The San Gabriel Valley (Spanish: Valle de San Gabriel), often referred to by its initials as S.G.V., is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, lying immediately to the east of the eastern city limits of the city of Los Angeles and occupying the vast majority of the southeastern part of Los Angeles County, California. Surrounding features include:
San Gabriel Mountains on the north,
San Rafael Hills to the west, with Los Angeles Basin beyond,
Crescenta Valley to the northwest,
Puente Hills to the south, with the coastal plain of Orange County beyond,
Chino Hills and San Jose Hills to the east, with the Pomona Valley and Inland Empire beyond.
The city limits of Los Angeles bordering its western edge.The San Gabriel valley derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows southward through the center of the valley, which itself was named for the Spanish Mission San Gabriel Arcángel originally built in the Whittier Narrows in 1771.
At one time predominantly agricultural, the San Gabriel Valley is today almost entirely urbanized and is an integral part of the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. It is one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the country. About 200 square miles (520 km2) in size, the valley includes thirty-one cities and five unincorporated communities. It is located entirely in Los Angeles County, California.
Pasadena is the largest city in the San Gabriel Valley. Pasadena was incorporated in 1886, making it the fourth city incorporated in Los Angeles County, California, following Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and Anaheim (Santa Ana and Anaheim are both now located in Orange County, which broke off in 1889). More recently, statewide droughts in California have further strained the San Gabriel Valley’s and Los Angeles County’s water security.
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