Monterey Park

Monterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, located about seven miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the western San Gabriel Valley. The community covers roughly eight square miles and mixes residential neighborhoods with commercial streets and small parks.

The city was founded in 1916 after residents protested against the construction of a sewage treatment plant. The name comes from a map showing oak-covered hills from before the incorporation.

Monterey Park became the first continental United States city with a majority Asian descent population in 1990, following substantial immigration from Taiwan and China.

The city sits along several major roads that connect it to downtown Los Angeles and other communities in the San Gabriel Valley. Many shops and restaurants line Atlantic Boulevard and Garvey Avenue.

In 1983, Lily Lee Chen was elected as the first Chinese American woman mayor of a city in the United States. She led the local government during a period of strong demographic change.

Location: Los Angeles County

Elevation above the sea: 117 m

Shares border with: Alhambra, Los Angeles, Montebello, San Gabriel, Rosemead

Website: http://ci.monterey-park.ca.us

GPS coordinates: 34.04917,-118.13556

Latest update: December 13, 2025 16:58