Beverly Hills

Residential city in Los Angeles County and a part of greater Los Angeles, southwest California, USA; population (2000 est) 33,800. It is located 16 km/10 mi northwest of Los Angeles city centre, and extends up the Santa Monica Mountains to the north. It is entirely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles. There is some light manufacturing, chiefly of electronic equipment, and a number of corporate and financial offices. Rodeo Drive is a popular shopping area for prestige goods. The Beverly Hills subdivision dates from 1907, with incorporation in 1914.

Once a Spanish land grant known as El Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas, the city now has luxurious homes and shops lining its curving streets and canyons. Beverly Hills is popularly known as the home of Hollywood film stars: in 1919, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford built their mansion Pickfair here, leading a wave of entertainment celebrities who made Beverly Hills famous. Today, the city remains a thriving tourist attraction, with maps sold showing the location of movie stars' homes. Beverly Hills has five entries on the National Register of Historic Places.