# Glendale, California

Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of 2023, Glendale had a Census-estimated population of 187,050, down 8,493 (–4.8%) from the 2020 United States census count of 196,543, which in turn was up from 191,719 at the 2010 census, making it the 4th-most populous city in Los Angeles County and the 24th-most populous city in California. It is located about 10 miles (16 km) north of downtown Los Angeles.
Glendale lies in the Verdugo Mountains, and is a suburb in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The city is bordered to the northwest by the Shadow Hills and Tujunga neighborhoods of Los Angeles; to the northeast by La Cañada Flintridge and the unincorporated area of La Crescenta; to the west by Burbank and Griffith Park; to the east by Eagle Rock and Pasadena; to the south by the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles; and to the southeast by Glassell Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Golden State, Ventura, Glendale, and Foothill freeways run through the city.

## History
### Indigenous history

The earliest known inhabitants of Glendale and its surroundings were members of the Tongva people. Villages in the Glendale-La Crescenta-Montrose area included Ashwaangna, Hahamongna, Maungna, Tujunga and Wiqanga.

### Spanish era

In 1797, José María Verdugo, a corporal in the Spanish army from Baja California, received the Rancho San Rafael from Governor Diego de Borica, formalizing his possession and use of land on which he had been grazing livestock and farming since 1784. Rancho San Rafael was a Spanish concession, of which 25 were made in California. Unlike the later Mexican land grants, the concessions were similar to grazing permits, with the title remaining with the Spanish crown.
Jose Maria Verdugo retired from the military and began expanding his ranch operations. Soon he had nearly 2,000 head of cattle, 670 horses and 70 mules. With the help of his son, Julio, he built several adobe structures for various uses. Workers grew crops such grains, peppers, oranges, figs, grapes and pomegranates, and also made wine.

### Mexican era

New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, and from 1824, Rancho San Rafael existed within the new Mexican Republic.
When Jose Maria Verdugo died in 1831, his estate was divided between his son, Julio, and his daughter, Catalina.

### American era

Mexican rule ended during the Mexican–American War: Americans took control from the Californios after a series of battles, culminating with the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga on January 13, 1847. With the cession of California to the United States following the Mexican–American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim was filed with the Public Land Commission in 1852, confirmed by the Commission in 1855, and the grant was patented to Julio and Catalina Verdugo in 1882.
In 1861, Julio Verdugo took out a mortgage to build a larger house. Unable to make the loan payments, the family was forced into bankruptcy proceedings. In 1871, the court divided the ranch into several parcels to satisfy the many claims against the Verdugos.
The court gave Benjamin Dreyfus, of California, the largest allotment: more than 8,000 acres, which later became Eagle Rock and Tropico. Andrew Glassell and Alfred Chapman were awarded the great Rancho La Cañada and more than 2,000 acres of what is now Highland Park and York Valley. David Burbank was awarded 4,607 acres, and his property eventually became the neighboring city of Burbank.

#### Incorporation and growth

The arrival of the railroad in Southern California set off a real estate boom. In 1883, soon after Atwater Village was settled, the Atwater Tract Office brought train service to the area. On March 11, 1887, Erskine Mayo Ross, Cameron E. Thom, and several others, filed the first plat for Glendale, described as "Pasadena's first and only rival." It was bounded by First Street (now Lexington Drive) on the north, Fifth Street (now Harvard Street) on the south, Central Avenue on the west, and the Childs Tract on the east. Concurrently, to the southwest formed Tropico.
An important civic booster of the era was Leslie Coombs Brand (1859–1925), who partnered with Henry E. Huntington to bring the Pacific Electric Railway, or the "Red Cars", to the area. The Glendale–Burbank Line, which was operational from 1904 to 1955, ran from Downtown Los Angeles to Burbank via Glendale. At the railroad dedication celebration, Brand spoke of "his early dreams coming true, in which he pictured a country home in close proximity to the city." Brand also owned Glendale Light & Power Company, the Miradero Water Company, and the Consolidated Water Company. By 1915, Leslie Brand had divested most of his financial interests in Glendale.
The Forest Lawn Cemetery opened in 1906.
The city officially incorporated in 1906, but lacked a permanent city hall. The architecture firm of Anderson and Murdock won a contract to construct a new city hall in 1910, and it was completed in 1912.
Pioneering endocrinologist and entrepreneur Henry R. Harrower opened his clinic in Glendale in 1920, which for many years was the largest business in the city.
Following the 1922 demolition of the Atwater Tract Office, Southern Pacific Railroad constructed the Glendale Southern Pacific Railroad Depot. Glendale was served by the Southern Pacific Railroad's Coast Daylight daytime and Lark overnight passenger trains.
The Hotel Glendale, a six-story beaux-arts building which boasted 160 rooms and two elevators, became Glendale's tallest building when it opened in 1925. Its location, at the intersection of Broadway and Glendale Avenue, was chosen because of its proximity to several transportation lines.
The Alexander Theatre opened in 1925, and featured vaudeville performances and silent films on a single screen.
The Grand Central Airport opened in 1929. Within a year, the enterprise was sold to the Curtiss-Wright Flying Service, managed by C. C. Moseley, a co-founder of the future Western Airlines. It became the city's largest employer. It was also at Grand Central that Moseley established the first of his private flying schools, Curtiss-Wright Technical Institute (later renamed Cal-Aero Academy).
The Renaissance Revival-style Glendale Main Post Office opened in 1934. Several Works Progress Administration projects were constructed in Glendale during the 1930s, including Glendale Community College's John A. Davitt Administration Building (1937) and the Glendale Civic Auditorium (1938).

#### Contemporary history

The Second World War proved to be a boon to Glendale as Southern California became a major staging area for the Pacific War. Grand Central Airport served as a training facility for pilots and mechanics, while a foundry on San Fernando Road produced airplane parts.
In 1941, the city launched a municipal bus system named Glendale City Lines.
In 1942, a new Glendale City Hall, a Works Progress Administration project in the PWA Moderne style, was completed on the site of Glendale's first permanent City Hall from 1912. In 1943, the Los Angeles County Superior Court opened a courthouse in Glendale.
In October 1953, the Glendale–Burbank Line came under the purview of Metropolitan Coach Lines, which initiated a series of service reductions. Interurban service ended in 1955, bringing an end to Glendale's streetcar suburb era.
With the proliferation of jet aircraft, Grand Central Airport's relatively short 3,400-foot runway was unable to accommodate modern aircraft. In 1959, the airport shut down. In 1961, Walt Disney purchased a large portion of the closed airport to establish a creative workshop for employees working on the construction of Disney theme parks and attractions worldwide. Initially named WED Enterprises, the team came to be known as Walt Disney Imagineering.
Until as late as the 1960s, Glendale was a sundown town, which meant that non-white people were required to leave city limits by a certain time each day or risk arrest and possible violence. In 1964, Glendale was selected by George Lincoln Rockwell to be the West Coast headquarters of the American Nazi Party. After a legal battle with the city of Glendale, the party moved their headquarters to El Monte in 1966.

##### Demographic and economic changes

The emergence of increasingly visible ethnic groups — including Armenians, Cubans, Filipinos and Koreans — changed the official discourse in Glendale. In 1972, C.E. Perkins, then city manager, encouraged the Rotary Club of Glendale to prepare itself as the city could no longer remain isolated in an increasingly diverse America. Through the 1970s, concurrent with increasing immigration into Glendale, was the city's rapid urbanization. During this era, the Glendale Freeway and the Ventura Freeway were constructed. The Glendale Galleria shopping mall opened in 1976, and was further expanded in 1982.
In the 1980s, many single-family homes in south Glendale were demolished for apartment and condominium construction. This construction boom resulted in Glendale's population growing at a rate 60% higher than that of the county at large, turning the city into a denser, younger and more cosmopolitan urban center. In 1983, Larry Zarian was elected as the city's first Armenian city council member, and in 1986, he became the city's first Armenian mayor. In 1984, the city revived municipal service with the Glendale Beeline.
By 1990, Glendale was, proportionately, more immigrant than either the city or county of Los Angeles, with 45% of its residents being foreign-born. By the mid-1990s, Glendale's Anglo-American population had been surpassed by Armenians and Latinos. Some Anglo-American residents, largely fueled by anti-Armenian sentiment, decried the increased density in South Glendale.
By the 2000s, Glendale had outgrown its "bedroom community" reputation as an urban area of its own, in large part due to the Americana at Brand outdoor shopping and residential community. The new development was opened to the public in 2008, featuring 75 shops, restaurants, apartments, condominiums, and an 18-plex cinema. In 2023, Americana at Brand owner Caruso claimed that the lifestyle center had "replac[ed] blighted properties and ignit[ed] a wave of higher-end housing, retail, office space and hotel development in Glendale." In response to the Americana at Brand's opening, the Glendale Galleria underwent an extensive renovation in 2012. By 2014, the construction of thousands of luxury apartments in downtown Glendale raised fears of gentrification. The post-Americana development boom has also included several hotels, such as a Hampton Inn & Suites (2016), a Hyatt Place (2017), The Glenmark (2020) and a Hotel Indigo (2025).

## Geography

Glendale is located in the southeastern San Fernando Valley. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.6 sq mi (79.212 km$^2$); 30.5 square miles (79 km$^2$) of it is land and 0.13 square miles (0.34 km$^2$) of it (0.43%) is covered by water. Glendale is the fourth largest city within Los Angeles County. It is bordered to the north by the foothill communities of La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, and Tujunga; to the south by the Atwater Village and Glassell Park communities incorporated by the city of Los Angeles; to the east by Pasadena and Eagle Rock (also incorporated within Los Angeles); and to the west by Griffith Park and the city of Burbank. Glendale is located 10 miles (16 km) north of downtown Los Angeles.

### Geology

Several known earthquake faults criss-cross the Glendale area and adjacent mountains, as in much of Southern California. Among the more recognized faults are the Sierra Madre and Hollywood faults, situated in the city's northern and southwestern portions, respectively. Additionally, the Verdugo and Raymond faults intersect through the city's central and southeastern areas. The San Gabriel fault, meanwhile, is located northeast of the city. Roughly 75 miles (121 km) northeast of Glendale is a major portion of the San Andreas Fault known as the "Big Bend", where quake-recurrence tracking shows major activity roughly every 140–160 years. The closest portion of the San Andreas is actually 29 miles (47 km) from Glendale. The last major quake along the southern San Andreas was recorded in 1857.
In the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, which took place along the western edge of the Sierra Madre Fault, surface ruptures were nearly 12 miles (19 km) long, including one portion a few miles northwest of Glendale. Most of the damage was in the northern San Fernando Valley, though 31 structures in Glendale suffered major damage and had to be demolished, plus numerous chimneys collapsed. The 1994 Northridge earthquake had an epicenter about 18 miles (29 km) from Glendale. The city suffered severe damage to a public parking structure and sections of the Glendale Galleria parking structures and exterior columns incurred damages.

### Climate

Glendale has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa), with hot summers and mild winters with occasional rainfall. The highest recorded temperature in Glendale was 115 °F (46 °C) on September 6, 2020. The lowest recorded temperature was 17 °F (−8 °C) on February 15, 1990. The warmest month is August and the coolest month is January.
The annual average precipitation is just over 21 inches (530 mm), mostly falling between November and April. Rainfall totals are highly variable from year to year, with the wettest years (sometimes over 30 inches (760 mm) of rainfall) usually associated with warm El Niño conditions, and the drier years (sometimes under 10 inches (250 mm) of rainfall) with cool La Niña episodes in the Pacific.
The hills and mountains of northern Glendale very rarely have snow, owing to its warmer temperatures during the winter. It may only occur about every five to ten years. The last time it snowed was February 26, 2011, in which snow accumulation of approximately 3 inches (7.6 cm) occurred and sleet was present. Frost sometimes occurs at night from late November to early March. Heavy rains and thunderstorms are also common during the winter. The spring brings temperate weather, with little rain. The summer is usually fairly warm, with highs from 85 °F (29 °C), to the low 100s (40 °C). Summer is usually very dry, but thunderstorms can come from Arizona, bringing high humidity into the area. These rare days cause heat indices over 120 °F (49 °C). Fall often brings clear and dry weather, but can be gusty due to the Santa Ana winds, blowing in once or twice a year from October to December. Santa Ana winds can reach up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h), with gusts up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) in mountain passes and canyons. Thunderstorms occur very rarely and they are accompanied by gusty winds and hail.
Climate data for Glendale, California :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 93 (34) | 92 (33) | 96 (36) | 105 (41) | 102 (39) | 110 (43) | 110 (43) | 107 (42) | 115 (46) | 110 (43) | 98 (37) | 93 (34) | 115 (46) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 68 (20) | 70 (21) | 70 (21) | 75 (24) | 76 (24) | 82 (28) | 87 (31) | 88 (31) | 86 (30) | 81 (27) | 74 (23) | 69 (21) | 77 (25) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 45 (7) | 47 (8) | 48 (9) | 51 (11) | 55 (13) | 59 (15) | 62 (17) | 63 (17) | 62 (17) | 56 (13) | 49 (9) | 45 (7) | 54 (12) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 23 (−5) | 17 (−8) | 23 (−5) | 34 (1) | 37 (3) | 41 (5) | 45 (7) | 48 (9) | 44 (7) | 37 (3) | 29 (−2) | 26 (−3) | 17 (−8) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.74 (95) | 4.19 (106) | 3.56 (90) | 0.90 (23) | 0.34 (8.6) | 0.08 (2.0) | 0.02 (0.51) | 0.15 (3.8) | 0.35 (8.9) | 0.49 (12) | 1.26 (32) | 2.10 (53) | 17.17 (436) |
| Source 1: ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: ||||||||||||||

### Surrounding areas

    Los Angeles
    Los Angeles La Crescenta-Montrose / La Cañada Flintridge
    Burbank La Cañada Flintridge / Pasadena
    Los Angeles Pasadena / Los Angeles
    Los Angeles

## Demographics

Glendale first appeared as a city in the 1910 U.S. Census part of the now defunct Burbank Township (pop 3,018 in 1900).

### 2023 estimates

As of 2023, Glendale hosts a Census-estimated population of 187,050, down 8,493 (–4.8%) from the 2020 United States census count of 196,543. At the 2020 census, the age distribution was 22.9% under 18, 58.7% from 18 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 or older.
As of 2021, Glendale's population includes:
* 54,000 children under the age of 18 years,
* 10,100 women who live alone,
* 7,000 men who live alone, and
* 730 women and men who are in same-sex relationships, either as married or unmarried couples.

### Race and ethnicity

Glendale, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns. them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. :
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
| White alone (NH) | 105,597 | 117,929 | 122,519 | 54.16% | 61.51% | 62.34% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,230 | 2,325 | 3,365 | 1.14% | 1.21% | 1.71% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 293 | 192 | 203 | 0.15% | 0.10% | 0.10% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 31,227 | 31,073 | 29,461 | 16.02% | 16.21% | 14.99% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 143 | 105 | 120 | 0.07% | 0.05% | 0.06% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 370 | 366 | 709 | 0.19% | 0.19% | 0.36% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 16,661 | 6,315 | 6,591 | 8.55% | 3.29% | 3.35% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 38,452 | 33,414 | 33,575 | 19.72% | 17.43% | 17.08% |
| Total | 194,973 | 191,719 | 196,543 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |

#### Armenians

Glendale has one of the largest communities of Armenian descent in the United States.

##### History

Armenian families have lived in the city since the 1920s, but the surge in immigration escalated in the 1970s. Armenian Americans are well integrated into the city, with many businesses, several Armenian schools, and ethnic/cultural organizations serving this ethnic group. Beginning in the late 1970s, as a result of the Lebanese Civil War and the Iranian Revolution, a dramatic influx of Armenians began to arrive in Glendale.
Beginning in the late 1980s, with assistance from family and friends already there, Armenians from the former Soviet Union began arriving. In the Glendale Unified School District, by 1988, along with students from the Middle East, they had become the largest ethnic group in the public schools, now having a larger number than Latinos.
By 1999, about 25% of the population spoke Armenian and there were many Armenian businesses.
According to the United States 2000 Census, Glendale is home to 65,343 Armenian Americans (making up 34.1% of the total population), increasing from 1990 when there were 31,402 Armenian Americans in the city. As of 2005, one-third of Los Angeles' estimated 153,000 Armenians (or 51,000, around a quarter of Glendale's 205,000 residents) lived in Glendale. At that time, Armenians held a majority on the Glendale city council, and it had done so since that year. By 2005, the Armenian population was 40% of the total population.
In 2014, a Glendale Police Department spokesperson, stated, "In five to eight years, the [Armenian] community went from a few thousand to about 40,000." Levon Marashlian, an instructor of Armenian history at Glendale College, stated that in the early 1990s Glendale's Armenian community became the largest in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, surpassing the Armenian community of Hollywood. Alice Petrossian, the GUSD director of intercultural education, stated that Burbank lies within the middle of other Armenian communities, so it attracted Armenians. There are also a great number of Armenian immigrants from Iran who, due to the religious restrictions and lifestyle limitations of the Islamic government, immigrated to the US, many to Glendale since it was where their relatives resided.

##### Organizations

In 1994, a new headquarters of the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region opened in Glendale. ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian stated "One could look at it cynically and say they're coming because this is an election year, but on the other hand[,] the Armenian community has a lot of friends, because we're active in the public life of many cities[.]" In 2004, the Armenian Cultural Foundation started planning for an educational and recreational youth center in south Glendale. In 2009, upon the center's completion, the various Armenian Revolutionary Federation-aligned organizations — such as the Armenian National Committee of America, the Armenian Relief Society, the Armenian Youth Federation and Hamazkayin — moved to this new facility.
The Armenian Assembly of America's Western Region office is in Glendale.
The Armenian General Benevolent Union serves Glendale through its Pasadena-based Pasadena-Glendale chapter.
Homenetmen, a non-aligned sport and scouting organization, started its Glendale Ararat chapter in 1983. Since 1996, the chapter has been located in neighboring Glassell Park.

#### Other ethnic groups

In the 1930s, Glendale prevented the Civilian Conservation Corps from stationing African American workers in a local park, citing sundown town ordinances that both cities had adopted.
The Mexican American community was established in Glendale by the 1960s. The late 1980s and early 1990s also saw increases in Mexican American population as Glendale offers higher-quality education in a safer suburban environment away from the city.
Several Korean cities have sought to create business and cultural relationships with Glendale. Central Park has the only West Coast monument to Korean comfort women of World War II.
As of 2012, Filipino Americans were the third largest minority group in Glendale, making up seven percent of the city's total population, overtaking Korean Americans. In 2022, the Filipino American Friendship Monument was unveiled in Central Park.
After the Iranian Revolution, many Persians migrated to the cities seeking a suburban city with lower crime and quality education.

### Religion
#### Christianity

St. Mark's Episcopal Church dates back to 1888, but the current building was built in 1948.
Holy Family Catholic Church dates back to 1907, but the current building was consecrated in 1922.
Since 1975, St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church has served Glendale.
The Cathedral of Saint Gregory the Illuminator was consecrated in 2001. In 2012, the North American diocese of the Armenian Catholic Church moved from New York City to Glendale.

#### Islam

Since 2012, the Islamic Center of Glendale, a Sunni mosque, has served Glendale.

#### Judaism

Since 1949, Temple Sinai, a Reform synagogue, has served Glendale.

#### Other

Since 2008, a Self-Realization Fellowship temple has served Glendale.

### LGBT+ community

Since at least the 1960s, the Adams Hill neighborhood has been home to an LGBT+ community.
Since 2019, glendaleOUT has advocated on behalf of Glendale's LGBT+ residents. Since 2022, the origination has hosted the annual Glendale Pride in the Park event held at Adams Square Mini-Park. The event is a family-friendly picnic.
GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society provides specialized services to the local Armenian LGBT+ community, and the organization has been recognized as a community leader by Glendale elected officials. At the Glendale City Council's 2024 proclamation declaring June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, GALAS Boardmember Shant Jaltorossian commented, stating "Our work as a cultural hub and resource group emphasizes the importance of intersectionality in our fight for justice. GALAS will continue to build a loving community which celebrates our roots, both Armenian and LGBTQ+, as we advocate for a better, more inclusive future."
PFLAG has a chapter in Glendale.

#### Anti-LGBT+ hate in Glendale

At the June 6, 2023 Glendale Unified Board of Education meeting, where an annual Pride Month declaration was to occur, a crowd of more than 200 — including far-right organizations such as the Proud Boys — gathered outside the Glendale Unified School District headquarters. As tensions between pro- and anti-LGBT+ sides rose, the Glendale Police Department declared an unlawful assembly.

## Economy

Several large companies have offices in Glendale, including the U.S. headquarters of International House of Pancakes. The Los Angeles regional office of California's State Compensation Insurance Fund is in Glendale. Americas United Bank was founded in Glendale in 2006 and is still headquartered there. In August 2013, Avery Dennison Corp., a label maker for major brands, announced plans to move its headquarters from Pasadena to Glendale. Avery employs about 26,000 people.
As of 2024, the top employers in the city are (with number of employees):
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
| 1 | Glendale Unified School District | 4,000 |
| 2 | Adventist Health Glendale | 2,600 |
| 3 | City of Glendale | 1,904 |
| 4 | Countrywide Home Loans | 1,815 |
| 5 | Glenair Inc. | 1,768 |
| 6 | Glendale Community College | 1,500 |
| 7 | Walt Disney Imagineering | 1,011 |
| 8 | Alecto Healthcare Services | 900 |
| 9 | DreamWorks Animation | 847 |
| 10 | USC Verdugo Hills Hospital | 750 |

### Aviation

Grand Central Airport was a municipal airport developed from 1923 which became the largest employer in Glendale for many years, and contributed to the development of aviation in the United States in many important ways. The main terminal building still stands and includes both Art Deco and Spanish-style architectural elements. The facility was the first official terminal for the Los Angeles area, as well as the departure point for the first commercial west-to-east transcontinental flight flown by Charles Lindbergh. During World War II, the Grand Central Air Terminal building was camouflaged to protect it from enemy targeting. It was closed down in 1959, and made way for the Grand Central Business Centre, an industrial park.

### Film and television industry

Glendale, along with neighboring Burbank, has served as a major production center for the American film industry and especially animation.
Located near Walt Disney's Hyperion studio in Los Feliz, the Alex Theatre was Disney's favorite place during the 1930s to gauge audience reactions to his cartoons. Following his death in 1966, Disney was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
When The Walt Disney Company outgrew its Burbank studio lot in the early 1960s, it expanded to Glendale's Grand Central Business Centre. First came the headquarters for Imagineering, and from 1985 to 1995, during the Disney Renaissance, Walt Disney Animation Studios (then known as Walt Disney Feature Animation) was headquartered in the Grand Central Business Centre. Disneytoon Studios, a division of WDAS, is still located in the Grand Central Business Centre near GC3, along with the Animation Research Library, Disney Animation's archive. Today, Disney's Grand Central Creative Campus (known as GC3 for short) is also home to Consumer Products, Disney Interactive, Marvel Animation and The Muppets Studio. Disney-owned KABC-TV is located on Circle 7 Drive to the south of GC3.
Between 1991 and 2006, Universal Cartoon Studios was located in Glendale.
In 1992, Disney and Warner Bros. animator and director Darrell Van Citters and his business partner Ashley Postlewaite founded Renegade Animation in neighboring Burbank, and it soon moved to Glendale.
In 1994, Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen formed DreamWorks SKG, a diversified entertainment company. DreamWorks Animation remains located in the city's Grand Central Business Centre on land formerly occupied by a helicopter landing base next to the old airfield (and next to KABC-TV). Following the acquisition of DreamWorks Animation by Comcast and its NBCUniversal subsidiary in 2016, Katzenberg said that "We will absolutely continue to make animated films here."
In 2002, the city's redevelopment agency gave Animation Initiative Glendale six months to develop a viable plan for adapting the historic Fidelity Federal Savings and Loan building for use as an animation museum. These plans were ultimately unsuccessful.
Since 2014, television network Fuse has been based in Glendale.
Since 2016, LGBT+ streaming network Revry has been headquartered in Glendale.
In 2024, East End Studios announced the completion of a film production complex, named "Glendale", featuring two sound stages and ancillary facilities. A second, much larger East End Studios facility in Glendale, named "Griffith", is currently being built.
In October 2024, Mayor Elen Asatryan travelled to South Korea, where she struck an entertainment partnership deal with the Incheon Free Economic Zone. The agreement includes a new government-to-government platform jointly built by the governments of Incheon and Glendale and sharing it with entertainment companies in both cities.

### Technology industry

Glendale Tech Week was created in 2016 to celebrate technology through panel discussions, workshops, and networking events.
In 2017, Glendale's City Council adopted the Glendale Tech Strategy, a roadmap for growing Glendale's technology-based sector.
In 2023, Glendale and neighboring Burbank partnered to launch Upstart Valley, a program to support startups, entrepreneurs, and the technology industry.
Notable technology companies in Glendale include:
* Evite
* LegalZoom
* ServiceTitan

## Arts and culture
### Cuisine

Influenced by the city's immigrant history, Glendale's food culture includes a wide selection of international cuisines, including Filipino cuisine and Armenian cuisine and also Iranian cuisine.
Zhengyalov Hatz, which serves zhingyalov hats, is the Michelin Guide's only Armenian restaurant in the United States.

### Landmarks

Important landmarks in Glendale include the Alex Theatre, the Glendale Main Post Office, and the Glendale Transportation Center.

### Libraries

The Glendale Public Library operates 8 public libraries in the city.

### Museums and galleries

In 2016, the Museum of Neon Art (MONA), which focuses on historical neon signs, moved to downtown Glendale, with the City committed to funding the museum's new site and construction. The museum has featured exhibitions dedicated to the local community, including Armenians and LGBTQ+ people.
In 2024, the Martial Arts History Museum, which is devoted to the history of martial arts, moved to Glendale. The museum has displays relating to Chinese kung fu, Filipino kali, Hawaiian Kapu Kuialua, Japanese judo and karate, Korean taekwondo, and Thai Muay Thai. At this new, larger location, the museum will also feature Armenian kokh and Mexican lucha libre.
Local galleries include ace/121 Gallery, Armenian Arts, Junior High, and Tufenkian Fine Arts.

### Performing arts

The Alex Theatre is a performing arts center featuring live performances and film screenings.
Local theatre companies include Antaeus Theatre Company and The Nocturne Theatre.
The City sponsors several concert series: the Brand Summer Music Series, at the Brand Library; the Jewel City Concert Series, at the Artsakh Paseo; and the Summer Concert Series, at Verdugo Park.

### Public art

The City of Glendale's public art includes "Beyond the Box", a utility box art program which includes more than 150 murals, and "Creative Crosswalks", a crosswalk mural program.
In 2016, a 1936 Streamline Moderne filling station in the Adams Hills neighborhood was added to the Glendale Register of Historic Resources and Historic Districts and converted into a public art gallery.

## Parks and recreation

The city has nearly 50 public parks, from Deukmejian Wilderness Park in the north to Cerritos Park in the south.

## Government
### Local government

According to the city's most recent comprehensive annual financial report, the city's various funds had $576 million in revenues, $543 million in expenditures, $2,090 million in total assets, $481 million in total liabilities, and $460 million in cash and investments. Glendale elects its City Council members at large, to a four-year term. Elections are held on a Tuesday after the first Monday in April of odd-numbered years along with the Glendale Unified School District Board of Education and the Glendale Community College District Board of Trustees.

#### Elected officials
##### City Council

The current Glendale City Council members are:
* Elen Asatryan (Mayor)
* Dan Brotman
* Vartan Gharpetian
* Ardy Kassakhian
* Ara Najarian

##### City Clerk

The current City Clerk is Suzie Abajian.

##### Board of Education

The current Glendale Unified School District Board of Education members are:
* Shant Sahakian (President)
* Ingrid Gunnell (Vice President)
* Kathleen Cross (Clerk)
* Neda Farid
* Telly Tse

##### Community College District

The current Glendale Community College District Board of Trustees are:
* Desirée Portillo Rabinov (President)
* Yvette Vartanian Davis (Vice President)
* Armine Hacopian (Clerk)
* Sevan Benlian
* Ann Ransford

#### Board, commissions and committees

Glendale has numerous boards and commissions, subject to the Brown Act, to support the City Council:
* Arts & Culture Commission
* Audit Committee
* Building & Fire Board of Appeals
* Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena Airport Authority
* Charter Review Committee
* Civil Service Commission
* Commission on the Status of Women
* Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee
* Design Review Board
* Glendale Housing Authority
* Glendale Water & Power Commission
* Historic Preservation Commission
* Metropolitan Water District
* Parks, Recreation & Community Services Commission
* Planning Commission
* Sustainability Commission
* Transportation and Parking Commission
* Vector Control District

### County representation

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Glendale Health Center in Glendale.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services operates the Glendale DPSS welfare office on San Fernando Road.
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation operates Crescenta Valley park in North Glendale
The Los Angeles County Department of Aging and Disabilities operates an undisclosed Adult Protective Services office in Glendale
In the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Glendale is in the Fifth District, represented by Kathryn Barger.

### State and federal representation

In the United States House of Representatives, Glendale is in California's 30th congressional district, represented by Democrat Laura Friedman.
In the California State Legislature, Glendale is in the 25th Senate District, represented by Democrat Sasha Renée Pérez, and in both the 44th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Nick Schultz, and the 52nd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Jessica Caloza.

## Crime and public safety

In 1977 and 1978, 10 murdered women were found in and around Glendale in what became known as the case of the Hillside Strangler. The murders were the work of Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono, the latter of whom resided at 703 East Colorado Street, where most of the murders took place.
In 2014, Glendale was named the ninth-safest city in America in a report published by 24/7 Wall Street based on violent crime rates in cities with more than 100,000 people. Also in 2014, real estate company Movoto used FBI data crime data from 2013 to conduct a study of 100 U.S. cities with populations between 126,047 and 210,309 residents and concluded that Glendale was the safest mid-sized city in America.

## Education

The Glendale Unified School District operates the public schools in Glendale. It consists of 20 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 4 high schools and 3 facilities for homeschoolers and special-needs students. A number of private schools also operate in Glendale.
Glendale Community College has served Glendale since 1927.

## Media
### Print

Since 1928, Glendale's English language newspaper of record has been the weekly Glendale News-Press, which has been owned by Outlook Newspapers since 2020. Since 2009, another English language weekly newspaper, the Crescenta Valley Weekly, has also covered Glendale, with a focus on the northern part of Glendale in the Crescenta Valley. Nor Hayastan is the city's Armenian language newspaper. Balita Media publishes two weekly English language newspapers for the Filipino community: Balita Midweek on Wednesdays and Balita Weekend on Saturdays. El Vaquero, established in 1927, is the student newspaper of Glendale Community College.

### Radio

A number of radio stations are broadcast from and/or are licensed to Glendale, including the following:
AM broadcasting
* 870 KRLA – (Conservative talk radio)
FM broadcasting
* 95.9 KFSH – (Contemporary Christian music)
* 101.9 KSCA – (Regional Mexican music)

### Television

KABC-TV, an ABC owned-and-operated news broadcasting television station serving Greater Los Angeles, has maintained its César Pelli-designed facility in Glendale since 2000.
Since 2013, USArmenia TV has been based in Glendale. The station features Armenian language sitcoms, reality television and news broadcasting.

## Infrastructure
### Public safety

The Glendale Fire Department responds to about 17,000 calls for service annually. The department has nine stations, with mutual aid provided other local departments. The Verdugo Fire Communications Center in Glendale was established in 1979 to consolidate fire dispatching and telecommunications between 13 local fire departments.

### Transportation
#### Bus services

LADOT, Metro Local and Glendale Beeline all have buses that run in the city. Glendale Transportation Center provides connections to Greyhound buses.
The North Hollywood to Pasadena Transit Corridor is a proposed 18-mile (29 km) bus rapid transit line. It is planned to operate between Pasadena City College and the North Hollywood station, where it will connect with the Metro B Line and the Metro G Line. The line is planned to connect downtown Burbank to Glendale via Glenoaks Boulevard before heading south on Central Avenue and then continuing east on Broadway. The line is expected to open in 2027. The project is part of Metro's Twenty-eight by '28 initiative.
A 2021 Metro staff report for the Metro Board's Planning and Programming Committee has recommended corridors where the transportation agency could pursue new bus rapid transit lines, including one between downtown Glendale and East Los Angeles College, a 13.64-mile (21.95 km) corridor passing through Los Feliz, Silver Lake, and Echo Park.

#### Train services

Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line and Ventura County Line stop at the Glendale Transportation Center. Also, Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner stops at Glendale Transportation Center.
Since 2016, Metro and Eco-Rapid Transit have been studying the feasibility of adding more frequent service and infill stations along the corridor. Also studied has been the creation of a light rail line along the Burbank-Glendale-Union Station corridor, potentially allowing trains to leave the existing right-of-way to travel through the commercial core of Glendale.

#### Streetcar

Using a grant from the Southern California Association of Governments, the City of Glendale is now in the midst of a feasibility study for a streetcar project. The city is considering two alignments for the proposed system, both of which would feature 16 stops running approximately 2.88 miles (4.63 km) between Stocker Street in the north and the Glendale Transportation Center in the south, where it would connect with Metrolink and Amtrak trains.

#### Airports

The closest airport that serves Glendale is the Hollywood Burbank Airport. The airport is owned by the Burbank–Glendale–Pasadena Airport Authority, a joint powers agreement between the cities of Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena.

#### Freeways and highways

Glendale is served by four freeways: the Glendale Freeway (State Route 2), the Ventura Freeway (State Route 134), the Foothill Freeway (Interstate 210) and the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5)
Major surface streets in the city include: Brand Boulevard, Broadway, Canada Boulevard, Central Avenue, Chevy Chase Drive, Colorado Boulevard, Foothill Boulevard, Glendale Avenue, Glenoaks Boulevard, Grandview Avenue, La Crescenta Avenue, Honolulu Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, Riverside Drive, Victory Boulevard, Pacific Avenue, Sonora Avenue, Western Avenue, San Fernando Road, Verdugo Road/Boulevard, Mountain Street, and Ocean View Boulevard.

## Notable people

* Tatev Abrahamyan, chess player
* Allisyn Ashley Arm, actress, filmmaker
* Dan Avidan, vocalist in Ninja Sex Party and Starbomb, co-host of webseries Game Grumps
* Chet Baker, jazz musician
* Zoe Barnett, actress
* Kimberly Beck, actress
* Captain Beefheart, musician
* Dawn Bender, actress
* Christian Bergman, baseball pitcher
* Elvin Bishop, musician
* Aloe Blacc, musician
* David Brin, author
* Clara Bryant, actress
* Angelo Buono, serial killer
* Julia Butters, child actress
* Lucille Carroll, actress, MGM studio executive
* Armen Chakmakian, musician and composer
* Caryl Chessman, criminal
* Migdia Chinea, filmmaker
* John Cho, actor
* Claudia Christian, actress
* Michael Cisco, novelist
* Ray Combs (1956–1996), former Family Feud host
* Doug Davidson, soap opera actor
* Bette Davis, actress
* John Debney, Academy Award-nominated composer
* Emilio Delgado, actor, Luis on Sesame Street
* Doug Dohring, CEO of Neopets
* Nicole Eggert, actress
* Erika Eleniak, model and actress
* Douglas Emerson, actor
* Robert Englund, actor, Nightmare on Elm Street
* Yvonne Lime Fedderson, actress, third wife of producer Don Fedderson
* Pat Flaherty, auto racing driver, winner of 1956 Indianapolis 500
* Doug Forrester, businessman and politician from New Jersey
* Edward Furlong, actor
* Beverly Garland, actress and hotel owner
* Daryl Gates, former LAPD police chief
* Go Betty Go, rock star
* Scott Gorham, musician
* Ellen Louise Graham, journalist at The Wall Street Journal and 1999 Pulitzer Prize finalist
* Woody Guthrie, musician
* Joe Hahn, musician
* Peter D. Hannaford, political consultant and author associated with Ronald Reagan
* Arin Hanson, animator, vocalist of Starbomb, co-host of the webseries Game Grumps
* Thomas B. Hayward, United States admiral
* Tim Heidecker, comedian and musician
* Pamela Hensley, actress
* Taraji P. Henson, Academy Award–nominated actress
* Babe Herman, MLB right fielder
* Hardcore Holly, professional wrestler
* Chris Holmes, lead guitarist, W.A.S.P.
* John Holmes, pornographic actor
* Ashlyne Huff, musician
* Lux Interior and Poison Ivy, musicians, The Cramps
* Kathy Ireland, model and actress
* Jay-R, actor, TV host
* Nicole Jung, KPop artist
* Maren Jensen, actress
* Margaret Kerry, actress
* James Kerwin, filmmaker
* Ed King, guitarist, Strawberry Alarm Clock & Lynyrd Skynyrd
* Robert Knapp, actor
* Don Knotts, Emmy-winning actor, lived in Glendale
* Nathan Kress, actor
* Greg Kriesel, bassist, The Offspring
* Shia LaBeouf, actor
* Jonna Lee, actress
* Robert B. Lewis, thoroughbred owner
* Mike Lieberthal, MLB All-Star catcher
* Yvonne Lime, actress
* Eric Lloyd, actor
* Mario Lopez, TV personality
* Katherine "Scottie" MacGregor, actress
* Benji Madden, lead guitarist, Good Charlotte
* Joel Madden, lead vocalist, Good Charlotte
* Daron Malakian, lead guitarist, System of a Down
* Rafi Manoukian, politician
* Vanes Martirosyan, boxer
* Tim Matheson, actor
* Rex Mays, champion race driver
* Mike Mazurki, actor and professional wrestler
* Brandon McCarthy, former pitcher for Los Angeles Dodgers
* Doug McClure, actor
* Eva Mendes, actress
* Don Milan, NFL player
* Terry Moore, actress
* Jim E. Mora, football coach
* Dennis Muren, special effects artist
* Clarence Nash, original voice of Donald Duck
* Taylor Negron, actor, comedian
* Ross O'Donovan, animator and YouTube personality
* Florence Oberle, actress
* Ken Osmond, actor from Leave It to Beaver
* Kelly Packard, actress
* Patti Paniccia (born 1952), law professor, lawyer, journalist and former professional surfer
* Melissa Pastore, pastor
* Paul Petersen, actor from The Donna Reed Show
* Sam Phillips, musician
* Jamie Pineda, front woman of pop music project Sweetbox
* Al Pollard, NFL player and announcer
* Donald Prothero, paleontologist and author
* Scott Radinsky, MLB pitcher
* Ronnie Radke, vocalist, Falling In Reverse
* James Rallison, YouTuber known as TheOdd1sOut
* Frederick Emil Resche, U.S. Army brigadier general
* Archie Reynolds, MLB player
* Michael Richards, actor from Seinfeld
* Nicole Richie, fashion designer, TV personality
* Debra Jo Rupp, actress
* Devin Sarno, composer
* Maureen Kennedy Salaman, proponent of alternative medicine and author
* Steven L. Sears, writer and producer
* T. Sean Shannon, SNL comedy writer
* Bob Siebenberg, drummer of Supertramp
* Stirling Silliphant, screenwriter, producer
* Rick Springfield, musician
* Mary Kay Stearns, actress
* Casey Stengel, MLB player and Hall of Fame manager for New York Yankees
* Carl Steven, former child actor
* Joseph Stroud, poet and educator
* Gary Sutherland, MLB player
* System of a Down, alternative metal band
* Gloria Talbott, actress
* Diana Taurasi, WNBA player, Olympian
* Vic Tayback, actor, star of 1970s CBS sitcom Alice
* Jayceon Terrell Taylor, rapper, musician known professionally as The Game
* Michael Tonkin, MLB pitcher
* Ann Tyrrell, actress
* Ron Underwood, director
* Lupe Vélez, actress
* Shawna Waldron, actress
* Paul Walker, actor
* Gordon Waller, singer with Peter and Gordon
* John Wayne, iconic film actor, attended Glendale High School
* Tanya Falan Welk, singer
* Lorin Whitney, organist and recording artist
* Dale Wood, organist and composer
* Gregg Zaun, MLB catcher

## Sister cities

Glendale's sister cities are:
* Martuni, Artsakh
* Gyumri, Armenia
* Kapan, Armenia
* Santiago, Dominican Republic
* Higashiōsaka, Japan
* Rosarito Beach, Mexico
* Tlaquepaque, Mexico
* Boeun, South Korea
* Gimpo, South Korea
* Goseong, South Korea
* Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines