Overview

Introduction to Downey California

Incorporated in 1956, Downey is a city in Los Angeles County, in Southern California. Downey is approximately 20 minutes southeast of Los Angeles and 20 minutes northeast of Long Beach.

Downey was founded by, and is named after, former California governor John Gately Downey. He founded Downey in the 1870s. Downey was home to the first Taco Bell restaurant, and is the home to the oldest surviving McDonald's restaurant in the world, which was built in 1953. Karen and Richard Carpenter, of the singing group the Carpenters, attended Downey High School after their parents moved to Downey in 1963.

Downey Arts, Culture, and Entertainment

Downey residents can take advantage of all of the arts and entertainment attractions of Los Angeles and surrounding Los Angeles County. Some of the attractions of note in and around Downey include:

  • The Carpenters Collection at the Downey City Library.
  • The Civic Light Opera.
  • The Downey Civic Theatre.
  • The Downey History Center.
  • The Downey Museum of Art.
  • The Downey Symphony.
  • The Krikorian Theatre.
  • The Rio Hondo Golf Club.
  • The World's Oldest McDonald's.

Downey is conveniently located near many professional teams, including:

  • The Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League (AFL).
  • The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB).
  • Club Deportivo Chivas USA and the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer (MLS).
  • The Lancaster JetHawks, and Inland Empire 66ers of Minor League Baseball (MiLB). The JetHawks are a Class A Advanced affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the 66ers are a Class A Advanced affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
  • The Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
  • The Anaheim Mighty Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
  • The Los Angeles Storm, and Southern California Seahorses who play in the United Soccer League's (USL) Premier Development League.
  • The Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA.

Downey is also only 30 minutes south of Pasadena, home to the Tournament of Roses Parade and the NCAA's Rose Bowl every January first.

Demographics

People

Total Population112,901
Male Share of the Population48.9%
Female Share of the Population51.1%
Senior Citizens11.5%
Employed Population 16+53,713
Age of the Population36

Families

% of people married43.9%
Average household size3

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher22.7%
Median Earnings25+$38,372
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$26,583
Median Earnings With High School Degree$32,109

Wealth

Median Family Income$75,234
% Above Poverty Level90.1%
% Below Poverty Level9.9%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time31 minutes
% Working from Home3.5%
% Walking and Biking to Work2.1%
% Using Public Transportation2.8%

Housing

People Living Alone16.2%
Median Gross Rent$1,376
Median House Value$525,500

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)78.3%
German3%
Irish2.4%
English1.5%
Italian1.3%
Arab1.2%
French Except Basque0.9%
Scottish0.6%
Egyptian0.5%
Swedish0.5%
Norwegian0.4%
African0.3%
Russian0.3%
Polish0.3%
Greek0.3%
Dutch0.3%
Hungarian0.2%
Lebanese0.2%
Romanian0.2%
US/American0.1%
Ukrainian0.1%
West Indian0.1%
Welsh0.1%
Ethiopian0.1%
Austrian0.1%
Iranian0.1%
Danishn0.1%
Canadian0.1%
Portuguese0.1%
Jordanian0.1%
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Downey Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyLos Angeles County
Standard Zip Codes90242, 90240, 90241
P.O. Box Zip Codes90239
Phone Area Codes562
Time ZoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Approximate Latitude33.93
Approximate Longitude-118.11

Downey Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationMONTEBELLO
Distance5.6 miles
Jan Temp48 to 70 F
Apr Temp53 to 77 F
Jul Temp64 to 89 F
Oct Temp58 to 82 F
Annual Precip14.4 inches
StationLONG BEACH AP
Distance8.6 miles
Jan Temp46 to 68 F
Apr Temp53 to 73 F
Jul Temp65 to 83 F
Oct Temp58 to 79 F
Annual Precip12.9 inches
StationSAN GABRIEL FIRE DEPT
Distance11.2 miles
Jan Temp43 to 70 F
Apr Temp50 to 77 F
Jul Temp62 to 89 F
Oct Temp55 to 83 F
Annual Precip18.5 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Bell Gardens42,641$40,634
Cudahy24,016$41,942
Norwalk105,886$71,108
Paramount54,776$53,789
Pico Rivera63,432$69,487
Santa Fe Springs17,791$75,345

Downey Public Libraries

Downey City Library
11121 BROOKSHIRE AVE.
Downey, California
(562) 904-7360
County Of Los Angeles Public Library
7400 E. IMPERIAL HIGHWAY
Downey, California
(562) 940-8462

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More Information for Librarians

Downey Hospitals

Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center
(Non-profit)
9333 Imperial Highway
Lac/rancho Los Amigos National Rehab Center
(Government - Local)
7601 East Imperial Highway
Pih Hospital - Downey
(Non-profit)
11500 Brookshire Avenue
(562) 904-5000

Downey Public Schools

Gallatin Elementary
9513 Brookshire Ave.
ZIP: 90240
Primary
Total Enrollment 703
Griffiths Middle
9633 Tweedy Ln.
ZIP: 90240
Middle
Total Enrollment 1419
Price Elementary
9525 S. Tweedy Ln.
ZIP: 90240
Primary
Total Enrollment 877
Unsworth Elementary
9001 Lindsey Ave.
ZIP: 90240
Primary
Total Enrollment 662
Columbus Continuation
12330 Woodruff Ave.
ZIP: 90241
High
Total Enrollment 285
Doty Middle
10301 S. Woodruff Ave.
ZIP: 90241
Middle
Total Enrollment 1422
Downey High
11040 Brookshire Ave.
ZIP: 90241
High
Total Enrollment 4230
Rio Hondo Elementary
7731 E. Muller St.
ZIP: 90241
Primary
Total Enrollment 861
Rio San Gabriel Elementary
9338 Gotham St.
ZIP: 90241
Primary
Total Enrollment 862
Warren High
8141 De Palma St.
ZIP: 90241
High
Total Enrollment 3812
Williams Elementary
7530 E. Arnett St.
ZIP: 90241
Primary
Total Enrollment 714
Alameda Elementary
8613 E. Alameda St.
ZIP: 90242
Primary
Total Enrollment 604
Alternative Opportunity Programs
12830 Columbia Way
ZIP: 90242
Other
Total Enrollment 185
Carpenter Elementary
9439 E. Foster Rd.
ZIP: 90242
Middle
Total Enrollment 533
Gauldin Elementary
9724 Spry St.
ZIP: 90242
Primary
Total Enrollment 620
Imperial Elementary
8133 Imperial Hwy.
ZIP: 90242
Primary
Total Enrollment 523
Lewis Elementary
13220 S. Bellflower Blvd.
ZIP: 90242
Primary
Total Enrollment 766
Los Angeles County Rop
9300 Imperial Hwy., Clark Bldg.
ZIP: 90242
High
Los Angeles County Special Education
9300 Imperial Hwy.
ZIP: 90242
Other
Total Enrollment 630
Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall
7285 E. Quill Dr.
ZIP: 90242
Other
Total Enrollment 89
Old River Elementary
11995 Old River Sch Rd.
ZIP: 90242
Middle
Total Enrollment 732
Stauffer Middle
11985 Old River Sch Rd.
ZIP: 90242
Middle
Total Enrollment 1474
Sussman Middle
12500 Birchdale Ave.
ZIP: 90242
Middle
Total Enrollment 1108
Ward Elementary
8851 E. Adoree St.
ZIP: 90242
Primary
Total Enrollment 451

Downey Private Schools

Around The World Children Center
10441 Lakewood Blvd
ZIP: 90241
Elementary
Total Enrollment 50
Children's Academy Of Success
10839 La Reina Ave
ZIP: 90241
Elementary
Total Enrollment 21
Creative Beginnings Elementary
8033 3rd St
ZIP: 90241
Elementary
Total Enrollment 122
Downey Christian Early Learning Center
10335 Paramount Blvd
ZIP: 90241
Elementary
Total Enrollment 76
Kirkwood Christian Schools
11115 Pangborn Ave
ZIP: 90241
Elementary
Total Enrollment 136
Montessori Children's Academy
7515 Firestone Blvd
ZIP: 90241
Elementary
Total Enrollment 46
Our Lady Of Perpetual Help School
10441 Downey Ave
ZIP: 90241
Elementary
Total Enrollment 312
St Mark's Episcopal School
10354 Downey Ave
ZIP: 90241
Elementary
Total Enrollment 94
Calvary Chapel Christian School
12808 Woodruff Ave
ZIP: 90242
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 904
Maria Montessori House Of Children
9036 Imperial Hwy
ZIP: 90242
Elementary
Total Enrollment 7
Rancho Los Amigos Children's Center
7755 Golondrinas St
ZIP: 90242
Elementary
Total Enrollment 12
St Matthias High School
7851 Gardendale St
ZIP: 90242
Secondary
Total Enrollment 248
St Raymond School
12320 S Paramount Blvd
ZIP: 90242
Elementary
Total Enrollment 309
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