Los Angeles

United States of America

United States

English

Estados Unidos

Spanish

Region:

North America

Area:

9 525 067 km²

Ranked 4 out of 195

Population:

331 500 000

Ranked 3 out of 235

Urbanization:

83 %

Ranked 36 out of 194

Capital:

Washington D.C.

Population: 6 385 000

Largest City:

New York City

Population: 21 140 000

Major Cities:

New York City
Los Angeles
Chicago
Dallas
Houston

Economy & Development:

Human Development Index:

Very High

Ranked 17 out of 189

Inequality-Adjusted HDI:

Very High

Ranked 28 out of 189

GDP (PPP) Per Capita:

Very High

Ranked 15 out of 225

Democracy & Freedom:

Democracy Index:

Flawed Democracy

Ranked 25 out of 167

Freedom House:

Free

83 points out of 100 possible

Press Freedom:

Satisfactory

Ranked 42 out of 180

Economic Freedom:

Most Free

Ranked 5 out of 162

National Identity:

Independence Since:

1776

Independence From:

United Kingdom

National Day:

4th of July

What Is Celebrated On The National Day:

The signing of the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July 1776 where it was declared that the Thirteen Colonies were no longer a subject under the Monarch of Britain (United Kingdom).

Facts & Codes:

Driving Side:

Right

Time Zone:

Several

Country Calling Code:

+ 1

Country Code:

ISO 3166

US State

California

English

Region:

Western United States

Area:

423 970 km²

Ranked 3 out of 51

Population:

39 538 000

Ranked 1 out of 51

Population Share:

12 %

Of National Population

Capital:

Sacramento

Population: 2 397 000

Largest City:

Los Angeles

Population: 13 200 000

Major Cities:

Los Angeles
San Francisco
San Diego
Sacramento
Fresno

Information:

GDP Per Capita::

$85 460

Higher than national average

Climate:

Mediterranean Climate

Dry Summer Temperate Climate (Cs)

Time Zone:

UTC -8 (PST)

Summer: -

US State Information:

Statehood Since:

1850

Nickname:

"The Golden State"

Abbreviation:

English:

Los Angeles

Spanish:

Los Ángeles

Japanese:

ロサンゼルス

Rosanzerusu

Korean:

로스 앤젤레스

Loseu Aenjelleseu

Swedish:

Los Angeles

Flag of Los Angeles

Seal of Los Angeles

Meaning of the Name:

Los Angeles, which is a short form of the original much longer name, is of Spanish origin and means "The Angels". Hence the common nickname "City of Angels".

Former Names:

The city was founded as "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río Porciúncula, which is Spanish for "Town of our lady the Queen of Angels of the River Porciúncula".

Nicknames:

"City of Angels"

L.A.

La-La-Land

"The Entertainment Capital of the World"

Demonym(s):

Angeleno
Angelino

Santa Monica Pier

Famous Pier

Walk of Fame

Hollywood Blvd

Griffith Observatory

Skyline Views

Los Angeles International Airport

IATA Code:

LAX

ICAO Code:

KLAX

Passenger Volumes:

Distance:

30 km / 18 mi (SW)

Located In:

Westchester

Named After:

Information:

The third busiest airport in the world, and the second busiest in the United States (after Atlanta). While the airport officially is 30 km (18 mi) from Downtown Los Angeles it's important to know that the city is more or less in the middle of the city. You're almost within walking distance from major areas of the city such as Venice Beach or the South Bay. The city starts right up at the runways. LAX is surrounded by normal city streets in almost every direction.

Transfer To/From:

Rent a car! It's as simple as that. There are no valid public transportation options to the airport. If you won't get a rental car you should take a cab or Uber. There is however an ongoing project to build a metro connection to Downtown. It won't be operational until 2024 though.

Underground Metro

Tram / Light Rail

Elevated Rapid Transit

Walkability

Public Transportation:

Los Angeles actually does have a metro system. It consists of one underground line and four lines above ground. More are currently under construction. However, these are quite worthless for a tourist as they won't take you anywhere useful for a sightseeing trip. You can tour Hollywood and Downtown on the metro system but as soon as you want to go somewhere close to the beach you will need a car.

Walkability:

Terrible. Pretty much nonexistent. One of the least walkable major cities in the world. Downtown might be considered fairly walkable, but you don't have that many places to walk to. Everything worth seeing in Los Angeles is spread out over a large distance that can only be covered by a car.

Currency:

US Dollar

Code:

USD

Subunit:

Cent

Symbol:

Cash Or Credit:

Cash is still common in the US, but in recent years cards have become the dominant form of payment and, nowadays, you can survive a trip to the US with only a minor amount of cash in smaller denominations for tips. In 2022 was the first time I was able to go an entire trip to the US without spending a single paper bill.

Good To Know:

Everyone is expecting tips for everything in the United States. It can be a good idea to have some one-dollar bills available, but nowadays it's often possible to give tips on card transactions as well. Only a few years ago that was not the case and even if you paid by card you had to give tip, which was expected, in cash.

Local Language:

English

Language Family:

Germanic (Indo-European)

Writing System:

Latin Alphabet

What About English?

Other Common Languages:

Spanish is widely spoken in Los Angeles and you would in most situations be able to get by with no English as long as you speak Spanish. In certain areas, you would be able to handle most situations in other languages, such as Vietnamese in Westminster.

US Highway 1

Pedestrianized

Built

District

Along The Coast

A huge city like Los Angeles won't just have one main street, and that's especially true for a sprawling city like this which also doesn't have just one core. Los Angeles has several cores, many of which aren't officially in the City of Los Angeles. But if there's one street to keep an eye on and which you can find in many of the tourist areas it is US Highway 1, also known as Pacific Coast Highway, or US Route 1. This street actually starts in Northern California and ends in San Diego. Through Los Angeles, it follows the coast, or near the coast, where it often is the main thoroughfare in those areas. This is not a shopping street and it's not pedestrianized. In some places, you cannot even walk on sidewalks. It is however a very scenic road with beautiful views of the coastal areas of Los Angeles. The illustration is from Laguna Beach in southern Los Angeles. It's one of the few areas where the street actually is somewhat pedestrian-friendly.

There's no central in Los Angeles. It's a very decentralized city. Generally, I'd say that for accommodation you should stay near the coast as a tourist. Avoid Downtown (unless you have business there or are in town for an event at LA Live). I would also avoid Hollywood. It's a must-see attraction on a sightseeing tour, but it's not a great place to stay. I personally have spent the most time in Huntington Beach. Anywhere along Beach Blvd (State Route 39) between the beach/US Route 1 and Garden Grove are a good place to look for hotels or motels. Venice Beach and Santa Monica are also good areas to look at, but it's in general much more expensive. No matter where you decide to stay you will need a car for transportation and you will spend a lot of time in that car.

Safety certainly is a concern in Los Angeles, and while you don't need to constantly look over your shoulder it's definitively something you need to be more aware of than in your average Western city. However, there's a huge difference between areas. Downtown is reasonably safe during the day, but most parts of it should be avoided after business hours. The area around LA Live is an exception and is safe as long as events are going on. Skid Row should be avoided both day and night. As a tourist, you won't spend much time Downtown anyways. I personally find Hollywood to be sketchy, and not a pretty part of the city. The coastal areas (Santa Monica, Venice Beach) is where you should spend most of your time and those areas are safe during the day. I would still take additional precautions while going out at night in those areas.

Los Angeles doesn't have that much street life. You take the car from A to B and rarely walk aimlessly up and down streets so in most cases you won't experience any situations that could become unsafe even though you're in dangerous areas. If you plan on visiting Los Angeles without a car you must be aware that you will likely find yourself in more unsafe situations than necessary. The car is God in Los Angeles! I would advise against visiting if you won't have the possibility to rent a car.

Note: My assumption is of the basis that you will always take normal precautions when you're out traveling, just as you would do at home. Even the safest cities have bad elements and no matter how safe you might feel you must always take basic precautions. I'm always aware of my surroundings when I walk around, both with and without the camera. I am however a very typical tourist and it shows so I am a person that will undoubtedly draw the attention of those who targets tourists. If you can you should of course always try to blend in as much as possible, but with my big camera around my neck, it's impossible. That's two things that are good to know when reading my assessment of how it felt from a safety point of view.

Los Angeles is the birthplace of fast food! It's where the car-driven fast food industry took form in the 1940s, and it is the place on earth where you have the widest availability of options. For a fast food lover, this is the destination that should be on top of your list.

In-N-Out

Origin:

Founded:

1948

Type of Food:

Hamburgers

Did I Try:

Yes

My Score:

5 / 5

About:

In-N-Out is the most iconic of all chains from California! No trip to California is complete without a stop at one of their restaurants! The menu is short and simple (with a not-so-secret additional menu). The prices are lower than average and it's one of few chains where you can still eat a full meal for around $10. Despite that, they are still able to pay their workers decent salaries.

Comment:

In-N-Out is the number one burger chain in Los Angeles. They are found everywhere and the queues are always long. It's often shorter queues inside the restaurant than in the drive-thru (which more often than not goes all the way around the restaurant and back out in the streets). If you leave Los Angeles without at least one visit to an In-N-Out you haven't truly been to Los Angeles!

Del Taco

Origin:

Founded:

1964

Type of Food:

TexMex

Did I Try:

Yes

My Score:

4 / 5

About:

Del Taco is similar to Taco Bell but found mostly throughout the Southwestern United States. Their menus are often served with fries, which is unusual in the United States but similar to how Taco Bell for example does it Internationally.

Comment:

I like this chain. It's pretty much the same quality as Taco Bell and has a similar menu. Their sauces are hotter than the ones found in Taco Bell, which is a positive thing. They are found in all areas of the city, but restaurants can be far apart and far away.

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I didn't like Los Angeles the first two times I visited it. The third time I started to warm up, and for the fourth and fifth times, I loved the city! It does take some time to get to like Los Angeles. The traffic can be overwhelming, the extreme distances between everything, and all the time spent just driving on all types of roads. But after a while, you get used to it and start getting the California feeling.

Do I Recommend You To Visit?

Yes. But only if you have the possibility to rent a car. I wouldn't travel here without a car, even if they have a metro system.

Will I Come Back Again?

Yes, I've already been five times and can't wait to visit again!

Weather During My Stay:

"It never rains in Southern California". Even if the weather forecast says it will be cloudy you will probably see almost blue skies.

Best:

The general California feeling. The culture. It's the Entertainment Capital of the World and you will recognize so much from your favorite movies and series.

Not As Good:

It's a dirty city! An extremely dirty city! Don't come here and expect to see only glamour and riches.