- Main ZIP
- 90803
- Soil Type
- Heavy Clay
- Clay In Topsoil
- 31%
- Sand In Topsoil
- 25%
- Elevation
- 7 to 66 ft
- Miles To The Shore
- 1.1
- Empty Street Tree Sites
- 484
- Typical Home Built
- 1974
The Ground In Alamitos Heights
USDA maps this as Thums and Windfetch soils. Thums tops out near 31 percent clay in the surface layer and is a shrink and swell clay. Most of the points we checked are zoned R-1-N, which means single family.
Parts of Alamitos Heights map differently too, with Dredged Fill showing up at other points we sampled. One block can differ from the next.
| Soil | Share Of Map Unit | Clay | Sand | pH | Drainage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thums | 20% | 31% | 25% | 7.6 | Well drained |
| Windfetch | 15% | 22% | 40% | 7.6 | Well drained |
What That Means For Your Yard
- Water in short cycles with a soak between them, or it runs off and breaks the Long Beach runoff rule.
- Clay that swells moves things. Pavers and walls need a real base.
- Do not dig or till when it is wet, since that packs it hard for the whole season.
Weather And Homes
About 1.1 miles from the shore, the area gets a cool sea breeze most days without the worst of the salt. Most plants that struggle right on the sand do fine here.
Census figures for the tracts here put the typical home at about 1974. Newer tracts often have builder soil, tight side yards and shared rules. Check any HOA papers before you pick plants, though California law limits how far an HOA can go against low water yards.
About 47 percent of homes in these tracts are owner occupied and about 50 percent are houses. With a mix like that, low care plantings are often the better buy on a rental, while an owner may want more.
Your Parkway And Street Trees
A city tree inventory logged 484 empty street tree sites in this neighborhood. The typical logged parkway there is about 5 feet wide. If one is in front of your place, the city runs a free street tree program. Ask for a parkway tree before you plan the rest of the strip.
Your parkway follows the same city rule as the rest of Long Beach. Fake turf is out, and street trees belong to the city, so trimming one takes a Public Works permit. If you still have living lawn there, Long Beach Utilities runs a free native plant parkway kit.
Popular Work In Alamitos Heights
Questions We Hear
What kind of soil does Alamitos Heights have?
USDA maps this as Thums and Windfetch soils. Thums tops out near 31 percent clay in the surface layer and is a shrink and swell clay. It is also rated well drained. Your own yard may differ, especially if soil was brought in, so a test is cheap insurance.
Can I put artificial turf in my Alamitos Heights parkway?
No. City code limits parkways to living plants plus permeable materials such as mulch, decomposed granite or pavers on sand, and those must cover under half of the strip. Turf is allowed in the front yard itself.
What days can I water in Alamitos Heights?
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m., for up to 10 minutes per station, under the Level 1 rules from Long Beach Utilities.