Los Alamitos is a small city in northwest Orange County, California, whose Spanish name means "the little cottonwoods." Incorporated in March 1960, it is a compact, largely residential municipality of roughly 11,800 residents that sits near the border of Los Angeles County, between Cypress, Long Beach, and Seal Beach. Despite its modest size, the city contains two institutions of regional significance: Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos and the Los Alamitos Race Course. The military installation predates the city's incorporation. Originally a Naval Air Station, the site is now Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, operated by the California National Guard, and serves as a joint training base and airfield with an important emergency-response mission for the region. The base has long been woven into the community's identity, and its airfield is a recognized Southern California aviation landmark. The Los Alamitos Race Course, operating since 1947, is the city's other signature institution. The track conducts year-round quarter horse night racing along with seasonal thoroughbred meets, drawing visitors from across Orange County and greater Los Angeles. Together with the base, the race course gives Los Alamitos a profile that far exceeds its square mileage. The city is primarily a family-oriented suburb. Its public schools are operated by the Los Alamitos Unified School District, which also serves the unincorporated community of Rossmoor, the coastal city of Seal Beach, and portions of Cypress. With access to the San Gabriel River and Garden Grove freeways, and with the beaches of Seal Beach and Long Beach just minutes away, Los Alamitos offers a convenient residential setting within the coastal plain of Southern California.