It is the smallest city in the county (approximately 1.0 mi) and was incorporated on April 9, 1964. The town's unusual name originated with a 1920s refreshment stand that was decorated with palm fronds and bamboo. It was the then-rural area's main landmark for many years, and its name stuck as the small town grew up around it. As one of seven Los Angeles County cities that allow casino gambling, more than $9.2 million (65%) of the city's revenue comes from the Gardens Casino.
In the late 1920s, only Norwalk Blvd was a paved road. For the next 35 years, with the exceptions of Pioneer Boulevard, Norwalk Boulevard, and Carson, the little town would be all dirt roads. When the city was incorporated in 1964, the paving of roads began immediately. By 1966, all streets south of Carson between Pioneer and Norwalk were paved. By 1968, all streets were paved, and the three major thoroughfares of Norwalk, Pioneer, and Carson were widened to current traffic standards.
Indians once roamed the land where Hawaiian Gardens now stands
In most areas of Southern California, it’s hard to imagine there was anything else besides asphalt, traffic and the bustling business of California living. Indians of several tribes lived and hunted in our very district. The Tong-va of Puvungna tribe is still well known in the city of Hawaiian Garden. There is a trail leading from Hawaiian Gardens to Puvungna, near where Cal State, Long Beach now stands, because the Indians that lived there often came to Hawaiian Gardens to hunt. On the Bloomfield Park side of Pioneer Blvd., shells from an ancient lunch or stone utensils and even dulled obsidian arrow points have been found in the past.
Population – 14,254 (Census 2010)
Landmarks – Van Kampen Dairy Drive In, The original Hawaiian Gardens City Hall and Library.
Largest Employers – Hawaiian Gardens Casino, Tri-City Regional Medical Center, City of Hawaiian Gardens, Total Building Care and Cypress Garden Villas.