A lot of who we are is where we are. Montebello is fortunate. We are located in the richest and most beautiful state in the country. California's GNP exceeds all but seven nations of the world. New ideas, new methods, new markets and opportunities come with the territory.

     Montebello is located near the center of the Los Angeles metropolitan complex. The industrial heart of the Western United States swings out 40 miles to the west and 50 miles to the east, providing communication, transportation, technology, finance and labor as well as being its own best consumer market.

     Montebello is ringed by freeways and has become a center for the trucking and specialty vehicle industry. Wheels, engines, underbodies, refrigerated trucks, campers and truck trailers are all manufactured in Montebello. The over-the-road trucking industry has found Montebello a convenient home as well, as have the service, maintenance and custom fabrication groups.

     When frequent or daily distribution of goods is important, Montebello's central geography and abundant freeway access can, by itself, be a deciding issue. Bakeries, meat companies, consumer paper distributors, sales organizations, beer and soft drink distributors, warehouses, petroleum distributors, and lumber and building materials suppliers, all find Montebello's location near the "hub of the wheel" critical to their operations.

     Southern California is the center for trade and exchange with both the Asian/Pacific region as well our nearest foreign neighbor, Mexico.

     It is not surprising then to find that Montebello has two Sister Cities; one is Ashiya, Japan and the other is Ensenada, Mexico.

     Through cultural exchange, the sharing of resources and political cooperation, the City of Montebello has helped establish a thriving community for businesses tied to these regions. It is also true that substantial percentages of the resident population here are Mexican/American and Asian/American.  

     Montebello is 20 driving minutes from the largest deep water port in the Western United States. We are fewer than 45 driving minutes from each of the three major airports serving Southern California. The largest concentration of railroad yards and freight handling equipment outside of Chicago is located within 10 minutes of Montebello. Downtown Los Angeles, the banking and financial capitol of the Western U.S., is within a 15-minute drive.