Torrance is a 21-square-mile city in southwestern Los Angeles County and the largest by population in the South Bay. It was founded in 1912 by industrialist Jared Sidney Torrance, who hired the Olmsted Brothers and architect Irving Gill to plan a model industrial garden city. Old Torrance, around the historic depot at El Prado and Sartori, still preserves that early layout.
Modern Torrance covers a wide range of neighborhoods. Old Torrance sits in the city's northeast. Walteria and Hollywood Riviera occupy the southern coast. Southwood and Seaside spread between PCH and Crenshaw. North Torrance and West Torrance lie above Sepulveda. Del Amo Fashion Center, Wilson Park, and the Torrance Cultural Arts Center act as the city's everyday hubs.
The Torrance Unified School District operates 31 campuses with a strong academic record. The city is also home to Honda's North American HQ, Toyota's former U.S. HQ campus, several aerospace suppliers, and one of the densest concentrations of Japanese-American businesses, restaurants, and grocery in Southern California.