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D−History
History · Lakewood

Lakewood dates to 1954

More historic than 4% of U.S. towns · #812 of 847 in California. What drives it

Most of Lakewood was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1957. Below: maps from 1896 on and the census since 1960.

1954founded
0on the National Register
1%homes built before 1940
30famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Proarte · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Lakewood began

When was Lakewood founded?

1954

Lakewood dates its founding to 1954 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1960.

First census: 67,126 in 19602020 census: 82,49672 years

How historic is Lakewood?

D−

More historic than 4% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Lakewood’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lakewood is more historic than 4% of U.S. towns, #812 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lakewood’s overall grade.
Founding era1954, from Wikidata: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD−Homes built before 19401.2% of homes (±0.5) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%DNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical CA town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 4%
NewerOlder
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 4%

Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Lakewood’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±0.5 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1954.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Lakewood’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Lakewood are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18967 editions of the USGS map, 1896 to 1981. Watch Lakewood change.Famous sons and daughtersGreg LeMond, Kyle Korver and 28 more were born here.Old housesHalf of Lakewood’s homes were built before 1957.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Lakewood’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Lakewood’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Lakewood on the map, 1896 to 1981

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lakewood. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Lakewood on the 1896 USGS mapLakewood on the 1902 USGS mapLakewood on the 1925 USGS mapLakewood on the 1949 USGS mapLakewood on the 1964 USGS mapLakewood on the 1972 USGS mapLakewood on the 1981 USGS map1896Downey sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Lakewood.

Famous people

30 famous people were born in Lakewood

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Greg LeMondAmerican racing cyclist · b. 1961
Kyle KorverAmerican basketball player · b. 1981
Ryan EggoldAmerican actor, musician and singer · b. 1984
J
Jalen NealAmerican soccer player · b. 2003
Paul LotmanAmerican volleyball player · b. 1985
Kristen MannAmerican basketball player · b. 1983
The story

How Lakewood came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Lakewood.

Read it all →

Lakewood is a post-World War II planned community. Developers Louis Boyar, Mark Taper and Ben Weingart are credited with "altering forever the map of Southern California." Begun in late 1949, the completion of the developers' plan in 1953 helped in the transformation of mass-produced housing from its early phases in the 1930s and 1940s to the reality of the postwar 1950s.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Lakewood, 1896 to 2003

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1896On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 20th century
  4. 1954
    FoundingLakewood is established
  5. 1961Born hereGreg LeMond is born here
  6. 1981Born hereKyle Korver is born here
  7. 1984Born hereRyan Eggold is born here
  8. 21st century
  9. 2003Born hereJalen Neal is born here
By decade

Lakewood, decade by decade

Today7 recent
New-05b2015New-05bLions @ 49ers2009Lions @ 49ersLos Angeles County Sheriff prisoner bus2008Los Angeles County Sheriff prisoner busLos Angeles County Sheriff prisoner bus interior 22008Los Angeles County Sheriff prisoner bus interior 2Los Angeles County Sheriff prisoner bus interior 12008Los Angeles County Sheriff prisoner bus interior 1CAMap-doton-Lakewood2006CAMap-doton-LakewoodLakewood sheriff monument2005Lakewood sheriff monument
People over time

Lakewood, census by census

020,00040,00060,00080,0001960198020002020Peak: 83,025

Between 67,126 and 83,025 people in every census since 1960.

7 censuses, 1960–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Lakewood’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Old corners and places now gone

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Bingham
Gone or out of use
Cerritos Gun ClublocaleMontana Ranchlocale

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Long Beach19 historic placesB+CerritosIts storyC−Hawaiian GardensIts storyDCypressIts storyDBellflowerIts storyC−La PalmaIts storyD−

Questions about Lakewood’s history

What year was Lakewood founded?

In 1954, according to Wikidata. the census of 1960 counted 67,126 people here.

How does Lakewood rank for history?

Lakewood is more historic than 4% of U.S. towns, #812 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Lakewood?

1% of Lakewood’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1957.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (7), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.