Burbank

Sister cities

• Paterna
• Incheon
• Gaborone
• Ōta-shi
• Solna Municipality

History

The history of the Burbank area can be traced back to the Tongva people, the indigenous people of the area, who lived in the region for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. In the late 18th century and the early 19th century, Spanish explorers and mission priests arrived in the Los Angeles area. The city of Burbank occupies land that was previously part of two Spanish and Mexican-era colonial land grants: the Rancho San Rafael, granted to Jose Maria Verdugo by the Spanish Bourbon government in 1784, and the Rancho Providencia created in 1821. This area was the scene of a military skirmish which resulted in the unseating of the Spanish Governor of California, and his replacement by the Mexican leader Pio Pico. New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, and from 1824, Rancho San Rafael existed within the new Mexican Republic. David Burbank purchased over of the former Verdugo holding and another of the Rancho Providencia in 1867. Burbank built a ranch house and began to raise sheep and grow wheat on the ranch. Burbank would not acquire full titles to both properties until after a court decision known as the "Great Partition" was made in 1871 dissolving the Rancho San Rafael. He eventually became known as one of the largest and most successful sheep raisers in southern California, and as a result, he closed his dentistry practice and invested heavily in real estate in Los Angeles. When the area that became Burbank was settled in the 1870s and 1880s, the streets were aligned along what is now Olive Avenue, the road to the Cahuenga Pass and downtown Los Angeles. These were largely the roads the Native Americans traveled and the early settlers took their produce down to Los Angeles to sell and to buy supplies along these…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Burbank has a total area of . of it is land and of it (0.12%) is water. It is bordered by Glendale to the east, North Hollywood and Toluca Lake on the west, and Griffith Park to the south. The Verdugo Mountains form the northern border. Elevations in the city range from in the lower valley areas to about near the Verdugo Mountains. Most of Burbank features a water table more than deep, more than the measures found in the 1940s when the water table was within of the ground surface in some areas of Burbank. The geology of the Burbank area is primarily composed of sedimentary rocks, including sandstone, siltstone, and shale. These rocks were formed by sediment deposited by ancient rivers and seas, and have been uplifted and folded due to tectonic activity. Burbank is located within a seismically active area. At least eight major faults are mapped within of Burbank's civic center. The San Fernando Fault, located northwest of Burbank's downtown, caused the 6.6 magnitude 1971 San Fernando earthquake. The Verdugo Fault, which can reach a maximum estimated 6.5 magnitude earthquake on the Richter Scale, is about from the city of Burbank's civic center. This fault extends throughout the city and is located in the alluvium just south of the Verdugo Mountains. The fault is mapped on the surface in northeastern Glendale, and at various locations in Burbank. Other nearby faults include the Northridge Hills Fault ( northwest of Burbank), the Newport–Inglewood Fault (), Whittier Fault (), and lastly the San Andreas Fault () with its 8.25 magnitude potential on the Richter Scale. The 1971 San Fernando earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.6, caused some damage in Burbank. Poorly reinforced and unreinforced masonry fences were…

Most-observed species

• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  62,317
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  53,276
• California Towhee

  Melozone crissalis (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  50,213
• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  47,435
• Lesser Goldfinch

  Spinus psaltria (Say, 1822) · Aves
  46,238
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  45,953
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  40,140
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  39,590

Most recent

• M 3.43 — 2026-06-06
  15 km NW of Fillmore, CA
• M 2.93 — 2026-05-26
  8 km S of Malibu Beach, CA
• M 2.66 — 2026-05-19
  4 km W of Manhattan Beach, CA
• M 3.29 — 2026-05-09
  1 km SE of Muscoy, CA
• M 2.53 — 2026-05-02
  1 km NE of Fillmore, CA
• M 2.57 — 2026-05-02
  1 km NNE of Fillmore, CA