Catalina, Arizona 2025

Sorry, but there is no state or city called Catalina in the United States. Did you mean Santa Catalina Island?

Santa Catalina Island is located off the coast of Los Angeles, California.One of the Channel Islands, Santa Catalina Island is located approximately 22 mi (35 km) off the coast of Los Angeles, California, in the Pacific Ocean. The island is 22 mi (35 km) long and 8 mi (13 km) across at its widest point. The island' Avalon town is the only incorporated city in the Channel Islands, and the second-most populous city in Ventura County (after Oxnard). Santa Catalina has a total population of 4,055 (2020 census).

Santa Catalina Island has a total land area of 75 square miles (194 km²). The island is 223 square miles (580 km²) in size, with 54 square miles (139 km²) of land located four miles (6.4 km) off the city of Long Beach. The island sits atop a submerged mountain that rises steeply from the surrounding floor of the Pacific. The island is about 16 miles (26 km) long and 300–1,600 feet (91 to 488 m) across, with an average elevation of 1,000 feet (305 m) above sea level. The highest point on the island is Mt. Orizaba, which rises 2,097 feet (639 meters) above sea level.

The island was home to the Tongva tribe, who called it Pimuu, which translates to “the land of the Pimu." Based on archaeological evidence, the island may have been visited by the Spanish in the 16th century, but the first documented visit occurred in 1542 by Portuguese explorer Juan Cabrillo, who worked for the Spanish crown.

Human activity on the island is traced back to the Tongva Native American tribe. The island was later home to Spanish missionaries, who established the Santa Catalina Mission in 1724. After the Mexican War of Independence in 1821, the Mexican government granted the island to Thomas M. Robbins, a businessman from San Diego.

The island was eventually bought and developed into a tourist attraction, with hotels, golf courses, and other amenities. Today, the island is a popular tourist destination and serves as the southern terminus of the Channel Islands National Park.

The island still has traces of human activity that go back to the Tongva Native American tribe. In 1542, Juan Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer, was the first European to explore the island. Nevertheless, it wasn't until the early 19th century that the island was developed. The island's population increased when it became part of Mexico following the Mexican War of Independence in 1821.

In 1850, Thomas M. Robbins, a businessman from San Diego, was awarded the island. In 1887, the Santa Catalina Island Company was created, and the island was advertised for tourists, with hotels, golf courses, and other amenities. The Chicago Cubs used the island as their spring training grounds from 1921 to 1951, and many film stars of that era, including Charlie Chaplin and Bing Crosby, built holiday homes on the island. The island was home to the US Navy's Pacific fleet during World War II, and it underwent substantial military infrastructure development. It served as the southern terminus of the Channel Islands National Park and continued to be a popular tourist destination.

GLASS-GETZER INITIALS Tombstones of William Glass and Steve Getzer can be found at Glass Beach, located in Cat Harbor inlet (known as "Little Malibu"). Glass settled on the island in the early 1900s and commenced mining silica from the island, which was used in the production of glass. After Glass's death, Getzer married his widow and inherited the mining operations. Getzer, also known as "Captain Gutz," was murdered in Ensenada, Baja California, on May 23, 1912, by Mexican gunrunners. The murders remain unsolved.

The island is known for its casinos, nightlife, and entertainment. Avalon, the island's largest community, has a marina, shops, hotels, restaurants, and a post office, and Avalon Bay has several housing units for visitors. Two-thirds of the island are owned by the Catalina Island Conservancy, a nonprofit conservation organization. The organization maintains 17 miles of trails through chaparral, grasslands, and forests, while off-road vehicular tourism is conducted on 49 miles of trails and unpaved road. Travel within Avalon's city limits is primarily done on foot, bicycle, or golf carts, as the city is small enough to easily travel on foot. Alternatively, most tourists get around in electric carts, either rentals or hotel shuttles. Tourism is the primary industry on the island. Many visitors travel to the island to enjoy outdoor sports, including hiking, scuba diving, snorkeling, biking, kayaking, fishing, boating, pleasure cruises, bird watching, mini-golf, and ziplining.

Avalon is a popular tourist destination because of its beautiful beaches. One of the more popular attractions is a glass-bottom boat tour of the surrounding waters, which allows visitors to see marine life in their natural habitat.

Since 1929, the nonprofit Catalina Island Conservancy has protected and preserved approximately 90% of the island. The group protects the island from overdevelopment and buys as much land as possible to add to the conservancy. In 1972, chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. donated 42,000 acres of land to the conservancy.