Topanga History and Demographics

Topanga History and Demographics

Topanga Canyon history
 

What Does The Name “Topanga” Mean?
According to John P. Harrington, linguist on the staff of the Bureau of American Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution: “The name ‘Topanga’ evidently means ‘above’ with reference to the village site being above the high water of Topanga Creek. The ‘nga’ with which the name ends means ‘place’ and the entire name apparently means ‘above place’ or, as we would say in current English, merely ‘above’. The name is an old Shoshonean word and can also be used in reference to the sky or heaven.
 

See some interesting information about the history of Topanga Canyon
 
Topanga 1920
see more :
Topanga  Historical Society		    
     

Gallery and Archive Center

Pine Tree Circle Center
120 South Topanga Canyon Blvd., Unit 206
Open Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sundays 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and other days by appointment

    
       

Route 27 ( Topanga Cayon Blvd)

    
California State Route 27    
 
Topanga Demographics
 

Surrounded by State Park with miles of Trails…Topanga Canyon has so much to offer.

Demographics
As of the Census 2000 for the zip code 90290 the following demographics are applicable.

Population
The population of the Topanga is 5441, of which 2,754 (50.6%) are male and 2,687 (49.4%) female.

  • The median age is 41.2 years.
  • 90.9% of the population is white.
  • Average household size is 2.45 persons.
  • Average family size is 2.90 persons.

Housing

There are 2332 housing units of which

  • 1680 are occupied by the owners.
  • 535 are occupied by renters.
  • 117 are vacant.

Education demographics

  • 3952 (97.2%) of residents have a high school graduate degree.
  • 2480 (61.0%) of residents have a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

 Economics

  • Median household income in 1999 was $88,661.
  • Median family income in 1999 was $118,489.
  • Per capita income in 1999 was $46,834.
  • Mean Travel Time to work is 39.3 minutes.

Government and infrastructure

The Los Angeles County Fire Department operates Fire Station #69 in Topanga as a part of Battalion 5.[10]

The United States Postal Service Topanga Post Office is located at 101 South Topanga Canyon Boulevard.[11]ducation

Natural disasters

  • November 6, 1961, The Santa Ynez Fire began, the same day as the Bel-Air–Brentwood Fire further east. It burned nine structures and 9,720 acres (39 km2) of watershed.
  • Topanga Creek causes occasional flooding and extensive road erosion, requiring the closure of Topanga Canyon Boulevard. In 1980, severe flooding washed out large sections of the road at the bottom of the “s” curves. Traffic was severely restricted during the six months of repairs. However, the heavy rains also produced beautiful waterfalls on the mountains east of the creek for a few months.
  • November 2, 1993, The Old Topanga Fire. Within an hour, had burned 1,000 acres (4 km2). It resulted in the largest mobilization of emergency resources in a 24-hour period in California history. By the time it was extinguished 10 days later, 16,516 acres (67 km2) of watershed and at least 388 structures were burned in Topanga and adjoining areas.
  • In 1997–8 Topanga Canyon received over 58″ of rainfall resulting in extensive flood damage.
  • In 2005, a fire referred to as the “Topanga Fire” burned in Chatsworth and points south and west of Chatsworth. This fire did not burn any areas in Topanga Canyon, but was named due to its origin near the intersection of Topanga Canyon Boulevard (SR 27) and the Ronald Reagan Freeway (SR 118) in Chatsworth.

Call for more information (818) 225-7433

**Phone hours are from 7 AM to 9 PM.