Compton

Sister cities

• Apia
• Cancun
• Benito Juárez Municipality
• Onitsha
• Targovishte

History

The Tongva Native Americans first lived in the area. The Spanish Empire had expanded into this area when the Viceroy of New Spain commissioned Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo to explore the Pacific Ocean in 1542–1543. In 1767, the area became part of the Province of the Californias (), and the area was explored by the Portolá expedition in 1769–1770. In 1784, the Spanish Crown deeded Rancho San Pedro, a tract of over , to soldier Juan José Domínguez. Domínguez's descendants partitioned the land amongst family members, sold parcels to newly arriving settlers, and relinquished some when validating their legal claim with the Mexican government at in 1828, and with the United States government through a patent validating in 1858. The Domínguez family name is still applied throughout the area, including the Dominguez Rancho Adobe historical landmark, in the unincorporated community of Rancho Dominguez, located between the cities of Compton, Long Beach and Carson. The tree that marked the original northern boundary of the rancho still stands at the corner of Poppy and Short streets. In 1867, Griffith Dickenson Compton led a group of 30 pioneers to the area. These families had traveled by wagon train south from Stockton, California, in search of ways to earn a living other than the rapid exhaustion of gold fields. Originally named Gibsonville, after one of the tract owners, it was later called Comptonville. To avoid confusion with the Camptonville located in Yuba County, the name was shortened to Compton. In January 1888, a petition supporting the incorporation of Compton was forwarded to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, who in turn forwarded the petition to the State Legislature. On May 11, 1888, the city of Compton was incorporated with a population of 5000 people.…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau's 2020 data, the city has a total area of . of it is land and of it (1.03%) is water. Compton is bordered by the unincorporated Willowbrook on the north and northwest, the unincorporated West Compton on the west, the city of Carson on the southwest, the unincorporated Rancho Dominguez on the south, the city of Long Beach on the southeast, the city of Paramount and the unincorporated East Compton on the east, and by the city of Lynwood on the northeast. East Compton, also known as East Rancho Dominguez, is a mostly industrial unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP). The population was 15,135 in the 2010 Census. East Rancho Dominguez is an accepted city name according to the USPS, and shares the 90221 ZIP Code with Compton. Its sphere of influence is the city of Compton, which has tried to annex East Rancho Dominguez, but business and property owners in the area have opposed the annexation.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Downey High
  High · Downey · 4,063 students · 23.4:1 ratio
• Polytechnic High
  High · Long Beach · 3,952 students · 23.7:1 ratio
• Paramount High
  High · Paramount · 3,737 students · 20.5:1 ratio
• Wilson High
  High · Long Beach · 3,515 students · 23.8:1 ratio
• Warren (Earl) High
  High · Downey · 3,437 students · 23.7:1 ratio
• Millikan High
  High · Long Beach · 3,311 students · 24:1 ratio
• Redondo Union High
  High · Redondo Beach · 3,005 students · 26.8:1 ratio
• Lakewood High
  High · Lakewood · 2,761 students · 22.3:1 ratio