You've probably never lived there. Honestly, almost nobody does. With a population that usually hovers around 200 people, city of industry ca 91748 is a ghost town by night and a titan by day. It’s a bizarre, concrete-heavy slice of the San Gabriel Valley where the zoning laws basically say "no humans allowed, only commerce."
Driving down the 60 freeway, you see the massive warehouses. You see the stacks of shipping containers. It looks like just another industrial park, but that’s a massive understatement. This zip code is the literal engine room of Southern California. If you bought something on Amazon today, or if you’re using a computer part from Newegg, there is a statistically high chance it sat in a warehouse in the 91748 zip code forty-eight hours ago.
The Weird Reality of a City Built for Business
Most cities are built for people. They want parks, schools, and cute little coffee shops. City of Industry? It was incorporated in 1957 specifically to prevent residential sprawl from eating up prime industrial land. The founders were clever. They saw the post-war boom coming and decided to create a sanctuary for factories.
It’s almost entirely industrial.
Think about that for a second. In a state where housing is the biggest crisis, here is a massive chunk of land where building a house is nearly impossible. It’s a business-first ecosystem. Because of this, the tax base is astronomical compared to the resident count. The city pulls in massive revenue from business licenses and sales tax, which it then pours back into infrastructure like the Industry Hills Expo Center or the Pacific Palms Resort.
You’ll find over 3,000 businesses here. These aren't just "mom and pop" shops, though those exist too. We’re talking about massive hubs for companies like Hot Topic, Emtek, and Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company. If you’ve ever wondered why the roads in this specific part of the 60 freeway feel a bit wider or the streetlights seem a bit brighter, it’s because the city has the cash to keep it that way.
Why 91748 is the Logistics Capital
Location is everything. If you look at a map, City of Industry is nestled perfectly between the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the distribution hubs of the Inland Empire. It is the "middleman" of the global supply chain.
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- The Union Pacific Railroad runs right through it.
- Major arteries like the 60 and 605 freeways intersect here.
- It serves as the primary "last mile" staging ground for goods entering the Western United States.
It’s loud. It’s gritty. It’s also incredibly efficient. Thousands of trucks cycle through these streets every single day. While other cities in the San Gabriel Valley like Hacienda Heights or Rowland Heights are fighting over bike lanes and residential zoning, Industry is focused on one thing: moving pallets.
The Tech Hub You Didn't Know Existed
People talk about Silicon Beach or Irvine, but city of industry ca 91748 is a quiet powerhouse for hardware. Newegg, the e-commerce giant for PC builders, is headquartered here. TP-Link has a massive presence. If it involves a motherboard, a router, or a high-end graphics card, the logistics often flow through this zip code.
It’s not just about storage. It’s about technical distribution. The specialized labor force that understands how to move fragile, high-value electronics is concentrated in this corridor. It’s a niche expertise that has kept the city relevant even as manufacturing moved overseas. Now, the city is transitioning from a place that makes things to a place that manages the things everyone else makes.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Area
When people see the name "City of Industry," they assume it’s a polluted wasteland. It’s actually surprisingly clean, at least in the parts where they want you to hang out. The Pacific Palms Resort is a prime example. It sits on a hill overlooking the warehouses, featuring a world-class golf course (the Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms Resort) that has hosted LPGA events.
It’s a strange juxtaposition. You can play a round of golf on a pristine green while looking down at a million-square-foot FedEx sorting facility.
Another misconception? That there's nothing to do. While the city isn't built for "nightlife" in the traditional sense, the food scene is incredible. Because it borders Rowland Heights—one of the premier Asian food destinations in the country—the lunch spots in City of Industry are top-tier. You’ll see logistics managers and warehouse foremen rubbing elbows with tech execs at spots like Seafood Village or various dim sum houses just across the city line.
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The Economic Power of 80,000 Commuters
Every morning, the population of City of Industry swells from a couple hundred to over 80,000. It’s a massive tidal wave of labor. This creates a specific kind of pressure on the 91748 infrastructure.
The city has had its share of controversy, too. When you have that much money and that few residents, the politics get... complicated. Over the years, there have been various audits and investigations into how the city spends its massive coffers. Former city officials have faced legal scrutiny regarding contracts and land deals. It's the kind of stuff you'd see in a movie about a "company town."
But for the average person working there, none of that matters. What matters is the job density. According to data from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), Industry is one of the few places in the region with a massive "jobs-to-housing" imbalance. There are roughly 300 jobs for every one resident. That is a staggering statistic that you won't find almost anywhere else in America.
Real-World Business Value in Industry
If you're looking to move a business here, you need to understand the perks. The City of Industry doesn't have a city property tax. Think about that. In California, that’s almost unheard of. They also have a very pro-business stance on permitting. If you want to expand a warehouse, the city is generally going to help you make it happen rather than burying you in three years of environmental impact studies.
However, the real estate is some of the most expensive industrial land in the world. Vacancy rates in the 91748 area often hover below 2%. If a building opens up, it’s usually leased before the sign even goes up.
Actionable Insights for Navigating City of Industry
Whether you are looking for a job, scouting a business location, or just passing through, here is how you actually handle this unique zip code.
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For Business Owners: Don't wait for a "For Lease" sign. You need to work with specialized industrial brokers like CBRE or Lee & Associates who have "off-market" connections in the 91748 area. The competition for square footage is fierce because of the proximity to the Union Pacific rail lines.
For Commuters: The 60 freeway is your enemy between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM, and again from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. If you are working in Industry, try to approach from the "back" ways through Diamond Bar or La Puente using Valley Boulevard. Valley Blvd is the "main street" of Industry and often moves faster than the freeway during peak congestion.
For Visitors: If you find yourself here for a conference at Pacific Palms, take the time to visit the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum. It’s a six-acre historic site that shows what this area looked like before the concrete took over. It’s a bizarrely peaceful oasis in the middle of an industrial desert.
For Job Seekers: The high-paying roles here aren't just in the warehouses. Look for "Supply Chain Analyst" or "Logistics Coordinator" roles within the tech firms based in 91748. These companies often struggle to find local talent that understands both the tech side and the gritty reality of physical shipping.
The city is a relic of 1950s urban planning that somehow became the most important gear in the 21st-century economy. It’s not pretty, it’s not "livable" in the traditional sense, but without city of industry ca 91748, the shelves in your local store would likely be empty. It is a monument to pure, unadulterated commerce.