West Covina highlight
Historic Plaza
West Covina's downtown civic center developed from the city's post-World War II growth into a commercial and administrative hub serving the San Gabriel Valley.
When West Covina incorporated in 1923, it was a small municipality with fewer than 1,000 residents. The city's transformation began after 1945, when returning servicemen and their families moved to Southern California and the San Gabriel Valley became one of the nation's fastest-growing regions. Between 1950 and 1960, West Covina's population grew from 4,499 to over 50,000 residents, and the city rapidly developed its downtown and commercial districts to serve this influx.
The civic and commercial heart of West Covina grew around the downtown area and the plaza districts that followed, with City Hall established at 1444 West Garvey Avenue South. The city's commercial centers, including Plaza West Covina and surrounding retail districts, were built to serve the new suburban communities that expanded outward from the 1950s forward. These developments reflect the defining era of Southern California suburban growth and the infrastructure needed to support rapidly growing communities.
The downtown and commercial areas represent the backbone of a city built to serve families. A neighborhood this size, with its infrastructure and services, is built by families who intend to stay, who are planning for their children's futures and managing their mortgages for the long term. That kind of commitment to roots and community is exactly what life insurance protects: the family's plans, uninterrupted.