Overview

Introduction to Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Rancho Palos Verdes, California, in Los Angeles county, is 6 miles SW of Torrance, California (center to center) and 11 miles W of Long Beach, California. The city is situated on top of the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. It includes numerous coves and cliffs. The municipality is regarded as an upscale suburb of Los Angeles. The main commercial area for the Palos Verdes Peninsula is located in nearby Rolling Hills Estates.

Rancho Palos Verdes History

The Palos Verdes Peninsula was originally home to the Tongva Indians. In 1827 Don Jose Dolores Sepulveda acquired a part of the Rancho San Pedro Spanish land grant and called it Rancho de los Palos Verdes. He created a notable cattle ranch on the property. In 1882 the land was purchased by Jotham Bixby who then leased the land to farmers. Later, most of the acreage was purchased by a group of New York investors who established the Palos Verdes Project and sold parcels of land that were converted to horse ranches and residential communities.

Rancho Palos Verdes Attractions

Wayfarers Chapel is known for its unique modern style of architecture and scenic location on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Point Vicente Lighthouse is included in the National Register of Historic Places. The city includes unique shops and a wide variety of restaurants. The beautiful South Coast Botanic Garden is worth a visit. There are numerous attractions in the area including Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the Maritime Museum and the Manhattan Beach Pier.

Point Vicente Park is a great location for viewing the migration of whales. The Promenade on the Peninsula is a popular upscale shopping location. Visitors can travel down to San Pedro and take a ferry to Catalina Island. Nearby Redondo Beach is a well known beach town and features a beautiful pier and harbor.

Rancho Palos Verdes Activities

Being situated along the ocean, Rancho Palos Verdes offers residents and visitors opportunities for swimming, sailing, surfing and beach volleyball. The area is often used for horseback riding, bird watching, and bicycle riding. The Palos Verde Peninsula is known for its extensive horse trails and includes numerous scenic nature trails. Universal Studios, Disney's California Adventure and Disneyland are less than 30 miles away.

The water park named Soak City U.S.A. is nearby and is popular with families. Los Verdes Golf Course and Ocean Trails Golf Club are popular with golfers. There are a large number of quality golf courses in the area. Abalone Cove Shoreline Park, Martingale Trailhead Park and Del Cerro Park are popular destinations.

Rancho Palace Verdes Transportation

Air travel is available at the nearby Los Angeles International Airport.

Demographics

People

Total Population42,271
Male Share of the Population47.6%
Female Share of the Population52.4%
Senior Citizens25.5%
Employed Population 16+17,773
Age of the Population50

Families

% of people married65.2%
Average household size3

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher58.7%
Median Earnings25+$72,718
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$45,893
Median Earnings With High School Degree$38,496

Wealth

Median Family Income$154,138
% Above Poverty Level95.8%
% Below Poverty Level4.2%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time35 minutes
% Working from Home9.9%
% Walking and Biking to Work0.6%
% Using Public Transportation1%

Housing

People Living Alone20.9%
Median Gross Rent$2,676
Median House Value$1,114,800

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)47.5%
German11%
English8.4%
Irish7.7%
Italian5.9%
Iranian2.7%
Croatian2.2%
French Except Basque1.9%
Swedish1.8%
Scottish1.7%
Russian1.6%
Norwegian1.3%
Polish1.1%
Arab1%
Dutch1%
US/American0.8%
Danishn0.7%
Hungarian0.6%
Ukrainian0.5%
Greek0.5%
Austrian0.5%
African0.4%
Egyptian0.4%
Bulgarian0.4%
Finnish0.4%
Swiss0.3%
Portuguese0.3%
Serbian0.3%
Czech0.3%
Canadian0.3%
Slovak0.2%
Afghan)0.2%
Welsh0.2%
Turkish0.2%
Romanian0.2%
Brazilian0.2%
Lithuanian0.2%
Israeli0.1%
Belgian0.1%
West Indian0.1%
Jamaican0.1%
Australian0.1%
Estonian0.1%
Moroccan0.1%
Slovene0.1%
Syrian0.1%
Kenyan0.1%
Lebanese0.1%
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Rancho Palos Verdes Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyLos Angeles County
Standard Zip Codes90275
Phone Area Codes
Time ZoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Approximate Latitude33.75
Approximate Longitude-118.31

Rancho Palos Verdes Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

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

StationTORRANCE
Distance4.9 miles
Jan Temp46 to 66 F
Apr Temp51 to 71 F
Jul Temp61 to 78 F
Oct Temp57 to 75 F
Annual Precip14.7 inches
StationLONG BEACH AP
Distance14.5 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
StationCULVER CITY
Distance17.8 miles
Jan Temp46 to 67 F
Apr Temp52 to 73 F
Jul Temp62 to 80 F
Oct Temp57 to 77 F
Annual Precip13.3 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Lomita20,628$89,000
Palos Verdes Estates13,523$209,671
Redondo Beach67,700$135,580
Rolling Hills1,630$250
Rolling Hills Estates8,187$185,521
Torrance146,392$108,467

Rancho Palos Verdes Public Schools

Cornerstone At Pedregal Elementary
6069 Groveoak Pl.
ZIP: 90275
Primary
Total Enrollment 398
Crestwood Street Elementary
1946 W. Crestwood St.
ZIP: 90275
Primary
Total Enrollment 456
Mira Catalina Elementary
30511 Lucania Dr.
ZIP: 90275
Primary
Total Enrollment 393
Miraleste Elementary
6245 Via Canada
ZIP: 90275
Miraleste Intermediate
29323 Palos Verdes Dr. E.
ZIP: 90275
Middle
Total Enrollment 865
Point Vicente Elementary
30540 Rue De La Pierre
ZIP: 90275
Primary
Total Enrollment 373
Ridgecrest Intermediate
28915 N.bay Rd.
ZIP: 90275
Middle
Total Enrollment 966
Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle
28014 Montereina Dr.
ZIP: 90275
Middle
Total Enrollment 1846
Silver Spur Elementary
5500 Ironwood St.
ZIP: 90275
Primary
Total Enrollment 557
Soleado Elementary
27800 Longhill Dr.
ZIP: 90275
Primary
Total Enrollment 464
Vista Grande Elementary
7032 Purpleridge Dr.
ZIP: 90275
Primary
Total Enrollment 443

Rancho Palos Verdes Private Schools

Brighter Days Montessori School
1903 W Summerland St
ZIP: 90275
Elementary
Total Enrollment 32
Peninsula Montessori School
31100 Hawthorne Blvd
ZIP: 90275
Elementary
Total Enrollment 118
St John Fisher School
5446 Crest Rd
ZIP: 90275
Elementary
Total Enrollment 291
Sources :
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