490
2 PureTek 400
3 JT Contractors 400
4 Pepsi Beverages Company 300
5 Samco Scientific 300
6 County of Los Angeles
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...

275
7 Future Graphics 220
8 Padilla's Company 200
9 City of San Fernando 190
10 Medical Illumination International 155
11 Dr Pepper Snapple Group
Dr Pepper Snapple Group
Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. is an American soft drink company, based in Plano, Texas.It was spun off from Britain's Cadbury Schweppes, on May 5, 2008, with trading in its shares starting on May 7, 2008...

100
12 J&M Products 100
13 Newco International 100
14 Santana Formal Accessories 100
15 Partners in Care Foundation 95
16 Northeast Valley Health Corporation 85
17 Carlson & Co. 82
18 Padilla Paving 80
19 Payless Foods 80
20 Veolia Transport
Veolia Transport
Veolia Transport is the international transport services division of the French-based multinational company Veolia Environnement...

80

Education

San Fernando is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...

.

San Fernando is served by the following LAUSD schools:

PUC Schools
PUC Schools
PUC Schools is a charter school operator in Greater Los Angeles. It has its headquarters in Burbank. The charter school systems operates schools in northeast Los Angeles and the northeast San Fernando Valley.-Schools:High schools:...

 operates some charter schools in San Fernando. They include Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy and Lakeview Charter High School. At one time Lakeview Charter Academy and Triumph Charter Academy, both of PUC Schools, were located in San Fernando.

A private school, The Concordia Schools
The Concordia Schools
The Concordia Schools is a system of K-12 Lutheran schools in the San Fernando Valley region of Greater Los Angeles. The system headquarters are on the property of Concordia Junior Senior High School in Sylmar, Los Angeles.-Schools:...

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

Public libraries

County of Los Angeles Public Library
County of Los Angeles Public Library
-Library System:The County of Los Angeles Public Library is the 4th largest public library system in the United States which serves residents living in 51 of the 88 incorporated cities of Los Angeles County, California...

operates the San Fernando Library at 217 North Maclay Avenue.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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