Best Web Design in Whittier, CA (2026)

Web Design for Whittier, California

Whittier is a hillside city of about 87,000 in southeastern Los Angeles County, founded by Midwestern Quakers in 1887 and named for the abolitionist Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier, who never actually visited. Its walkable Uptown district, lined with Craftsman and Spanish Colonial Revival storefronts, sits near the East L.A. stretch of Whittier Boulevard that became an anthem of Chicano lowrider cruising culture. Today the city is majority Latino and best known as the town where Richard Nixon grew up and went to college.

AppWT works with Whittier, CA businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Whittier

Also known as. The Quaker City (founded by Quaker settlers). City of Flowers.

History. Founded in 1887 by a small group of Quakers from the Midwest and named for Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier, who wrote the poem 'My Name I Give to Thee' about the settlement but never visited Much of the land was once part of Pio Pico's Rancho Paso de Bartolo; Pico, the last Mexican governor of Alta California, built a hacienda on the San Gabriel River now preserved as Pio Pico State Historic Park Incorporated as a city on February 25, 1898, and became a charter city in 1955 The magnitude 5.9 Whittier Narrows earthquake struck at 7:42 a.m. on October 1, 1987, killing eight people and heavily damaging historic Uptown buildings; a 5.2 aftershock three days later caused further destruction and spurred creation of the Whittier Conservancy

Local economy. Grew as a citrus and walnut ranching center; 'Quaker Brand' fruit was shipped nationwide and the area became one of the nation's largest walnut-growing regions Oil production on the surrounding hills was a former economic backbone before residential and commercial development replaced the fields Now primarily a residential community, with many residents commuting to jobs across Los Angeles Top employers are healthcare and education institutions, including PIH Health (Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital), Whittier Union High School District, and Whittier Hospital Medical Center

Culture and community. The nearby Whittier Boulevard corridor became a lowrider and cruising hotspot for Mexican-American youth beginning in the 1940s-60s, immortalized by East L.A. Chicano rock band Thee Midniters in their 1965 instrumental hit 'Whittier Blvd.' Home to Whittier College, a small liberal-arts school founded as Whittier Academy in 1887 Uptown Whittier hosts community events and a revitalized dining scene, including the Poet Gardens food hall that opened in 2019 The city is roughly 70% Hispanic/Latino, a major demographic shift from a majority non-Hispanic white population in 1980

What makes Whittier distinct. President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon both have deep Whittier ties; Nixon attended Whittier High School and graduated from Whittier College Pixar co-founder John Lasseter is from Whittier Its period architecture has made it a frequent Hollywood filming location, standing in for the town square in 'Back to the Future,' plus 'Hocus Pocus,' 'Terminator 3,' and 'Disturbia' John Greenleaf Whittier, the poet the city is named after, never set foot in it

Whittier is a Los Angeles County city named for Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier, known for its historic Uptown district and Craftsman-era architecture.

Whittier Landmarks and Local Life

• Pio Pico State Historic Park - Preserved home of Pio Pico, the last Mexican governor of California
• Whittier College - Liberal arts college founded in 1887 and Richard Nixon's alma mater
• Uptown Whittier - Historic downtown business district along Greenleaf Avenue
• Hellman Park - Hillside park with hiking trails in the Puente Hills
• Central Park - Downtown park with a statue of poet John Greenleaf Whittier

Whittier at a Glance

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023.

• Median household income: About $92,374
• Adults with a bachelor degree or higher: About 29.2%
• Housing: About 58.5% of housing units are owner-occupied
• Housing: About 65.3% of the housing stock is single-family homes