In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Arcadia
Arcadia, California
Base in Arcadia only if you have a car: one full day covers the Arboretum and Santa Anita Park; without a car, use the A Line and stay near the station.
Arcadia is a San Gabriel Valley suburb 20 km northeast of downtown Los Angeles, built around the old Rancho Santa Anita. Its two anchors are the 127-acre Los Angeles County Arboretum and Santa Anita Park race track, both walkable from each other. It is a practical, cheaper base for Pasadena and the valley's Chinese restaurants, not a sightseeing city in itself.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Arcadia, California
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Sep (inland heat, 32–36 °C); Santa Anita race meets are seasonal, check datesJul–Sep (inland heat, 90–97 °F); Santa Anita race meets are seasonal, check dates
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$90–140 excl. bed · Mid US$150–230 excl. bed · High US$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Arcadia Police (non-emergency) 626-574-5151 · Poison control 1-800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | US$4–6 |
| Chinese restaurant main, per person | US$12–22 |
| In-N-Out burger meal | US$10–13 |
| Arboretum adult entry | check the official site |
| Rideshare, 5 kmRideshare, 3.1 mi | US$12–20 |
| Metro / Foothill Transit single ride | US$1.75–2.50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LAX · Los Angeles International
- About 40–60 min by car outside rush hour; no direct rail link to Arcadia.
- BUR · Hollywood Burbank
- Often quicker for the valley: about 30–40 min by car via the 210.
- ONT · Ontario International
- East of Arcadia; about 40 min by car, useful if you arrive from the east.
Typical fares
- LAX → Arcadia, rideshare
- US$50–80, 40–60 min
- A Line Arcadia → Pasadena
- about US$2, 15–20 min
- Arcadia → downtown LA, A Line
- about US$2, 45–55 min
Get around
A car is the default: the city is residential and spread out, and the 210 has exits at Baldwin Ave, Santa Anita Ave and Huntington Dr. Metro and Foothill Transit buses run on the main roads but often only about once an hour, worse at weekends. Metro's A Line light rail stops at 1st Ave and Santa Clara St, west to Pasadena and downtown LA, east toward Pomona.
See and do
Known for
- Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
- Santa Anita Park race track
- San Gabriel Valley Chinese and Taiwanese food
- Westfield Santa Anita mall
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pasadena | A Line light rail from 1st Ave and Santa Clara St, or 15 min by car on the 210 | About 20–30 min |
| Monrovia | A Line one stop east, or 10 min by car | About 15 min |
| Alhambra | Car via Huntington Dr and Atlantic Blvd, about 15 min | About 20 min |
| Monterey Park | Car via the 10, about 20 min | About 25 min |
| Hacienda Heights | Car via the 60, about 25 min | About 30 min |
| Claremont | Car via the 210 east, about 35 min | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Huntington Drive corridor
- Hotel row between 1st and 5th Ave: walkable to the Arboretum and the mall, close to the 210.
- Downtown Arcadia / 1st Ave and Santa Clara St
- Around the A Line station; best if you arrive by rail and want restaurants on foot.
- Baldwin Ave and Duarte Rd
- Supermarket plazas and Chinese restaurants; car-first, parking is easy.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the station? | Where is the Metro station? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| The check, please | Could we get the check, please? |
| Is this seat free? | Is this seat taken? |
| I need help | I need help |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Buses on Santa Anita Ave, Baldwin Ave, Duarte Rd and Huntington Dr can be hourly: check the timetable before you rely on one.
- Summer afternoons inland are hot; do the Arboretum in the morning.
- Santa Anita Park racing is seasonal: check the meet calendar before planning a day around it.
- Sales tax is added at the till; posted prices are before tax.
Arcadia is a low-crime suburban city; the real issues are heat in summer, fast traffic on Huntington Dr and Baldwin Ave, and relying on hourly buses after dark. 911 for anything urgent.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Arcadia yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
- Santa Anita Park race track
- San Gabriel Valley Chinese and Taiwanese food
- Westfield Santa Anita mall
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Arcadia: www.arcadiaca.gov/
- Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden: www.arboretum.org/
- Santa Anita Park: www.santaanita.com/
- LA Metro: www.metro.net/
- Foothill Transit: foothilltransit.org/
- Wikivoyage: Arcadia (California), revision 5251127 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5251127
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
ArcadiaArcadia, California
Can you take me to this address, please?
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Arcadia Police (non-emergency)626-574-5151
- Poison control1-800-222-1222
No embassies in Arcadia; consulates-general are in downtown Los Angeles (check your country's listing).
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, US$1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis and rideshares.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/arcadia-california). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.