Long Beach

Port and industrial city in Los Angeles county, southwestern California, USA; population (2000 est) 461,500. Long Beach forms part of Greater Los Angeles and adjoins the San Pedro harbour of Los Angeles. Manufactured goods include aircraft, ships, petroleum products, chemicals, fabricated metals, electronic equipment, and processed food; the city also has oil wells and a naval shipyard, and is a convention centre. Long Beach was laid out in the 1880s and incorporated in 1888; the port was opened in 1909. Oil was discovered here in 1921, and the aircraft industry dates from World War II.

Long Beach lies 35 km/22 mi south of the centre of Los Angeles. As Los Angeles grew it needed a port of its own and, by securing a strip of territory between it and the coast west of Long Beach, it was able to create a municipal port adjoining that of Long Beach and share in the latter's business. The original settlement of 1882, Wilmore City, failed and Long Beach was incorporated in 1888. Long Beach is a gateway to Santa Catalina Island and there are many US naval facilities in the area.

California State University-Long Beach (1948) is here, and the retired ocean liner Queen Mary is a tourist attraction and convention centre. The ship is one of 13 entries on the national register of historic places.