Pomona is a city in the San Gabriel Valley of eastern Los Angeles County, California, situated in the Pomona Valley between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. With a population of roughly 152,000, it is one of the larger cities in the eastern county and functions as a regional center for education, culture, and transportation. The city's identity rests on a few defining institutions. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona — Cal Poly Pomona — lies mostly within the city limits and is one of the largest campuses in the California State University system. The Fairplex, a sprawling fairgrounds complex, hosts the annual L.A. County Fair and NHRA drag racing, while Western University of Health Sciences and the nearby Mt. San Antonio College add to the city's educational concentration. Pomona's historic downtown has been revitalized around the Arts Colony, where galleries, studios, and the restored Fox Theater anchor a creative district. Pomona developed from late-19th-century agricultural and railroad roots — its name evokes the Roman goddess of fruit trees — into an industrial and suburban city over the 20th century. Today its neighborhoods span historic bungalow districts, mid-century subdivisions, and newer planned communities such as Phillips Ranch, with hillside areas in the Ganesha Hills offering views across the valley. Transportation is a major asset. Metrolink's San Bernardino and Riverside lines serve the city, and the Metro A Line's eastern extension reaches Pomona North, linking the city into Metro's regional rail network. State Route 60, Interstate 10, State Route 57, and State Route 71 provide freeway access to Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. For homebuyers, Pomona offers relative affordability, established neighborhoods, strong educational institutions, and a central location within the greater Los Angeles region.