Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Rancho Palos Verdes is a city of 40,864 people in Los Angeles County, California, founded in 1973.
Why visit Rancho Palos Verdes
Townapedia lists 22 museums and landmarks, 45 parks and trails, 58 places to eat and 10 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Point Vicente Light, RAT Beach, Point Vicente Lighthouse and American Trona Corporation Building.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 78°F; December lows average 46°F.
Weather in Rancho Palos Verdes
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rancho Palos Verdes
Rancho Palos Verdes is an affluent coastal city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated on September 7, 1973, the city has a population of 42,287 as reported in the 2020 United States census. The city sits atop the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and the Palos Verdes Hills, and neighbors Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Torrance, and San Pedro. Rancho Palos Verdes is known for its nature preserve trails, its school district, and its high property values.
From the Wikipedia article Rancho Palos Verdes, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do10
Point Vicente Light
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Lighthouse in California, United States
San Pedro Hill
Scenic view · 2.0 mi
Highest Point on Palos Verdes Peninsula. Site of radar station.
Ridgecrest Hill
Scenic view · 1.8 mi
Local High point on Palos Verdes Peninsula, in the Ridgecrest Ranchos neighborhood, above Ridgecrest Intermediate School.
The Major Vista Point
Scenic view · 2.4 mi
In honor of Joe E. Major & the Major Family Foundation
Museums and landmarks22
Point Vicente Lighthouse
Monument and historic site · 2.4 mi
31550 Palos Verdes Drive West, Rancho Palos Verdes
American Trona Corporation Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.0 mi
Factory in San Pedro, California
Fort MacArthur
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.6 mi
Former military base in Los Angeles
Malaga Cove Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Public library in Palos Verdes Estates, California, USA
Point Fermin Light
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
Lighthouse in California, United States
Warner Grand Theater
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Movie theater in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, United States
Fog Signal House
Monument and historic site · 2.4 mi
31550 Palos Verdes Drive West, Rancho Palos Verdes
Korean Bell of Friendship
Monument and historic site · 4.8 mi
Public art and neighborhood landmark
Lomita Railroad Museum
Museum · 5.1 mi
Railroad museum in Lomita, California
Point Vicente Interpretive Center
Museum · 2.4 mi
31501;31503 Palos Verdes Drive West, Rancho Palos Verdes
Mo-Su 10:00-17:00
10 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds45
Del Cerro Park
Park · 1.3 mi
Park in California, United States of America, United States of America
Averill Park
Park · 3.4 mi
Urban park in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California
Ladera Linda Park
Park · 1.1 mi
32201 Forrestal Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes
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Marineland of the Pacific
Park · 1.7 mi
Former tourist attraction on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, California, USA
33 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes58
Baskin-Robbins
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 2.5 mi
21 Penninsula Center, Rolling Hills
Mo-Th 12:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:30; Su 12:00-21:00
Misc. Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.3 mi
550 Deep Valley Drive
Mo-Fr 07:00-19:00; Sa 08:00-19:00; Su 09:00-17:00
Reverent Coffee Bar
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.2 mi
627 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hills Estates
Mo-Fr 07:30-15:00,Sa 08:30-15:00, Su closed
46 more on the map.
History
By 1882, ownership of the land had passed from the Sepulveda family through various mortgage holders to Jotham Bixby of Rancho Los Cerritos, who leased the land to Japanese farmers. Japanese families farmed the most southern slopes, growing fields of beans, peas, and tomatoes in the area. Barley, hay, and grain were grown on the dryer northern slopes.
Frank Vanderlip, known as the "Father of Palos Verdes", representing a group of wealthy east coast investors, purchased 25 square miles of land on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 1913 for $1.5 million. The Olmsted Brothers contracted Koebig & Koebig to perform engineering work, including surveying and road planning.
From the History section of Rancho Palos Verdes, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship9
Wayfarers Chapel
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church, San Pedro, California
Church · 4.2 mi
St. Paul's Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 2.2 mi
31290 Palos Verdes Drive West, Rancho Palos Verdes
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries61
Miraleste Library - Palos Verdes Library District
Library · 2.6 mi
29089 Palos Verdes Drive East, Rancho Palos Verdes
Healthcare4
Map of Rancho Palos Verdes
221 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67°F | 47°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 66°F | 48°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 68°F | 50°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 52°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 72°F | 55°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 74°F | 58°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 77°F | 62°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 62°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 61°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 76°F | 57°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 71°F | 51°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 66°F | 46°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Torrance Ap (5 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
Zamperini Field (TOA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Rolling Hills 2 mi northeast, about 3 min by car
- Rolling Hills Estates 3 mi northeast, about 6 min by car
- Palos Verdes Estates 4 mi northwest, about 7 min by car
- Lomita 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Torrance 6 mi north, about 10 min by car
- West Carson 7 mi northeast, about 12 min by car
- Redondo Beach 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Hermosa Beach 9 mi north, about 15 min by car
- Carson 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Long Beach 12 mi east, about 19 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
- Trump National Golf Club (Los Angeles), Cardinalngold at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Malaga Cove Library, Palos Verdes Library District, CC BY 2.0
- Pointfermin, Elefuntboy at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- FortMacBattery, Regular Daddy, CC BY 2.5
- Warner Grand Theater, San Pedro, Los Angeles, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old St. Peter’s Episcopal Church 2 (San Pedro, CA), Los Angeles, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Koreanfbcloseup, Elefuntboy, Public domain
- 6208-MarineLandPilotWhale&DolphinShow, Robert J. Boser EditorASC ( talk ) 07:39, 15 October 2008 (UTC). Original uploader was EditorASC at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
- Lomita Railroad Museum, Lomita, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Copy of Norwegian church 013, ChildofMidnight, CC BY 3.0
- Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church, San Pedro, California, Cbl62 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palos Verdes (31088300456), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30757159460), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30317901123), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30317899863), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30317900143), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (31124671635), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (31010437391), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30757161350), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (31124674475), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30303892154), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30317868623), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (31010403111), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30303866374), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30981528872), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30303343094), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30756599660), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (31009960041), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30317318253), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30756601260), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30756603060), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (31124095185), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (31088362366), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (31124093835), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30317975603), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (31088362996), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (31010403311), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (30317869073), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (31124735515), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
- Palos Verdes (31124734875), Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
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