Los Alamitos is a city located in Orange County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,536.
The USA Water Polo National Aquatic Center, where the men's and women's US Olympic water polo teams train, is located on the US Military Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos. The facility is also used for major water polo tournaments, swim classes and swim teams.
As of the census of 2000,, there are 11,536 people, 4,246 households, and 3,035 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,110.7/km2 (2,875.5/mi2). There are 4,329 housing units at an average density of 416.8/km2 (1,079.1/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 76.97% White, 3.20% African American, 0.58% Native American, 9.49% Asian, 0.33% Pacific Islander, 5.37% from other races, and 4.07% from two or more races. 16.02% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 4,246 households out of which 36.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% are married couples living together, 17.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% are non-families. 21.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.62 and the average family size is 3.06.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $55,286, and the median income for a family is $60,767. Males have a median income of $49,946 versus $36,002 for females. The per capita income for the city is $26,014. 5.2% of the population and 4.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 4.9% of those under the age of 18 and 8.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
The clusters of cottonwood trees Spanish explorers saw more than 200 years ago inspired Los Alamitos' name, but it is the sugar beet that figured most prominently in the area's later history.
In the early days of Spanish colonization, Los Alamitos, or the Little Cottonwoods, was the name given to one of five ranchos that a former sergeant in the king of Spain's army deeded to his children. The sergeant, Manuel Nieto, had been awarded a vast land grant by a Spanish territorial governor.
The 85,000-acre Rancho Los Alamitos originally extended into present-day Long Beach. Its ownership was to change and its boundaries would shrink many times. The historic ranch house and surrounding facilities for Rancho Los Alamitos can still be found near by in Long Beach.
In 1896, the sugar-beet processing industry took root in the area, and with it came the roots of a future city. That year, ex-Sen. William Clark of Montana bought more than 8,000 acres of Los Alamitos rancho land and formed the Los Alamitos Sugar Co. The sugar-beet factory complex, with its streets of company houses for workers, became the basis for a Los Alamitos townsite.
Old photos at the museum tell the story of an emerging city. There are pictures of recreational facilities the company started for its workers. And there are pictures from the early 1900s of sugar beets being delivered to the factory by horse and wagon. An insect infestation in 1921 caused sugar-beet crop failure and the eventual demise of the sugar industry in Los Alamitos. But the town that had sprung up continued to grow.
During World War II, the US Naval Air Station moved its aircraft training field from Terminal Island to Los Alamitos. It employed thousands of people, and it spurred growth. In 1973, the base was designated an Armed Forces Reserve Center. Today, it is a reserve support center for units of the Army, Navy, National Guard and Marines.
Many former military personnel chose to stay on in Los Alamitos after the war, maintaining the 1950s style tract housing. One such neighborhood is Carrier Row, where streets are named for World War II aircraft carriers.
The Spanish-ranchos-turned-company-town became an official city in March 1960. The city's population then was about 3,400. Today, the population hovers near the 12,000 mark.
The ambitious sugar-beet processor of today would be hard pressed to set up shop in Los Alamitos. Zoning laws keep out heavy manufacturing or industry, because nearly all the city land is developed. The Armed Forces Reserve Center takes up 48 percent of the city's 4.3 square miles.
The rest of the city is a snug fitting mix of homes, apartments, businesses and open space.
The small city was the hometown for a number of noted athletes including Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby, major league baseball player Dennis Lamp, and record holding distance swimmer Lynne Cox. It was also home to California Supreme Court Chief Justice Malcolm Lucas while he served on the Court.
Source:
LosAlamitosCalifornia.com
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