Commerce, California

The City of Commerce, California was incorporated in 1960 and has a population of over 12,000. The City of Commerce identifies itself as "The Model City." Commerce has a land aera of about 6.5 square miles. Commerce is located approximately 6 miles southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. Unincorporated East Los Angeles borders Commerce on the north; the cities of Vernon, Maywood, and Bell on the west; the cities of Bell Gardens and Downey on the south, and the city of Montebello on the east. The cities of Montebello, Downey, and Los Angeles had purportedly shown interest in annexing the land comprising present-day Commerce. This helped provide the impetus for the citizen-led drive for the incorporation of Commerce in the late 1950s. Bougainvillea is the Official City Flower. Aguascalientes, Mexico is the sister city of Commerce.

The City's mainly residential areas include Bandini-Rosini and Rosewood. Through traffic for trucks is generally prohibited in residential neighborhoods. More than 50% of the City's housing was built prior to incorporation in 1960. Many homes were built in the 1950s. In addition, over 500 homes were constructed within the Rosewood neighborhood during the 1940s.

Approximately 1,800 businesses are located in Commerce. There are approximately 60,000 jobs in the City of Commerce.

Major employers include the County of Los Angeles, Parsec, Smart & Final, and Mission Foods.

More than 70% of the City's total land area is devoted to industrial and commercial uses. Commerce is part of an important industrial area that includes parts of the city of Los Angeles as well as the city of Vernon and neighboring municipalities.

Union Pacific rail lines and railyards (Los Angeles Intermodal Terminal) are found in the City of Commerce. These remain a hub of activity due in part to the increase in international trade in recent decades. Large amounts of goods pass through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and are shipped by rail to nearby destinations, including the City of Commerce. The Santa Ana Freeway, which was completed in 1952, traverses the city in a west-to-east orientation. The Long Beach Freeway, which was completed in 1956, also passes through Commerce. Easy freeway access for commercial vehicles has enabled Commerce to attract and retain large industrial and commercial businesses.

Metro (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority) is considering the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 project, which would extend the Metro L Line (Gold) light rail project into the City Commerce, providing access to Los Angeles County's increasingly extensive urban rail transportation system.

The Citidel Outlets opened in the early 1990s on the site of the Samson (later Uniroyal) Tire Company plant. The shopping center retains some of the architecture of the plant, which was built in 1929. The remaining fortress-like walls with Assyrian motifs are an impressive sight. The structure is unlike any other in the greater Los Angeles area. Its physical features include large pillars, notches along the upper walls, and large ornamental wall carvings. Several massive LED screens flashing large-lettered promotional messages can be seen from the adjacent Santa Ana Freeway.

Established in 1983, the Commerce Casino & Hotel is the largest employer in Commerce, and is responsible for the creation of about 2,700 jobs. The Casino is a cardroom with over 240 tables and is reportedly the largest cardroom in the world. The hotel features over 200 guestrooms and suites.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a rail line through the area in 1887, paving the way for the industrial development that would follow in succeeding decades.

One of the first industrial concerns in what is now the City of Commerce was the Simons Brickyard, located in the northeast portion of the area. Simons Brickyard began operating in 1905 and was touted as one of the largest brick manufacturing plants in the United States. At its peak, the brickyard covered about 350 acres. The company town on the site, with over 3,000 residents, had its own church, post office, elementary school, sheriff, and company store.

The Union Pacific Railroad Company opened the East Los Angeles Station (located in what is now Commerce) in 1929. Gilbert Stanley Underwood, architect of the world-famous Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park and other National Park lodges, designed the East Los Angeles Station in the Spanish Revival-style. It was an attractive area landmark for many decades.

The Bandini and East Los Angeles oil fields were located in the area.

Present-day Commerce and its environs were once the home to three airfields: Vail Field, Telegraph/Atlantic Airport, and Los Angeles Eastside Airport.

Chrysler Los Angeles assembly plant opened in what is now the City of Commerce in 1932. During World War II, aircraft engines and cabin tops were manufactured at the plant. At one point, the plant had around 2,100 employees and covered 86 acres. In the post-World War II era Southern California was the second largest automobile manufacturing region in the nation. Ford also had an assembly plant in what is now the City of Commerce.

The Gage Drive-in theatre opened in what is now the City of Commerce in 1949. It had a capacity of 900 automobiles and occupied 15 acres. The theatre closed in 1977.

Commerce is a general law city with a council manager form of government.

The County of Los Angeles provides fire and law enforcement services for the City of Commerce. The MTA, Montebello Transit, and the City of Commerce Municipal Bus Lines system (the Los Angeles area's only free transit system) provide bus service within the City of Commerce.

Commerce has four neighborhood parks (Rosewood Park, Bristow Park, Bandini Park, and Veterans Memorial Park), and six community centers. Nearly every residential neighborhood in Commerce is within walking distance of a park. Each residential neighborhood in Commerce is served by a library. The City also operates a camp in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Our office helps those who have experienced sexual harassment at work, or discrimination on the job due to pregnancy, disability, or race, or have been wrongfully fired. Additionally, our office helps those who are owed wages due to an employer's failure to pay overtime, or who do not receive legally compliant meal or rest breaks. The details of each person's situation are unique, so call the experienced employment attorneys at Kokozian Law Firm, APC. You may also Contact Us via our online form. We advance all costs. No recovery, no fee.