Downey

Downey

Located in the heart of Southern California, Downey prides itself for being a city with a small town atmosphere. Downey is home to the world’s oldest McDonalds and was the site of the first Taco Bell restaurant. But, perhaps, Downey’s most famous claim to fame is that it is the “place where America began its journey to the stars.” The city of Downey is where much of the country’s space technology was developed, starting in the 1950’s and continuing into the 1990’s. At one point, over 25,000 Boeing employees in Downey worked on the Apollo Space Program. In the late 1990’s massive layoffs in the aerospace industry caused the closure of the Boeing plant, although the aircraft hangers eventually became the Downey Studios and the shooting locations for major motion pictures including “Iron Man” and “The Italian Job” until their closure in 2012.

Downey’s central location to Southern California’s freeways have made it an ideal location for companies to do business. Rated in the top 25% of the “100 Best Cities To Do Business in California” by California Business Magazine, Downey is home to over 2,700 retail, service, and manufacturing companies. The city is also conveniently located within a half an hour of the area’s major attractions including Disneyland, Catalina Island, the Staples Center, and the Hollywood Bowl, to name a few.

Downey Facts:

Zip codes: 90239-90242
Area code: 562
Population: 113,242
County: Los Angeles
State: California