Glendora, California

Glendora, California
City
City of Glendora

Looking north from Civic Center along Glendora Avenue

Seal
Motto: Pride of the Foothills

Location of Glendora in Los Angeles County, California
Glendora, California

Location in the United States

Coordinates: 34°8′10″N 117°51′55″W / 34.13611°N 117.86528°W / 34.13611; -117.86528Coordinates: 34°8′10″N 117°51′55″W / 34.13611°N 117.86528°W / 34.13611; -117.86528
Country  United States
State  California
County Los Angeles
Incorporated November 13, 1911[1]
Named for Leadora Bennett Whitcomb
Government
  Mayor Gene Murabito
  City Manager Chris Jeffers[2]
Area[3]
  Total 19.558 sq mi (50.655 km2)
  Land 19.393 sq mi (50.228 km2)
  Water 0.165 sq mi (0.427 km2)  0.84%
Elevation[4] 774 ft (236 m)
Population (April 1, 2010)[5]
  Total 50,073
  Estimate (2013)[5] 51,074
  Density 2,600/sq mi (990/km2)
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
  Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes 91740, 91741[6]
Area codes 626, 909[7]
FIPS code 06-30014
GNIS feature ID 1652713
Website www.ci.glendora.ca.us

Glendora is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, 23 miles (37 km) east of downtown Los Angeles. As of the 2010 census, the population of Glendora was 50,073.

Known as the "Pride of the Foothills", Glendora is an affluent city with a diverse housing stock and a consistently high-ranking school district. Glendora lies within the San Gabriel Valley, area code 626. A small portion of southeast Glendora is in the area code 909, which is the area code for areas in eastern Los Angeles County, such as Claremont, and for western San Bernardino County. The city to Glendora's west is Azusa while San Dimas lies to Glendora's east. Glendora has its own police force, and the town's crime rate is very low.

Residences in Glendora reflect the city's history and range from Queen Annes, to Folk Victorians, early 20th-century bungalows, to ranch style homes, to mid-rise Multi-family residential complexes, to modern mansions. Glendora's most expensive neighborhoods contain many very large, secluded, estate homes with sweeping views across the San Gabriel Valley to Downtown Los Angeles. These neighborhoods include: Morgan Ranch, Gordon Highlands, Bluebird Hill, Silent Ranch, Oak Tree Rancho, Hidden Springs, Oakhart Estates, and Easley Canyon Estates. Membership in the Glendora Country Club is by invitation only. The Club's 18-hole golf course has been played by many professional golfers.

Glendora celebrated its centennial as an incorporated city in 2011.

History

Glendora, 1920.

Ygnacio Palomares received the 22,000-acre (89 km2) land grant Rancho San Jose from Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado in 1837. The land included the present day cities of Pomona, Claremont, La Verne, San Dimas, and Glendora.

Located at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, modern Glendora was founded on April 1, 1887 by George D. Whitcomb who moved to California from Illinois in the early 1880s. Whitcomb was the founder of the Whitcomb Locomotive Works in Chicago and Rochelle, Illinois. He devised the name Glendora by combining the name of his wife, Leadora Bennett Whitcomb, with the location of his home in a glen of the San Gabriel Mountains. Prior to its 1911 incorporation, Glendora's administrator officially occupied the office of President of Glendora.

Early Alosta-Glendora Map 1888. View looking north from present-day South Hills Park Wilderness Area

The downtown area as it appears now is the product of years of renovation and maintenance by the city. There used to be a movie theatre and various banks and playhouses downtown but all were converted into more modern commercial buildings. The original layout can be read about on the Downtown Glendora Historical Walk, by reading placards placed along Glendora Avenue (previously called Michigan Avenue). The original townsite was bounded by Sierra Madre Avenue on the north, Minnesota Avenue on the east, Ada Avenue, & the railroad on the south, & Pennsylvania Avenue on the west.

Glendora used to be home to many military academies, which have since been converted into either churches or private school facilities. These academies included Brown Military Academy,[8] now St. Lucy's Priory High School and Church of the Open Door on Sierra Madre, and Harding Military Academy,[9] whose property is now home to North Glendora Private, a prestigious private community adjacent to Easley Canyon atop Glendora Avenue.

From 1960 to 1978, Glendora was home to Clokey Productions which produced 85 episodes of Gumby and 65 episodes of Davey and Goliath in town.[10] In celebration of this history, Glendora hosted the first Gumby Fest in 2014 which brought thousands of people from around the country and Canada. In 2015 the 2nd GumbyFest[11] was held at Citrus College over an entire weekend.

Several wildfires have affected the city in recent years, the most notable being the Colby Fire, which displaced hundreds of Glendora residents. A relief concert was held "Glendora Band Aid"[12] shortly after to help raise funds to assist the homeowners who lost their homes in the fire.

Downtown Glendora in 2009 with Morris Fire smoke plume

Glendora has an active Chamber of Commerce,[13] established in 1903. The mission of the Glendora Chamber is to provide tools and resources to assist the business community in prospering and adapting to the economic climate, while growing membership and promoting local purchasing.[14]

Geography

Glendora is located at 34°7′51″N 117°51′15″W / 34.13083°N 117.85417°W / 34.13083; -117.85417 (34.130957, -117.854127).[15]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.6 square miles (51 km2), of which 19.4 square miles (50 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2), or 0.84%, is water.

Climate

Climate data for Glendora, California (1981–2010 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 68
(20)
69
(21)
71
(22)
76
(24)
79
(26)
84
(29)
90
(32)
92
(33)
89
(32)
80
(27)
74
(23)
68
(20)
78.3
(25.8)
Average low °F (°C) 43
(6)
45
(7)
47
(8)
49
(9)
54
(12)
58
(14)
62
(17)
62
(17)
60
(16)
55
(13)
47
(8)
42
(6)
52
(11.1)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.78
(96)
4.76
(120.9)
2.66
(67.6)
1.20
(30.5)
.33
(8.4)
.09
(2.3)
.01
(0.3)
.03
(0.8)
.18
(4.6)
1.05
(26.7)
1.62
(41.1)
2.45
(62.2)
18.16
(461.3)
Source: [16]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
19302,761
19402,8222.2%
19503,98841.3%
196020,752420.4%
197031,38051.2%
198038,50022.7%
199047,82824.2%
200049,4153.3%
201050,0731.3%
Est. 201552,009[17]3.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]

2010

As of the census[19] of 2010, there were 50,073 people, 16,819 households, and 12,866 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,581.5 inhabitants per square mile (996.8/km²). There were 17,145 housing units at an average density of 895.7 per square mile (345.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.1% White (57.0% Non-Hispanic White), 1.9% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 8.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.2% from other races, and 4.8% from two or more races. 30.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[20]

There were 16,819 households out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Glendora had a median household income of $74,615, with 7.8% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[20]

Public education

The city has two public school districts: Glendora Unified and Charter Oak Unified School Districts. These systems are considered two of the best in the state and the country, consistently ranking in the top performing brackets.[21] Each Glendora school in these two school districts are designated as California Distinguished Schools.[22]

Elementary schools

Middle schools

High Schools

Continuation High Schools

Private education

Public services/Parks and Recreation

Government and infrastructure

In the California State Legislature, Glendora is in the 25th Senate District, represented by Democrat Anthony Portantino, and in the 48th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Blanca Rubio.[24]

In the United States House of Representatives, Glendora is split between California's 27th congressional district (North of I-210) and California's 32nd congressional district (South of I-210),[25] which are represented by Judy Chu (DMonterey Park) and Grace Napolitano (DNorwalk), respectively.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Monrovia Health Center in Monrovia, serving Glendora.[26]

Economy

Top employers

According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[27] the top employers in the city are:

Rank Employer # of Employees
1 Glendora Unified School District 734
2 Citrus College 700
3 County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services 592
4 Foothill Presbyterian Hospital 558
5 Ormco 400
6 City of Glendora 376
7 Glendora Community Hospital 289
8 Wal-Mart 287
9 Sam's Club 210
10 The Home Depot 160

Sister city

Notable people

References

  1. "History of Glendora - Incorporation 1911-1950". Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  2. "City of Glendora: City Manager". Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  3. "2010 Census U.S. Gazetteer Files – Places – California". United States Census Bureau.
  4. "Glendora". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Glendora (city) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  6. "USPS – ZIP Code Lookup – Find a ZIP+ 4 Code By City Results". Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  7. "Number Administration System – NPA and City/Town Search Results". Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  8. "Brown Military Academy - John Brown University". brownmilitaryacademy.com.
  9. "July 6, 1972: Harding Military Academy Closes its Doors". Glendora, California Patch.
  10. "Gumby's Studio, Clokey Productions".
  11. "Gumby Fest 2015: Citrus College, Glendora, CA USA". gumbyfest.net.
  12. "Colby Fire Relief Music Festival: March 22, 2014". rotaryofglendora.org.
  13. "Glendora Chamber of Commerce". glendora-chamber.org.
  14. "Glendora Chamber of Commerce". Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  15. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  16. "Average Weather for - Temperature and Precipitation". weather.com. Retrieved 2014-05-03.
  17. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  18. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  19. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  20. 1 2 "Glendora (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". census.gov.
  21. http://www.glendora.k12.ca.us/edProgs/OtherInfo/SARC/SARC%202008%20-%202009/2008_2009.html
  22. "Distinguished School Awards". ca.gov.
  23. "Foothill Christian School". foothillchristian.org.
  24. "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  25. "Glendora Redistricting". glendora.patch.com. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  26. "Monrovia Health Center." Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Retrieved on March 27, 2010.
  27. City of Glendora CAFR
  28. 1 2 "Glendora Public Library: Weblinks Collection – Community Information". Retrieved 2008-09-06.
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