Azusa, California

Infobox Settlement
official_name = City of Azusa, California
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settlement_type = City
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map_caption = Location of Azusa in Los Angeles County, California


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = California
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Los Angeles
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area_total_km2 = 23.1
area_land_km2 = 23.1
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 8.9
area_land_sq_mi = 8.9
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0
area_water_percent = 0
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population_total = 44712
population_density_km2 = 1939.7
population_density_sq_mi = 5023.7
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timezone = PST
utc_offset = -8
timezone_DST = PDT
utc_offset_DST = -7
latd = 34 |latm = 7 |lats = 50 |latNS = N
longd = 117 |longm = 54 |longs = 25 |longEW = W
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 186
elevation_ft = 610
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 91702
area_code = 626
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 06-03386
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1652667
website = http://www.ci.azusa.ca.us/
footnotes =

Azusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though often assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA", the place name "Azusa" traces back to at least the eighteenth century. "The Azusa" originally referred to the San Gabriel Valley and river, and likely derives from the Tongva place name "Asuksagna". [citation | last=Rasmussen | first=Cecilia | date=June 3, 2007 | title="What's in a name? Clues to a city's past" | periodical=The Los Angeles Times | url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/valley/la-me-then3jun03,1,1874433,full.story | accessdate=2007-08-15]

Geography

The City is located at the entrance to the San Gabriel Canyon (hence the city's nickname, The Canyon City) and on the east side of the San Gabriel River.

Azusa is located at coor dms|34|7|50|N|117|54|25|W|city (34.130657, -117.906869)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.1 km² (8.9 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 44,712 people, 12,549 households, and 9,298 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,939.7/km² (5,023.7/mi²). There were 13,013 housing units at an average density of 564.5/km² (1,462.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.35% White, 3.78% Black or African American, 1.31% Native American, 6.14% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 30.52% from other races, and 5.73% from two or more races. 63.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 12,549 households out of which 43.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.41 and the average family size was 3.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.8% under the age of 18, 15.5% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 15.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,191, and the median income for a family was $40,918. Males had a median income of $30,845 versus $26,565 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,412. About 15.1% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

In the state legislature Azusa is located in the 24th Senate District, represented by Democrat Gloria Romero, and in the 57th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Edward P. Hernandez. Federally, Azusa is located in California's 32nd congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +17 [cite web | title = Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest? | publisher = Campaign Legal Center Blog | url=http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html | accessdate = 2008-02-10] and is represented by Democrat Hilda Solis.

Education

Azusa is home to Azusa Pacific University, a private Christian university and Dhammakaya Open University, a private Buddhist university.

Azusa is home to St. Frances of Rome Elementary School, serving grades k-8, which is part of St. Frances of Rome Catholic Church, under the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

Azusa is served by the Azusa Unified School District. Its schools include:

* Azusa High School
* Gladstone High School
* Sierra (Continuation) High School
* Azusa Adult School
* Eleven traditional elementary schools - Dalton, Ellington, Gladstone Street, Hodge, Lee, Magnolia, Mountain View, Murray, Paramount, Powell, and Valleydale
* Three intermediate schools - Center, Foothill, and Slauson
* One Kindergarten-only elementary school - Longfellow
* One elementary-intermediate combo school (grades K-8) to be constructed by approximately 2010

Transport

Azusa lies mostly along the Foothill Freeway (I-210) between the San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) and the Orange Freeway (State Route 57).

Azusa is to be the eastern terminus of the first phase of a planned (but as yet unfunded) extension of the Metro Gold Line light rail service, which currently operates between Los Angeles Union Station and eastern Pasadena. Like the current Gold Line, it would operate along former Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway right-of-way purchased by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 1993. MTA plans to extend the line to the end of its reserved right-of-way in Montclair, just across the San Bernardino County line.

A popular running gag on the long-running radio comedy "The Jack Benny Program" involved a railroad station caller, voiced by Mel Blanc, announcing the arrival or departure of a train to or from "Anaheim, Azusa, and Cucamonga." In Benny's day, the Santa Fe offered passenger service through Azusa and Cucamonga. Currently, there is no passenger rail service to Azusa proper, though Metrolink's well-maintained San Bernardino Line stops in nearby Covina and Baldwin Park many times daily. That line also serves Cucamonga, and a change of trains in San Bernardino or Los Angeles will enable one to reach Anaheim.

Public Safety

Azusa has its own police department, and maintained its own fire department until a few years ago, when it was disbanded in favor of contracting fire services from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The LACFD services Azusa from Station 32.

ister cities

Azusa has one sister city: [http://azusasistercity.org/ Azusa - Sister Cities]
* Zacatecas, Mexico

Miscellaneous

The Azusa Police Department was home to the very first Chevrolet Camaro police car ever built (in service from 1987-2000?); originally built at the now-closed GM Assembly Plant in Van Nuys, with a custom turbocharging system donated by race-car legend Gale Banks, it inspired the California Highway Patrol and the Michigan State Police to order a few Camaro police specials for their fleets (with many other police and sheriff's departments as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to follow). The Camaro was finally retired from active service in 2000 (at that time it was the only Camaro police car of the original mid-1980s design to remain in service in any California police force).

Professional Sports Teams

"Club" "Sport" "Founded" "League" "Venue" "Logo"

SoCal Legends Basketball 2005 Continental Basketball AssociationAzusa Pacific University

Notable residents

* Hank Aguirre, born in Azusa, major league baseball playercite book |editor=Reichler, Joseph L.| title=The Baseball Encyclopedia |origyear=1969 |edition= 4th edition |year= 1979|publisher= Macmillan Publishing |location= New York|language= |id= ISBN 0-02-578970-8 ]
*Anthony Robbins, raised in Azusa, Motivational Life Coach
*Rocky Dennis, born with a rare disease, a movie starring Cher was later made about his life
*Judson Scott, actor (ABC's 1982 science-fiction series "The Phoenix")
*Danny Noriega, a contestant from American Idol 7 who made it to the Top-24 but was controversially voted off before the Top-12 finals
*Gregory Soriano, cast member of Beauty and the Geek Season 5 on the CW Network, Known as "Greggy, The Self-Proclaimed 'Gaysian'"
*Jeffrey Cornejo, Author, Man-about-town, "Azusa, a pictoral history"

ee also

*Azusa Civic Center

References

External links

* [http://www.ci.azusa.ca.us/ Azusa official website]
* [http://www.azusachamber.org/ Azusa Chamber of Commerce]