About Arcadia, California

Arcadia is the site of the Santa Anita Park racetrack and home to the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. The city had a population of 56,364 at the 2010 census.

The region had been inhabited by Tongva (or Gabrielino) Indians before it became part of the original Mission San Gabriel Arcángel holding. The city was laid out in 1888 on lands of what by then had become the privately owned Rancho Santa Anita. It was developed by E.J. (“Lucky”) Baldwin and named for the district in ancient Greece said to symbolize pastoral beauty. As an early agricultural centre, the city contained many chicken and horse ranches and fruit groves; it was later promoted as a residential community.

The city is home to the Angeles National Forest, which is one of the city’s popular recreational destinations.