City of Vernon | 1,155 followers on LinkedIn. With more than 1,800 businesses employing over 50,000 people, Vernon serves as a vital economic engine in the region. | The City of Vernon is an industrial city of 5.2 square miles located several miles to the southeast of Downtown Los Angeles in Southern California. Founded in 1905 as the first exclusively industrial city in the Southwestern United States, Vernon currently houses more than 1,800 businesses that employ approximately 50,000 people, serving as a vital economic engine in the region. Offering an environment uniquely friendly to business, Vernon is the home to industries including food and agriculture, apparel, steel, plastics, logistics and home furnishings.