An Overview of Los Angeles County
One of California's original twenty-seven counties, Los Angeles is one of the nation's largest counties, encompassing 4,081 square miles. With a 2005 population of almost 10 million people, 28 percent of California residents, it's the most populous county in the United States, home to more people than all but eight states.
The greater Los Angeles metropolitan area encompasses five counties — Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, and parts of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties — that together make up a metropolis that almost half of Californians call home. This place is so densely populated in many places that a sign beside the road is the only visible clue that you've crossed a city or county boundary.
FAST FACT
Many popular Los Angeles-area attractions can be found in Hollywood. Although the Hollywood area has a name and an identity, it is actually a district of the city of Los Angeles. Neighboring West Hollywood, however, is a separate, incorporated city.
Besides its mainland cities and areas that include Hollywood, West Los Angeles, and Long Beach, Los Angeles County also includes San Clemente and Santa Catalina Islands.
