Positioned on the Pacific Rim, the Gateway Cities are the industrial powerhouse of Los Angeles County. Home of the Port of Long Beach and neighbor of the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest container ports in the U.S., this southeast sub-region of the County provides one out of every seven jobs in Southern California.

The 27 cities of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments have a combined population of two million people, who live and work in communities as diverse as their populations. Together, they offer:

A center for high-tech manufacturing and entrepreneurial businesses.

A superb physical transportation infrastructure comprising an airport, marine terminals, freeway systems, rail networks including the Alameda Corridor Freight Rail System and expanding mass transit systems.

Economic partnerships formed at the local and regional level encourage redevelopment and business growth with an eye to the future, leaders from business, education and government work together to identify ways to improve the business environment. Supported by the public sector, the private sector is taking the lead in crafting solutions to issues facing the local business community in the 21st century.

Prestigious educational institutions, including Biola University, La Mirada, California State University Long Beach, Whittier College, Whittier, and five community colleges, Cerritos College, Compton College, Long Beach City College, Rio Hondo College and East Los Angeles College, are a magnet for innovation and research.  Public schools and a number of private schools offer high-quality education to prepare for the future.

Big-city living with the benefits of small-town life is an advantage to residents of the area. Housing opportunities range from luxurious beachfront properties to single-family homes apartments, condominiums and affordable housing close to the workplace.

An important tourist destination, where the Queen Mary, the new Aquarium of the Pacific and the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach draw crowds from all over the world.

The Southeast Los Angeles County sub-region enjoys an enviable year round climate of ocean breezes and moderate temperatures.