Washington Boulevard (Los Angeles)

Washington Boulevard
Maintained byLocal jurisdictions
Nearest metro station:
West endPacific Avenue in Los Angeles, California
Major
junctions
SR 1 in Los Angeles
Sepulveda Boulevard in Culver City
La Cienega Boulevard in Culver City
Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles
I-10 in Los Angeles
La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles
Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles
Western Avenue in Los Angeles
Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles
Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles
Figueroa Street in Los Angeles
San Pedro Street in Los Angeles
Central Avenue in Los Angeles
Alameda Street in Los Angeles
Soto Street in Los Angeles
I-710 in Commerce
Atlantic Boulevard in Commerce
I-5 in Commerce
Telegraph Road in Commerce
Garfield Avenue in Commerce
Paramount Boulevard in Pico Rivera
SR 19 in Pico Rivera
I-605 in West Whittier-Los Nietos
East end SR 72 (Whittier Boulevard) / Pickering Avenue / Santa Fe Springs Road in Whittier

Washington Boulevard is an east-west arterial road in Los Angeles County, California spanning a total of 27.4 miles (44 km).

Its western terminus is the Pacific Ocean just west of Pacific Avenue and straddling the border of the Venice Beach and Marina Peninsula neighborhoods of Los Angeles. The Boulevard extends eastbound to the city of Whittier, at Whittier Boulevard. It is south of Venice Boulevard for most of its length. At Wade Street, Washington Place is formed adjacent and parallel and lasts until just east of Sepulveda Boulevard, where it merges back into Washington Boulevard. Washington merges into Culver Boulevard briefly, but forms back into its own street at Canfield Avenue.

Washington Boulevard, which is primarily four lanes but has some six-lane sections, passes through locations in the mid-southern portion of Los Angeles County. The communities to the west include affluent areas such as Marina del Rey and Ladera Heights. Further east it passes between Crestview and Culver City and through Mid City, Arlington Heights, Pico Union, City of Commerce, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Los Nietos and Whittier.

West Adams Preparatory High School is located on Vermont Avenue and Washington Blvd.

History

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In early days the western portion of Washington was known as the Ballona Road.[1] The far eastern end was known as the Los Angeles and Anaheim Telegraph Road.[2][3]

Ballona Road - 1874 - Washington Boulevard from roughly Elenda Street to Hoover Street
Ballona Road and Ivy Station c. 1903

In 1905, it boasted the headquarters of the local horse driving club, for a mile west of Western Avenue. "The road is not of the best," reported the Los Angeles Times, "and automobiles are usurping it . . . but it is the nearest approach to a speedway the reinsmen have, and they therefore make the most of it." Mayor Owen McAleer "has set aside that stretch of the highway to those drivers who delight in vying with each other off the racetrack, and policemen have been given to understand that some latitude is to be allowed horsemen there."[4]

Transportation

[edit]
Washington Boulevard, westbound in Culver City

Washington Boulevard provides bus service between Venice Beach and West LA Transit Center by Culver City Transit line 1, between West LA Transit Center and Downtown by Metro Local line 35, and east of Downtown by Montebello Transit line 50. A portion of the Metro A Line runs along Washington Boulevard (serving the Grand/LATTC, San Pedro and Washington stations), from Flower Street to Long Beach Avenue, while the Metro E Line serves a rail station near the intersection with National Boulevard.

Major intersections

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The entire route is in Los Angeles County.

LocationmikmDestinationsNotes
Los Angeles00.0Pacific AvenueWestern terminus of Washington Boulevard
1.32.1 SR 1 (Lincoln Boulevard, Pacific Coast Highway) – Santa Monica, Long Beach
Culver City3.76.0Sepulveda Boulevard
5.18.2Culver BoulevardOverlap with Culver Boulevard for 0.25 miles (0.40 km)
6.510.5La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles6.810.9Fairfax Avenue
6.911.1 I-10 (Santa Monica Freeway) – Santa Monica, San Bernardino
8.513.7La Brea Avenue
9.515.3Crenshaw Boulevard
10.216.4Arlington Avenue
10.717.2Western Avenue
11.218.0Normandie Avenue
11.718.8Vermont Avenue
12.920.8Figueroa Street
13.922.4San Pedro Street
14.423.2Central Avenue
15.124.3Alameda Street
15.625.1Santa Fe Avenue
16.326.2Soto Street
Commerce19.230.9 I-710 (Long Beach Freeway) / Valley Boulevard – Long Beach
19.531.4Atlantic Boulevard/Avenue
20.032.2Eastern Avenue
20.933.6 I-5 (Santa Ana Freeway) – Los Angeles, Santa AnaNorthbound entrance and exit via Telegraph Road
21.033.8Telegraph Road
21.734.9Garfield Avenue
Montebello22.636.4Greenwood Avenue
Pico Rivera23.638.0Paramount Boulevard
24.238.9 SR 19 (Rosemead Boulevard) – Long Beach, Pasadena
West Whittier25.340.7 I-605 (San Gabriel River Freeway)Northbound entrance and exit via Pioneer Boulevard
25.440.9Pioneer Boulevard
West WhittierSanta Fe Springs line25.741.4Norwalk Boulevard
Whittier27.243.8Lambert RoadWestern terminus of Lambert Road; to Chino Hills, California
27.644.4 SR 72 (Whittier Boulevard) / Pickering Avenue / Santa Fe Springs Road – La Habra, Pico RiveraEastern terminus of Washington Boulevard
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Notable landmarks

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Ray Charles Square, Los Angeles

References

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  1. ^ "La Ballona Has Colorful Historic Background". Evening Vanguard. 1953-08-17. p. 46. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  2. ^ Lecouvreur, Frank (1873), Ballona Road (Los Angeles and Anaheim Telegraph Road), retrieved 2024-03-31
  3. ^ Supervisors, Los Angeles County (Calif ) Board of (1912). Official Boundaries of Congressional Districts, State Senatorial and Assembly Districts, Within the County of Los Angeles, State of California: Also Boundaries of Supervisorial Districts, Judicial Townships, Election Precincts, and Incorporated Cities of Los Angeles County, California. March, 1912. p. 326.
  4. ^ "Fast Horses His Delight," Los Angeles Times, October 1, 1905, page III-1
  5. ^ "Restaurants". Black Enterprise Magazine. 1974.
  6. ^ Campus Map