Think of Los Angeles as a collection of towns strung together by freeways rather than one tidy city, spread across more than a thousand square kilometers. About 3.9 million people live in the city and nearly 13 million in the metro area. Visitors tend to hit the Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Getty Center, Santa Monica Pier and the Venice boardwalk, with a hike toward the Hollywood Sign for anyone who wants exercise.
You will want a car, and you will spend some time in traffic. Housing is expensive, with a typical home selling for over a million dollars, though the market has softened a little. Car break-ins are common, so leave nothing visible in a parked car, especially at trailheads and beach lots. Wildfire smoke, Santa Ana winds and earthquakes are part of life here, and Skid Row and parts of downtown call for caution.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
- Known as
- City of Angels; LA; Tinseltown; Entertainment Capital of the World
- Founded
- 1781 settled (El Pueblo de Los Angeles); 1850 incorporated
- Languages
- English; Spanish; Korean; Tagalog; Armenian; Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese); Farsi
- Airports
- Los Angeles International (LAX); Hollywood Burbank (BUR); Long Beach (LGB); John Wayne Orange County (SNA); Ontario International (ONT)
- Tipping
- Restaurants 18-20% for table service; bars $1-2 per drink or 15-20% of tab; taxis and rideshare 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; bellhop $2-3 per bag; valet $3-5; hair and spa services 15-20%; counter service optional
About this data
Population: Census Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025); metro: Census Vintage 2025 via statranker. Area, elevation, coordinates, founding, and cost-of-living index from general knowledge, not re-verified. Crime and rent figures are third-party aggregates; hotel rates from Engine multi-year average; home price from Redfin Aug 2026. Event months are typical.
