San Fernando, meaning “St. Ferdinand” in Spanish, is a general-law city in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California. It is an enclave within the City of Los Angeles and had a population of 23,946 as of the 2020 census.Before Spanish colonization, the area was part of the Tongva homeland, with the nearby village of Pasheeknga being the most populous in the San Fernando Valley. The Tataviam lived to the north, and the Chumash to the west. In 1797, the Mission San Fernando Rey de España was founded at the site of Achooykomenga, an agricultural rancho, and was worked by Ventureño Chumash, Fernandeño (Tongva), and Tataviam laborers. The mission was secularized in 1833, and many native children died during this period, leading some to flee.
In 1846, the area became part of the Mexican land grant Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando. Charles Maclay purchased 56,000 acres of the rancho in 1874. Portions were later given to George K. Porter and Benjamin F. Porter, founders of Porter Ranch. Maclay also founded the Maclay School of Theology in 1885.San Fernando became an independent city in 1911 by a narrow vote. Unlike many other San Fernando Valley towns that joined Los Angeles to access water from the new aqueduct, San Fernando’s own abundant groundwater allowed it to remain separate.









