South Gate is a city in Los Angeles County, California, covering 7.4 square miles and located about 7 miles southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. It is part of the Gateway Cities region in the southeastern part of the county. The city was incorporated on January 20, 1923, and adopted the title “Azalea City” in 1965 when it chose the azalea flower as its symbol. According to the 2020 census, South Gate had a population of 92,726, making it the 19th largest city in Los Angeles County. In 1990, it received the All-America City Award from the National Civic League.
Historically, the area was part of the traditional lands of the Gabrielino people, with villages believed to have existed near South Gate Park and the old City Hall. Later, during the Spanish colonial era, the Lugo family one of California’s early settler families received a large land grant. Don Antonio María Lugo was granted 30,000 acres by the King of Spain in 1810 for his family’s military service. The city of South Gate was later established near the southern entrance (“gate”) of this original Lugo ranch.









