California State Route 138

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State Route 138

(CS&HC Section 438)

Length:

86 mi^[1] (138 km)

West end:

I-5 near Gorman

Major
junctions:

SR 14 in Lancaster

SR 18 near Pearblossom

SR 2 near Wrightwood

I-15 in Cajon Pass

SR 173 near Hesperia

East end:

SR 18 in Crestline

Major cities:

Gorman
Lancaster
Palmdale
Littlerock
Crestline

California State Routes
< SR 137		SR 139 >
Unconstructed - Deleted - Freeway - Scenic

Hockney's Pearblossom Highway

State Route 138 is an east-west highway generally following the northern foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains of southern California, USA from its junction with Interstate 5 south of Gorman eastward to Mount Anderson Junction, its eastern junction with State Route 18 south of Crestline in the San Bernardino Mountains. Except for the western two miles of the route between Interstate 5 and just east of Gorman Post Road and a segment shared with State Route 14 between Avenue D in Lancaster and Palmdale Boulevard in Palmdale, it is all surface road, mostly undivided two-lane road. The remaining section of the Ridge Route, California's first highway connecting the San Joaquin Valley to the Los Angeles Basin ends at 138 in Gorman.

The western leg of State Route 138 traverses the Lancaster Freeway from Interstate 5 to Gorman Post Road, Lancaster Road from Gorman Post Road to 245th Street West near Neenach School, and Avenue D from 245h Street West to Route 138's north junction with State Route 14. The Lancaster Freeway has four lanes, two for each direction of travel. Both Lancaster Road and Avenue D are 2-lane conventional roads; Avenue D is on a straight alignment over its 22 miles between 245th Street and State Route 14.

After its co-routing with the Antelope Valley Freeway (CA-14) through Lancaster and Palmdale, it passes through Palmdale's eastside as four-laned Palmdale Boulevard, 47th Street East, and Fort Tejon Road to Avenue T. At Avenue T it tapers to two lanes and continues straight ahead on Pearblossom Highway through Littlerock, Pearblossom, and Llano to its west junction with State Route 18. California 18's western terminus siphons off Las Vegas-bound travelers from 138. At its west junction with State Route 18, State Route 138 turns southeast on Antelope Highway to the Los Angeles/San Bernardino County line where it loses its alternative name, Antelope Highway.

Between the county line and Interstate 15, State Route 138 traverses very mountainous and scenic terrain and it connects with State Route 2 that leads to winter resort areas in the San Gabriel Mountains used largely by residents of greater Los Angeles and greater San Diego. State Route 138 crosses Interstate 15 in the Cajon Pass. From Interstate 15 to State Route 173, near the northwest corner of Silverwood Lake, traffic on State Route 138 is rather sparse. The remaining road past Silverwood Lake is mountainous, narrow, and twisting, and not a prime mountain route to the San Bernardino Mountain resorts. The entire segment from Interstate 15 to the eastern terminus of State Route 138 at Mount Anderson Junction is known the El Cajon-Skyline Forest Highway.

Because of its twisting, mountainous segments and overloaded traffic conditions on its eastern leg, CA-138 east of Palmdale and west of Interstate 15 is the site of numerous serious auto accidents as of 2004, according to CHP data. One of the chief contributors to accidents on CA-138 of late is drivers passing on the two lane highway in unsafe conditions. A recent accident involved a vehicle leaving the roadway near the California Aqueduct, careering through the desert and crashing into the aqueduct.

Parts of the distinctive highway were used in the filming of the movie The Long, Long Trailer, a 1954 comedy with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Despite the rapid growth of Southern California in the ensuing fifty years, the segment shown in the movie is little changed since the movie was filmed.

David Hockney composed the picturesque photographic collage Pearblossom Highway in 1986 off of the segment of Route 138 bearing that moniker. It may be viewed at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.