Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, located about 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles along San Pedro Bay. With a population of roughly 450,000, it is the second-largest city in Los Angeles County and one of the largest municipalities in California, functioning as a major urban center in its own right rather than a simple suburb of Los Angeles. The city stretches from the industrial waterfront and downtown core to diverse inland neighborhoods and the canal-lined communities along the coast. Long Beach's economy is anchored by the Port of Long Beach, one of the busiest container ports in the United States, which combines with the adjacent Port of Los Angeles to form one of the world's largest port complexes. That maritime and logistics base is complemented by aerospace, healthcare, education, and a growing technology sector, giving the city a broad and durable economic foundation. The city is also home to California State University, Long Beach, one of the largest campuses in the Cal State system. The waterfront is the city's signature public face. The retired ocean liner RMS Queen Mary has been moored in Long Beach since 1967, operating as a hotel and museum, while the Aquarium of the Pacific, with more than 12,000 animals, anchors the Rainbow Harbor area alongside Shoreline Village and the downtown entertainment district. The city's residential identity is equally varied: the Naples canals and Belmont Shore offer a coastal, village-like lifestyle, while neighborhoods such as Bixby Knolls, the East Village arts district, and historic areas farther inland reflect Long Beach's diversity and depth. Transportation links the city closely to the rest of the region. Metro's A Line light rail connects downtown Long Beach to Los Angeles, Long Beach Transit provides local bus service, and Long Beach Airport offers a convenient regional air gateway. This combination of a working port, a major university, a celebrated waterfront, and strong transit access gives Long Beach a distinctive urban character within greater Los Angeles.