Signal Hill is a city 2.2 sq mi (5.7 km2) in area in Los Angeles County, California.

Signal Hill was incorporated on April 22, 1924, roughly three years after oil was discovered there.

[6] The hill that the city is named after is 365 feet (110 m) above the surrounding town of Long Beach.

Because of this height, it was used by the local Tongva Indians for signal fires that could be seen throughout the surrounding area and even out to Catalina Island, 26 miles (42 km) away.

The Rancho San Pedro (Dominguez Rancho) land grant exceeded 74,000 acres (300 km2) as granted to a soldier, Juan Jose Dominguez, who accompanied Junipero Serra, by Governor Fages through authority of King Carlos III of Spain in 1784.

Between 1913 and 1923 an early California movie studio, Balboa Amusement Producing Company (also known as Balboa Studios), was located in Long Beach and used 11 acres (45,000 m2) on Signal Hill for outdoor locations.

Buster Keaton and Fatty Arbuckle were two of the Balboa Studios actors who had films shot on Signal Hill.

Among the reasons for incorporation was avoiding annexation by Long Beach with its zoning restrictions and per-barrel oil tax.

Proving to be a progressive city, Signal Hill elected as its first mayor, Mrs. Jessie Nelson.

[12] The Signal Hill Police Department provides local law enforcement.

[13] In 2018, it budgeted for 38 police officers to enforce the law in the 2 square mile municipality.

[14] Basic life support and ambulance transport is provided by Care Ambulance Service[15] The Long Beach Memorial Medical Center provides medical services to the City and LACFD Station 60.

The former Burroughs Elementary School and adjacent Teacher Resource Center now serves as office space for the Head Start Program.

There is one middle school within the city limits: Jessie Elwin Nelson Academy.

American University of Health Sciences (AUHS) is located within the city of Signal Hill.

The park has picnic tables, a playground, basketball courts, a softball field, and restrooms.

Hilltop Park 3.2 acres (13,000 m2) is at the top of Signal Hill and is very popular for its great views.

On a clear day you can see as far as the Santa Monica mountains, downtown LA, the large mountains behind it, all of the communities in between, most of Long Beach, down the South Bay area to Newport Beach, and out to sea Catalina Island.

On the north slope of Signal Hill is a large area that is currently used for oil operations.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2), virtually all land.

There were 4,389 housing units at an average density of 2,003.7 per square mile (773.6/km2), of which 2,141 (51.5%) were owner-occupied, and 2,016 (48.5%) were occupied by renters.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Signal Hill had a median household income of $70,442, with 14.1% of the population living below the federal poverty line.