Pico Rivera is a thriving community that offers opportunities to all who live and work in the City. Incorporated in 1958 by residents of two historic old communities, Pico and Rivera, the once agricultural area is home to a balanced mix of homes, businesses and recreation facilities.

The City is governed by a Council-Manager form of government. Council members are elected at large who choose a City Manager to carry out its policies. The City Manager appoints department directors to implement the City's various programs and projects. Other than police and fire services that are contracted with the Los Angeles County, public services are provided by City staff.

More than 120 developed acres are devoted to recreational facilities for the enjoyment of the community. Its access to major railroads and three freeways coupled with its close proximity to port and airport facilities continue to attract various industries to the City. Entertainment facilities, beaches and the mountains are a few miles away. New housing developments have beefed up its current housing stock, and median home prices rose by almost 20 percent in the first quarter of 2002, compared to the same period the prior year. Seventy percent of homes in Pico Rivera are owner-occupied.

The City is served by the El Rancho and Montebello Unified School Districts (K-12) with nearby university and college systems in Los Angeles and Orange counties providing higher education.

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