About Los Angeles
Home of the stars and a diverse population of 4 million other inhabitants, Los Angeles has world-class meeting facilities, warm weather year-round and entertainment galore. Now the second largest city in the nation, L.A. or the "City of Angels" began as a Spanish pueblo in 1781 with 44 settlers and was ceded to the U.S. in 1848. The lat
e 1800s brought the arrival of the railroad and an oil boom which resulted in the population swelling to 100,000 people by 1900. The 1920s brought the aviation and motion picture industries to L.A., still prevalent in the economy today.
Los Angeles spans a widely diverse geographic area. Primarily a desert basin, the area is surrounded by the San Gabriel Mountain Range, and divided by the Santa Monica Mountains. Los Angeles County has 75 miles of coastline and altitudes ranging from nine feet below sea level (at Wilmington) to 10,080 above sea level atop Mt. San Antonio. Area rivers include the Los Angeles, Rio Hondo and San Gabriel rivers. The county of Los Angeles includes two islands: San Clemente and Santa Catalina.
With the two largest ocean ports in the U.S., L.A.'s west coast location has brought many immigrants to the city from all over the world. L.A.'s inhabitants speak over 96 different languages and are from 140 countries. As of the 2006 census, L.A. is a minority-majority city and has many ethnic neighborhoods including Thai Town, Little Persia, Little Ethiopia, and Little Tokyo.
Looking for something to do? The entertainment is as diverse as the people in this eclectic city. See a live TV taping, rollerblade along Venice Boardwalk, shop on high-style Rodeo Drive, dance at a cutting-edge nightclub in Silver Lake, or visit one of the 300-plus museums-it's all part of the L.A. experience. Visit a bygone era at historical Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre or at the last existing wooden lighthouse in San Pedro, California. In addition, the largest historical theatre district on the National Register of Historic Places is located Downtown on Broadway.
Why Los Angeles?
There were 25 million visitors to L.A. county in 2006, spending $13 billion dollars. L.A. is the perfect environment for year-round gatherings. Having hosted the Summer Olympics twice, L.A. has numerous facilities to fit large events. The Los Angeles Convention Center and STAPLES Center are adjacent to what will soon be L.A. LIVE: a $4.2 billion, 5.6 million-square-foot sports and entertainment venue being built in downtown L.A. Exciting additions with L.A. LIVE include NOKIA Plaza, a 40,000-square foot open-air plaza; the 1,001-room hotel combining the Ritz-Carlton Residences and J.W. Marriott brands, 235,000 square feet of hospitality area, and the NOKIA Theatre, seating 7,100. The complex is set to launch in November of 2007.
Should you wish to hold your event in a hotel, you can choose from one of Los Angeles' more than 92,000 hotel rooms ranging from hostels to luxurious five-star resorts, with a diverse selection of amenities to meet individual needs and budgets. There are more than 6,500 hotel rooms in approximately 20 hotels in Downtown Los Angeles alone, with another 1,200+ slated to open in the next three years.
Known the world over as an entertainment nexus, L.A. is the corporate headquarters for Twentieth Century Fox, The Jim Henson Company, and Paramount Pictures. L.A. county has the Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Dreamworks. Besides entertainment, L.A. county's other leading industries include international and wholesale trade, tourism, aerospace technology and health sciences. With over 134,000 fashion industry jobs, the L.A. five-county area has surpassed New York
New York Skyline, New York City's fashion district workforce. The metro area also has more than 361,000 people at work in aerospace/technology and 211,000 people at work in health sciences/biomedical activities.
Key Los Angeles Metro Area Facts
Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Convention Center: Los Angeles Convention Center
Airports:
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT)
Long Beach Airport (LGB)
| Population | 4,000,000 | Destination Type Listings |
| Hotels | 948 | • Golf Destinations |
| Hotel Rooms | 92,000 | • Ski Destinations |
| Unique Venues | 70 | • Beach Destinations |
| Restaurants | 5,934 | • Smoke Free Restaurants |
Los Angeles Climate Information
With approximately 325 days of sunshine a year, it's hard to find a bad time to come to L.A. The winters in L.A. tend to be mild and wet but rarely snowy, with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s. Summer brings highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s.
February is the wettest month and August is the driest, hottest month. Smog has been an issue in the city, but in recent years local government has cracked down on smog-causing pollutants, resulting in the best air the city has had for 20 years. If you have trouble with the smog, head to the beach, where ocean breezes provide relief from the smog and result in about 5 degrees cooler temperatures year-round. This cooling effect is caused by the marine layer, a cloud cover which moves inland in May and June, and is called "June Gloom."
July and August are some of the best months to come to enjoy the beach. If you are coming in November through April, be sure to bring a warm jacket and an umbrella, as thunderstorms can come unexpectedly. September and October are your best bets for enjoying all that the city has to offer, when clear, sunny days and little fog are the norm.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High -°F | 90 | 92 | 93 | 96 | 99 | 104 | 103 | 102 | 110 | 104 | 96 | 92 |
| Avg High -°F | 65 | 66 | 68 | 70 | 73 | 76 | 82 | 82 | 81 | 77 | 73 | 68 |
| Avg Low -°F | 48 | 49 | 50 | 53 | 56 | 58 | 62 | 63 | 61 | 58 | 53 | 50 |
| Rec Low -°F | 28 | 34 | 38 | 41 | 43 | 50 | 54 | 51 | 50 | 46 | 40 | 24 |
| Rainfall - in. | 2.7 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | -- | -- | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 2.5 |
