Arcadia – also known as the “Community of Homes” is an affluent, largely residential city in Los Angeles County, California. It is situated about 20 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Arcadia is notable for the Santa Anita Park racetrack and the site to the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Arcadia’s estimated population in July 2004 is 55,992 which grew 5.5% from 53054 of the year 2000

Arcadia lies within a "Sixty Mile Circle" centered on Los Angeles, where two-thirds of the State's 100 largest corporations are headquartered.  Several federal and state highways, four rail lines and three international airports, as well as the 210 Freeway passing through Arcadia, provide ready access to regional, national and international markets. 

Route 66, also known to other monikers such as “The Great Diagonal Highway” and “The Main Street of America”, passes through the heart of Arcadia (where it is called Huntington Drive) parallel to the south of the 210 freeway. Arcadia is currently run by its mayor, together with the four other members of the five-man city council. The other four who constitute Arcadia’s governing body are its city councilors.

The demography of the Arcadia is worthy of note because of its drastic change from thirty years ago. Arcadia, composed almost purely of “white” Americans in the 70’s, is now the residence of a large portion of people who came from Asian countries, which comprise about 45% of the total populace of the city. This is probably due to the presence of noteworthy public schools, namely, Arcadia High School. The pouring in of Asian Immigrants to Arcadia was probably caused by the transfer of upper class Taiwanese businessmen who were attracted by the more affluent market of the city compared to the less enticing consumers in Monterey Park, California in the early 1990’s. This is a notable change because before the Supreme Court in 1965 intervened, every property within the borders of Arcadia can only be sold to a white protestant. This is further highlighted in the novel/autobiography On the Road by Jack Kerouac, where Arcadia has been mentioned and had been noted to have a tendency towards racial discrimination 30 years ago. Such a change is a praise-worthy achievement for Arcadia.

According to the United States Census Bureau, as of year 2000, there were 53,054 people living in Arcadia belonging to 19,149 households, divided to 14,151 families. There are 1,865.6 people per km². Each household has a median income in Arcadia is $56,100, and the median income for a family was $66,657

Arcadia's bread and butter is run by wholesale trade, retail trade, manufacturing, health care and social assistance, arts, entertainment, and recreation. Income from the Santa Anita Racetrack has long supported capital improvements for the City of Arcadia, thus Arcadia has very little bonded debts. Arcadia has an unemployment rate of 3.0% as of 2004.

One of Arcadia’s main attractions is the Santa Anita Race Track which was a huge factor in the beginnings of the town. The cities main income on the beginning was reliant on entertainment, gambling, and sports. Arcadia can pride itself for being the home of the prestigious Santa Anita Derby and Santa Anita Handicap. The track boasts statues of both Seabiscuit and George Woolf, hailed as the best jockey of his generation, who owned the nearby Derby Arcadia restaurant. Arcadia had also been the home to 112,000 to 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans during the Japanese Interment during World War 2 where the Santa Anita Race Park was converted to Camp Santa Anita.

After the Second World War there was a rapid growth of Arcadia to a suburban residential community. The population from 1940 to 1950 has grown to more than two and a half times. This continued through even to the 1960’s together with the establishment of other infrastructures such as the Methodist Hospital (which opened in 1957 as Arcadia Methodist Hospital ) which is located in the Arcadia Civic Center.

Arcadia High School boasts academic excellence that has attracted affluent Asians towards the city. The school had its own share of problems though, when during the 1990’s, Arcadia High School was threatened to be sued by Native American Activists because of the school’s “Apache” mascot, Its school paper the , Pow Wow and opposing football team fans making signs that said "Scalp the Apaches” . The Native American activists and many people in Arcadia found this offensive. The Arcadeia High School consulted the Native American Community and made some adjustments, however the school mascot was not changed since some residents of Arcadia, who are former students at the school and have Native American ancestry, do not take offense to the school’s use of these symbols. Arcadia operates its own school district, Arcadia Unified School District, outside LAUSD control. The Arcadia Public Library also operates separately from the County of Los Angeles Public Library system.

Yet another reason to visit this beautiful city is the fact that it is home to the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, located at 301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USA. This picturesque and historic site is snuggled to the hills near San Gabriel Mountains.

This outstanding park began when Elias Jackson “Lucky” Baldwin bought Rancho Santa Anita in 1875. As he was enamored with the land, he chose to build his home here developing farms, orchards and ranches, thus forming the backbone of Arcadia. California and Los Angeles jointly purchased 111 acres (44.9ha) to create an arboretum at the heart of Baldwin’s Ranch. The first greenhouse was constructed in 1949, the first 1000 trees planted by 1951, and by 1956 the arboretum was open to the public. Numerous movies such as Jurassic Park and Anaconda; and television shows such as Tarzan and Fantasy Island were filmed at the arboretum. This could be credited to the beauty of the garden, thus proving that Baldwin’s claim that Arcadia is “a paradise” is not merely an exaggeration.

Arcadia’s County Park would probably tickle your fancy with its 87-acre green area in the heart of the city which contains an 18-hole golf course, driving range, tennis courts, swimming pool, baseball and softball diamonds and lawn bowling.

A major shopping center in Arcadia is The Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita. Arcadia is also the place of residence for a handful of famous people, and some had their beginnings in Arcadia. They are enumerated below as follows:

DMX, the famous rapper resides in Arcadia
Van Halen’s Michael Anthony graduated from Arcadia High School in 1972
USA National soccer team’s Jimmy Conrad was born in Arcadia
Seattle Mariner’s Adrian Beltre lives in Arcadia
Jet Li, the International actor and martial artist, lived in Arkadia
Voice actress of Jade in the Jackie Chan Adventures, Stacie Chan, graduated from Arcadia High School in 2006.

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