Misplaced Pages

California State Route 14

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

A state highway , state road , or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway , provincial road , or provincial route ) is usually a road that is either numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province . A road numbered by a state or province falls below numbered national highways ( Canada being a notable exception to this rule) in the hierarchy (route numbers are used to aid navigation, and may or may not indicate ownership or maintenance).

#520479

111-526: State Route 14 ( SR 14 ) is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California that connects Los Angeles to the northern Mojave Desert . The southern portion of the highway is signed as the Antelope Valley Freeway . Its southern terminus is at Interstate 5 (I-5, Golden State Freeway ) in the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Granada Hills and Sylmar just immediately to the south of

222-660: A 996-acre site (403 ha) south of Soledad Canyon Road, east of Railroad Avenue, northeast of the Circle J Ranch community, southwest of Centre Pointe Parkway, and west of Golden Valley Road. The first housing tract in the area consisted of company homes along Walnut Street in Newhall. In modern times, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control has made efforts to clean the area of perchlorate and other toxic chemicals left behind by decades of munitions testing. The site

333-625: A Christian liberal arts university; and College of the Canyons , a community college. Companies headquartered in or near the city include Princess Cruises , Sunkist , Remo , and the Newhall Land and Farming Company. The unincorporated communities of Castaic and Stevenson Ranch , located to the north and west of the Santa Clarita city limits, respectively, are closely associated with the city. Six Flags Magic Mountain , though commonly thought to be in

444-564: A Standard Gas Station in present-day Valencia. The shootout was the deadliest attack on law enforcement in California history. As Valencia had barely been developed, it came to be known as the Newhall incident . One of the perpetrators was sentenced to life in prison; the other committed suicide. In the aftermath of the incident, policing was transformed nationwide – police training and weaponry were improved and bullet proof vests became widespread. In

555-613: A freeway extension of SR 126 . While the Via Princessa alignment of SR 126 was canceled, the city of Santa Clarita constructed the Cross Valley Connector (CVC) to connect SR 126 directly to SR 14 via Newhall Ranch Road and Golden Valley Road. The final CVC section, the bridge over the Santa Clara River, was opened on March 27, 2010. Rapid exurban growth in Santa Clarita, Lancaster, and Palmdale has made

666-562: A hilltop in Rice Canyon which is near Newhall, killing all twelve people on board. In 1945, the Santa Clarita Union High School District was created. The following year it was renamed William S. Hart Union High School District after William S. Hart. The district's first high school was William S. Hart High School in Newhall. The first official use of the name "Santa Clarita" in a housing development appeared in

777-583: A margin of two to one in that year's general election. Other proposed names for the city were "City of the Canyons" and "La Mancha"; "Santa Clarita" narrowly defeated "City of the Canyons." The city's first mayor was future Congressman Buck McKeon . In 1990, the federal government awarded Cemex a contract to mine millions of tons of sand and gravel in Soledad Canyon, just east of the city. The proposed mine caused controversy due to its potential for air pollution, traffic congestion, and environmental damage to

888-475: A named route branch) Trans-Canada route marker is co-signed with a numbered provincial sign, with the provincial route often continuing alone outside the Trans-Canada Highway section. However, in the western provinces, the two parallel Trans-Canada routes are consistently numbered with Trans-Canada route markers; as Highways 1 and 16 respectively. Canada also has a designated National Highway System , but

999-493: A number of the former Spanish and Mexican land grants in the state, amassing a total of 143,000 acres (58,000 ha) between Monterey and Los Angeles counties. The most significant portion was the Rancho San Francisco, which he purchased for $ 2/acre. It became known as Newhall Ranch after Newhall's death. Within this territory, Newhall granted a right-of-way to Southern Pacific through what is now Newhall Pass. He also sold

1110-526: A population of at least 10,000 inhabitants are urban roads (type D and E) under the jurisdiction of the relevant municipalities. The state highway that cross towns or villages with a population of less than 10,000 inhabitants are urban roads (type D and E) under the jurisdiction of the municipality, subject to authorization from ANAS . State highways in India are numbered highways that are laid and maintained by state governments . Mexico 's State Highway System

1221-555: A three-digit number designation, preceded by D . Provincial roads ( Turkish : İl yolu ) are secondary roads, maintained by respective local governments with the support of the KGM. The roads have a four-digit numbering grouped as two pairs, pairs are separated by a dash. First pair represents the license number of that province . State highways are generally a mixture of primary and secondary roads, although some are freeways (for example, State Route 99 in California, which links many of

SECTION 10

#1733084913521

1332-599: A wide age range, from older developments dating from the 1960s or earlier to new developments built in the 21st century. Newhall, the oldest area of the city, has also experienced new commercial and industrial development. Throughout the city, single-family suburban tract housing predominates, with apartment and condominium complexes along major thoroughfares. Many communities in Santa Clarita, especially in newer areas, have homeowner associations , and some are gated. Placerita Canyon and Sand Canyon are equestrian communities with large custom ranch homes. Communities just outside

1443-570: A young John Wayne . Many movie ranches (see section below ) were developed in the Santa Clarita Valley. Hart and Carey made their homes in the valley; today both their former estates are operated as county parks. One major contributor to the valley's early development was the Whittaker-Bermite Corporation. From 1934 to 1987, the corporation manufactured, stored, and tested explosives, including bombs and bottle rockets , on

1554-732: Is 100 km/h, with reductions when one passes through a densely populated area. The highways in New Zealand are all state highways, and the network consists of SH 1 running the length of both main islands, SH 2–5 and 10–58 in the North Island, and SH 6–8 and 60–99 in the South Island. National and provincial highways are numbered approximately north to south. State Highway 1 runs the length of both islands. Local highways ( Korean :  지방도 ; Hanja :  地方道 ; RR :  Jibangdo ; MR :  Chipangdo ) are

1665-482: Is a system of urban and state routes constructed and maintained by each Mexican state. The main purpose of the state networks is to serve as a feeder system to the federal highway system. All states except the Federal District operate a road network. Each state marks these routes with a white shield containing the abbreviated name of the state plus the route number. New Zealand state highways are national highways –

1776-585: Is being considered for development. The Santa Clarita Valley was the scene of the second deadliest disaster in California's history, known as the "worst civil engineering failure of the 20th century." Shortly before midnight on March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam collapsed. Water from the St. Francis Reservoir coursed through San Francisquito Canyon and the Santa Clara River in a wave up to 140 feet (43 m) high and 2 miles (3.2 km) wide, destroying buildings in its path. By

1887-516: Is bounded on the west by the Golden State Freeway (I-5). The Antelope Valley Freeway (CA-14) runs northeast–southwest forming part of the city's irregular east boundary. The two freeways meet at Newhall Pass , near the city's southernmost point. Santa Clarita is home to three institutions of higher education: California Institute of the Arts , a private art university; The Master's University ,

1998-471: Is characterized by a mixture of single-family homes, townhomes, apartment buildings, condominiums, and commercial and industrial areas. Valencia, a master-planned community , contains the city's largest shopping center ( Valencia Town Center ) and most of the city's corporate headquarters, government buildings, hotels, and tallest buildings. The neighborhoods in Canyon Country and Saugus are characterized by

2109-424: Is divided into provinces and territories, each of which maintains its own system of provincial or territorial highways, which form the majority of the country's highway network. There is also the national transcontinental Trans-Canada Highway system, which is marked by distinct signs, but has no uniform numeric designation across the country. In the eastern provinces, for instance, an unnumbered (though sometimes with

2220-439: Is free to choose a different marker, and most states have. States may choose a design theme relevant to its state (such as an outline of the state itself) to distinguish state route markers from interstate, county, or municipal route markers. Santa Clarita, California Santa Clarita ( / ˌ s æ n t ə k l ə ˈ r iː t ə / ; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in

2331-546: Is in the San Gabriel Mountains south of Placerita and Sand Canyon Roads ( 34°21′36″N 118°24′22″W  /  34.3599°N 118.4062°W  / 34.3599; -118.4062 ) at an elevation of 3,048 feet (929 m). Most populated areas in the city are 1,100–1,700 feet (340–520 m) above sea level. The highest residential areas of Canyon Country, north of Skyline Ranch Road and east of Shadow Pines Boulevard, exceed 2,000 feet (610 m). Santa Clarita

SECTION 20

#1733084913521

2442-518: Is known as Sierra Highway , as is the old routing between I-5 and Silver Queen Road where SR 14 has been moved to a newer freeway alignment. Portions of SR 14 remain signed with names associated with US 6, including Midland Trail , Theodore Roosevelt Highway, and Grand Army of the Republic Highway . SR 14 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System , and

2553-459: Is located along the boundary between the WWF -designated California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion to the southwest, and California montane chaparral and woodlands ecoregion to the northeast. Although generally considered a large suburb of Greater Los Angeles , the city of Santa Clarita consists of four distinct communities: Canyon Country , Newhall , Saugus , and Valencia . Each community

2664-592: Is near the San Fernando fault zone and has been affected by the 1971 San Fernando earthquake and 1994 Northridge earthquake (see above ), both of which had epicenters in the San Fernando Valley. Santa Clarita experiences a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csa ) with hot, dry, sunny summers and mild, rainy winters. Due to its close proximity to the Mojave Desert ( High Desert ) and Pacific Ocean , and

2775-563: Is not a road class. The Strade Statali , abbreviated SS, is the Italian national network of state highways. The total length for the network is about 25.000 km (15.534 mi). The Italian state highway network are maintained by ANAS . From 1928 until 1946 state highways were maintained by Azienda Autonoma Statale della Strada (AASS). The next level of roads below Strada Statali is Strada Regionale ("regional roads"). The routes of some state highways derive from ancient Roman roads , such as

2886-576: Is now far eastern Canyon Country, marking the completion of the San Joaquin Valley line of the Southern Pacific Railroad , connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco and the rest of the nation for the first time. In the 1850s and 1860s, businessmen and political leaders such as Andrés Pico , Sanford Lyon, Henry Clay Wiley, Darius Towsley, and Christopher Leaming came to the Santa Clarita Valley for its oil reserves. On September 26, 1876,

2997-729: Is part of the National Highway System , a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration . The southern portion of the freeway, from I-5 to the Avenue D exit near Lancaster , has been designated the Antelope Valley Freeway by the state legislature. The Antelope Valley Freeway begins in the Santa Susana Mountains at

3108-473: Is rural, following the line between the hot Mojave desert and the forming Sierra Nevada mountain range. Most of SR 14 is loosely paralleled by a rail line originally built by the Southern Pacific Railroad , and was once the primary rail link between Los Angeles and Northern California . While no longer a primary rail line, the southern half of this line is now used for the Antelope Valley Line of

3219-560: Is susceptible to wildfires. Although wildfires are most common in summer and fall, they can occur throughout the year during drought conditions, such as in December 2017 . Wildfire risk is highest when Santa Ana winds blow through the area from the Mojave Desert. Notable wildfires in the Santa Clarita Valley include the Rye Fire , Buckweed Fire , Sand Fire , and Tick Fire . Santa Clarita

3330-547: Is used in its sense of a sovereign state or country. By this meaning a state highway is a road maintained and numbered by the national government rather than local authorities. Australia 's important urban and inter-regional routes not covered by the National Highway or National Route systems are marked under the State Route system. They can be recognised by blue shield markers. They were practically adopted in all states by

3441-406: Is vested in the federal states of Germany. Most federal states use the term Landesstraße (marked with 'L'), while for historical reasons Saxony and Bavaria use the term Staatsstraße (marked with 'S'). The appearance of the shields differs from state to state. The term Land-es-straße should not be confused with Landstraße , which describes every road outside built-up areas and

California State Route 14 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3552-710: The Angeles National Forest and Santa Clara River. The city of Santa Clarita fought for decades to prevent mining in the canyon. In 2019, the Interior Board of Land Appeals (part of the United States Department of the Interior ) upheld a 2015 decision by the Bureau of Land Management , permanently preventing Cemex from mining in Soledad Canyon. Cemex had never mined any sand or gravel in the canyon. Santa Clarita

3663-590: The California Aqueduct in the descent. SR 14 serves as the primary north–south thoroughfare for the communities of Palmdale and Lancaster. Between Palmdale Boulevard ( County Route N2 ) and Avenue D in Lancaster, SR 14 runs concurrently with SR 138 . From the Pearblossom Highway exit south of Palmdale to its northern terminus at US 395 near Inyokern , SR 14 has been designated

3774-585: The Honor Rancho Oil Field . The Saugus Cafe was established in 1886 near the present-day intersection of Railroad Avenue and Magic Mountain Parkway. It is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Los Angeles County. Los Angeles studios began filming in Santa Clarita shortly after the turn of the 20th century. Actors in these early films included William S. Hart , Tom Mix , Harry Carey , and

3885-524: The Metrolink commuter rail service. The branch north of Mojave was built when the Southern Pacific acquired the unfinished Carson and Colorado Railroad in 1900. The Southern Pacific built a standard gauge connector to the narrow gauge Carson and Colorado line from their main at Mojave. Although plans were to eventually convert this acquired line to standard gauge, most of the line was abandoned before

3996-449: The Metrolink commuter rail system. Linked with US 395, this road also connects Los Angeles with such places as Mammoth Mountain , Mono Lake , Yosemite National Park and Reno, Nevada . SR 14 was part of US 6 prior to truncation in 1964, when US 6 was a coast-to-coast route from Long Beach to Provincetown, Massachusetts . The non-freeway segment of SR 14 from Silver Queen Road north of Rosamond to Mojave

4107-502: The National Register of Historic Places within the city limits of Santa Clarita.) By the early 1900s, most of Pico Canyon's richest oil reserves had been depleted, although Pico Number 4 continued to operate until 1990. Many of the aforementioned oil pioneers have lent their names to streets in the valley, such as Pico Canyon Road, Lyons Avenue, Wiley Canyon Road, and Towsley Canyon Road. Drilling continues to occur in Santa Clarita at

4218-467: The National Test Pilot School and SpaceShipOne , the first privately funded human spaceflight, as well as a vast airplane graveyard ; all are visible from SR 14. SR 58 was formerly routed concurrently with SR 14 through Mojave, before it was rerouted onto a bypass running north and east of the town. The character of the highway changes as it leaves California City with

4329-537: The Newhall Pass interchange by splitting from the Golden State Freeway (I-5). This is the busiest portion of the route with an annual average daily traffic (AADT) count of 169,000 vehicles per day. The freeway forms much of the eastern boundary of Santa Clarita along its route. Past Santa Clarita, the road continues northeast and crosses the Sierra Pelona Mountains and western San Gabriel Mountains via

4440-705: The Santa Clara River . It is a classic example of a U.S. edge city , satellite city , or boomburb . Human settlement of the Santa Clarita Valley dates back to the arrival of the Chumash people , who were displaced by the Tataviam circa 450 AD. After Spanish colonists arrived in Alta California , the Rancho San Francisco was established, covering much of the Santa Clarita Valley. Henry Mayo Newhall purchased

4551-560: The Santa Clara Valley in Northern California. The region was not widely referred to as Santa Clarita until the 1950s; before this, it was unofficially referred to as the "Newhall–Saugus area" and the "Bonelli tract," after a family that owned land in the valley. The Santa Clarita Valley has been settled for millennia before European arrival. The oldest archaeological site in the area dates back to roughly 3000 BC. About AD 450,

California State Route 14 - Misplaced Pages Continue

4662-600: The Sierra Pelona Mountains to the north, all part of the Transverse Ranges . The broad Santa Clara River passes through the city from east to west. Though usually dry, the river exhibits significant surface flow during seasonal episodes of heavy rainfall. The river's numerous tributaries incise the hilly terrain of the valley to form steep canyons after which many of the city's major streets are named. The largest of these canyons are Bouquet Canyon , San Francisquito Canyon , Sand Canyon , and Soledad Canyon . Currently,

4773-609: The Strada statale 7 Via Appia , which broadly follows the route of the Roman road of the same name . Other examples are the Strada statale 1 Via Aurelia ( Via Aurelia ) and the Strada statale 4 Via Salaria ( Via Salaria ). Since the reforms following the birth of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, the State took charge of the construction and maintenance of a primary network of roads for connections between

4884-399: The Tataviam arrived, displacing the Chumash people who previously inhabited the area. The Tataviam lived in approximately 20 villages in the valley and surrounding areas including Piru , Agua Dulce , Elizabeth Lake , and Tochonanga . In the 18th century, Spanish colonists arrived in southern California including Santa Clarita, founding mission settlements . The Mission San Fernando

4995-479: The Theodore Roosevelt highway, and Grand Army of the Republic Highway . Parts of modern SR 14 continue to be signed with these names, and north of Los Angeles County is still officially designated "El Camino Sierra / Midland Trail" as well as the aforementioned "Aerospace Highway". US 6 was extended from Greeley, Colorado , to Long Beach, California , on June 21, 1937. Most of this extension used

5106-525: The U.S. state of California . With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-most populous city in Los Angeles County, the 17th-most populous in California , and the 103rd-most populous city in the United States . It is located about 30 miles (48 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles, and occupies 70.75 square miles (183.2 km ) of land in the Santa Clarita Valley , along

5217-598: The "Golden Oak" name, including Golden Oak Road in Saugus; Golden Oak Lane, Golden Oak Ranch, and Golden Oak Adult School in Newhall; and Golden Oak Community School in Canyon Country. The United States acquired California in 1848, after winning the Mexican–American War . The community of Newhall is named after Henry Newhall , an American businessman who made his fortune during the California Gold Rush . He founded

5328-576: The Aerospace Highway. Between Pearblossom Highway and Avenue S, there is a vista point overlooking Lake Palmdale , which features a historic plaque that honors aviation accomplishments including the Space Shuttle , breaking the sound barrier and the speed record. The freeway passes the Los Angeles – Kern county line at Avenue A, and continues to run north through Rosamond and Mojave . In Rosamond,

5439-471: The Antelope Valley Freeway one of the most congested in southern California, with average rush hour speeds well below 20 miles per hour (32 km/h). Future predictions call for continued growth along the SR ;14 corridor, including predictions of a tripling of the population of Palmdale by 2030. In response, multiple government agencies have proposed adding more transportation arteries between Los Angeles and

5550-566: The Antelope Valley, as well as expanding the capacity of the existing SR 14 and rail corridors. Several proposals have been made to bypass the Antelope Valley Freeway by boring a tunnel under the San Gabriel Mountains and extending the Glendale Freeway through it to the Antelope Valley. In 2003, Caltrans published a map showing potential improvements to the transportation infrastructure of southern California. The proposal showed both

5661-473: The H.M. Newhall & Company, a successful auction house in San Francisco . Newhall had also invested in rail companies that would connect San Francisco to other cities and became president of the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad . In 1870, he and his partners sold the company to Southern Pacific Railroad , and he served on Southern Pacific's board of directors. From 1858 to 1861, the Santa Clarita Valley

SECTION 50

#1733084913521

5772-458: The Midland Trail, although the route entered California from Nevada slightly north of the previous route of the Midland Trail, instead passing through Bishop . While being designated US 6, parts of modern SR 14 were upgraded to freeway standards. As part of the 1964 state highway renumbering , US 6 was truncated at Bishop. The portion of US 6 from Inyokern to Los Angeles

5883-456: The Rancho San Francisco in 1875 and established the towns of Saugus and Newhall . The Newhall Land and Farming Company played a major role in the city's development. In December 1987, the city of Santa Clarita was incorporated, encompassing the communities of Canyon Country , Newhall, Saugus, and Valencia . The four communities retain separate identities, and residents commonly refer to one of them when asked where they are from. Santa Clarita

5994-627: The Rancho Santa Clarita housing tract in Saugus, built in 1947. On September 17, 1966, William V. Fowler, Grand Cyclops (leader) of the California Knights of the Ku Klux Klan , organized a reactivation rally in Soledad Canyon, on Capra Road around 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the present-day Soledad Canyon Road exit on State Route 14. Fowler sought to reactivate the KKK in California, where it

6105-725: The United States. On November 14, 2019, a mass shooting occurred at Saugus High School . That morning, Nathaniel Berhow, a 16-year-old junior at the school, used a semi-automatic pistol to shoot five other students, killing two of them, before turning his gun on himself. The shooting lasted 16 seconds. Survivors were reunited with their parents at nearby Central Park , and injured students were sent to Henry Mayo Hospital in Valencia and Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills . The shooter succumbed to his self-inflicted injuries

6216-500: The Valencia part of Santa Clarita, is also west of Interstate 5 and outside of the Santa Clarita city limits. The Santa Clara River was named by Spanish explorers for Saint Clare of Assisi . The valley and the settlement later became known as "little Santa Clara" ("Santa Clarita" in the Spanish diminutive) to distinguish it from the Northern Californian city of Santa Clara and its accompanying Mission Santa Clara de Asís . The Santa Clarita Valley similarly differentiates itself from

6327-570: The Whitney Canyon, Elsmere Canyon, Golden Valley Ranch, Walker Ranch, and East Walker Ranch open spaces. Santa Clarita extends as far east as the eastern end of Shenandoah Lane, east of Shadow Pines Boulevard in Canyon Country. The city limits also include a small exclave west of Interstate 5 in Towsley Canyon Park. The Angeles National Forest forms part of the city's northern and eastern boundaries, although parts of northern Saugus (north of Copper Hill Drive and Haskell Canyon Road) and Canyon Country (south of Placerita and Sand Canyon Roads) extend into

6438-452: The area of Canyon County tried again to secede. Proposition K revealed greater support for the creation of a new county, in which fifty-nine percent of local voters voted in favor, but, again, most LA county voters rejected it. Despite the rejection of "home rule" through the creation of Canyon County, attention turned back to creating a new city. In the mid-1980s, Louis Garasi, president of the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce, chaired

6549-407: The border of the city of Santa Clarita . SR 14's northern terminus is at U.S. Route 395 (US 395) near Inyokern . Legislatively, the route extends south of I-5 to SR 1 in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles; however, the portion south of the junction with I-5 has not been constructed. The southern part of the constructed route is a busy commuter freeway serving and connecting

6660-430: The canyon of the seasonal Santa Clara River . The ascent is mostly rugged and rural terrain, with only two small towns along the ascent, first Agua Dulce and later Acton . In Agua Dulce, the freeway forms the southern boundary of Vasquez Rocks Park , a county park. The highway crests the Sierra Pelona Mountains via Escondido Summit , at an elevation of 3,258 feet (993 m), before descending and passing by Acton to

6771-472: The cities of Santa Clarita, Palmdale , and Lancaster to the rest of the Greater Los Angeles area . The northern portion, from Vincent (south of Palmdale) to US 395, is legislatively named the Aerospace Highway, as the highway serves Edwards Air Force Base , once one of the primary landing strips for NASA 's Space Shuttle , as well as the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake that supports military aerospace research, development and testing. This section

SECTION 60

#1733084913521

6882-404: The cities of the Central Valley , Route 128 in Massachusetts, or parts of Route 101 in New Hampshire). Each state has its own system for numbering and its own marker. The default marker is a white circle containing a black sans serif number (often inscribed in a black square or slightly rounded square), according to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). However each state

6993-403: The city formation committee, with Connie Worden, a veteran of the Canyon County effort, as vice chair. As noted by Jerry Reynolds, "With strong support from the Santa Clarita Valley and Canyon Country chambers of commerce, the committee held lively, well-attended public meetings that revealed a growing interest in home rule and mounting dissatisfaction with inadequate roads." A petition campaign and

7104-408: The city is bounded by Interstate 5 to the west, extending east to include almost all developed areas of the Santa Clarita Valley east of the freeway. Part of the city's eastern boundary follows California State Route 14 , although the city limits extend beyond Route 14 to include the communities of Aliento, Fair Oaks Ranch, Vista Canyon, and Sand Canyon; the Plaza at Golden Valley shopping center; and

7215-401: The city limits, a large development by the FivePoint company is in construction. Santa Clarita, according to the United States Census Bureau , covers an area of 70.82 square miles (183.4 km ), of which 70.75 square miles (183.2 km ) is land and 0.07 square miles (0.18 km ) (0.10%) is water. Nearly half of the city's land area has been acquired via annexations; the city's area at

7326-478: The city's wide range of elevations, varying micro-climates are common. There is a large diurnal temperature variation , especially in the summer. During the summer (late June through mid-September) high temperatures average 90–95 °F (32–35 °C), commonly reaching 110 °F (43 °C) or higher during heat waves. Rain is very rare. Due to the aridity, summer temperatures cool down significantly at night. Summer and fall carry significant wildfire risk due to

7437-411: The collapsed flyover ramp from SR 14 south to I-5 south. After both earthquakes, the collapsed portions were rebuilt and surviving portions reinforced. In 2007, two tractor-trailer trucks collided in a tunnel along the truck lanes for southbound I-5 at the interchange. A resulting fire started, soon encompassing the entire tunnel along with 30 other trucks and one passenger vehicle that were in

7548-429: The community of Reseda and Topanga State Park . There is no paved road that directly connects these two points, with SR 27 or I-405 being the nearest through roads in this area. The interchange with Sierra Highway at Via Princessa in Santa Clarita has an unusual design, with long flyover ramps for the connections. This is the result of a freeway revolt by the residents of Santa Clarita that canceled plans for

7659-460: The conversion was complete. The southern portion of this line is still active and connects to the Trona Railway . The Midland Trail was one of the first organized coast-to-coast trails in the United States. In the trail's infancy, its routing changed numerous times. By 1925, the Midland Trail was established along what is modern State Route 168 , joining El Camino Sierra in Big Pine . Other named trails that eventually followed this route included

7770-434: The development of the communities that comprise present-day Santa Clarita, including the master-planned community of Valencia (in which it is headquartered), Canyon Country, Newhall, and Saugus. The company also manages farm land elsewhere in the state. On September 5, 1876, Charles Crocker , president of the Southern Pacific Company , hammered a ceremonial spike into a railroad tie at Lang Southern Pacific Station in what

7881-541: The early morning of July 23, 1982, a helicopter crash occurred at the Indian Dunes amusement park in Valencia during the making of Twilight Zone: The Movie , killing three people. As early as 1920, there were attempts to incorporate some of the communities of the Santa Clara River Valley. Four years later a chamber of commerce was formed in Newhall, with one of its goals being city formation. Starting in 1970s, residents, such as educator Carl Boyer III and retired businessman H. Gil Callowhill, began efforts to determine

7992-488: The end of the 1980s, and in some states, some less important National Routes were downgraded to State Routes. Each state has or had its own numbering scheme, but do not duplicate National Route numbers in the same state, or nearby routes in another state. As with the National Routes and National Highways, State Routes are being phased out in most states and territories in favour of alphanumeric routes. However, despite

8103-422: The entire valley, and schools were closed. Shelters opened in Newhall, Saugus, and Canyon Country. The National Guard was sent to the area, and City Hall was temporarily relocated. Water distribution points were set up as residents lost access to running water. The city suffered an estimated $ 76.8 million in damages. Santa Clarita was ranked in 2006 by Money magazine as 18th of the 100 best places to live in

8214-498: The fact that Victoria has fully adopted alphanumeric routes in regional areas, state route numbers are still used extensively within the city of Melbourne as a part of its Metropolitan Route Numbering Scheme . Brazil is another country that is divided into states and has state highways. For example, the longest highway in the state of São Paulo , the Rodovia Raposo Tavares , is designated as SP-270 and SP-295 . Canada

8325-441: The feasibility of incorporating Newhall, Saugus and Valencia into a city. In 1974, individuals, such as Signal co-editor Ruth Newhall, suggested that the Santa Clarita area should secede from Los Angeles County to form their own county. That December a new committee was formed to lead the fight to break Acton, Agua Dulce, Gorman, Castaic, Val Verde, Canyon Country, Saugus, Valencia and Newhall off from Los Angeles County. The new entity

8436-592: The filing of the official cityhood application with the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) requested a ninety square-mile area for the proposed City of Santa Clarita. The LAFCO shrunk the proposed city to just over thirty-nine square miles, carving out most of the areas where development was pending. The city boundaries approved by LAFCO included most of the populated areas of Newhall, Saugus, Canyon Country and Valencia. Left out were Castaic, Agua Dulce, everything west of Interstate 5, and most of

8547-418: The following day in the hospital. A vigil honoring the victims was held at Central Park the next day. In the 21st century, the city's developed area has expanded significantly as Lennar , Tri Pointe Homes , and KB Home have constructed housing developments in the area, including the neighborhoods of West Creek, West Hills, Aliento, River Village, Skyline Ranch, Vista Canyon, and Five Knolls. Just outside

8658-449: The highway passes close to Edwards Air Force Base , which was often used as one of the main landing strips for NASA 's Space Shuttle, and as the base for the X-15 and many other air and spacecraft. The freeway portion terminates just south of Mojave, where SR 14 serves as the main street and runs through the downtown area. To the east of the route is Mojave Air & Space Port , home to

8769-468: The land south of State Route 14 except for Sand Canyon, whose inclusion was championed by three cityhood leaders who lived there – Lou Garasi, Jan Heidt and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon. After multiple failed attempts to form a city and at least two failed attempts to form a separate county, residents of the Santa Clarita Valley finally incorporated the City of Santa Clarita on December 15, 1987. The proposal passed by

8880-635: The last interchange located at California City Boulevard. Now a divided highway with at-grade intersections , departs the corridor of the rail main, to follow the crest of the forming Sierra Nevada mountains. The route continues to follow a branch line of the Union Pacific Railroad used as a connector for the Trona Railway . The main line of the railroad proceeds towards the Central Valley via Tehachapi Pass . Though SR 14 heads away from

8991-531: The main cities; in 1865 the Lanza law introduced the classification of roads between national, provincial and municipal (see Annex F, art.10) and the Royal Decree of 17 November 1865, n. 2633 listed the first 38 national roads. Italian state highways are identified by a number and a name. In road signs and maps the number is preceded by the acronym SS, an acronym for strada statale ("state road"). The nomenclature of

9102-647: The more direct Ridge Route (east of modern I-5 ), Tehachapi Pass is lower than Tejon Pass along the Ridge Route, with a longer, less steep grade on the descent into the Central Valley. While the Tehachapi Pass portion of this line has remained the same, over time another route was built from Mojave, across the Antelope Valley towards Cajon Pass to cross the San Gabriel Mountains, there merging with another main rail trunk to Los Angeles. The Cajon Pass fork remains

9213-540: The most recent snow was a light dusting in February 2023. Santa Clarita lies within USDA plant hardiness zone 10a, except for the far eastern part of the city, which is in zone 9b. In Santa Clarita, the sun is above the horizon for 9 hours, 51 minutes on the winter solstice (December 20–22) and 14 hours, 28 minutes on the summer solstice (June 20–22). Characterized by dry hills covered in brush and chaparral , Santa Clarita

9324-532: The national forest. The official elevation of the city is 1,207 feet (368 m), the elevation of the historic Newhall Airport which was northwest of Via Princessa and Railroad Avenue from the 1930s through the 1950s. Elevation varies substantially throughout the city. The lowest point in Santa Clarita is near the junction of CA-126 and I-5 ( 34°26′32″N 118°36′10″W  /  34.4422°N 118.6029°W  / 34.4422; -118.6029 ), at an elevation of 1,024 feet (312 m). The highest point

9435-477: The next important roads under the National highways . The number has two, three, or four digits. Highways with two-digit numbers routes are called State-funded local highways. State roads ( Turkish : Devlet yolu ) are primary roads, mostly under the responsibility of General Directorate of Highways (KGM) except in metropolitan city centers where the responsibility falls into the local government. The roads have

9546-546: The north. The highway then crests the San Gabriel Mountains via Soledad Pass , at an elevation of 3,209 feet (978 m). The route of the highway through the mountains loosely parallels that of the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line . After cresting both mountain passes, the highway descends into the Antelope Valley , a large valley within the Mojave Desert . The highway crosses Angeles Forest Highway and

9657-757: The pass, the highway has views of the mountains and the Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm . The scenery also changes, as the highway departs the Mojave Desert and crosses Red Rock Canyon State Park . Traffic counts drop dramatically as the highway becomes more rural, with an AADT of 3,200 vehicles at the northern terminus. SR 14 continues north toward US 395 in Inyokern , much of its routing as an expressway . Towards its northern terminus, SR 14 runs briefly concurrently with SR 178 . At its northern terminus, SR 14 merges with US 395 as it turns into an expressway heading north to Bishop . As US 395

9768-485: The portion from Mojave to the Owens Valley , along modern US 395, was paved. During the late 19th century, the corridor of modern SR 14 was also in use by the Southern Pacific Railroad . South of Mojave was used for a main line, the corridor north of Mojave follows a branch line. The main line connected Los Angeles with the Central Valley, via Soledad Pass and Tehachapi Pass . While significantly longer than

9879-406: The presence of dry brush. The hottest temperature recorded in the city is 118 °F (48 °C) on July 5, 2024. During winter, temperatures are mild. In most winters, there are a few days with highs above 80 °F (27 °C) and a few days that stay below 50 °F (10 °C). Temperatures rarely fall below freezing. Rain falls primarily from December through March. Snowfall is very rare;

9990-569: The primary freight rail line to connect southern and northern California in use today, now owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad . The fork paralleling SR 14 and crossing at Soledad Pass is still a contiguous line, but not used for through freight traffic as a significant portion was sold to the predecessors of the Southern California Regional Rail Authority to become the Antelope Valley Line of

10101-507: The railroad part of the land, upon which the company built the town of Newhall , founded just north of the present-day intersection of Magic Mountain Parkway and Railroad Avenue. He moved the town south in 1879, and the original townsite was named Saugus , after Henry Newhall's hometown of Saugus, Massachusetts . After his death, Newhall's heirs incorporated the Newhall Land and Farming Company in 1883. Since its founding, it has overseen

10212-553: The road as it was in 1964 , based on the alignment that existed at the time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage. R reflects a realignment in the route since then, M indicates a second realignment, L refers to an overlap due to a correction or change, and T indicates postmiles classified as temporary ( for a full list of prefixes, see California postmile § Official postmile definitions ). Segments that remain unconstructed or have been relinquished to local control may be omitted. The numbers reset at county lines;

10323-577: The route continues to follow the crest of the Sierra Nevada, serving Owens Valley , Mammoth Mountain , Yosemite National Park and Mono Lake . The first road to use the general alignment of modern SR 14 was called the El Camino Sierra, or Sierra Highway, which extended from Los Angeles to Lake Tahoe . A dirt road was completed in the 1910s from what had been a pack trail . The Los Angeles Times declared El Camino Sierra complete in 1931, when

10434-409: The site of a number of catastrophic incidents. The interchange has partially collapsed twice due to earthquakes: the 1971 Sylmar earthquake and the 1994 Northridge earthquake . As a result of the 1994 collapse, this interchange was renamed the "Clarence Wayne Dean Memorial Interchange", honoring a Los Angeles Police Department motorcycle officer killed when he was unable to stop in time and drove off

10545-400: The start and end postmiles in each county are given in the county column. State highway Roads maintained by a state or province include both nationally numbered highways and un-numbered state highways. Depending on the state, "state highway" may be used for one meaning and "state road" or "state route" for the other. In some countries such as New Zealand , the word "state"

10656-631: The state highways managed by ANAS generally follows the SS n scheme, where n is a number ranging from 1 ( Aurelia ) up to 700 (of the Royal Palace of Caserta ) depending on the date of establishment of the state highway. Newly built ANAS roads, not yet classified, are identified by the acronym NSA, an acronym for nuova strada ANAS ("new ANAS road"). State highways can be technically defined as main extra-urban roads (type B road) or as secondary extra-urban roads (type C road). State highways that cross towns with

10767-462: The system is completely unsigned, aside from the Trans-Canada routes. This makes Canada unique in that national highway designations are generally secondary to subnational routes. In Germany , state roads ( Landesstraßen or Staatsstraßen ) are a road class which is ranking below the federal road network ( Bundesstraßen ). The responsibility for road planning, construction and maintenance

10878-524: The time of incorporation was just 39.09 square miles (101.2 km ). The Newhall Pass is located at the southern end of the city, south of Newhall and north of the San Fernando Valley communities of Granada Hills and Sylmar . Santa Clarita lies within the Santa Clarita Valley , bounded by the San Gabriel Mountains to the east, the Santa Susana Mountains to the south and west, and

10989-578: The time the floodwaters reached the Pacific Ocean near Ventura five hours later, 411 people had died. Some buildings in Newhall became makeshift morgues. After the disaster, engineer William Mulholland resigned from his position as superintendent of the Los Angeles Bureau of Water Works and Supply (now the Department of Water and Power ). On December 27, 1936, United Airlines Trip 34 crashed into

11100-399: The town of Mentryville was founded by French immigrant Charles Alexander Mentry near present-day Stevenson Ranch . Mentryville's Pico Number 4 oil well was the first commercially successful oil well in the western United States. Oil from Mentryville was refined at Pioneer Oil Refinery in Newhall, the first viable oil refinery in the state. (Pioneer Oil Refinery is currently the only site on

11211-543: The tunnel at the time. The truck tunnel was closed for several days for structural damage inspections and repairs. SR 14 is an unfinished route, as the definition in the California Streets and Highways Code states that the route begins at SR 1 (Pacific Coast Highway), near Sunset Boulevard in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. Between the constructed end and legislative end of SR 14 are

11322-415: The unconstructed portion of SR 14 and new routes over or under the mountains to Antelope Valley. In 2005, the idea was advanced as a combination toll tunnel and surface highway. Preliminary studies estimated costs around $ 3 billion and suggested charging a varying toll, adjusted for the time of day, averaging around $ 8 for one-way passage. Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured on

11433-518: The word "state" in this sense means "government" or "public" (as in state housing and state schools ), not a division of a country. New Zealand's state highway system is a nationwide network of roads covering the North Island and the South Island . As of 2006, just under 100 roads have a "State Highway" designation. The NZ Transport Agency administers them. The speed limit for most state highways

11544-531: Was an agricultural area serving the nearby Mission San Fernando. In 1842, Francisco Lopez discovered gold in Placerita Canyon —the first documented discovery of gold in California. The discovery is commemorated in an 1842 mining claim issued by Governor Alvarado. The Oak of the Golden Dream, which marks the site of the discovery, remains an attraction for tourists. Several places throughout Santa Clarita carry

11655-441: Was banned by law since 1946. Estimates of the rally's size range from 30 to 100 people, far fewer than the 5,000 to 10,000 Fowler expected. The rally took place on United States Forest Service property and included a fake cross burning . Just one person was arrested at the rally – for assaulting a police officer he mistook for a Klansman. On April 5, 1970, four CHP officers were shot dead by two heavily armed career criminals at

11766-464: Was completed in 1963. Further portions in the intercanyon areas of Acton to Soledad Pass were completed by 1965. By 1966, the freeway was complete as far north as Avenue P-8 (now Technology Drive) in Palmdale. The freeway was completed to Mojave by 1972. The Newhall Pass interchange , where I-5, Sierra Highway, Foothill Boulevard , San Fernando Road and the southern terminus of SR 14 meet, has been

11877-475: Was designated SR 14. Previously, the SR 14 designation was used for Artesia Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue, in the Los Angeles area, a portion of modern SR 91 . Between 1963 and 1975, significant portions of US 6/SR 14 were moved to a freeway alignment. The former routing south of Mojave (and the current routing to the north) is still known as Sierra Highway. The first freeway section, from just east of Solemint Junction to Red Rover Mine Road,

11988-416: Was devastated by the 1994 Northridge earthquake . The Newhall Pass interchange of I-5 and CA-14 collapsed, and Sierra Highway became the only route in and out of the valley; Sierra Highway was soon closed as well. Several surface streets throughout the city were closed due to structural damage. The Four Corners oil spill led to contamination of the Santa Clara River. Electricity was temporarily shut off for

12099-484: Was founded in 1797 in present-day Mission Hills , just 9.5 miles (15.3 km) south of downtown Newhall. In 1822, Alta California , which included most of the present-day southwestern United States including all of California, became a territory of the newly independent country of Mexico. The 48,612-acre (196.73 km ) Rancho San Francisco land grant was issued by Juan Bautista Alvarado , governor of Alta California , to Mexican army officer Antonio del Valle. It

12210-430: Was to be called Canyon County. This effort eventually led to the creation of Proposition F on the 1976 November ballot. Under state law, the creation of the new county would have to be approved by all the voters in the existing county. This effort failed with sixty-eight to thirty-two percent of the county at large rejecting it. The proposed Canyon County voted fifty-five percent in favor of its creation. On November 7, 1978,

12321-609: Was used as a transportation corridor for the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach service as part of its first division, stretching from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Two Butterfield Overland Mail stations were located in the area: Lyons Station in Newhall, and King's Station in San Francisquito Canyon. Beale's Cut was constructed in 1859 through what is now known as the Newhall Pass . After railroads, Newhall turned to real estate and ranching. He purchased

#520479