Introduction to Garden Grove, California
Incorporated in 1956, Garden Grove is within the combined Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside metropolitan area which has a population of about 17 million people. Located in the southern part of the state, Garden Grove lies 35 miles southeast of the city of Los Angeles. Eight miles to the southwest is the Pacific Ocean.
The average daily high and low temperatures in August are 84 and 64 degrees. January provides daily highs and lows of 69 and 47 degrees.
Manufacturing accounts for 23% of employment in Garden Grove. Major employers are:
- Garden Grove Hospital.
- C&D Zodiac, Inc.
- Crystal Cathedral.
- Air Industries Corp.
- Office Max.
- Money Mailers.
- GKN Aerospace.
- Leiner Health Products.
- Hyatt Regency Hotel.
- Costco Wholesale Corp.
- Saint Gobain Performance Plastics.
Garden Grove History
In 1874, an attorney and physician named Alonzo Cook moved here. At the time there was a small farming community numbering in the hundreds. Before he left in 1881 he had provided the village with several community institutions and the name Garden Grove, donating much land and time in the effort. A railroad in 1905 provided transportation for agricultural crops such as oranges, walnuts, and chili peppers. It also brought more people. Further growth occurred as a result of World War II. An influx of Vietnamese and Koreans occurred in the 1970s.
Arts and Leisure
Cultural, historical and leisure attractions in Garden Grove include:
- The Crystal Cathedral.
- The largest mosque west of the Mississippi at the Islamic Society of Orange County.
- The Garden Grove Playhouse.
- The "We the People" statue.
- The "Union Passage" statue.
- The Arab-American, Korean, Strawberry and Tet Festivals.
- Many cultural and sports attractions in the greater Los Angeles area.