San Fernando, California


San Fernando is a city in the San Fernando Valley, in the northwestern region of Los Angeles County, California in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It is bordered on all sides by the city of Los Angeles. As of the 2010 census the population of San Fernando was 23,645.

History

The city was named for the nearby Mission San Fernando Rey de España, and was part of the Mexican land grant of Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando. In 1874 Charles Maclay, San Fernando founder, bought of the Rancho. In 1882, cousins George K. Porter and Benjamin F. Porter of future Porter Ranch each received one-third of the total land. In 1885, Maclay founded the Maclay School of Theology, a Methodist seminary in his newly founded town of San Fernando. After his death it became an affiliate and moved to the campus of the University of Southern California and then the Claremont School of Theology.
While most of the towns in the surrounding San Fernando Valley agreed to annexation by Los Angeles in the 1910s, eager to tap the bountiful water supply provided by the newly opened Los Angeles Aqueduct, San Fernando's abundant groundwater supplies allowed it to remain a separate city. In the first half of the 20th century after incorporation in 1911, the city of San Fernando has tried to annex their city limits to Sylmar, Mission Hills and Pacoima, but the city of Los Angeles has kept up their rapid annexation and caused many failed attempts; and by the 1950s, the city said that annexation was hard to do, due to the large bureaucracy of Los Angeles. As the San Fernando Valley has transitioned from an agricultural area to a suburban one in the decades after World War II, San Fernando retained its independence.
As with much of the San Fernando Valley east of the San Diego Freeway, the city of San Fernando has seen a significant demographic shift in recent years. Declining birth-rates and an aging population of middle-class whites, who once dominated the area in the 1950s, has contributed to the movement into other parts of the San Fernando Valley. There has also been movement into the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys to the north. Latinos became the majority population. Since late 2004, the city has been going through a series of planning development projects, that can be defined as gentrification.

Geography

San Fernando is completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, with the neighborhoods of Sylmar to the north, Lake View Terrace to the east, Pacoima to the south, and Mission Hills to the west. It is served by the Golden State, Foothill, Ronald Reagan, and San Diego freeways.

Demographics

2010

At the 2010 census San Fernando had a population of 23,645. The population density was 9,959.9 people per square mile. The racial makeup of San Fernando was 12,068 White, 222 African American, 314 Native American, 248 Asian, 33 Pacific Islander, 9,877 from other races, and 883 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21,867 persons.
The census reported that 23,531 people lived in households, 46 lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 68 were institutionalized.
There were 5,967 households, 3,247 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,282 were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,098 had a female householder with no husband present, 592 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 476 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 34 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 731 households were one person and 295 had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.94. There were 4,972 families ; the average family size was 4.18.
The age distribution was 6,941 people under the age of 18, 2,659 people aged 18 to 24, 7,132 people aged 25 to 44, 4,920 people aged 45 to 64, and 1,993 people who were 65 or older. The median age was 30.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.
There were 6,291 housing units at an average density of 2,649.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 3,252 were owner-occupied and 2,715 were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.9%. 13,425 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 10,106 people lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, San Fernando had a median household income of $55,192, with 16.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000

At the 2000 census there were 23,564 people in 5,774 households, including 4,832 families, in the city. The population density was 9,880.7 inhabitants per square mile. There were 5,932 housing units at an average density of 2,487.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 42.76% White, 0.98% African American, 1.69% Native American, 1.12% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 49.35% from other races, and 3.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 89.28%.
Of the 5,774 households 52.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.3% were non-families. 12.4% of households were one person and 5.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 4.07 and the average family size was 4.33.
The age distribution was 34.4% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% 65 or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.9 males.
The median household income was $39,909 and the median family income was $40,138. Males had a median income of $26,068 versus $22,599 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,485. 15.3% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Municipal government

The City of San Fernando is governed by a city council. Members of the City Council are elected and serve four year terms. The mayor is appointed every year, on a rotating basis, by a majority vote of the Council. The Council meets on the first and third Monday of each month at 6:00 pm in the Council Chambers.

State and federal representation

In the California State Legislature, San Fernando is in, and in.
In the United States Senate, San Fernando is represented by California's Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris.
In the United States House of Representatives, San Fernando is in.

Infrastructure

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Pacoima Health Center in Pacoima in Los Angeles, serving the City of San Fernando.
The City of San Fernando produces, treats, sells and maintains its own water supply.
The United States Postal Service operates the San Fernando Post Office.

Police

Police services in San Fernando is provided by the San Fernando Police Department. The police department has 35 sworn police officers and 25 non-sworn personnel. The department is also augmented by 20 sworn reserve police officers. In times of need, the police department can deploy a total of 55 sworn police officers.
The San Fernando Police Department is a member of the Los Angeles County Disaster Management Area "C". Area "C" consists of the cities of Burbank, Pasadena, Glendale, San Fernando, San Gabriel, Monterey Park, Alhambra and South Pasadena. The San Fernando Police have, in the past, requested mutual aid from the LAPD during major incidents.

Fire

The Los Angeles Fire Department provides fire protection services for the city of San Fernando, which serves
the community from three nearby fire stations, all of which are located in the City of Los Angeles.
Fire Station 75 in Mission Hills serves western San Fernando. Fire Station 91 in Sylmar serves northeast San Fernando Fire Station 98 in Pacoima serves southeast San Fernando.

Transportation

The Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink station serves the city on the Antelope Valley Line that passes through the city on a route adjacent to and parallel with San Fernando Boulevard. The officials and citizens have expressed their concern about the impact of the California High-Speed Rail if it follows the same route through the city. The city will become the future northern terminus of the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor, the valley's first light rail line by 2027.

Economy

Top employers

According to the City's 2017-2018 annual financial report, the top ten employers in the city are:
#Employer# of Employees
1Los Angeles Unified School District2010
2Pharmavite LLC360
3County of Los Angeles277
4Home Depot271
5Pepsi Bottling Company270
6PureTek200
7Production Resource Group LLC200
8Vallarta Supermarkets162
9Ricon Corp149
10Valley Crest Landscape Co.136

As of 2018, the City of San Fernando has a total labor force of 11,700 with 4,035 working for the top ten employers listed. The City of San Fernando also employs 129 people as of 2018.

Education

San Fernando is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District.
San Fernando is served by the following LAUSD schools:
The nearest community college to San Fernando is Los Angeles Mission College in the Sylmar neighborhood of Los Angeles.
PUC Schools operates some charter schools in San Fernando. They include Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy and PUC Inspire Charter Academy. At one time Lakeview Charter Academy and Triumph Charter Academy, both of PUC Schools, were located in San Fernando now they are located in Sylmar.
A private school, The Concordia Schools San Fernando, was in the city. First Lutheran Schools was previously located where Concordia San Fernando was later now located. In 2011 the middle and high school consolidated into Concordia Junior Senior High School.

Public libraries

The County of Los Angeles Public Library operates the at 217 North Maclay Avenue.

Notable people