Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the most populous city in California, and the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. With an estimated 3.87 million residents, it is the second-most populous city in the United States. The city has an ethnically and culturally diverse population, and is the principal city of a metropolitan area of 12.9 million people. It is the third-most visited city in the U.S., with over 3.6 million visitors as of 2023. The city was founded in 1781 under Spanish governor Felipe de Neve, on the village of Yaanga.
Typical weather
1981–presentCity Rhythm
measuredOpening hours, by kind of place
median across mapped venuesVital absurdities
measured · the Anti-AwardsSame time system
by rhythmWhat to do each season
2dry-summer
dry and warm-to-hot; openmeteo mean 15.3-24.1 °C (Aug warmest 24.1; valleys considerably hotter); essentially rainless May-Sep (Jul 0.1 mm/day); 'June Gloom' morning overcast; autumn heat waves common in Sep-Oct
- the dry season — the beach coast (Santa Monica, Venice) is the defining affordance; the inland valleys swelter
- the microclimate split widens — coast ~21 °C vs valleys ~35 °C; the June Gloom then the Sep-Oct heat-wave and wildfire-risk window
wet-winter
mild and the rainy season; openmeteo mean 11.7-15.3 °C (Jan coolest 11.7; winter daytime ~20 °C); the wet months (Nov-Mar, Feb wettest 3.1 mm/day); only ~35 rainy days/yr; ENSO variability
- the mild wet winter — the green window; the seasonal rains that break the long dry season
- the most comfortable valley temperatures; the awards-season ('Oscars') winter-spring window
What it is known for
Important moments in a year
1781 Founding
- Los Pobladores founded El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles
- the historic pueblo commemorated at Olvera Street, the oldest part of LA
Academy Awards Season
- the Hollywood awards season — the Academy Awards and the industry's defining annual ritual
On the record
source-trackedLos Angeles has a two-season semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh) with dry summers and mild to warm winters, narrowly missing the boundary of a Mediterranean climate.
Los Angeles has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually.
Autumn months tend to be hot, with major heat waves a common occurrence in September and October, while the spring months tend to be cooler and experience more precipitation.
The average July maximum temperature at the Santa Monica Pier is 70 °F (21 °C) whereas it is 95 °F (35 °C) in Canoga Park, 15 miles away.
The city … is subject to a late spring/early summer weather phenomenon called 'June Gloom' — overcast or foggy skies in the morning.
Los Angeles is often billed as the creative capital of the world because one in every six of its residents works in a creative industry.
Los Angeles's population is 47.2% Hispanic or Latino; people of Mexican ancestry formed the largest national origin group, comprising 31.9% of the city's population.
Texas Transportation Institute's annual Urban Mobility Report ranked Los Angeles area roads the most congested in the United States in 2019, … area residents experiencing a cumulative average of 119 hours waiting in traffic that year.
The Los Angeles Metro runs the second-largest bus network in the United States.
It is the third-most visited city in the U.S. (after New York City and Miami), with over 3.6 million visitors as of 2023.
About 16.5% of Los Angeles residents have total incomes below the federal poverty line.
Los Angeles and its metropolitan area are the home of twelve top-level professional sports teams.
The method behind this atlas — 196 pp. Not published yet.