Azusa

The name Azusa comes from the Tongva people who lived here long before Spanish settlement^1,4. Their community was known as Asuksa-nga, and the city's name is said to derive from it¹. The Los Angeles Times reports that, translated from the Indian language, the name means Skunk Hill⁵. Writing from the vicinity of Bassett, Crespi remarked on the river and the valley to the north¹.

The area was part of the Tongva homeland from at least 55 BC, according to Business View Magazine⁴. The rancho era began in 1841, when the Mexican government granted a tract some three miles square to Luis Arenas^1,4. In 1844 he sold all his holdings to Henry Dalton, an Englishman who had made his wealth shipping goods between Peru, Wilmington Harbor and San Francisco^1,4. Henry Dalton changed the name of El Susa Rancho to Azusa Rancho de Dalton after the 1844 sale¹.

On the rancho he planted a vineyard stretching north from Dalton Hill toward the Sierra Madre Mountains¹. Gold changed the canyon country in 1854, when gold was discovered in the San Gabriel Canyon¹. A town named El Doradoville rose at the fork of the San Gabriel to serve some 2,000 miners who had filed claims along the east fork^1,4. Floods destroyed El Doradoville in 1861 and 1862¹.

Flood waters in 1861 and 1862 ruined flour mills in the canyons, so people brought grain to the Azusa Rancho de Dalton for grinding¹. Dalton's hold on the land weakened after 1860, when the United States Land Office surveyed the rancho and opened its southern and eastern edges to homesteading¹. Homesteaders streamed in, filing on parcels of 40, 80 or 120 acres¹. Slauson founded the townsite in 1887 and named it after the Azusa grant on which it sat⁶.

Foothill Boulevard carried the highway through town, and its old neon drive-in marquee still carries Route 66 nostalgia today³. The Foothill Drive-In marquee dates from 1961, and Azusa Pacific University bought the drive-in property in 2001³. Azusa Pacific University traces its roots to 1899, when it began as a small coed Bible school in Whittier³. It moved to its current location in Azusa in 1946 and has since expanded to two campuses³.

Citrus College, founded in 1915, sits next door along Route 66³. Islands describes Azusa as home to the oldest community college in Los Angeles³. Both colleges are served by their own Metro A Line station⁷. The Azusa Downtown station opened in 1887 and was rebuilt on March 5, 2016⁷.

A second station, APU/Citrus College, serves the college district⁷. Business View Magazine reports that the city has pursued transit-oriented development around its two light rail stations⁴. Projects like The Orchard, with 163 residential units plus retail, sit about a block from a station⁴. The city's population is about 50,000, and Business View Magazine reports it has had the fastest increase in the San Gabriel Valley in recent years⁴.

The city's employers include Northrop Grumman, Rain Bird and Lagunitas Brewing Company⁴. Azusa Pacific University is one of the city's largest employers⁴.

• Foothill Boulevard: the original Route 66 alignment through town, where the old neon drive-in marquee still stands³.
• Downtown Azusa Avenue: a stretch of small storefronts and cafes just south of the A Line station, with new apartments and shops built around the station since it opened⁸.
• The Civic Center: home to City Hall, a playground and the Azusa Historical Society museum in a 1920s Craftsman house⁸.
• Great Park and Rosedale Avenue: an expansive lawn with a playground and sports fields in the foothills, connected to an arroyo trail with native plants and storm-fed wetlands⁸.
• The college district: Azusa Pacific University and Citrus College sit side by side along Route 66, served by their own A Line station³.
• City parks: the city's park system includes Memorial Park, Northside Park and Pioneer Park⁹.
• State Highway 39 runs north from Route 66 in the heart of town.

The Azusa Library Association formed in October 1887 and held its first regular meeting on January 2, 1888¹⁰. The present library building went up in 1959¹⁰. The library is currently relocated during a remodel, according to the city's website¹¹. The Azusa Historical Society runs a history museum near the Civic Center, in a Craftsman house from the 1920s.

Transiting Los Angeles notes that the house once belonged to one of the town's mayors⁸. Masjid Al-Fatiha began in the mid-1990s, when its founders turned a run-down, abandoned medical building into a mosque. The Los Angeles Times describes a family-oriented congregation drawn from Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, Niger, Pakistan, India, Morocco and American converts. USC's Center for Religion and Civic Culture notes that the mosque welcomes non-Muslims to visit and engages with its surrounding community.

Azusa Golden Days is celebrating its 78th year with events inspired by Route 66¹². The 2026 program included a 5K run, bingo nights, dances and a downtown night market¹¹. Events listed by the city include a Canyon City Runners 5K and a dance evening hosted by UMAYPA¹¹. The week also features a Taste of Town event highlighting local cuisine¹².

Café Cultura is a contemporary Mexican brunch café on Route 66. It pours espresso drinks made with coffee sourced from Chiapas farmers. Transiting Los Angeles calls it the writer's favorite place to eat in town, noted for its pancakes, chilaquiles and lattes⁸. Carbon Taqueria grills USDA Prime meats over mesquite charcoal, with an open kitchen and a house salsa bar.

Chelsy's Oaxacan Restaurant & Bakery pairs a donut and coffee counter with traditional Oaxacan bread and cooking, including tlayudas and mole made in house. Clandestino Gastro-Bar serves modern Mexican food with Baja California flavors, covering both brunch and dinner. Its signature recommendation is the rib eye chilaquiles. Max's Mexican Cuisine brings inventive ideas together with traditional Mexican cooking, and pours its own margaritas.

Pepe's Tacos is a family-owned taqueria known for barbacoa, fish tacos and generous burritos. Barbecue has a foothill home at Canyon City Barbeque, which has served slow-smoked meats since 2003. Its brisket is smoked until tender, with a pink smoke ring, and the Canyon City Sampler mixes ribs, chicken, brisket and pulled pork. Aldolino Italian Restaurant was started by Aldolino Formica after a career as an executive chef in Los Angeles Italian kitchens.

It is known for hand-tossed pizza and a house-made lasagna layered with meat sauce, parmesan and ricotta. Blufish Sushi & Grill rounds out the options with creative specialty rolls like the Golden Truffle Roll and a chirashi bowl with assorted sashimi.

Azusa Downtown station is on the A Line, adjacent to APU/Citrus College station⁷. Azusa Downtown station opened in 1887 and was rebuilt with a start date of 2016⁷. Foothill Transit bus lines connect the stations to the wider region⁷. The A Line links Azusa eastward to Pomona, where riders can connect with Metrolink's San Bernardino Line, and westward toward Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles^8,7.

Islands magazine puts Azusa about 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles, about 30 minutes without traffic³. Drivers can take State Route 39 north from the city into the San Gabriel Canyon and the mountains beyond.