Located just 30 minutes south of Los Angeles, the City Long Beach is the second-largest city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and the third-largest in Southern California behind Los Angeles and San Diego. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city totals approximately 80 square miles of real estate and is home to more than 460,000 residents across 84 different neighborhoods.
For years, Long Beach has been characterized as the “Aquatic Capital of America.” The city is seen as a staple of the Southern California community because of the blend of urban appeal and beachfront landscape. Notable attractions and points of interest include the Port of Long Beach, one of the world’s largest shipping ports, the Queen Mary, an iconic 1936 ocean liner turned hotel and tourist hotspot, and the world-renowned Aquarium of the Pacific, a diverse marine center visited by over 1.5 million people annually.