The Gateway Cities Region, or Southeast Los Angeles County, is an urbanized region located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, between the City of Los Angeles proper, Orange County, and the Pacific Ocean. The cluster of cities has been termed "Gateway Cities" in that they serve as a "gateway" between the LA and Orange counties, with the city of Cerritos equidistant from Downtown L.A., Long Beach, and Santa Ana in Orange County.[1] As such, the area is central to the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), and has a population of approximately 2,000,000 residents.[2]
Despite a predominating urban fabric of single-family homes and low-rise multifamily residential structures, Southeast LA County comprises some of the most densely populated municipalities in the United States.[3] [4] As with other regions of Los Angeles, Southeast LA's demographics are notable for ethnic and age diversity.
The Gateway Cities Council of Governments (GCCOG), the coordinating body for the Southeast LA Region, is located in the city of Paramount.[5]
Area residents generally identify as being part of urban Los Angeles, despite technically living in separate, independent municipalities. The following cities are members of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments,[6] though these cities at times may also be considered part of other LA regions, including the San Gabriel Valley Region, East Los Angeles Region, the South Los Angeles Region, the Southeast LA (or SELA) region, and the Los Angeles Harbor Region.
Also members of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments:
The region hosts the following colleges and universities:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Shorthand | Nickname | Primary Conference | Division |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biola University | La Mirada | 1901 | Private | 4,011 | Biola | Eagles | Pacific West Conference | NCAA Division II |
| California State University, Long Beach | Long Beach | 1949 | Public | 37,776 | Cal State Long Beach | 49ers | Big West Conference | NCAA Division I |
| Whittier College | Whittier | 1887 | Private | 2,259 | Whittier | Poets | Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | NCAA Division III |
| Southern California University of Health Sciences | Whittier | 1911 | Private Graduate | 469 | SCU | None | - | - |
| Institution | Location | Founded | Enrollment | Nickname | Primary Conference | Division |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerritos College | Norwalk | 1955 | 22,731 | Falcons | South Coast Conference | CCCAA |
| Compton College | Compton | 1927 | 7,018 | Tartars | South Coast Conference | CCCAA |
| Long Beach City College | Long Beach | 1927 | 24,650 | Vikings | South Coast Conference | CCCAA |
| Rio Hondo College | Whittier | 1963 | 19,948 | Roadrunners | South Coast Conference | CCCAA |
Southeast LA County's Long Beach Airport (LGB) provides Southeast LA regular direct flights to and from approximately a dozen cities in the Western United States.[7]
The Port of Long Beach, located in Southeast LA, is the second busiest port in the United States,[8] Significant freight rail infrastructure runs through Vernon, Commerce, Industry, Santa Fe Springs, and Pico Rivera; as well as lines running between the Port of Long Beach and Vernon & Commerce.[9]
The LA Metro connects Southeast LA County to Greater Los Angeles via the following commuter and light rail lines:
Given its high population, Southeast LA is noticeably crisscrossed with regional freeway infrastructure, connecting it to other parts of Greater Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. The following freeways directly service Southeast LA County: