Compton, city, Los Angeles County, southwestern California, a residential and industrial suburb of Los Angeles; incorporated 1888. Manufactures include aircraft parts, electronics, construction materials, and steel. A community college is here. The city is named for Griffith D. Compton, who led a group of pioneering families to the site in 1867. Population 81,286 (1980); 90,454 (1990); 93,493 (2000).