Getting to Know La Mirada
How La Mirada Sits
La Mirada is an independent city in southeastern Los Angeles County, on the border with Orange County. It is one of the Gateway Cities. It covers about 7.82 square miles and holds about 48,008 residents. That works out to a density of around 6,138 people per square mile. Because La Mirada is its own city, it sets its own rules on truck access, oversized vehicles, and permits. The rules are separate from the City of Los Angeles. City hall sits on La Mirada Boulevard. The city runs through a general-law council-manager government.
La Mirada Boulevard, Imperial Highway, Valley View Avenue, and Rosecrans Avenue are among the main routes through the city. The Santa Ana Freeway, Interstate 5, runs along the southwestern edge. The 605, 91, and 105 freeways all run close enough to serve La Mirada directly. La Mirada borders Santa Fe Springs to the west, and Cerritos to the southwest, on the LA County side. To the north sit the unincorporated communities of East Whittier and South Whittier. Across the Orange County line to the east lie Fullerton and La Habra. That position makes La Mirada a regular crossover point for moves between LA County and northern Orange County.
The housing is overwhelmingly single-family, sitting on roughly 15,457 housing units with about 3.1 people per unit. That reflects the family-centered tract suburbs and small newer subdivisions on the eastern side of the city. The La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, the Splash! La Mirada Regional Aquatics Center and the Biola University campus are among the city’s best-known anchors.
From Windermere Ranch to a Master-Planned Suburb
The land was home to the Tongva people. During the Spanish and Mexican eras, it sat within the Los Nietos diseño, later broken up through inheritance into smaller grants, including Rancho Los Coyotes. In 1888, Andrew McNally bought more than 2,200 acres of Rancho Los Coyotes south of Whittier for $200,000. McNally was the printer and mapmaker from Chicago whose name became one half of Rand McNally. He developed 700 acres into his own estate, Windermere Ranch, planting olive, orange, and lemon groves. He also built an olive oil plant and a railroad station on Stage Road. The new station was given the Spanish name La Mirada, for the view, in 1888.
In 1901, McNally turned the ranch and the McNally Olive Oil Company over to his daughter Nannie and her son-in-law Edwin Neff. Robert McGill, the head accountant, ran the operation for the next forty years. Windermere Ranch became known regionally for its lemons, grapefruit, and especially its olive oil. From 1956 onward, under later ownership, the groves were subdivided in waves into thirteen tract developments. Roughly 7,800 homes were built before the city incorporated as Mirada Hills on March 23, 1960. Voters approved the change of name to La Mirada on November 8, 1960, certified on December 15. Biola University moved its campus to La Mirada in 1959. The city has grown into the stable, family-oriented, mostly single-family suburb it is today, with a new subdivision on the eastern portion of the city as its most recent addition.
What a La Mirada Move Really Involves
La Mirada is an independent city, so a move here works under the city hall rather than the City of Los Angeles. For larger moves, the city issues temporary no-parking permits that hold curb space at the address. We arrange and post these in advance. Most blocks in the city accommodate a moving truck without difficulty, since the tract layouts were planned with garages and driveways in mind. The permit keeps the loading point exactly where it is needed, particularly along the busier stretches near La Mirada Boulevard, Imperial Highway, and the Biola campus.
The tract structure is the next factor. The 1950s and 1960s subdivisions that make up most of the city have consistent block lengths, setback homes, attached garages, and side-yard access. All of that gives the crew a clear path to stage from. The newer eastern subdivisions are similar in layout but with larger homes and longer driveways. Townhomes and small condo complexes near the commercial blocks have their own coordination needs. Shared driveways and visitor parking need a quick check before the day. We size the truck to the block and plan the staging.
The county-line position is the other planning factor. La Mirada moves regularly involve a pickup or delivery in Fullerton, La Habra, Buena Park, or another northern Orange County city. The freeway pattern around La Mirada, with I-5, the 91, the 605, and the 105 all close by, sets the route. Biola University adds a seasonal pulse to the work. Student moves run at the start and end of each academic year. We handle the permit, the building coordination where needed, and the truck size before move day, so nothing slows the job once the crew is on site.