[7] Most historical writings about West Hollywood begin in the late-18th century with European colonization when the Portuguese explorer João Rodrigues Cabrilho traveled to and eventually laid claim on the region for Spain.

Early in 1770 Gaspar de Portola's Mexican expeditionary force stopped just south of the Santa Monica Mountains near what would become West Hollywood.

[9] By 1780, what became the "Sunset Strip" was the major connecting road for El Pueblo de Los Angeles, and all ranches westward to the Pacific Ocean.

[12] It was during this time that the city began to earn its reputation as a loosely regulated, liquor-friendly (during Prohibition) place for eccentric people wary of government interference.

Due to the expiration of rent control protections in LA County, a coalition of gay men, Russian Jews, and the elderly successfully held a vote to officially incorporate the City of West Hollywood in 1984.

Voters elected a city council with an openly gay majority and it immediately passed a series of rent control measures to protect its longtime citizens.

[27] West Hollywood benefits from a very dense, compact urban form with small lots, mixed land use, and a walkable street grid.

[54] West Hollywood's first four dispensaries, Alternative Herbal Health Services, Los Angeles Patients and Caregivers Group, Zen Healing and MedMen WeHo, were granted temporary extensions in June 2019 to operate as retail businesses through the remainder of the year.

[61] Christopher Street West is an LGBT pride parade and festival that was first held in June 1970 in Hollywood to commemorate the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York.

After incorporation, the event moved to West Hollywood for many years and was typically held the second weekend in June until it relocated to the City of Los Angeles in 2022.

Past honorees have included Bruce Vilanch, Abbe Land, Kenneth Hahn, Tom of Finland, Sheila Kuehl, David Cooley, Chaz Bono, West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, Project Angel Food, Jazzmun,[65][66][67] and Nahshon Dion.

[citation needed] The Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Party has traditionally been held at the Pacific Design Center.

This event, held at Plummer Park promotes HIV awareness and prevention among the Native communities and features dance, music, food, and educational resources.

The West Hollywood Library has an extensive collection of LGBT records, literature, and history, including the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives, and the Ron Shipton HIV Information Center.

[95] Students living in the Los Angeles area known as Beverly Hills Post Office,[citation needed] usually attend West Hollywood Elementary but then go to Emerson Middle School.

The goal of The PickUp is to provide an alternative to the automobile and bring an energetic and playful transit option to one of West Hollywood's busiest nighttime districts.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation parks a Mobile HIV/STD testing van outside of the city's busiest nightclubs on Friday and Saturday nights, and again on Sunday afternoons.

Project Angel Food receives city funding to deliver hundreds of fresh lunches and dinners daily which are prepared under the supervision of a registered dietitian who tailors the meals to meet individual client's nutritional needs.

"Healthy Start West Hollywood" is a program of the city's Social Services division that introduces pre-Kindergarten through High School age kids to the benefits of good nutrition through such activities as collective vegetable gardens and yoga.

West Hollywood either funds or subsidizes agencies that offer adult day care, a roommate matching service, and nutritious meals.

[112] The building, which was designed by architects Steve Johnson and James Favaro, received a favorable review in the Los Angeles Times that ended by calling it "...a tremendously encouraging achievement".

[114] The issue of Paparazzi chasing celebrities is raised regularly and the city participates in meetings with other nearby municipalities such as Beverly Hills and Los Angeles to discuss the problem and possible actions to better control the activity.

The epicenter of the Thirty Mile Zone lies just blocks to the south of the city, and is the basis for the name of TMZ on TV, a paparazzi footage-based program.

“In these politically tumultuous times, Stormy Daniels has proven herself to be a profile in courage by speaking truth to power even under threats to her safety and extreme intimidation from the current Administration”, said the mayor.

[117] Alta Loma Road is home to the Sunset Marquis Hotel with its 45-person Whisky Bar and NightBird Recording Studios, an underground music production facility.

[citation needed] Notable business and attractions in West Hollywood include: Sometime in the 1940s, a sign appeared over the bar at Barney's Beanery that said "FAGOTS [sic] – STAY OUT."

The then-mayor, Valerie Terrigno, the entire city council and gay-rights activists marched into Barney's and relieved the wall of the offending sign.

[129] A resident drew national attention during the 2008 presidential campaign by including a Sarah Palin mannequin hung in effigy in a Halloween display.

On the night of his death, he was visited separately by friends Robin Williams (at the height of his own drug exploits)[132] and Robert De Niro,[133] each of whom left the premises, leaving Belushi in the company of assorted others, including Cathy Smith.

[134] On January 8, 2006, New Zealand film director Lee Tamahori, dressed as a woman, was arrested for allegedly offering an undercover police officer oral sex on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Lodi Place.