Category:Los Angeles County

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Los Angeles County is a large region in Southern California roughly the same size as Rhode Island. Overwhelmed by the city of Los Angeles, which spreads its tentacles throughout the county, there are many other cities in this area.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 5 Talk 6 Get in 6.1 By air 6.2 By car 6.3 By train 6.4 By sea 7 Get around 8 See 9 Do 10 Eat 11 Drink 12 Stay safe 13 Get out

[edit] Regions

The county spreads over thousands of square miles. Angelenos usually divide up the county into several regions to keep them straight.

• Los Angeles -- the city itself
• Antelope Valley
• Gateway Cities
• San Fernando Valley
• San Gabriel Valley
• Santa Clarita Valley
• South Bay
• West Side

[edit] Cities

There are 88 cities in Los Angeles County. Below are some of the more famous:

• Beverly Hills - Home to many of the entertainment industry's rich and famous, as well as some amazing high-end shopping.
• Hollywood - While technically a part of the city of Los Angeles, Hollywood is nevertheless one of the world's most famous destinations.
• Long Beach - Located in the southern part of the county, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, the Long Beach airport, and other common tourist stops.
• Los Angeles - The City of Angels offers food and entertainment options that are among the best in the world.
• Santa Monica - Famous for its pier, Santa Monica is a beach town popular with visitors.
• Venice - Another famous beach town, the infamous Muscle Beach is the place to go when a 300 pound bench press is merely a warm-up.

[edit] Other destinations

• Angeles National Forest - +1 626 574-5200 Fax: +1 626 574-5233. Spanning most of the county from east to west, Angeles National Forest offers camping, fishing, hiking and skiing. Driving through the forest is free but if you plan on parking, an Adventure Pass is required except for the last Saturday of each month. Daily Pass: $5.00, Annual Pass: $30.00.
• Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area - 24-hour recorded message: +1 805 370-2300, Visitor Information: +1 805 370-2301 Fax: +1 805 370-1850. The Santa Monica Mountains NRA is made up of several smaller units ranging from an old movie studio lot to wilderness areas and is administered by the National Park Service.

[edit] Understand

Los Angeles is in the Pacific Time Zone and practices Daylight Savings Time.

For emergencies in Los Angeles County, dial 911 toll-free from any phone including payphones. Note that dialing 911 from a cell-phone will place you in contact with the California Highway Patrol.

[edit] Talk

English and Spanish are the two most common languages spoken in Los Angeles County. Most government agencies and many businesses will have someone available who speaks Spanish. Because of the ethnic diversity of Los Angeles, there are many neighborhoods where other languages are dominant, mostly from Asian countries.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By air

• Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX) - 1 World Way, Los Angeles, +1 310 646-5252. LAX is on of the major ports of entry for international flights into the United States as well as a major destination for domestic flights so it can be quite busy, especially around holidays. Most of the major airlines as well as some smaller regional airlines fly into LAX. All of the major rental car agencies have a location near the airport with hundreds of cars available for rent.
• Bob Hope Airport (IATA: BUR) - 2627 Hollywood Way, Burbank, +1 818 840-8840. Alaska, America West, American, Delta Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest and United Airlines fly into this airport located north-east of Downtown.
• Long Beach Airport (IATA: LGB) - 4100 Donald Douglas Dr., Long Beach, +1 562 570-2678, Fax: +1 562 570-2603 e-mail:lgbarpt@longbeach.gov. Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, America West Airlines and JetBlue Airways fly into this airport located in southern Los Angeles County.

Airports near Los Angeles County

• Ontario International Airport (IATA: ONT) - 1940 East Moore Way, Ontario, +1 909 937-2700. Located 37 miles (59 km) from of Downtown Los Angeles, Ontario is about a 40 minute drive east of Downtown.
• John Wayne Airport (IATA: SNA) - 18601 Airport Way, Santa Ana, +1 949 252-5200. Located 40 miles (64 km) from Downtown Los Angeles, John Wayne Airport is a 45 minute drive south-east of Downtown.

[edit] By car

Several major highways come into Los Angeles County.

• From the north: Interstate 5 and U.S. Highway 101
• From the east: Interstates 10 and 15
• From the south: Interstates 5 and 405

[edit] By train

• Amtrak - Toll free: +1 800 872-7245
  • The Pacific Surfliner runs from San Diego to San Louis Obispo. It has three stops in Los Angeles County: Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles, Glendale and Burbank.
  • San Joaquin runs from Bakersfield to Oakland and Sacramento with Amtrak Thruway bus connections to Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles.
• Metrolink - Toll free: +1 800 371-5465. Metrolink trains connect surrounding counties with Los Angeles County with most lines having a terminus at Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles. Each line has several stops in Los Angeles County in addition to stops in their originating counties.

[edit] By sea

• Long Beach has a Carnival Cruise Lines terminal. 231 Windsor Way, Long Beach, +1 562 901-3232.
• San Pedro has a cruise ship terminal that all of the major cruise ship lines (except Carnival) sail from. Berth 90-93, San Pedro, +1 310 514-4049. Fax: +1 310 514-4057.

[edit] Get around

Los Angeles County has an extensive freeway system that criss-crosses the county. The freeway system is a mixed blessing allowing access to most areas at the same time being very confusing for the uninitiated, especially during rush hour. Driving is a central and extremely frustrating part of life in Los Angeles. See driving in Los Angeles County for some basic information.

• Los Angeles County Metro Transit Authority (MTA) - Toll free: +1 800 266-6883. MTA has a network of bus lines that span the county and a few lines that extend into neighboring counties. MTA also runs four rail lines:
  • Blue Line - From Long Beach to Downtown Los Angeles
  • Green Line - From Norwalk to Redondo Beach
  • Red Line - From Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley
  • Gold Line - From Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena
• Foothill Transit - +1 800 743-3463 Servicing the San Gabriel Valley with some lines extending into Downtown Los Angeles.

Several Los Angeles County cities also have their own bus lines.

[edit] See

[edit] Do

[edit] Eat

[edit] Drink

[edit] Stay safe

For all emergencies in Los Angeles County, dial 911.

There are some areas in Los Angeles County that are considered to be less safe than others. Parts of Los Angeles, like South Los Angeles, Harbor Gateway, Wilmington, and other cities like Compton and Inglewood aren't considered very safe. While one can generally travel safely in these areas, travellers should be wary, especially of gang activity and try to avoid the area after dark.

The area east of Downtown L.A., aka East L.A., also has a higher crime rate than other areas and has gang problems as well.

[edit] Get out

• Disneyland - in Anaheim, not too far from the border of Los Angeles County.
• Palm Springs - Desert playground of the rich and famous.
• Joshua Tree National Park - Two different deserts meet in this park, which is filled with a vast array of rock formations and desert plant life, especially in the spring or after rainfall when the desert flowers are in bloom.
• Santa Barbara - A quiet sea-side resort town 1 1/2 hours north of Los Angeles.
• San Diego - A sunny oceanfront city with many attractions such as Sea World, the San Diego Zoo and the museums of Balboa Park.