Carson, California, USA.
City in southwestern California, USA, 16km/10mi south of Los Angeles; population (1990) 84,000. Oil was discovered here in 1923 and industries include oil refining, chemicals, electronics, vehicle manufacture, and the production of aerospace equipment. Dominguez Hills, one of 20 campuses of California State University, the largest state-supported system of higher education in the United States, is here.
In 1782, Juan José Dominguez was granted land in this area and set up a ranch; the city is named after George H Carson (1829-1901), who married one of the descendants of Dominguez.