California's Los Angeles County is home to the American city of Paramount. Bellflower to the east and south, Compton and Lynwood to the west, South Gate and Downey to the north, and Long Beach to the south encircle Paramount, which is a part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. Paramount has a total area of 4.8 square miles, of which 0.1 square miles (2.28%) is water and 4.7 square miles is land, according to the US Census Bureau.

The weather in Paramount is defined by long, chilly, rainy winters with partly cloudy skies and short, mild, dry summers. The average annual temperature is between 47°F and 83°F; it rarely falls below 41°F or rises above 91°F. From July 4 to September 30, or 2.8 months, is considered the warm season. During this time, daily high temperatures typically rise above 79°F. With an average high temperature of 82°F and low temperature of 66°F, August is the hottest month. In the meantime, the 4.0-month chilly season, which runs from November 28 to March 28, has average daily high temperatures that are lower than 70°F. The coldest month is December, which has an average low temperature of 48°F and high temperature of 67°F.

Among the notable sights in Paramount is the Paramount Hay Tree, which is designated as a California State Historical Landmark and represents the town's former involvement in the hay trade. Hay traders gathered under this camphor tree, setting global standards for hay that were quoted by the New York mercantile markets. Famously, Frank Joseph Zamboni Jr., the creator of the ice resurfacing machine, founded the Zamboni Company in this city. The firm, which has its headquarters in Paramount, has been manufacturing these machines for distribution worldwide since 1939. The Zamboni family also owns and runs Iceland, an ice skating rink with Frank Zamboni's patent-pending innovations. The packaging company Paramount Global was founded in 1976, demonstrating how much of an impact Paramount has on business.

Schools like Paramount High School—senior and west campus—Alondra, Lincoln, Wirtz, Jefferson, Mokler, Zamboni, Los Cerritos, Gaines, Jackson, Hollydale, Tanner, Roosevelt, and Paramount Park are part of the Paramount Unified School District, which covers Paramount and some adjacent regions. Notably, Long Beach is home to Collins School, while Lakewood is home to Buena Vista Continuation High School, Odyssey STEM Academy, and Lakewood School—all of which are run by the PUSD. Furthermore, private establishments such as Our Lady of the Rosary Private Catholic School are housed at Paramount. Beginning with the 2007–08 academic year, Paramount High School had extensive renovations that included upgrades to the west campus, an addition to the gymnasium, and improvements to the athletics field.