Quick answerLos Angeles is a city in the United States, with 3,869,089 people inside the city limits in 2025. The wider metropolitan area had about 12.8 million people in 2025. It is best known for the Hollywood and the film industry and the Beaches and surfing. Its official language is English, and its currency is the United States dollar.
Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States, with about 3.9 million people in 2025 and about 12.8 million in its metropolitan area. It lies on the Pacific coast in southern California. The city is the centre of the American film and television industry.
Key facts
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 3,869,089 (2025) |
| Population (metro) | 12,844,441 (2025) · U.S. Census Bureau Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), July 1, 2025 estimate |
| Elevation | 71 m above sea level |
| Time zone | America/Los_Angeles |
| Language | English |
| Currency | United States dollar (USD, $) |
| Coordinates | 34.05° N, 118.25° W |
Overview
Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States and the centre of the American film and television industry. It lies on the Pacific coast in southern California, in a basin ringed by mountains and desert. The city began as a Spanish settlement in 1781, grew with the railways and the discovery of oil, and boomed in the 20th century as Hollywood became the world's film capital.
About 3.9 million people lived in Los Angeles in 2025, and about 12.8 million in its metropolitan area. The city is one of the most diverse in the United States, with large Mexican, Korean, Filipino, Chinese and Armenian communities, and it is a city built around the car: its freeways and its sprawl are famous, and its neighbourhoods — from Hollywood to Venice Beach — each have their own character.
Los Angeles is known for the Hollywood Sign, the Walk of Fame and the studios of Hollywood and Burbank, and for its beaches, including Santa Monica and Malibu. Its museums include the Getty Center and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Griffith Observatory looks out over the city from the hills. The climate is mild and sunny for most of the year, with little rain.
What Los Angeles is known for
- Hollywood and the film industry
- Beaches and surfing
- Griffith Observatory
- Diverse food and culture
- Mild, sunny climate
Landmarks
- Hollywood Sign
- Griffith Observatory
- Santa Monica Pier
- Getty Center
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Dodger Stadium
- Venice Beach
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Los Angeles?
Los Angeles had about 3.9 million residents in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, making it the second-largest city in the United States. Its metropolitan area, which includes Long Beach and Anaheim, had about 12.8 million people that year. The wider region, including Riverside and San Bernardino, holds more than 18 million people.
Where is Los Angeles and what is it known for?
Los Angeles is on the Pacific coast in southern California, about 550 kilometres south-east of San Francisco. It is known above all for Hollywood, the centre of the American film industry, and for its beaches, including Santa Monica and Venice. Its coordinates are 34.05° N, 118.25° W, and its time zone is Pacific Time.
Quick quiz
Three questions from the facts on this page. No sign-up, no score is saved.
Keep exploring
- United States — the country Los Angeles is in
- New York City — another city in the United States
- Chicago — another city in the United States
- Houston — another city in the United States
- Washington, D.C. — another city in the United States
- Abraham Lincoln — American politics figure
- Nikola Tesla — Serbian-American science figure
- All cities in the United States
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
- Wikipedia — Los Angeles
- U.S. Census Bureau, City and Town Population Totals: 2020–2025
- Wikipedia — Metropolitan statistical area
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.