San Pedro, California

San Pedro is a community within the City of Loa Angeles. San Pedro is about 25 miles south of downtown Los Angeles and about 18 miles from Los Angeles International Airport. San Pedro is known for its small town feel. In fact, at one time San Pedro was a separate, small, incorporated city. Today, San Pedro has approximately 80,000 residents and a land area of around 12 square miles. The City of Los Angeles annexed the city of San Pedro on August 28, 1909.

San Pedro is the industrial and residential eastern edge of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. To the west of the ports, rail stations, and trucking zones that comprise much of San Pedro are the mainly residential communities of Rolling Hills and Rancho Palos Verdes. Sizable open space and nature preserves are also found in the hilly terrain west of San Pedro. North of San Pedro is the City of Los Angeles community of Harbor City and the City of Lomita.

As of the year 2018, San Pedro supported over 25,000 jobs within the community. Logistics is a large employment sector in San Pedro along with healthcare, and the tourism, hospitality, and recreation industries.

The most prominent aspect of San Pedro’s economy is the harbor along its eastern flank—Port of Los Angeles. Port of Los Angeles and the adjoining Port of Long Beach (a separate entity and department of the City of Long Beach) occupy a harbor created by a series of rock breakwaters. It is the second largest breakwater created harbor in the world behind Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Port of Los Angeles is the busiest port in the United States. Port of Los Angeles occupies 7,500 acres of land and water along its 43 miles of waterfront, The port offers both passenger and cargo terminals. In June 2021, Port of Los Angeles became the first port in the Western Hemisphere to process 10 million container units in a 12‑month period. The port is a main entry point for cargo from China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. An army of workers operates cranes, forklifts, trucks, and other equipment as part of the process of organizing cargo containers and loading them onto big rigs to be transported inland for final processing and distribution, often as part of the rush-delivery economy. To manage such a massive inflow and outflow of material, a sophisticated, high-tech logistical network is required. Each container must be clearly identified by universally recognizable means as to its point of origin, destination, and contents, to prevent errors that disrupt the flow of commerce.

The Port of Los Angeles, also known as the Los Angeles Harbor Department, is a department of the City of Los Angeles governed by the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners. The Mayor of Los Angeles appoints the panel. Approximately one in nine jobs in the greater Los Angeles region is connected to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The Port of Los Angeles is the homeport of several cruise lines, Over 200 cruises are scheduled to depart from the Port of Los Angeles in 2023.

The approximately 400-acre LA Waterfront is home to attractions, historical sites, and over 100 annual events in a typical year. LA Waterfront features 15 marinas and over 3,700 recreational vessel slips and dry docks. The development attracts over 2 million visitors annually. The LA Waterfront has been designated as the official waterfront of the City of Los Angeles since 2005. The Los Angeles Port Police force is responsible for patrol and surveillance of the Port of Los Angeles and neighboring LA Waterfront communities. Many of the attractions listed below are found along the LA Waterfront.

Battleship IOWA Museum is a naval history museum. 887 feet long, Battleship IOWA is the only battleship open to the public on the West Coast.

S.S. Lane Victory is a 10,000 ton, World War II era cargo ship that is open to the public for self-guided tours. California Shipbuilding Corporation built the S.S. Lane Victory on nearby Terminal Island, one of 467 vessels produced at that location during World War II.

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is a Frank Gehry-designed aquarium featuring extensive use of chain-link. The museum houses the largest collection of Southern California marine life in the world. The institution was established in 1935 as the Cabrillo Marine Museum. The Susanne Lawrenz-Miller Exhibit Hall showcases three major aquatic environments: Rocky Shores (which features a touch tank with prickly urchins and sea stars), Sand and Mud, and Open Ocean Ecosystems.

Los Angeles Maritime Museum is devoted to the history of the Port of Los Angeles. The museum’s tugboat provides educational tours, and the museum building features exhibits, a ham radio station, and a research library.

American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial was commissioned by a group of local seamen to honor merchant marine veterans from all wars. At the height of World War II, 215,000 merchant mariners contributed to the war effort. According to official statistics, the causality rate for civilian merchant seamen during World War II was 1:32, the highest casualty rate of any service.

Angel's Gate Recreation Center is a 64-acre park with spectacular views of Santa Catalina Island and the coastline.

Averill Park features a gentle waterfall, a meandering stream, ponds, lawns, and a gazebo on a hilltop setting.

Deane Dana Friendship Natural Area covers 123 acres and offers hiking trails and a 4,000 square foot Nature Center.

Fort MacArthur Military Museum is devoted to the history of Fort MacArthur, a United States Army post that guarded Los Angeles harbor from 1914 to 1974. The Museum is housed in the Battery Osgood-Farley, constructed during the years 1916 to 1919.

Korean Bell of Friendship is a massive, intricately decorated bell and Pagoda-like pavilion donated by the people of the Republic of Korea to the people of Los Angeles in 1976 to celebrate America’s bicentennial and the friendship between the two countries. Korean Bell of Friendship is set on a knoll with excellent views of Los Angeles harbor, the Pacific Ocean, and San Pedro hill.

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