Lakewood, California
Lakewood is a city of 79,850 people in Los Angeles County, California, founded in April 16, 1954.
Why visit Lakewood
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 36 parks and trails, 297 places to eat, 12 places to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26 & IMAX, Harkins Cerritos 16, Los Cerritos Ranch House and Puvunga.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; December lows average 47°F.
Weather in Lakewood
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lakewood
Lakewood is a suburban city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 82,496 at the 2020 census. It is bordered by Long Beach on the west, northwest and south, Bellflower on the north, Cerritos on the northeast, Cypress on the east, and Hawaiian Gardens on the southeast. Major thoroughfares include Lakewood (SR 19), Bellflower, and Del Amo Boulevards and Carson and South Streets.
From the Wikipedia article Lakewood, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
California State University, Long Beach
School · 4.5 mi
Public university in Long Beach, California, United States
Museums and landmarks11
Los Cerritos Ranch House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Historic house in California, United States
Puvunga
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Ancient Native American village and burial site in Long Beach, California
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St. Isidore Catholic Church
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Historic church in California
Carolyn Campanga Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum
Museum · 4.4 mi
Art museum in Long Beach, California
Parks, trails and playgrounds36
Liberty Park
Park · 1.3 mi
Has a fitness center. Hours vary by season. Outdoor facilities softball diamond, night lighted Tennis courts (6), night lighted sand...
19211 Studebaker Road, Cerritos
Mo-Fr 10:00-21:30; Mar-Aug Sa-Su 10:00-20:00; Sep-Feb Sa-Su 10:00-18:00
Don Knabe Regional Park
Park · 3.5 mi
Urban park in Cerritos, California
24 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes297
88Keys Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.1 mi
4836 Paramount Boulevard
Mo-Fr 06:00-17:00; Sa 08:00-15:00; Su 08:00-13:00
Cold Stone Creamery
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 2.0 mi
11407 South Street
Mo-Th 12:00-21:00; Fr-Su 12:00-21:30
La Taquería Brand
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.8 mi
4150 McGowen Street, Long Beach
Mo-Fr 08:00-21:00; Sa-Su 08:00-22:00
Moo BBQ
Restaurant · Korean, Barbecue · 2.4 mi
11746 South Street, Artesia
Mo-Th 17:00-22:00; Fr-Su 16:00-23:00
Outback Steakhouse
Restaurant · American, Steak · 0.8 mi
5305 Clark Avenue
Mo-Th,Su 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
The Loft
Restaurant · Hawaiian · 2.3 mi
20157 South Pioneer Boulevard, Cerritos
Mo-Th,Su 11:00-20:30; Fr-Sa 10:45-21:00
285 more on the map.
History
Lakewood is a post-World War II planned community. Developers Louis Boyar, Mark Taper and Ben Weingart are credited with "altering forever the map of Southern California." Begun in late 1949, the completion of the developers' plan in 1953 helped in the transformation of mass-produced housing from its early phases in the 1930s and 1940s to the reality of the postwar 1950s.
WWII veterans were offered home loans with no down payment and a 30-year mortgage at only 4 percent interest. On the first day of sales, March 24, 1950, an estimated 30,000 people lined up to walk through a row of seven model houses. By the end of April, more than 200,000 people had flocked to the Lakewood Park sales office and more than 1,000 families had purchased homes (30 per day on average). On one occasion, 107 homes were sold in just one hour. The monthly cost was $44 to $56, including principal, interest and insurance.
The building of Lakewood broke records. Empty fields became 17,500 houses in less than three years. A new house was completed every 7+1⁄2 minutes, 40 to 60 houses per day, with a record 110 completed in a single day.
From the History section of Lakewood, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay12
Churches and places of worship58
Bellwood Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 2.0 mi
17614 Virginia Avenue, Bellflower
St Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 1.9 mi
5633 Wardlow Street
Shopping56
Gas and EV charging27
Schools, colleges and libraries92
Long Beach City College Liberal Arts Campus
School · 1.5 mi
4901 East Carson Street, Long Beach
Healthcare36
MemorialCare Medical Group - Long Beach (Douglas Park)
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.0 mi
3828 Schaufele Avenue, Long Beach
MemoricalCare Outpatient
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.9 mi
3828 Schaufele Avenue, Long Beach
Brittany House
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.6 mi
5401 East Centralia Street, Long Beach
Map of Lakewood
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67°F | 47°F | 2.9 in |
| Feb | 67°F | 48°F | 3.0 in |
| Mar | 69°F | 51°F | 1.6 in |
| Apr | 71°F | 54°F | 0.6 in |
| May | 73°F | 58°F | 0.3 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 61°F | 0.1 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 65°F | 0.1 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 66°F | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 64°F | 0.1 in |
| Oct | 78°F | 59°F | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 72°F | 52°F | 0.8 in |
| Dec | 67°F | 47°F | 2.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Long Beach Daugherty Fld 72297 (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Los Angeles County has had 67 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2025-08-08: Canyon Fire (Fire)
- 2025-01-08: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds (Fire)
- 2025-01-08: Eaton Fire (Fire)
- 2025-01-08: Hurst Fire (Fire)
- 2025-01-07: Palisades Fire (Fire)
- 2024-12-10: Franklin Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Long Beach Airport (LGB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Bellflower 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Artesia 3 mi northeast, about 4 min by car
- Hawaiian Gardens 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Cerritos 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- Paramount 4 mi northwest, about 7 min by car
- Signal Hill 4 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- Norwalk 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Long Beach 5 mi southwest, about 9 min by car
- La Palma 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Rossmoor 5 mi southeast, about 8 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Lakewood ca city hall, Eric Polk, Public domain
- St. Isidore Catholic Church, Bluesnote, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Casa de los Cerritos, 4600 American Avenue, Long Beach (Los Angeles County, California), Dan Cathcart, photographer, Public domain
- Puvunga Indian Village Sites, Epolk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Yellow Silky Flowers, Demi Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Waiting For Bees, Demi Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Cooper S Hawk In Hdr, Terry Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Centralism, Terry Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Multi Color Spring Flora, Terry Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- November Bloom, Demi Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Tiny Fluffy Fowers, Demi Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Autumn Pinkness, Terry Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- A Spring Thing, Terry Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- The Blue Factor, Terry Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Ruffled Elegance, Demi Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Electric Bougainvillea, Terry Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Waiting For The Wind, Demi Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Big Rain Coming, Terry Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Retina Melting Echinopsis, Terry Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Cactus Pollen - Flickr - tdlucas5000, tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Holiday Rainbow, Terry Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Fall Yellow, Terry Lucas, CC BY 3.0
- Goodies Inside (48028329268), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Halictus, Gathering (40860661283), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Beaming Summer Sunflower (28805539821), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Yellow Factor (49918175896), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Shady Pink (49828549682), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- First Cornflower 2020 (49705885038), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Echinopsis hybrid 'Antimatter', tdlucas5000, CC BY 2.0
- Ferulifolia (27148268734), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Pollen In Progress (47775695762), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Summer Cactus Flowers (44411470272), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Rained On - Flickr - tdlucas5000, tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Mutli-Color Roses (49744675881), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Pale Factor (49831905551), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Tasty Yummy Cornflowers (49872648761), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Summer Dahlia 1 - Flickr - tdlucas5000, tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Green Bee Alert! (49836159282), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Basic Cactus Flowers (49861335436), tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States, CC BY 2.0
- Happy Blooms, Terry Lucas, CC BY 3.0
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