Palos Verdes History

In the South Bay area of Los Angeles, an address on the hill is a home on the Palos Verdes Peninsula -- a terraced prow of land at the southwestern tip of Los Angeles County that is rural by Southland standards, and affluent by any standard. 

Palos Verdes is the Spanish name for the Indian term "green tree." Keeping true to its name, the early planners of the Peninsula showed great vision in establishing ground rules for development which have protected Palos Verdes from the massive over development that marks much of the Los Angeles basin. The Palos Verdes Peninsula is a 27+ square-mile area with strict zoning codes which allow no billboards, no industry and no unwanted construction to crowd its open spaces, pollute its air or detract from its panoramic views. The phenomenal popularity of the Palos Verdes Hills as a place for relaxed living in classical community style has brought it world-wide prominence. About 72,000 persons live here today. 

The 27.3 square miles (about 16,700 acres) of Palos Verdes Peninsula contain some of the most spectacular topography to be found anywhere in the world. Its beauty extends breath-taking panorama of the Pacific Ocean on one side to its colorful mountain ranges on the other, and includes a fascinating geology abounding in prehistoric fossil remains.