Claremont () is a suburban city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of Los Angeles. It lies in the San Gabriel Valley at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 34,926, and in 2020 the population was 37,266.
Claremont is home to the seven Claremont Colleges and several other educational institutions and is known for its tree-lined streets with numerous historic buildings. Because of this, it is sometimes referred to as "The City of Trees and Ph.Ds." It was named the best suburb in the West by Sunset Magazine in 2016, which described it as a "small city that blends worldly sophistication with small-town appeal." In 2018, Niche rated Claremont as the 17th-best place to live in the Los Angeles area out of 658 communities it evaluated, based on crime, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities.
The city is primarily residential, with a significant portion of its commercial activity located in "The Village," a popular collection of street-front small stores, boutiques, art galleries, offices, and restaurants adjacent to and west of the Claremont Colleges. The Village was expanded in 2007, adding a controversial multi-use development that includes an indie cinema, a boutique hotel, retail space, offices, and a parking structure on the site of an old citrus packing plant west of Indian Hill Boulevard. Claremont also hosts several large retirement communities.
Claremont has been a winner of the National Arbor Day Association's Tree City USA award for 22 consecutive years. When the city incorporated in 1907, local citizens started what has become the city's tree-planting tradition. Claremont is one of the few remaining places in North America with American elm trees that have not been exposed to Dutch elm disease. The stately trees line Indian Hill Boulevard in the vicinity of the city's Memorial Park.
History
left|thumb|An early twentieth century map showing the city of Claremont and the site of the former [[Tongva village called "Indian Hill" (top right)]]
left|thumb|President [[Theodore Roosevelt speaks at Pomona College in 1903.|alt=See caption]]
Prior to the establishment of the city of Claremont, the area was frequented by the Serrano, Cahuilla, and Tongva for thousands of years. was located at a place called "Indian Hill" by early American settlers. It was likely named after Claremont, New Hampshire. The early history of the city was closely tied to that of Pomona College, which moved there in 1889. In 1902, a town meeting vote established that east–west streets would be numbered and north–south streets named after colleges and universities. The city was incorporated in 1907.
The citrus groves and open space which once dominated the northern portion of the city have been replaced by residential developments of large homes. Claremont is approximately east of downtown Los Angeles.
Climate
Claremont has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa). During the summer, temperatures may get very high, sometimes rising above . In the autumn, Claremont can experience the gusty "Santa Ana Winds", which can bring fire danger to nearby foothill areas. As winter comes along, most of the city's annual rainfall occurs, which is typical around the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Snow is rare in Claremont, but can be viewed in the nearby San Gabriel Mountains in the winter. In the late spring, Claremont can receive many overcast days due to the strong onshore flow from the ocean. This is typically called "May Gray" or "June Gloom" in the region.