Westminster, California

Westminster
City
Asian Garden Mall (Phuoc Loc Tho), Tet 2008
Seal
Motto(s):  "The City of Progress Built on Pride."[1]
Location of Westminster within Orange County, California.
Westminster Location in the United States
Coordinates: 33°45′5″N 117°59′38″W / 33.75139°N 117.99389°W / 33.75139; -117.99389Coordinates: 33°45′5″N 117°59′38″W / 33.75139°N 117.99389°W / 33.75139; -117.99389
Country	United States
State	California
County	Orange
Incorporated (city)	March 27, 1957[4]
Government
• City council[2]	Mayor Kimberly Ho Sergio Contreras Tai Do Chi Charlie Nguyen
• City manager	Eddie Manfro[3]
Area [5]
• Total	10.04 sq mi (26.00 km2)
• Land	10.04 sq mi (26.00 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation [6]	39 ft (12 m)
Population  (2010)[7]
• Total	89,701
• Estimate  (2019)[8]	90,643
• Rank	88th in California
• Density	9,029.99/sq mi (3,486.51/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	92683–92685
Area codes	657/714
FIPS code	06-84550
GNIS feature IDs	1652811, 2412236
Website	www.westminster-ca.gov

Westminster is a city in northern Orange County, California known for its many Vietnamese refugees who immigrated to the city during the 1980s.^[9] They settled largely in Little Saigon, and the city is known as the "capital" of overseas Vietnamese with 36,058 Vietnamese Americans and at 40.2% (2010), the highest municipal prevalence of Vietnamese Americans. Westminster was founded in 1870 by Rev. Lemuel Webber as a Presbyterian temperance colony and was incorporated in 1957.

Westminster is bordered by the city of Seal Beach on the west, by Garden Grove on the north and east, and by Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley on the south. Santa Ana, the county seat of Orange County, is right next to Westminster on the east but is divided by a small part of Garden Grove. Westminster borders the unincorporated area of Midway City, except for a small portion where Midway City borders Huntington Beach on the south.

Westminster won the All-America City Award in 1996.^[10]

In the court case Mendez v. Westminster, a Hispanic man sued the Westminster School District for forcing his daughter, Sylvia Mendez, to attend a run-down school because of her race. They eventually won and thus began the process of desegregation. Sylvia Mendez was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama on February 15, 2011.

History[]

Westminster was founded in 1870 by Rev. Lemuel Webber as a Presbyterian temperance colony. The name is derived from the Westminster Assembly of 1643, which established the basic tenets of the Presbyterian faith. During the early years of its history, farmers refused to harvest grapes since they associated grapes with alcohol.

Westminster was incorporated in 1957, at which time it had 10,755 residents. Originally, the city was named Tri-City because it was to be the amalgamation of three cities: Westminster, Barber City, and Midway City. Midway City ultimately refused incorporation, leaving only Barber City to be absorbed into the newly incorporated Westminster. The former Barber City was located in the western portion of the current city of Westminster.

Geography[]

Westminster is located at

33°45′5″N 117°59′38″W / 33.75139°N 117.99389°W / 33.75139; -117.99389 (33.752418, -117.993938).^[11] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.0 square miles (26 km²), all land. The San Diego Freeway and a short segment of the Garden Grove Freeway pass through Westminster.

Westminster is bordered by Garden Grove (and its West Garden Grove salient) to the north and east, Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach to the south, and Seal Beach to the west. The Little Saigon district of the town is mostly situated between Hazard Avenue and Bolsa Avenue.^[12]

Climate[]

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1890	585		—
1900	1,590		171.8%
1910	4,550		186.2%
1920	7,997		75.8%
1930	14,822		85.3%
1940	16,115		8.7%
1950	23,433		45.4%
1960	33,663		43.7%
1970	60,076		78.5%
1980	71,133		18.4%
1990	78,118		9.8%
2000	88,207		12.9%
2010	89,701		1.7%
2019 (est.)	90,643	[8]	1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]

2010[]

At the 2010 census Westminster had a population of 89,701. The population density was 8,926.5 people per square mile (3,446.5/km²). The racial makeup of Westminster was 32,037 (35.7%) White (25.6% Non-Hispanic White),^[15] 849 (0.9%) African American, 397 (0.4%) Native American, 42,597 (47.5%) Asian, 361 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 10,229 (11.4%) from other races, and 3,231 (3.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21,176 persons (23.6%). A total of 36,058 residents were of Vietnamese ancestry (40.2% of city residents), the highest concentration of Vietnamese Americans of any community in the United States.^[16]

The census reported that 89,031 people (99.3% of the population) lived in households, 381 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 289 (0.3%) were institutionalized.

There were 26,164 households, 10,759 (41.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 14,986 (57.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 3,681 (14.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,810 (6.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,114 (4.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 151 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,247 households (16.2%) were one person and 2,170 (8.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.40. There were 20,477 families (78.3% of households); the average family size was 3.74.

The age distribution was 20,920 people (23.3%) under the age of 18, 8,568 people (9.6%) aged 18 to 24, 24,065 people (26.8%) aged 25 to 44, 23,356 people (26.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 12,792 people (14.3%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 38.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.

There were 27,650 housing units at an average density of 2,751.5 per square mile, of the occupied units 15,135 (57.8%) were owner-occupied and 11,029 (42.2%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.3%. 51,408 people (57.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 37,623 people (41.9%) lived in rental housing units.

During 2009–2013, Westminster had a median household income of $52,633, with 16.7% of the population living below the federal poverty line.^[15]

2000[]

At the 2000 census there were 88,207 people in 26,406 households, including 20,411 families, in the city. The population density was 8,724.2 inhabitants per square mile (3,368.6/km²). There were 26,940 housing units at an average density of 2,664.5 per square mile (1,028.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 45.79% White, 0.99% African American, 0.61% Native American, 38.13% Asian, 0.46% Pacific Islander, 10.19% from other races, and 3.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.70%.^[17]

Of the 26,406 households 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 16.9% of households were one person and 7.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.32 and the average family size was 3.71.

The age distribution was 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males.

The median household income was $49,450 and the median family income was $54,399. Males had a median income of $37,157 versus $28,392 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,218. About 10.7% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics[]

In the California State Legislature, Westminster is in the 34th Senate District, represented by Democrat Tom Umberg, and in the 72nd Assembly District, represented by Republican Janet Nguyen.^[18]

In the United States House of Representatives, Westminster is split between California's 47th congressional district, represented by Democrat Alan Lowenthal, and California's 48th congressional district, represented by Republican Michelle Steel.^[19]

It has a city council form of local government.^[20]

Westminster city vote
by party in presidential elections

Year	Democratic	Republican	Third Parties
2020[21]	44.66% 18,738	53.81% 22,577	1.53% 644
2016[22]	54.80% 16,785	39.43% 12,078	5.77% 1,767
2012[23]	50.00% 14,607	47.59% 13,902	2.41% 704
2008[24]	42.08% 13,069	56.03% 17,402	1.89% 586
2004[25]	34.71% 10,501	64.16% 19,413	1.13% 341
2000[26]	42.73% 11,453	53.87% 14,439	3.40% 912
1996[27]	41.33% 9,945	48.34% 11,630	10.33% 2,486
1992[28]	32.35% 8,935	43.48% 12,011	24.17% 6,677
1988[29]	32.88% 9,058	65.83% 18,133	1.29% 356
1984[30]	25.76% 7,246	73.09% 20,561	1.15% 323
1980[31]	25.40% 6,805	65.52% 17,553	9.08% 2,432

Economy[]

Top employers[]

According to the city's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[32] the top employers in the city are:

#	Employer	# of employees
1	Westminster School District	1029
2	Kindred Hospital-Westminster	450
3	Walmart	346
4	Target	325
5	City of Westminster	320
6	Macy's	300
7	Honda World	217
8	Westminster High School	200
9	J. C. Penney Co	185

Business sector[]

This section needs expansion with: More relevant shopping info, if sourced. You can help by . (October 2009)

The city's major shopping mall is Westminster Mall, which consists of more than 180 stores. The mall is located south of the 405 freeway, between Goldenwest Street and Edwards Street. Westminster's Little Saigon community is home to the Asian Garden Mall (Phước Lộc Thọ), a large Asian mall.

Since joining the Sequential Brands company, the DVS Shoes footwear brand relocated from Torrance, California to Westminster. The company's headquarters is located on Fenwick Lane.^[33]

Education[]

Four school districts have boundaries that cover parts of Westminster:

• Westminster School District
• Garden Grove Unified School District
• Huntington Beach Union High School District
• Ocean View School District

Landmarks[]

• A memorial and final resting place for the victims of the Pan Am plane involved in the Tenerife Disaster of March 27, 1977, is located in Westminster.
• The Vietnam War Memorial is located Sid Goldstein Freedom Park, next to the Westminster Civic Center. The project was initiated by Westminster City Councilman Frank G. Fry in 1997 and completed in 2003.^[34]
• Final resting place for frontman Bradley Nowell of the band Sublime. Nowell died of a heroin overdose in his San Francisco hotel room on May 25, 1996.
• A statue is dedicated to Trần Hưng Đạo, with the road Bolsa Avenue given an alternative name "Đại Lộ Trần Hưng Đạo", translating to "Trần Hưng Đạo Boulevard".

Notable people and groups[]

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• Harrod Blank, documentary filmmaker
• Jeromy Burnitz, MLB player^[35]
• Mike Burns, MLB player^[36]
• Paul Caligiuri, retired American soccer player
• Mark Eaton, former Utah Jazz player^[37]
• Danny Flores (1929–2006), head of the rock group The Champs
• Ken Hoang, professional video gamer and contestant on Survivor Gabon
• Gerard Huerta, designer of the AC/DC logo and other logos
• Ryan Klesko, former MLB first baseman^[38]
• Nguyễn Cao Kỳ (1930–2011), former Prime Minister of South Vietnam, lived in exile in Westminster, where he ran a liquor store^[39][40]
• Iris Kyle, 10-time overall Ms. Olympia professional bodybuilder
• Carlos Palomino, former welterweight boxing champion
• Vang Pao, Hmong former Major General of the Royal Lao Army^[41]
• Nam Phan, professional mixed martial artist and a contestant in The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck
• Poreotics, dance crew who won ABDC Season 5 in 2010
• Dylan Rieder, American professional skateboarder, artist, and model
• Stafford Repp, American film and television actor
• Westminster Chorus, won the Pavarotti Trophy of Choir of the World 2009^{[citation needed]}
• Geoff Zanelli, prominent Emmy Award-Winning film and TV composer
• Robin Dodson, former world champion pool player and Hall of Fame member.

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Westminster, California.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Westminster (California).

• Official website