Zip code 90505, Mar 2026 to May 2026, from the Redfin Data Center. Torrance spans several zips (90501, 90503, 90505 and more); these figures are for 90505, the south and west side near the hills and the beach. Zip codes don't line up neatly with neighborhood borders, and medians hide a wide range of homes, so treat these as a rough feel for the area.
Developer Jared Sidney Torrance hired the Olmsted Brothers firm in 1912 to lay out a planned industrial city, with factories, a downtown and homes in separate zones and the downtown set on a diagonal so ocean breezes would carry smoke away from the houses. Irving Gill, named the town's architect that year, designed its early buildings, including the 1913 Pacific Electric bridge at El Prado. That street plan and Gill's work still shape Old Torrance, the city's original downtown.
The homes
Most of Torrance was built out after World War II, so the core of the housing stock is 1950s and 1960s single-story ranch homes on regular suburban lots, many since expanded or rebuilt as two-story traditional and modern homes. On the south and west side, the streets climb toward the Palos Verdes hills. The Hollywood Riviera, which Torrance shares with Redondo Beach, has hillside homes with ocean and city views, and the nearby Seaside area sits a short drive from the sand.
Old Torrance, the original downtown, is a different story. The city was planned in 1912 by the Olmsted Brothers firm as a model industrial town, and architect Irving Gill designed several of its first buildings, including the arched railroad bridge on the city's eastern edge. The blocks around downtown have 1910s and 1920s Craftsman bungalows and cottages. You'll also find plenty of condos and townhomes across the city, which can be a gentler entry point.
The feel
- Torrance Beach sits below the bluffs at the southern end of the South Bay bike path, calmer than the beaches to the north.
- Del Amo Fashion Center is one of the largest shopping centers in the country, with department stores, restaurants and an open-air wing.
- Old Torrance has a compact downtown of older storefronts, restaurants and long-running local spots, a few blocks from the original Gill-era buildings.
- Green space at Madrona Marsh Preserve, a rare seasonal wetland with a nature center, and Wilson Park, home to a large twice-weekly farmers market.
Eat, drink, shop
- Madre (Cabrillo Ave). Oaxacan cooking with deep moles and one of the bigger mezcal lists in LA. The Infatuation
- Kagura (Cabrillo Ave). A tonkatsu specialist known for its layered mille-feuille pork cutlet. The Infatuation
- Wagyu Butcher (Artesia Blvd). Japanese yakiniku where wagyu is grilled at the counter in tiered omakase courses. The Infatuation
- Torihei Yakitori (Carson St). A strip-mall izakaya built around a robata grill and yakitori skewers. The Infatuation
- Onki (Hawthorne Blvd). A Korean restaurant known for pork bone soup and galbi. The Infatuation
Getting around
The 405 runs across the north side of town and the 110 sits just to the east, with Pacific Coast Highway and Hawthorne Boulevard as the main surface routes. Off-peak, LAX is often 20 to 25 minutes away, the beach cities a few minutes north, and Downtown LA roughly 30 to 40 minutes. Torrance Transit runs its own bus network, and the Metro K Line currently ends at Redondo Beach, a short drive north.
What's new
- Mary K. Giordano Regional Transit Center. The city's new bus hub on Crenshaw Boulevard, with a park-and-ride lot, held its grand opening in June 2023.
- K Line Extension to Torrance. In January 2026 the Metro board approved a 4.5-mile light rail extension from Redondo Beach to that transit center. Metro lists completion around late 2036, pending funding.
Good to know
- Its own city. Torrance is an incorporated city with its own planning, permits and city services, separate from the City of LA. Check with the City of Torrance on what you can build or add.
- Transfer taxes. The City of LA's Measure ULA generally doesn't apply inside Torrance city limits. Verify current transfer taxes with your escrow officer.
- Hillside homes. Homes in the Riviera and near the hills deserve a look at slopes, retaining walls and drainage, and some hillside areas fall in fire hazard zones. Get insurance quotes early.
- Older homes. A 1920s bungalow or a 1950s ranch house calls for careful inspections of the sewer line, electrical, plumbing and foundation.