| The city of Los Angeles remained within its original 30 | | | | brought the city's area to 450 square miles. Currently, it |
| square-mile area until the 1890s. The earliest significant | | | | is approximately 470 square miles. |
| additions to the city were the districts of Highland Park | | | | In World War II, Los Angeles developed as a center |
| and Garvanza to the north, and the South Los | | | | for production of war materials and ammunition. |
| Angeles area. In 1906, the approval of the Port of Los | | | | Thousands of African Americans and white |
| Angeles and an adjustment in state law allowed the | | | | Southerners relocated to the area to take factory |
| city to annex the Harbor Gateway, a narrow strip of | | | | jobs. |
| land going from Los Angeles towards the port. San | | | | By the middle of the century, L.A. was an industrial and |
| Pedro and Wilmington were added in 1909, and the city | | | | financial colossus created by war production and |
| of Hollywood was added in 1910, making the city 90 | | | | migration. The city made more automobiles than any |
| square miles. Also annexed that year were the cities | | | | city other than Detroit, made more tires than anywhere |
| of Colegrove and Cahuenga, as well as part of Los | | | | but Akron, and stitched more clothes than any location |
| Feliz. | | | | except New York. In addition, it was the national center |
| The opening of the Los Angeles Aqueduct gave the | | | | for the production of films, radio broadcasts and TV |
| city with four times as much water as it required, and | | | | shows. Building and construction boomed as tract |
| the offer of water service became a powerful lure for | | | | houses were built in suburban areas financed by the |
| nearby communities. Los Angeles administrators | | | | FHA. |
| locked in customers through annexation by refusing to | | | | The city continued to expand, especially with the |
| supply other areas. By referendum of the residents, | | | | development of the San Fernando Valley and the |
| 170 square miles of the San Fernando Valley were | | | | building of the freeways launched in the 1940s. When |
| annexed to the city in 1915, almost tripling its area. Over | | | | the local streetcar system went bankrupt, L.A. became |
| the next two decades dozens of new annexations | | | | a locale entirely built around the automobile. |