Area and Location: 21 square miles, 12,312 acres, situated halfway between Los Angeles and Orange Counties and bound by the Pacific Ocean on the west, Torrance has 1.5 miles of lifeguard patrolled beach, bath house facilities and public parking.

Population: Incorporated in 1921, the present population is 133,000, making Torrance the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County and the 12th largest city in California.

The city of Torrance has 24 parks, including the 44-acre Wilson Park and the 52-acre Columbia Park, one golf course, a swimming pool and numerous public tennis courts. In all, Torrance has 300 acres of parkland or about 2 acres for every 1000 residents.

One of Torrance's special recreational features is its outstanding beach with facilities for swimming, surfing and volleyball. It is the site of the annual Daily Breeze International Surf Festival which attracts thousands each summer. Torrance also hosts the nation's largest and longest running Armed Forces Day Observance each May, the annual Mobil 10k run each spring and the Torrance Beach Cities Team Triathlon in September.