[15] Carson lies on part of the Spanish land grant Rancho San Pedro, from the King of Spain in 1784.

On September 7, 1923, Burnham Exploration partnering with Union Oil brought in the first producer on the site: Callender No.

[18] In 2021, Carson was subjected to an air pollution event as a result of hydrogen sulfide emanating from the nearby Dominguez Channel.

Carson experiences a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb), similar to that of the Los Angeles Basin with noticeably cooler temperatures during the summer due to the nearby Pacific Ocean, which is approximately 6 to 8 miles (10 to 13 km) away.

Carson, like many of the Southern California coastal areas, is subject to a late spring/early summer weather phenomenon called "June Gloom."

The racial makeup of Carson was 21,864 (23.8%) White (7.7% Non-Hispanic White),[27] 21,856 (23.8%) African American, 518 (0.6%) Native American, 23,522 (25.6%) Asian (20.9% Filipino, 0.8% Japanese, 0.8% Korean, 0.5% Chinese, 0.4% Vietnamese, 0.4% Asian Indian, 0.2% Cambodian, 0.1% Pakistani, 0.1% Thai), 2,386 (2.6%) Pacific Islander (2.2% Samoan, 0.2% Guamanian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian), 17,151 (18.7%) from other races, and 4,417 (4.8%) from two or more races.

There were 35,417 residents of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race (38.6%); 32.6% of the population was of Mexican ancestry, 1.1% Salvadoran, 1.0% Guatemalan, 0.6% Puerto Rican, 0.3% Cuban, 0.2% Honduran, 0.2% Peruvian, and 0.2% Ecuadorian.

[32] As of 2021, the top ten employers in the city were:[33] Nissan previously had its North American headquarters in Carson.

The 42-acre (17 ha) property consisted of 13 buildings, with a total of 700,000 square feet (65,000 m2) of office and light industrial space.

Vincent Roger of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it "was a familiar sight to drivers passing the intersection of the Harbor and San Diego freeways.

CSUDH is a major commuter school, particularly for students from the surrounding cities of Long Beach, Compton, and the census-designated place of West Carson.

It was founded as South Bay College and then renamed California State University at Palos Verdes.

It moved to the City of Carson to meet a significant need for higher education opportunities in the largely black middle class suburbs of Los Angeles.

[37] Carson Mall, now SouthBay Pavilion, opened in 1973 and is located at the Avalon Boulevard exit off the San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405).

Rugby union, modern pentathlon, tennis, field hockey and track cycling will all be held in Carson during the 2028 Summer Olympics.

One such tract of land located at Del Amo Boulevard, west of the 405, attracted particular attention in the past as a potential site for a National Football League stadium.

[40] An outdoor power center complex called Carson Marketplace was originally planned for the site.

In February 2015, however, the Marketplace plans were scrapped in favor of a $1.2 billion NFL stadium, backed by Goldman Sachs,[41] that would have hosted both the then-Oakland Raiders and the then-San Diego Chargers.

The school accepts residents of LBUSD, Compton USD, portions of LAUSD (including sections serving Carson), and other districts.

[57] Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city operated the Carson Circuit[58] bus that serves the local community and connects to other bus and rail transit services including the Los Angeles Metro A Line at the Del Amo Station.