Overview

Introduction to Santa Monica, California

Incorporated in 1886, the California coastal city of Santa Monica has been renowned as a famed resort town since the early 20th century. Enclosed in an 8.3 square-mile area, the city is pedestrian-friendly, rich with beaches and bike trails, and replete with world-class restaurants and shops. Its location (only eight miles north of Los Angeles International Airport and a short drive from downtown Los Angeles) also makes it accessible by car to virtually every major visitor destination in Southern California.

Several major roads combine to define Santa Monica's transportation matrix. The Santa Monica Freeway (Interstate 10) originates in Santa Monica and proceeds eastward all the way across the USA, traversing seven states before terminating in Jacksonville, Florida. California State Highway 1 (also known as the Pacific Coast Highway) passes through Santa Monica on its way from California's southern to northern boundaries. California State Route 2 (Santa Monica Boulevard) begins in Santa Monica and continues northeast across Los Angeles County. Historic U.S. Route 66, an east-west highway originating in Chicago and spanning the western portion of the United States, terminates at the Santa Monica Pier.

Universities and colleges located within a 15-mile radius of Santa Monica include UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles Valley College, West Los Angeles College, Los Angeles Southwest College and West Valley Occupational Center.

Some interesting Santa Monica facts:

  • In 1921, Donald W. Douglas founded the Douglas Aircraft Company locating his first plant on Wilshire Boulevard.
  • A stretch of Pacific Coast Highway between Santa Monica Canyon and the Santa Monica Pier known as the "Gold Coast" became fashionable in the 1930s for celebrity beach homes. Some of the film stars who resided here included Norma Talmadge, Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks, and in later years, Peter Lawford.
  • The 3,000-seat Santa Monica Civic Auditorium was the host site of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences annual Oscar awards ceremony during the years 1961 through 1968.
  • The rock and roll club The Cheetah, which closed its doors in 1968, had been home to early performances by such acts as The Doors, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, The Mothers of Invention and others.
  • The popular sitcom Three's Company (late 1970s/early 1980s) was set in Santa Monica.

Santa Monica Arts and Entertainment:

Santa Monica is defined by eight easily approachable districts, each featuring its own mix of shopping, dining and entertainment options. The Santa Monica Pier is a bustling locale which evokes the atmosphere of an historic beach front carnival and houses a number of entertainment venues, including: The Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome (carousel), a National Historic Landmark; Pacific Park, LA's only admission-free amusement park with rides, games, food and retail shops; the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium; the La Monica Ballroom; and the Playland Arcade. Every fall the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce hosts The Taste of Santa Monica on the Pier, where visitors can sample food and drink from Santa Monica restaurants.

Art and culture are predominant in the city of Santa Monica, home to over 120 museums and art galleries. Bergamot Station is a city-owned art gallery compound that includes the Santa Monica Museum of Art and additionally houses the single largest concentration of galleries in Santa Monica. The Broadway Gallery Complex displays contemporary art originating both locally and internationally. The 18th Street Arts Complex exhibits the collective art of several organizations. Some of the city's museums include the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum, Angels Attic Museum, the California Heritage Museum and the Santa Monica Museum of Art.

Santa Monica is also home to an array of Farmer's Markets, held regularly on various weekdays at various locations. The markets offer exhibitions by local chefs, samples of breads, cheeses, foodstuffs, fresh cut flowers, live music and more. Pony rides and face painting are offered at the Sunday markets held on Main Street.

Other Los Angeles area and nearby Southern California attractions are located only a short drive away from Santa Monica. To name a few:

  • Beverly Hills: Includes the Rodeo Drive Shopping District.
  • Hollywood: Includes historic Hollywood Blvd and the Hollywood Bowl.
  • Malibu: A famous 27-mile stretch of beach, which many movie stars call home.
  • Marina del Rey.
  • Disneyland.
  • Universal Studios.
  • Sony Pictures Studio Tours: Locale where Spiderman and The Wizard of Oz were filmed.
  • Knott's Berry Farm.
  • Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Serious fans of the sport of rugby will recognize Santa Monica as home to the Santa Monica Rugby Club. Founded in 1972, the club has had great success since its conception. The Club has accepted an offer to join the Rugby Super League, which is the top level of club rugby in the United States.

Fans of other Major League professional sports can find plenty of action in the nearby Los Angeles area, home to several teams including the L.A. Dodgers (MLB), the L.A. Kings (NHL), the L.A. Clippers (NBA), the L.A. Lakers (NBA), the L.A. Galaxy (soccer), the L.A. Avengers (Arena football) and the L.A. Riptide (lacrosse).

Demographics

People

Total Population92,078
Male Share of the Population49%
Female Share of the Population51%
Senior Citizens16.7%
Employed Population 16+50,634
Age of the Population40

Families

% of people married37.8%
Average household size2

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher66.3%
Median Earnings25+$64,756
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$23,608
Median Earnings With High School Degree$31,937

Wealth

Median Family Income$126,239
% Above Poverty Level89.6%
% Below Poverty Level10.4%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time26 minutes
% Working from Home11.3%
% Walking and Biking to Work10.5%
% Using Public Transportation4.3%

Housing

People Living Alone46.9%
Median Gross Rent$1,734
Median House Value$1,242,100

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)36.5%
German10.8%
Irish10.1%
English8.3%
Italian6.3%
Russian6.1%
Polish4.7%
French Except Basque3.2%
Scottish2.5%
Iranian2.3%
Swedish1.5%
Arab1.3%
Norwegian1.3%
African1.2%
Hungarian1.1%
Dutch1%
Greek0.9%
Ukrainian0.9%
Lithuanian0.8%
Romanian0.8%
Danishn0.6%
Austrian0.6%
Czech0.6%
Lebanese0.6%
US/American0.5%
Welsh0.5%
Ethiopian0.5%
Turkish0.4%
Portuguese0.4%
Australian0.4%
Swiss0.3%
Brazilian0.3%
Israeli0.3%
Canadian0.3%
Finnish0.3%
West Indian0.2%
Serbian0.2%
Egyptian0.2%
Croatian0.2%
Syrian0.2%
Cypriot0.1%
Macedonian0.1%
Jamaican0.1%
Belgian0.1%
Bulgarian0.1%
Latvian0.1%
Slovak0.1%
Guyanese0.1%
Ghanaian0.1%
South African0.1%
Iraqi0.1%
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Santa Monica Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyLos Angeles County
Standard Zip Codes90402, 90404, 90401, 90403, 90405
P.O. Box Zip Codes90409, 90411, 90408, 90410, 90406, 90407
Phone Area Codes310, 424
Time ZoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Approximate Latitude34
Approximate Longitude-118.48

Santa Monica Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

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

StationSANTA MONICA PIER
Distance1.5 miles
Jan Temp50 to 64 F
Apr Temp54 to 63 F
Jul Temp62 to 69 F
Oct Temp59 to 70 F
Annual Precip13.2 inches
StationU C L A
Distance4 miles
Jan Temp49 to 66 F
Apr Temp53 to 69 F
Jul Temp62 to 77 F
Oct Temp59 to 75 F
Annual Precip18.6 inches
StationLOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN USC
Distance11 miles
Jan Temp49 to 68 F
Apr Temp54 to 73 F
Jul Temp65 to 84 F
Oct Temp60 to 79 F
Annual Precip15.1 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Beverly Hills34,362$150,463
Culver City39,295$114,424
El Segundo16,850$119,212
Inglewood110,327$54,571
Manhattan Beach35,573$189,219
West Hollywood36,384$89,444

Santa Monica Public Libraries

Santa Monica Public Library
601 SANTA MONICA BLVD
Santa Monica, California
(310) 458-8600

library logo

More Information for Librarians

Santa Monica Hospitals

Santa Monica - Ucla Medical Center & Orthopaedic Hospital
1250 16th Street
Providence St. John's Health Center
(Non-profit)
2121 Santa Monica Blvd

Santa Monica Public Schools

Canyon Elementary
421 Entrada Dr.
ZIP: 90402
Primary
Total Enrollment 404
Franklin Elementary
2400 Montana Ave.
ZIP: 90403
Primary
Total Enrollment 818
Lincoln Middle
1501 California Ave.
ZIP: 90403
Middle
Total Enrollment 1027
Roosevelt Elementary
801 Montana Ave.
ZIP: 90403
Primary
Total Enrollment 831
Edison Elementary
2425 Kansas Ave.
ZIP: 90404
Primary
Total Enrollment 449
Mckinley Elementary
2401 Santa Monica Blvd.
ZIP: 90404
Primary
Total Enrollment 499
Grant Elementary
2368 Pearl St.
ZIP: 90405
Primary
Total Enrollment 635
John Adams Middle
2425 16th St.
ZIP: 90405
Middle
Total Enrollment 1030
John Muir Elementary
2526 Sixth St.
ZIP: 90405
Primary
Total Enrollment 265
Olympic High (continuation)
721 Ocean Park Blvd.
ZIP: 90405
High
Total Enrollment 69
Santa Monica Alternative (k-8)
2525 Fifth St.
ZIP: 90405
Primary
Total Enrollment 225
Santa Monica High
601 Pico Blvd.
ZIP: 90405
High
Total Enrollment 2984
Will Rogers Elementary
2401 14th St.
ZIP: 90405
Primary
Total Enrollment 555

Santa Monica Private Schools

Delphi Academy Of Santa Monica
1229 4th St
ZIP: 90401
Elementary
Total Enrollment 24
Carlthorp School
438 San Vicente Blvd
ZIP: 90402
Elementary
Total Enrollment 280
Garden Of Angels School
1009 18th St
ZIP: 90403
Elementary
Total Enrollment 21
Pacifica Christian High School
1730 Wilshire Blvd
ZIP: 90403
Secondary
Total Enrollment 202
St Monica Catholic Elementary School
1039 7th St
ZIP: 90403
Elementary
Total Enrollment 302
St Monica Catholic High School
1030 Lincoln Blvd
ZIP: 90403
Secondary
Total Enrollment 548
Crossroads School For Arts & Sciences
1714 21st St
ZIP: 90404
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 1147
Light House School
1220 20th St
ZIP: 90404
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 101
Lighthouse Christian Academy
1424 Yale St
ZIP: 90404
Secondary
Total Enrollment 56
New Path Montessori School
1962 20th St
ZIP: 90404
Elementary
Total Enrollment 1
New Roads School
3131 Olympic Blvd
ZIP: 90404
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 652
P S #1 Elementary School
1454 Euclid St
ZIP: 90404
Elementary
Total Enrollment 217
Santa Monica Montessori
1909 Colorado Ave
ZIP: 90404
Elementary
Total Enrollment 25
St Annes School
2015 Colorado Ave
ZIP: 90404
Elementary
Total Enrollment 220
Circle Of Children Developmental Kindergarten
1515 Maple St
ZIP: 90405
Elementary
Total Enrollment 15
Sources :
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