The City of Industry is a city in the San Gabriel Valley in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is almost entirely industrial, containing over 3,000 businesses employing 67,000 people, with only 264 residents as of the 2020 census, making it the third least populous city in the state. It was incorporated on June 18, 1957, and has become the economic hub for the San Gabriel Valley.
History
thumb|left|The City of Industry sits on land that was originally part of [[Rancho La Puente, a Mexican era rancho grant.]]
In 1841, William and Nicolasa Workman, who emigrated from Mexico with John Rowland and others, received a land grant for Rancho La Puente from the governor of Alta California, Juan Bautista Alvarado. The ranch eventually grew to almost 49,000 acres. The Workmans quickly established themselves as cattle ranchers and did well financially during the Gold Rush, supplying fresh beef to the gold fields. Following the discovery of oil by their son on land they owned in the Montebello hills, the Workmans' grandson, Walter P. Temple, and his wife, Laura, bought the Workman House and surrounding land in 1917. This property is now known as the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum and is a museum and heritage site in present-day City of Industry that is free and open to the public. In the 1910s, Tract 1343 was created and shows a large portion of 2017's City boundaries.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, both the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific Railroad were built through the San Jose Creek valley in what is now Industry. The Union Pacific would establish a major railyard at the Marne siding in what is now Industry. Valley Boulevard, a major artery connecting Los Angeles with points east, was also laid through what would become the City of Industry. The presence of the railroads and Valley Boulevard would lead to the development of warehouses that became a large part of Industry's economy.
The City of Industry was incorporated as a charter city on June 18, 1957. A little under fifteen years from its incorporation, the City of Industry created a general plan to guide its future development. The 1971 document remains in effect as of 2020, nearly a half century later. The plan was overseen by planning consultants Gruen Associates, a firm established in 1950 by Austrian-born Victor Gruen, an architect and urban planner.
The city's first mayor, John Ferrero (1912–1996), was elected to the City Council at Industry's incorporation, and served in such capacity for 39 years, becoming the longest serving mayor in California.
The City of Industry was named for the goals and objectives section of the general plan which identified the primary goal of the city as "creating and maintaining an ideal setting for manufacturing, distribution and industrial facilities." and in 1974, the Workman House became a historical landmark.
In 1979/1980 a former landfill near Azusa Avenue was converted into the Industry Hills Golf Club, including a hotel and the Eisenhower golf course.
In 1981, the Industry Hills Expo Center opened as a community multi-purpose event facility.
In 1985, the inaugural Charity Pro Rodeo took place, to raise funds for youth in the San Gabriel Valley. The Rodeo still takes place annually. In 1991, in partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the Youth Activities League was formed to offer sports to at-risk children as an alternative to gang activity.
In recognition of the importance of mass transit, the city invested heavily in the development of a Metrolink transit station near the confluence of the 60 and 57 freeways and in 1993, the City of Industry Metrolink Station opened. In 2004, the Environmental Impact Report and Design for the 57/60 Confluence Project was completed. The three-phased program of improvements consists of ramp and interchange reconfigurations as well as the addition of bypass lanes to reduce weaving, resulting in less congestion for the sixth-worst congested and dangerous freeway interchange in the nation.
thumb|right|Street view in the City of Industry
In the late 2000s, Edward P. Roski, part-owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings, announced plans for a new NFL stadium in the City of Industry. The intended purpose was to attract a team to the Los Angeles region which was without any NFL team at the time. Roski, who built the Staples Center, stated that the new 75,000-seat stadium, a part of a 600-acre entertainment and retail project, would all be privately financed and be the centerpiece of a new entertainment complex in the City of Industry. In June 2008, reports surfaced that the City of Industry could become the home of the San Francisco 49ers or the Oakland Raiders as early as 2010 when both teams' stadium leases expired, or could become home to another team. The project was cleared to begin construction, though it kept waiting on the negotiations of the NFL's commitment to move a team (or possibility two) to Los Angeles. The NFL eventually returned to the LA area, with the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers moving into SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
City of Industry will host the mountain bike competition at the 2028 Summer Olympics, with the competition taking place adjacent to the Pacific Palms Resort.
Geography
The City of Industry is located east of Los Angeles. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which of it is land and of it (2.32%) is water.
Surrounding areas
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: West Puente Valley / La Puente / Valinda / South San Jose Hills / West Covina / Walnut
: El Monte / Baldwin Park 20px 30px 20px Pomona
: South El Monte / Avocado Heights 30px 30px Diamond Bar
: Pico Rivera / Rose Hills20px 30px 20px Diamond Bar
: Hacienda Heights / Rowland Heights
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