Compton, California

The City of Compton, California is known as the Hub City because of its central location. The City of Compton covers about 10 square miles and has about 95,000 residents. Approximately 588 acres of unincorporated land concentrated in three unincorporated islands exist within the boundaries of the City of Compton. Roughly 40% of the land area of Compton is devoted to residential use, a significant portion of which is comprised of low-density single-family residence neighborhoods, as well as the semi-rural Richland Farms neighborhood. Industrial and commercial uses utilize about 22% of the land area of Compton.

Compton is bordered by the unincorporated communities of Willowbrook and East Compton, and the cities of Lynwood, Paramount, Long Beach, and Carson.

Business and Jobs

The city of Compton has a large industrial and commercial sector.

Transportation

The city of Compton is traversed by the Alameda Corridor freight rail expressway through which a quarter of the goods unloaded from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are transported to various shipping junctions, including the rail yards near downtown Los Angeles. The centerpiece of the Alameda Corridor freight rail expressway is the 10 mile long Mid-Corridor Trench. The below street level rail trench extends from Compton to the city of Vernon and is 33 feet deep and 50 feet wide. The Mid-Corridor Trench eliminates at-grade crossings, thereby reducing traffic congestion on intersecting streets, improving freight rail movements, and reducing noise. Industrial concerns in Compton were initially concentrated along the rail line, which for many decades was at grade.

Several freeways pass through or near the City of Compton, including Interstates 105 (Century Freeway), 110 (Harbor Freeway), 405 (San Diego Freeway), 710 (Long Beach Freeway), and 605 (San Gabriel River Freeway), as well as State Route 91 (Artesia Freeway). The Metro light rail A Line (Blue Line) passes through the City of Compton, providing those who live or work in Compton with easy access to Downtown Long Beach and Downtown Los Angeles.

Bus service within the City of Compton is provided by the Compton Renaissance Transit System and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Compton/Woodley Airport

Compton is home to an airport, the 77-acre Compton/Woodley Airport, which is owned and operated by the County of Los Angeles and managed by a private firm. Like Van Nuys Airport, the Compton/Woodley Airport is a “general aviation” airport. Around 60,000 takeoffs or landings occur annually at this airport. The airport is home to over 200 aircraft, an aviation museum (Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum), and aviation-related businesses. The airport features an Automated Weather Observing System. The airport creates about 110 jobs with an aggregate income of over $6 million annually. The airport originally opened as an airfield in 1924.

Compton College

Established as Compton Community College in 1927, today Compton College has about 430 faculty and staff and over 5,700 students. Compton College's impact supports over 2,500 jobs and adds over $40 million to the region's economy. According to Compton College, for every dollar of public money invested in the college, taxpayers will receive $1.80 in return over the course of its students' working lives.

Walnut Industrial Park

Walnut Industrial Park covers about 1,500 acres and is home to corporations such as Nissan, Kroger's, Carbon Activated, and Alloy Processing.

Gateway Towne Center Compton

Gateway Towne Center Compton is a retail center in Compton.

Crystal Casino

Crystal Casino is a cardroom with over 40 tables.

Government

The City of Compton has a city manager form of government.

Elected and Appointed Officials

The Mayor, Council Members, City Clerk, City Attorney, and City Treasurer are elected officials. The City Manager, Community Improvement Services Director, Chief Building Official, Community Development Director, and City Controller are appointed officials.

Parks and Recreation

The Parks & Recreation Department of the City of Compton operates and maintains a combined 118 acres of park space, including South Park, Burrell-Macdonald Park, Gonzales Park, Kelly Park, Cesar Chavez Park, Tragniew Park, Ellerman Park, Raymond Street Park, and Leuders Park. Jackie Robinson Stadium, located in Gonzales Park, has been refurbished as part of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation's Dreamfields project.

Schools, Utilities, and Libraries

The Compton Unified School District serves the City of Compton.

Southern California Gas Company (Sempra Energy) provides gas service to the City of Compton. Electric service is provided by Southern California Edison.

Water is provided by the Compton Municipal Water Department and the Metropolitan Water District.

The Compton Library is operated by the County of Los Angeles Library system.

Fire and Law Enforcement Services

The Compton Fire Department provides fire protection services to the City of Compton.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department provides law enforcement services for the City of Compton. The Compton Police Department was disbanded in the year 2000.

Compton Civic Center

The 13-story Compton Courthouse, which is a branch of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, serves the Compton area. Compton Courthouse is one of the tallest buildings in the area and is part of the Compton Civic Center complex completed in 1977 that includes Compton City Hall. The Compton Sheriff's station is also located in the Civic Center.

A Brief History

Compton is the site of one of the earliest settlements in the southern portion of Los Angeles County. The area was settled in 1867 by a band of families who left the dwindling northern California gold rush in search of a better life. 4,600 acres were purchased for five dollars an acre. Known originally as Gibsonville, the settlement was later renamed Comptonville, which thereafter was shortened to Compton.

The City of Compton was the eighth city in Los Angeles County to incorporate. The City of Compton was incorporated in 1888.

The City was fully developed by the end of World War II.

Angeles Abbey Memorial Park

The Angeles Abbey Memorial Park includes a mausoleum built in the 1920s featuring elements of Byzantine, Moorish and Spanish architecture.

Woodlawn Memorial Park

Founded in 1871 as the Compton Rural Cemetery, Woodlawn Memorial Park is one of the oldest cemeteries in the area. It is a Los Angeles County Historic Landmark.

Heritage House

Heritage House is the oldest remaining house in Compton, Built in 1869, the house was purchased by the City of Compton and moved to its present site. It has been restored and was designated a California Historical Landmark.

Contact Us

Compton workers have rights. Our office pursues cases against employers who fail to provide employees with all owed regular and overtime wages, or who attempt to compel employees to work without taking mandatory meal breaks and paid rest breaks. If you have not been paid all wages you are owed, or if your employer has not provided you with meal and rest breaks or has discriminated against you in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), we are here to help. Your initial consultation with our office is free, so call the experienced employment attorneys at Kokozian Law Firm, APC or Contact Usvia our online form.

Client Reviews
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"Bruce Kokozian is the best lawyer in town! From the beginning, he was straightforward and honest with me about my case. He was sympathetic of my situation and fought aggressively for my rights. I understood all the details of the case, and was supported by the extremely nice and helpful staff. Overall, I am extremely happy with Bruce's ability to settle my case. I love Kokozian Law Firm for getting me everything I deserved out of my case, and for allowing me to get back on my feet and move forward!” Mary M.
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"Bruce Kokozian is the best lawyer in town! From the beginning, he was straightforward and honest with me about my case. He was sympathetic of my situation and fought aggressively for my rights. I understood all the details of the case, and was supported by the extremely nice and helpful staff. Overall, I am extremely happy with Bruce's ability to settle my case. I love Kokozian Law Firm for getting me everything I deserved out of my case, and for allowing me to get back on my feet and move forward!” Mary M.
★★★★★
"Bruce Kokozian is the best lawyer in town! From the beginning, he was straightforward and honest with me about my case. He was sympathetic of my situation and fought aggressively for my rights. I understood all the details of the case, and was supported by the extremely nice and helpful staff. Overall, I am extremely happy with Bruce's ability to settle my case. I love Kokozian Law Firm for getting me everything I deserved out of my case, and for allowing me to get back on my feet and move forward!” Mary M.
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