It is part of the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, California Metropolitan Statistical Area designated by the Office of Management and Budget.

The Tongva were the largest group of indigenous peoples in Southern California as well as the most developed in the region.

[6] The Tongva lived off the land, deriving food from the animals or plants that could be gathered, snared or hunted, and grinding acorns as a staple.

[6] Beginning in the late 15th century, Spanish explorers arrived in the New World and worked their way to the California coast in 1542.

[7] The city of Dairy Valley was incorporated on April 24, 1956, as a reaction to nearby Artesia's rapid urbanization.

In a special election held on July 16, 1963, residents voted to permit large-scale residential development.

The current progressive nature of the Cerritos government and the unusually strong tax base is best reflected in its facilities.

In 1994, the City unveiled the Cerritos Towne Center project, combining office, retail, lodging, fine arts and dining in an open-air location.

Since the 1980s, Cerritos has attracted a large number of Filipino, Korean, Taiwanese, Indian and Chinese immigrant families.

The Piper crashed into Cerritos Elementary School's unoccupied playground, but the Douglas DC-9 fell inverted (upside-down) and plowed into dense residential zones, immediately flattening four houses.

The cities bordering Cerritos on the Los Angeles County side include Artesia in the center, Bellflower, Lakewood, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs and La Mirada.

The fog that typically covers the beach cities rarely reaches Cerritos, but the breeze that comes along the San Gabriel River from the Pacific Ocean has a significant cooling effect.

As a result, Cerritos is rarely affected by the smog, Santa Ana winds and smothering heat of the Los Angeles Basin.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Cerritos had a median household income of $91,487, with 5.5% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

[35] The two major sources of revenue for Cerritos are a retail sales tax and interest income from its general fund.

Businesses found in Cerritos Industrial Park provide jobs in light manufacturing and assembly of electronic and automotive parts, among other things.

Applied Development Economics, in a presentation for the Cerritos Economic Commission on February 14, 2006, stated total annual household spending on retail is about $365 million a year with new car dealerships, grocery stores, department stores, service stations and eating places having the strongest demands.

The uncertainty of availability of electricity in California prompted the city of Cerritos on February 13, 2003, in conjunction with the cities of Anaheim, Burbank, Colton, Glendale and Pasadena, to participate in the Magnolia Power Project, which authorized the construction of a 310-megawatt power plant in Burbank.

[41] Cerritos receives 10 megawatts, or 4% of the total output, to power public facilities, park lighting, traffic signals and water wells.

Since 2002, the City of Cerritos has participated in the Tournament of Roses Parade held every New Year's Day in Pasadena.

It was designed to serve as a cultural icon for people in the community and formally opened its doors on January 9, 1993, with a four-day performance by Frank Sinatra.

The CCPA collected four awards for design shortly after its opening and has been named one of the top grossing theaters in its category in the United States.

In the late 1990s, Cerritos recognized the ever-changing innovation in information technology and the internet, and plans for a second renovation were approved.

[45] During the reconstruction, all materials were moved off site to temporary trailers in the parking lot of the Cerritos Towne Center for two years.

At the time of its rededication, the newly renamed Cerritos Millennium Library was the first building in North America to be coated in titanium panels.

This $40 million library features an elaborate interior design with themed reading rooms in a variety of old world and ultramodern styles.

Located in the Civic Center, the station houses the city's Community Safety Division and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department personnel.

The 28,000 square feet (2,600 m2) facility, built by the city, has a complaint/dispatch area, an 18-bed jail, administrative and detective personnel offices and a community meeting room.

A small portion on the west side of the city bounded by Palo Verde Avenue on the west, the San Gabriel River on the east, Artesia Boulevard on the north and South Street on the south is under the jurisdiction of the Bellflower Unified School District.

[74] In the Apple TV+ show Mythic Quest, the character David Brittlesbee lives in and commutes to Los Angeles from Cerritos in Season 3[75]