About San Fernando

Kent Jones Per. 3 6/4/2013

The First City of the Valley

There are valleys that have their names like Sylmar, Pacoima, and Simi Valley. San Fernando got our name by a Spanish Saint/King and San Fernando was selected for settlement. And the City grew out of the ranching activities surrounding Mission de San Fernando Rey. San Fernando enjoyed a brief gold rush in the 1840s when nuggets were discovered in a nearby canyon. San Fernando became the valleys first organized community, thus earning the title First City of the Valley.

History
While most of the towns in the surrounding San Fernando Valley agreed to annexation by Los Angeles in the 1910s, eager to tap the bountiful water supply provided by the newly opened Los Angeles, San Fernando's abundant groundwater supplies allowed it to remain a separate city. Even as the San Fernando Valley transformed itself from an agricultural area to a suburban one in the decades after World War 2 San Fernando retained its independence.

Geography
As with much of the San Fernando Valley east of the San Diego Freeway, the city of San Fernando has seen a significant demographic shift in recent years; declining birth rates, an aging population of middleclass whites, who once dominated the area in the 1950s, has contributed to the movement into other parts of the San Fernando Valley. There has also been movement into the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valley to the north. Income levels have declined as a result. Latinos became the majority population. Since late 2004, the city has been going through a series of planning development projects that can be defined as gentrification.

Demographics
95% of San Fernando is Hispanic or Latino. About 731 households were owned individuals (single) people. The rental vacancy rate was 3.9%. 13,425 people (56.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 10,106 people (42.7%) lived in rental housing units. 476 houses were owned by couples. 10,000 people lived in rental housings

Education
There are many charter and public schools. Charter schools are called PUC schools in the city of San Fernando; Lakeview high school is a PUC school. There is a San Fernando middle, elementary, and high school. There is also a San Fernando library and many Resources at this library.