| West Covina, California | |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Motto: | "Live, Work, Play." |
| Coordinates: | 34.0567°N -117.9186°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | California |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Los Angeles |
| Government Type: | Council-Manager |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Brian Calderón Tabatabai[1] |
| Leader Title1: | Mayor Pro Tem |
| Leader Name1: | Tony Wu |
| Leader Title2: | Councilmember |
| Leader Name2: | Ollie Cantos |
| Leader Title3: | Councilmember |
| Leader Name3: | Rosario Diaz |
| Leader Title4: | Councilmember |
| Leader Name4: | Letty Lopez-Viado |
| Leader Title5: | Councilmember |
| Leader Name5: | Rosario Ginger Diaz Elliot |
| Established Title: | Incorporated |
| Established Date: | February 17, 1923[2] |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [3] |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 16.09 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 16.04 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.05 |
| Area Total Km2: | 41.67 |
| Area Land Km2: | 41.55 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.12 |
| Area Water Percent: | 0.30 |
| Elevation Footnotes: | [4] |
| Elevation Ft: | 384 |
| Elevation M: | 117 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [5] |
| Population Total: | 109501 |
| Population Rank: | 11th in Los Angeles County 65th in California |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Timezone: | PST |
| Utc Offset: | -8 |
| Timezone Dst: | PDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -7 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes[6] |
| Postal Code: | 91790–91793 |
| Area Code Type: | Area codes |
| Area Code: | 626, 909 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature IDs |
| Blank1 Info: | , |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
West Covina is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located 19miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, it is part of Greater Los Angeles. The population for the city was 109,501 at the 2020 census.
West Covina is bordered by Covina to the northeast, Baldwin Park and Irwindale to the northwest, La Puente and Valinda to the southwest, Industry to the south, Ramona to the east, and Walnut to the southeast.
The Tongva were the earliest inhabitants of the San Gabriel Valley.[7] Governor Pío Pico sold much of the land of West Covina to John Rowland and William Workman in 1845.[8]
The first permanent settlers arrived in West Covina in 1905. Most famous among them were William Payne, Bob Dancer, Bender, Robinson and Larsen. They cleared the land of sagebrush and cactus. They also planted the first walnut trees in the area.[9]
West Covina was incorporated as an independent city in 1923 to prevent the city of Covina from building a sewage farm in the area.[10] Benjamin Franklin Maxson Jr. (1897–1928) initiated the incorporation process and was the first mayor. Walnut groves and orange groves continued to flourish. The population in 1930 was 769 and blossomed to 1,549 in 1940. As a result of remarkable expansion during the post–World War II building boom, West Covina became one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities between 1950 and 1960, experiencing a growth in population of 1,025.69%, going from less than 5,000 to more than 50,000 citizens. The decades 1960 and 2000 demonstrated steady growth for West Covina, which had slowed significantly by the time of the 2010 census.[11]
A 2020 ranking of the fiscal health of California cities issued by State Auditor Elaine Howle's office placed West Covina as the ninth-worst in the state [12] The city was also audited by the state the same year, as the state auditor had determined that the city's poor finances put it at high risk for default.[13]
The San Gabriel Valley region has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, with summer temperatures averaging above 23C.[14]
| White alone (NH) | 24,124 | 16,196 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 11,793 | 22.96% | 15.27% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 10.77% | |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 6,314 | 4,260 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 3,713 | 6.01% | 4.02% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 3.39% | |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 304 | 232 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 217 | 0.29% | 0.22% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 0.20% | |
| Asian alone (NH) | 23,543 | 26,834 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 33,097 | 22.40% | 25.29% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 30.23% | |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 172 | 142 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 149 | 0.16% | 0.13% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 0.14% | |
| Other Race alone (NH) | 196 | 188 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 541 | 0.19% | 0.18% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 0.49% | |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 2,376 | 1,775 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 1,889 | 2.26% | 1.67% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 1.73% | |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 48,051 | 56,471 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 58,102 | 45.73% | 53.23% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 53.06% | |
| Total | 105,080 | 106,098 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 109,501 | 100.00% | 100.00% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 100.00% |
The 2010 United States Census reported that West Covina had a population of 106,098. The population density was 6594.3sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of West Covina was 42.8% White (15.3% Non-Hispanic White),[5] 4.5% Black, 1.0% Native American, 25.8% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.3% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin were 53.2%.
The Census reported that 105,424 people (99.4% of the population) lived in households, 351 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 323 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 31,596 households, out of which 13,670 (43.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 17,650 (55.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 5,402 (17.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,308 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,664 (5.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 202 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,795 households (15.2%) were made up of individuals, and 2,164 (6.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34. There were 25,360 families (80.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.68.
The population was spread out, with 26,075 people (24.6%) under the age of 18, 11,326 people (10.7%) aged 18 to 24, 28,860 people (27.2%) aged 25 to 44, 26,974 people (25.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 12,863 people (12.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
There were 32,705 housing units at an average density of 2032.7/mi2, of which 20,703 (65.5%) were owner-occupied, and 10,893 (34.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. 70,474 people (66.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 34,950 people (32.9%) lived in rental housing units.
During 20092013, West Covina had a median household income of $67,088, with 10% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[5]
In 2017, there were more than 10,000 Filipino Americans living in West Covina;[18] they make up the majority population in the south side of the city.[19]
West Covina is broken up into five districts.[20]
Most of the foreign-born population in West Covina were born in Mexico 27.3%,Philippines 18.9%, Mainland China 13.7%, Vietnam 9.6% Taiwan 5.5%, El Salvador 3.1%, Hong Kong 2.7%, Guatemala 1.5%, Korea 1.3% and Indonesia 1.2%.[21]
According to the 2000 Census, Mexicans and Filipinos were the most common ancestries in West Covina. Mexico and Philippines were the most common foreign places of birth.[22]
The most common ancestries in West Covina are Irish, German, English, Italian, and French. The most common non-English languages spoken are Spanish and Chinese.[23]
In 2022, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority's Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count counted 112 homeless individuals in West Covina.[24]
According to the city's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[25] the top employers in the city are:
| Employer |
| ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Citrus Valley Medical Center – Queen of the Valley Campus | 1,464 | |
| 2 | 1,398 | ||
| 3 | 455 | ||
| 4 | City of West Covina | 372 | |
| 5 | Merakey Allos | 335 | |
| 6 | Porto's Bakery | 298 | |
| 7 | 249 | ||
| 8 | Interspace/Concorde Battery Corporation | 231 | |
| 9 | 198 | ||
| 10 | 165 |
There are three major shopping centers in West Covina: Plaza West Covina, Eastland Center, and The Heights at West Covina.
Plaza West Covina is a regional mall that has 208 shops, stores, and restaurants. The mall is two levels and is anchored by Macy's (180,000 sq ft.) to the east, JC Penney (193,963 sq ft.) to the south, Sears (137,820 sq ft.) to the west, Best Buy (45,000 sq ft.) to the north, and the XXI Forever flagship store, also to the north. There is a food court on the second level as well as other restaurants, and food and drink kiosks throughout the mall. The mall is known for its many fashion shops and high-end fashion boutiques.[26]
The Eastland Center is a power center which has undergone major renovations since it opened in 1957. Eastland is two levels, with parking for the lower level on south side of the center and parking for the upper level on the north side. It has many department stores and is anchored by Target. (122000square feet) to the east.
The Heights at West Covina is a 340000square feet retail shopping center located just south of the Sportsplex. It is anchored by The Home Depot to the north, and Target to the south. The center has many other stores and restaurants.
Jollibee opened headquarters in West Covina in 2019.[27]
The West Covina Sportsplex is a 315abbr=onNaNabbr=on commercial and recreational center opened in 2007. Built on a former landfill, the center includes a sports park, commercial development, and public golf course.[28]
In the California State Legislature, West Covina is split between and . In the California State Assembly, it is in . In the United States House of Representatives, West Covina is in .[29]
Public schools in West Covina administered by the Covina-Valley Unified School District include:[30]
Public schools in West Covina administered by the Rowland Unified School District include:[31]
Public schools in West Covina administered by the West Covina Unified School District include:[32]
Charter School (Standalone)
Foothill Transit, based in West Covina, provides services across San Gabriel Valley with buses going to Downtown Los Angeles and Montclair. In addition to the bus services provided by Foothill Transit, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Agency, commonly known as Metro, provides services from El Monte Station to Cal Poly Pomona.The city operates the Go West shuttle bus system, with three routes that provide transportation to several West Covina destinations.[33] The city also provides a free shuttle bus to the Baldwin Park Metrolink station.
Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina offers the following services: emergency room, surgery, maternity care, pediatrics, neurology, and diagnostic imaging.[34]
West Covina and the San Gabriel Valley are the setting for the US television series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.[38]
The 1997 Nickelodeon film Good Burger was mostly filmed in West Covina.[39]
The 1974 US television series Chopper One depicts the activities of a helicopter unit in the West Covina Police Department (as shown by the WCPD uniform patches).
The USS West Covina was a Federation California-class starship operated by Starfleet in the late 24th century featured in .
See also: List of sister cities in California. West Covina's sister cities are:[40]