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Universal City, California

Coordinates: 34°8′20″N 118°21′9″W / 34.13889°N 118.35250°W / 34.13889; -118.35250
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Universal City, California
Unincorporated Area
Universal City as viewed from Briar Summit, February 2025
Universal City as viewed from Briar Summit, February 2025
Nickname: 
Universal Studios Complex
Location within Los Angeles County
Location within Los Angeles County
Universal City, California is located in the United States
Universal City, California
Universal City, California
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 34°8′20″N 118°21′9″W / 34.13889°N 118.35250°W / 34.13889; -118.35250
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyLos Angeles
Named afterUniversal Studios Hollywood
Population
 (2000)
 • Total
18
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
91608
Area codes747/818
FIPS code06-81232
GNIS feature ID1661603
View of 10 Universal City Plaza alongside Universal Sheraton and Universal Hilton

Universal City is an unincorporated area within the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located within the area of Universal City is the film studio complex Universal Studios Lot and the theme park Universal Studios Hollywood, as well as the Universal CityWalk shopping and entertainment center. Universal City is nearly surrounded by Los Angeles, with the area's northeastern corner touching the city of Burbank.

Roughly 323 acres of the 391-acre Universal Studios Complex are inside the Universal City unincorporated area, which is located two miles north of Hollywood and 10 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The remaining acreage falls within the City of Los Angeles. In fact, parts of what is commonly referred to as “Universal City” are officially within Los Angeles, including 10 Universal City Plaza (a 36-floor office building for Universal and NBC), the Sheraton Universal, and the Universal Hilton.[1] The One Universal office building also falls within the City of Los Angeles following a 2015 annexation.

The exact boundaries of Universal City were adjusted in January 2015 as part of Reorganization 2014-01, where parts of Universal CIty were annexed into the City of Los Angeles, while other areas were detached from the City of Los Angeles and returned to the jurisdiction of the County. The annexation/detachment actions were meant to follow historic and planned on-site land use patterns, such as having the entire theme park within the unicorporated part of Universal City.

Universal City's ZIP code is 91608,[2] and the community is inside area code 818.[3]

History

[edit]

Carl Laemmle officially opened the Second Universal City (Lankershim Boulevard) on March 15, 1915, on the 230-acre (93 ha) Taylor Ranch property.[4] At the launch event, in what is now the North Hollywood area, a crowd of men and women eagerly awaited the display of the film stages, daredevil stunt pilots and silent film idols, as well as the movie cameras Laemmle had brought along. "See how slapstick comedies are made. See your favorite screen stars do their work. See how we make the people laugh or cry or sit on the edge of their chairs the world over!" stated a poster touting Universal's opening. "C'mon out! Aw, c'mon!"[5]

In 1950, Universal Studios Lot increased its overall size to approximately 391 acres after Universal acquired additional land at the southern border of the studio. Music Corporation of America (MCA) bought the Universal Studios Lot in 1958.[6] Universal then leased back its property from MCA until MCA and Universal merged in 1962. The mountain portions above 600 feet (180 m) were not incorporated into studio use until MCA/Universal's master plan to level the hills and create the Universal Studio Tour Center and City Walk.

The exact boundaries of Universal City were adjusted in January 2015 as part of Reorganization 2014-01, where parts of Universal CIty within Los Angeles County were annexed into the City of Los Angeles, while other areas were detached from the City of Los Angeles and returned to the jurisdiction of the County. The annexation/detachment actions were meant to follow historic and planned on-site land use patterns, such as having the entire theme park within the unicorporated part of Universal City.

Fires

[edit]
Further information: Universal Studios Hollywood § Backlot fires

More than a half-dozen major fires have impacted the Universal Studios property (and, accordingly, Universal City) during its history. Major fires, specifically in 1990 and 2008, have also destroyed substantial portions of the backlot sets.

Districts

[edit]

In 2013, NBCUniversal released the NBCUniversal Evolution Plan, which was a blueprint for the 391-acre Universal City Lot and was approved by both the City and County of Los Angeles.[7] The plan informally divides the unicorporated Universal City into four districts: the Business District, the Entertainment District, the Studio District, and the Back Lot District. However, the plan acknowledged that the uses of each district blended together, with an overlap between the Studio and Back Lot Districts, the intermingling of uses between the Studio District and the Entertainment District through the Studio Tour.[7]

Climate

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Climate data for Universal City, California
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 91
(33) 		91
(33) 		94
(34) 		103
(39) 		100
(38) 		108
(42) 		114
(46) 		108
(42) 		111
(44) 		103
(39) 		99
(37) 		94
(34) 		114
(46)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 66.9
(19.4) 		67.3
(19.6) 		69.2
(20.7) 		72.0
(22.2) 		74.9
(23.8) 		79.1
(26.2) 		84.7
(29.3) 		86.3
(30.2) 		84.3
(29.1) 		78.6
(25.9) 		72.4
(22.4) 		66.5
(19.2) 		75.2
(24.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 45.6
(7.6) 		46.4
(8.0) 		48.4
(9.1) 		51.1
(10.6) 		55.2
(12.9) 		58.7
(14.8) 		62.4
(16.9) 		62.9
(17.2) 		61.1
(16.2) 		55.7
(13.2) 		49.2
(9.6) 		44.9
(7.2) 		53.5
(11.9)
Record low °F (°C) 29
(−2) 		33
(1) 		34
(1) 		37
(3) 		42
(6) 		44
(7) 		51
(11) 		50
(10) 		47
(8) 		40
(4) 		33
(1) 		25
(−4) 		25
(−4)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.99
(101) 		4.54
(115) 		3.95
(100) 		0.99
(25) 		0.38
(9.7) 		0.08
(2.0) 		0.02
(0.51) 		0.17
(4.3) 		0.32
(8.1) 		0.59
(15) 		1.37
(35) 		2.22
(56) 		18.62
(473)
Source: [8][9][10][11]

Government and infrastructure

[edit]
Universal CityWalk in Universal City

Fire protection in Universal City is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD). The LACFD operates Station #51 at 3900 Lankershim Boulevard as a part of Battalion 1.[12]

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the West Hollywood Station in West Hollywood, serving Universal City.[13] In addition, the department operates the substation at Universal CityWalk in Universal City. Prior to the summer of 1991, the West Hollywood Station handled all calls for police service from Universal City. In the summer of 1991, the LASD established the substation in a trailer in the parking lot of the studio tour and remained in the area until two years later, when the substation was moved into a permanent location in the CityWalk theme mall when it opened.[14] The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) also shares jurisdiction with the LASD in providing protection to Universal City, operating the North Hollywood Community Police Station in North Hollywood, whose responsibilities include Universal City.[15]

The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) Station 51, located on studio property in Universal City, is of special significance to Universal, as "Station 51" was the fictional setting of the Universal and Jack Webb television series Emergency![16][17] The current Station 51 was not used for external shots, or used as a model for the interior shots seen on the show (LACFD Station 127 in Carson was used).

Transportation

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The area is served by the Universal City / Studio City station of the Metro B Line, which is located in the City of Los Angeles and located opposite 10 Universal Plaza.

The Universal City shuttle between Lankershim Boulevard and CityWalk, decorated for the December 2024 holiday season

References

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  1. ^ Vincent, Roger (September 18, 2024). "Universal City hotel expansion project clears early approval hurdle". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  2. ^ "Look Up a ZIP Code". United States Postal Service. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  3. ^ "Free People Search". 411.com. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  4. ^ Dick, Bernard F. (1997). City of dreams : the making and remaking of Universal Pictures. Lexington, Ky.: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-7004-4. OCLC 47011130.
  5. ^ Rasmussen, Cecilia (March 13, 2005). "Laemmle Gave Tourists a View of Reel Life". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  6. ^ "Full History Of Universal Pictures In Timeline From 1908 - Popular Timelines". populartimelines.com. April 3, 2025. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  7. ^ a b "NBC Universal Evolution Plan: Universal Studios Specific Plan and Guidelines". LA County Planning. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  8. ^ "Zipcode 91608". www.plantmaps.com. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  9. ^ "Records and Averages for Universal City, CA". www.weather.com. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  10. ^ "Universal City, California". www.weatherbase.com. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  11. ^ "Climate in Zip 91608 (Universal City, CA)". www.bestplaces.net. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  12. ^ "Hometown Fire Stations Archived September 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine." Los Angeles County Fire Department. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  13. ^ "West Hollywood Station Archived January 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Retrieved on January 21, 2010.
  14. ^ "Universal Citywalk Substation Archived 2010-01-24 at the Wayback Machine." Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Retrieved on January 21, 2010.
  15. ^ North Hollywood Community Police Station
  16. ^ "Los Angeles County Fire Department - Station 51". locator.lacounty.gov. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
  17. ^ http://www.9-1-1magazine.com/Archives-0811-Rigg-Universal-Studio-Fire Archived January 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 28, 2015.The article cites Station 51's coverage area, Universal Studios.

Universal City 1912 to 1914

  • "San Fernando Valley" By Marc Wanamaker (2011) Page 97, 103, and 106
  • Early Hollywood Research Database - New York Dramatic Mirror - December 4, 1912
  • Pacific Film Archive - Media History Digital Library -" The Moving PictureWorld" - Volume XVI April to June 1913
  • The Moving Picture World - "UNIVERSAL CITY MOVES : Movie Making locations by Jerry L. Schneider
  • Early Universal City by Robert Birchard : Arcadia Publishing
  • Universal Weekly : "A Trip through the Home of Universal" July 5, 1913, August 16, 1913, July 5, 1913
  • Universal Weekly : "Universal City to be Moved to new Sites" March 28, 1914
  • Universal Weekly : "Universal's Chameleon City" and "Universal's Chameleon Studio Town"
  • Universal Weekly : " Movie Actress Control Its Politic" 1913
  • Universal Weekly : " Where Work Is Play and Play is Work" December 1913
  • The Rotarian - Feb 1914 - Page 59 " Tour of the Oak Crest Ranch - the first Universal City
  • Universal Weekly : "The New Universal City," September 1914
  • "The Life and Adventures of Carl Laemmle" By John Drinkwater [Chapter IX Universal City]
  • "Building Universal City" [October 3, 1914, The Moving Picture World] Movie Making locations by Jerry L. Schneider
  • "Oak Crest," two articles quoted [The Moving Picture World]Movie Making locations by Jerry L. Schneider
  • "Facts and Figures about Universal City" "Souvenir Edition", 1915 Universal City Tour
  • The Hollywood story By Joel Waldo Finler, Page 261 " The New Universal City .. in 1915"
  • Bison Archives Collection Oak Crest Ranch images - Mark Wannamaker - interview on the first Universal City 1912 to 1914
  • The Theatre of Science: a volume of progress and achievement in the motion picture industry by Robert Grau (1914) pages 51 and 287 [Providencia Ranch - Universal City Moves]
[edit]
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