South Gate is a compact city in southeastern Los Angeles County, one of the Gateway Cities that ring the industrial corridor south and east of downtown Los Angeles. It covers 7.4 square miles and sits roughly seven miles from the downtown civic center, bordered by neighboring communities such as Huntington Park, Cudahy, Lynwood, and Downey. The city's roots run through early twentieth-century agriculture and self-built housing. In its earliest decades, much of the local economy depended on urban agriculture, and many of the first homes were constructed by their owners through sweat equity rather than cash. South Gate incorporated on January 20, 1923, and in 1965 adopted the azalea as its symbol, earning the nickname the "Azalea City." By 1940 the city had transformed into a major industrial center, home to more than 35 factories producing chemicals, steel, and other goods. Industry remains central to South Gate's economy. Manufacturing, health care, and transportation and warehousing are the leading employment sectors, and the city benefits from its position along the Interstate 710 and 105 freeways and its proximity to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — one of the busiest goods-movement corridors in the country. This industrial base coexists with dense, single-family residential neighborhoods. South Gate is a working-class, predominantly Latino community with a strong sense of place. Its population of roughly 93,000 lives at high density, and the city offers an urban-suburban mix of older homes, apartments, and neighborhood shopping. South Gate Park and local schools anchor community life. For residents, the city's appeal lies in its central location, relative affordability within Los Angeles County, and access to freeways, jobs, and the wider metropolis.