Hidden Hills is a city and gated community in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California. It is located next to the cities of Los Angeles and Calabasas. The population was 1,725 as of 2020.

History

The earliest inhabitants of the area were Chumash people. The community was designed and developed in the 1950s by A. E. Hanson, a Southern California landscape architect and planned community developer. His earlier projects included Rolling Hills and Palos Verdes Estates, and the 1920s Beverly Hills Harold Lloyd Estate "Greenacres". Vanity Fair described the city in 2017: "[W]ith its absence of sidewalks and streetlights, copious 'Horses & children at play' signage, and abundant 2-acre lots surrounded by white three-rail fences, Hidden Hills exudes a certain rough-around-the-edges charm." Originally conceived of as a "rustic retreat" from LA, it is now described as the "glitzy epicenter of Nouveau Hollywood" and an "uber-elite enclave".

Geography

It is a gated residential community with a total area of 1.688 sqmi, all land. Hidden Hills is in the southern Simi Hills Transverse range near the Santa Monica Mountains on the western edge of San Fernando Valley, near the border with neighboring Ventura County. Hidden Hills is bordered on the north by the nature reserve and greenbelt of the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, a park with miles of equestrian, hiking, and mountain biking trails. Nearby to the south, is the pioneer Leonis Adobe National Historic Landmark, with gardens and a historical museum. The city lies just north of U.S. Route 101, also called the Ventura Freeway.

Climate

Demographics

2020

The 2020 United States Census reported Hidden Hills had a population of 1,725. The racial makeup of Hidden Hills was 1,421 (82.4%) white, 75 (4.3%) Asian, 33 (1.9%) Black or African American, 3 (0.2%) American Indian and Alaska Native, 0 (0%) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 56 (3.2%) some other race, and 137 (7.9%) people were of two or more races. Including all responses for people of two or more races, 1,542 (89.4%) were white alone or in combination with one or more other races, 111 (6.4%) were Asian alone or in combination with one or more other races, 59 (3.4%) were Black or African American alone or in combination, 13 (0.8%) were American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination, 12 (0.7%) were Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone or in combination, and 133 (7.7%) were some other race alone or in combination with one or more other races. 117 (6.8%) were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The census reported that Hidden Hills had 635 housing units. Of these, 593 (93.4%) were occupied. 536 (90.4%) of the occupied units were owner-occupied and 57 (9.6%) were renter-occupied. Of the vacant units, 2 (0.3% of total) were for rent, 11 (1.7%) were for sale only, 7 (1.1%) were sold but not occupied, 9 (1.4%) were for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use, and 13 (2.0%) were otherwise vacant.

Mapping L.A.

According to Mapping L.A., Russian and English were the most common ancestries in 2000. Mexico and Canada were the most common foreign places of birth.

Arts and culture

The city has a summer camp for children, community and children's theatre programs, annual parades, carnivals, parties, welcome wagon, snow days, and weekly community-wide barbecues during the summer.

Government

In the California State Legislature, Hidden Hills is located within, and in. In the United States House of Representatives, Hidden Hills is located within. Hidden Hills has traditionally been won by Republican candidates for public office. However, the 2016 United States presidential election represented a substantial swing toward the Democratic Party in Hidden Hills, with Hillary Clinton carrying the town. In California's 2006 gubernatorial election, incumbent Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger received more than 72% of votes cast, while his Democratic opponent, Phil Angelides, received approximately 25%. In the 2012 United States presidential election, the Republican candidate, Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts received 54.5% of votes cast, compared to the incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama who received 44.4% of votes cast.

Education

The one public school in Hidden Hills, Round Meadow Elementary, scored 902 in the 2013 Academic Performance Index.

Infrastructure

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the Malibu/Lost Hills Station in Calabasas, serving Hidden Hills. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) handles fire service calls for Hidden Hills.

Notable people

In popular culture

The city was the setting of a short-lived NBC sitcom, Hidden Hills, which aired in 2002–2003.