El Monte

El Monte (Spanish for "The Mountain") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city lies in the San Gabriel Valley, east of the city of Los Angeles. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 109,450, down from 113,475 at the 2010 census. The Old Spanish Trail trade route was first established by Antonio Armijo in 1829. The first permanent residents arrived in El Monte around 1849-1850 mostly from Texas, Arkansas and Missouri, during a time when thousands migrated to California in search of gold. In the early days it had a reputation as a rough town where men often settled disputes with guns in its gambling saloons. In 1858, El Monte was established a stage stop on the Overland Mail route on the route between Los Angeles and Bakersfield. The El Monte Rangers were formed in 1854 to provide justice for Los Angeles in the form of a bandit hunt for the bandit gang of Juan Flores, Juan Pancho Flores, and Juan Joaquin Murrieta. The town was named after the town of El Monte, Mexico, which was once part of the Mexican territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo México. El Monte's slogan is "Welcome to Friendly El Monte" and is historically known as "The End of the Santa Fe Trail" The city is approximately 7 miles long and 4 miles wide. It is situated between the SanGabriel and Rio Hondo Rivers.

Origin of name

El Monte is the primary city name, but also City Industry, City Of Industry are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is City of El Monte. El Monte is situated between the San Gabriel and Rio Hondo Rivers. The word is an archaic Spanish translation of that era, meaning "the wood" The first explorers had found this a rich, low-altitude land blanketed with thick growths of wispy willows, alders, and cattails, located between the two rivers. When the State Legislature organized California into more manageable designated townships in the 1850s, they called it the El Monte Township. In a short time the name returned to the original El Monte. El Monte is approximately 7 miles long and 4 miles wide. It is located near the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, which is now located at the base of the San Fernando Mountains. The name El Monte means 'the mountain' or 'the mount' in Spanish. Most people assume the name refers to a mountain, but there were no mountains in the valley. It was a marshy area with wild grapevines and watercress also abounded. The area is now a popular hiking and camping destination. It has been home to the San Francisco Giants, the California Golden Gate Bridge, and the Los Angeles Dodgers since the 1960s. It also has been the home of the California Angels, the San Diego Padres, and other sports teams. The city of Los Angeles is located in the foothills of the Sierra foothills. The town of L.A. is in the northern part of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and was once known as the "City of Laredo".

History

The Old Spanish Trail trade route was first established by Antonio Armijo in 1829. Immigrant settlement began in 1848, El Monte was a stopping place for the American immigrants going to the gold fields during the California Gold Rush. In the early days, it had a reputation as a rough town where men often settled disputes with knives and guns in its gambling saloons. Defense against Indian raids and the crimes of bandit gangs, such as that of Joaquin Murrieta, led to the formation of a local militia company called the Monte Rangers in February 1854. In 1861 El Monte had become a sizeable settlement, and during the American Civil War was considered a Confederate stronghold sympathetic to the secession of Southern California from California to support the Confederate States of America. A. J. King an Undersheriff of Los Angeles County with other influential men in El Monte, formed a secessionist militia company, like the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles. The town in 1862 was established to suppress any rebellion, but it shut down three years later at the end of the war. El Monte today includes the cities of Monterey Park and La Puente, among others. The 1870 census added the former township of Azusa in the former Azusa township to the former local township of El Monte. This area includes the townships of La Merced, Monterey, and El Monte in the present-day San Francisco Bay Area. The area was once part of the homeland of the Tongva people as it has been for thousands of years.

Geography

El Monte is located at 34°424N 118°139W (34.073276, -118.027491). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.6 square miles (25 km²) of which 0.1 square miles of it is water. El Monte has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa). The city is located in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. It has a population of about 2,000. It is located on the banks of the San Joaquin River, which flows into the San Diego River. The city has an elevation of 34.4 feet (11.7 meters) and is located near the city's central business district. It was founded in the early 1900s. The town is known as "El Monte" in Spanish and as "Monte" in English, which means "hill" or "mountain" in the Spanish language. The name is derived from the Spanish word "monte" (meaning "hill") and means "to climb" or to climb a hill or hilltop. It also means "monk" in Italian. The community has a history of being called "Monk" and "Monzo" in both Spanish and English. It became a city in the mid-19th century and is named after the town of Montezuma, a town in the state of Piedmont, California. In the early 20th century, the town was known as the "Monzon" (pronounced "mon-zoom").

Demographics

The population has increased by more than 40% since the 1970s, with homes replacing the walnut groves for which the city was known. There is historically a large Mexican and Latino community in El Monte. The 2010 United States Census reported that El Monte had a population of 113,475. The racial makeup of El Monte was 44,058 (38.8%) White (4.9% Non-Hispanic White), 870 (0.8) African American, 1,083 (1.0%) Native American, 28,503 (25.1%) Asian (13.5% Chinese, 7.4% Vietnamese, 1.2% Filipino, 0.4%) Burmese. The population was spread out, with 32,234 people under the age of 18, 12,814 people aged 18 to 24, 33,263 people (29.3%) aged 25 to 44, 24,567 people (21.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 10,597 people (9.3) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. The city had a median household income of $39,535, with 24.3% of the population living below the federal poverty line. There were 29,069 housing units at an average density of 3,013.0 per square mile (1,163.3/km²), of which 11,740 (42.2%) were owner-occupied, and 16,074 (8%) were occupied by renters.

Government

The El Monte City Council has seven members. The Mayor and City Council are elected by the voters of El Monte. The City Manager is Alma Martinez. El Monte is in the California's 32nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Grace Napolitano. In the California State Assembly, it is split between the 48th Assembly District, and the 49th Assembly district. The city is in California's 22nd Senate District,represented by Democrat Susan Rubio. The mayor and city council are responsible for overseeing the delivery of local government services to the residents of the city. It is located in the Central Coast region of California, near Bakersfield and San Diego. It has a population of about 3,000 people, mostly residents of Central and South Los Angeles County. It was founded in 1883. The current mayor is  Ronald Martinez, who was elected in 1988. The council is made up of seven members, with the mayor and six council members elected by districts. It also has a City Manager, Alma Martinez, and a City Council President, Ronnie Martinez, whose term expires in 2018. The City Manager is elected for a four-year term, and his term is up in 2019. The City Council president is also the City Manager for a two-year period, from 2010 to 2014. The State Assembly is represented by Democrats Blanca Rubio and Mike Fong. The U.S. House of Representatives is represented by Democrats GraceNapolitano and Julian Zelizer.

Public safety

The El Monte Police Department consists of 117 sworn police officers. The current Chief of Police is Jake Fisher. The City of El Monte Neighborhood Services Division provides enforcement of health and safety, municipal codes, zoning and building codes. The Animal Control Division is also part of the Neighborhood Services division. Animal Control Officers respond to all calls related to animals. The El Monte Fire Department contracts with the Los Angeles County Fire Department for fire services and emergency medical response. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details. For support in the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255 or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. For help in the UK, contact the Samaritan’s helpline on 0300 123 90 90, or click here for information on how to get in touch with Samaritans.

Economy

According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Cathay Bank. Cathay Bank has a corporate center in El Monte. The city is home to the California State Fair, which runs through the end of the year. The fair is held in downtown El Monte on the last Saturday of each month. The first day of the fair is October 1, and the last day is October 31. The Fair runs through October 31, with the final day being October 30, the last Monday of the month of October. The El Monte Fair runs from October 1 to October 30. The last day of October is November 1, the first Monday of November 2, the second week of November 3, the third week of October 4, the fourth week of January 5, the fifth week of February 6, the sixth week of the seventh month of January 7, the seventh week of September 7, and finally the eighth week of March. The annual fair runs from November 1 to November 7. The final day is November 8, the day before the last week of December 7, when the city holds its annual state fair. The event is free and open to the public. It is also open to non-residents of El Monte, California, and to the state of California.

Education

The El Monte City School District contains 17 elementary schools. The district also administers four Head Start (preschool) sites. The Mountain View School District is a K-8 school district comprising ten elementary schools, one intermediate school, one middle school, an alternative education program for students in grades 58, and a Children's Center and Head Start/ State Preschool program. The school district has an enrollment of 8,600 students. The El Monte Union High School District consists of the following schools:Arroyo High School, South El Monte High, Mountain View High, Rosemead Adult School, and Monte Vista Elementary School. The District has a total enrollment of 9,000 students. It is the largest school district in the state with more than half of its students in elementary and high school grades K-4, K-5, and K-6. It also has a middle school and an intermediate school. It has a high school with about 6,500 students in grade 7-8, and an adult school with around 2,000. It was founded in 1883. The city is located on the former site of the Valle Lindo Continuation School, now known as the El Monte-Rosemead High School. Its name was changed to El Monte in the 1950s. The current El Monte School District was formed in the 1970s. It consists of 17 schools, including two high schools, two middle schools, and four elementary and one high school. The town has a population of about 8,500.

Transportation

El Monte is served by Metro, Foothill Transit, and the city-operated El Monte Transit. Train service to El Monte is provided by Metrolink's San Bernardino Line, which stops at the El Monte station. San Gabriel Valley Airport, a general aviation airport, is located in El Monte. Interstate 10 traverses El Monte and runs through the city. The city is home to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The El Monte Police Department is based in the city and serves the city of El Monte as well as surrounding areas. El Monte has a population of 4,000. The town is located on the San Gabriel River, which flows through the center of the city to the San Fernando Valley. The San Fernando River runs through El Monte, which is located near the city's central business district. It also runs through a portion of the town to the town of San Fernando, where it connects to the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Santa Ana River. The Santa Monica Mountains, which run through the town, are also a part of the San Francisco Bay Area, and are known as the Santa Monica Peaks. The Los Angeles River runs from El Monte to Santa Monica, where the city meets the San Diego River. It is also the site of the Santa Clara River Valley, which runs from San Diego to San Diego. The City of Santa Monica is the home of the California Air National Guard, which has a base at El Monte Airport. The U.S. Air Force operates a base in the town and has an airfield at San Bernardino.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in El Monte, Los Angeles County, California = 1. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 52. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in El Monte = 6.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 15,817 individuals with a median age of 29.9 age the population grows by 8.56% in El Monte, Los Angeles County, California population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 11,341.97 residents per square mile of area (4,379.75/km²). There are average 4.34 people per household in the 28,698 households with an average household income of $41,751 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 15.50% of the available work force and has dropped -6.24% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 12.02%. The number of physicians in El Monte per 100,000 population = 213.2.

Weather

The annual rainfall in El Monte = 17.4 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 34. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 282. 89 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 41.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 46, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in El Monte, Los Angeles County, California which are owned by the occupant = 39.77%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 43 years with median home cost = $292,940 and home appreciation of -15.79%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $7.73 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,280 per student. There are 21.9 students for each teacher in the school, 6052 students for each Librarian and 1261 students for each Counselor. 3.98% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 5.13% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 2.02% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).