South Gate

History

Before the Spanish Colonial Era, the area that became South Gate was in the traditional cultural territory of the Gabrielino. Gabrielino villages or archaeological sites are rumored to have existed at the South Gate Park and at the old City Hall site at the intersection of Post Street and Victoria Avenue. The village of Tajauta was located on the border of South Gate, Lynwood, and Watts. Among the early Spanish settlers was one of California's first families, the Lugos. The Lugo land grant encompassed a great part of what is now the City of South Gate. While Francisco Lugo was stationed at Mission San Antonio de Padua near Salinas, California, his first California son, Antonio Maria Lugo was born in 1775. That son became Don Antonio Maria Lugo, Spanish aristocrat and soldier, who settled on of land that encompasses what is now the City of South Gate. In 1810, the King of Spain formally granted the land to Lugo as a reward for his and his father's military service. Before the end of the 1870s, much of the original land grant had been replaced by tracts of . By 1880, cattle raising had been replaced by agriculture as the most important local industry. During the years between 1910 and 1940, most of the agricultural land was replaced by homes and factories. By 1940, South Gate had evolved into a major industrial hub, with over 35 factories producing chemicals, machinery, furniture, roofing materials, and more. This industrial boom continued into the mid-20th century, and by 1976, over 400 industries were operating in the city. The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company opened a plant in December 1927 on what was then a bean field at Alameda and Firestone. The facility began operations in mid-1928 and expanded multiple times in subsequent decades, providing significant…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of . of it is land and of it is water. The total area is 1.59% water. The Los Angeles River runs through the eastern part of South Gate. South Gate has a semi-arid Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot, dry summers. The average annual precipitation is per year with most occurring between November and April. Temperatures range from a low of to a high of . The average daily temperatures range from to .

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  45,895
• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  43,579
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  35,203
• Allen's Hummingbird

  Selasphorus sasin (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  34,933
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  34,831
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  28,833
• Yellow-rumped Warbler

  Setophaga coronata (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  28,670
• Lesser Goldfinch

  Spinus psaltria (Say, 1822) · Aves
  28,578

Largest nearby schools

• Downey High
  High · Downey · 4,063 students · 23.4:1 ratio
• Paramount High
  High · Paramount · 3,737 students · 20.5:1 ratio
• Warren (Earl) High
  High · Downey · 3,437 students · 23.7:1 ratio
• Lakewood High
  High · Lakewood · 2,761 students · 22.3:1 ratio
• Mayfair High
  High · Lakewood · 2,578 students · 22.6:1 ratio
• California High
  High · Whittier · 2,504 students · 23.2:1 ratio
• Bell Senior High
  High · Bell · 2,351 students · 22:1 ratio
• James A. Garfield Senior High
  High · Los Angeles · 2,247 students · 17.6:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.16 — 2026-10-09
  2 km SW of Signal Hill, CA
• M 2.7 — 2026-10-08
  2 km WNW of Fontana, CA
• M 2.51 — 2026-10-05
  31 km SW of Dana Point, CA
• M 2.81 — 2026-10-05
  32 km SW of Dana Point, CA
• M 3.48 — 2026-10-05
  31 km SW of Dana Point, CA
• M 3.81008714964485 — 2026-09-30
  4 km SE of Piru, CA