Palos Verdes is a name often used to refer to a group of coastal cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, and Rolling Hills Estates are the predominant cities in the area, with a part of San Pedro protruding on the eastern end of the peninsula. This affluent bedroom community is known for its dramatic views from the Palos Verdes Hills, great schools, extensive horse trails, and high home prices.

The name "Palos Verdes" is Spanish for "green trees." Legend has it this name was taken from the indigenous 'Palo Verde' trees of the area, whom early Spanish explorers named for their many green, stem-like leaves, which resemble poles. But the most logical origin of the name is that in Spanish "palos verdes" refers to a green forested area, which describes Palos Verdes. When Spanish arrived, Palos Verdes was one of the few naturally green areas in dry southern California. In many ways this name is an accurate description of its geographical characteristics as the peninsula protrudes into the ocean like a "green stick."

The peninsula was originally inhabited by Native Americans belonging to the Tongva (sometimes referred to as "Gabrielino") tribe, and first described in 1542 by Portuguese explorer Juan Cabrillo. In 1827, Jose Dolores Sepulveda procured a parcel of the original, 1784 Rancho San Pedro Spanish land grant from Manuel Dominguez, and named it Rancho de los Palos Verdes ("range of green trees"), which was used primarily as a cattle ranch. By 1882 ownership of the land had passed from the Sepulveda through various mortgage holders to Jotham Bixby of Rancho Los Cerritos, who leased the land to Japanese farmers. After the turn of the century most of Bixby's land was sold to a consortium of New York investors who created The Palos Verdes Project and began marketing land on the peninsula for small horse ranches and residential communities. Palos Verdes Estates was the first city incorporated on the Peninsula and was one of the first master planned communities in Los Angeles County. The other incorporated cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula include Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates and Rolling Hills.