San Fernando Road

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San Fernando Road is a major street in the city and county of Los Angeles. It starts off in Castaic as The Old Road, passing through Santa Clarita and the Newhall Pass, where upon its intersection with Sierra Highway near the junction of the Golden State (I-5) and the Antelope Valley (CA-14) Freeways, it becomes San Fernando Road. San Fernando Road then passes through the Sylmar district of Los Angeles and the city of San Fernando. It re-enters the city of Los Angeles at the intersection with the Ronald Reagan Freeway (CA-118) in the Pacoima area, where it parallels Interstate 5. Like Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west in Sun Valley, it passes through rock quarries and one of the last remaining open spaces in the San Fernando Valley.

The portion between Sun Valley and the city of Burbank is mostly industrial, and there is heavy truck traffic thorough this area. San Fernando Road passes through the Bob Hope Airport and downtown Burbank. Upon entering the Burbank city limits, it is signed as San Fernando Boulevard. At the intersection with Cypress Avenue in the Media City Center, there is a brief interruption in the route. 1st Street and Magnolia Boulevard connect both portions of San Fernando Boulevard. The road becomes San Fernando Road once it enters the city of Glendale. From the intersection with the Ventura Freeway (CA-134) to its southern terminus, it closely follows the Los Angeles River through the Atwater Village and Glassell Park neighborhoods. San Fernando Road ends at Figueroa Street, where it becomes Avenue 20, and it finally ends at Main Street, northeast of Downtown Los Angeles.

There is another San Fernando Road entirely within the city of Santa Clarita, starting at the Antelope Valley Freeway and ending at Magic Mountain Parkway. This route was formerly signed as California State Route 126, but it was decommissioned by Caltrans. The Southern Pacific Railroad follows both portions of San Fernando Road for their entire routes.

Prior to the construction of Interstate 5, San Fernando Road was old U.S. Highway 99 and U.S. Highway 6, and with the completion of the Golden State Freeway, it was re-signed as Business Interstate 5, although Los Angeles did a poor job in maintaining business routes (see Ventura Boulevard). Today, San Fernando Road is used as an alternative to the congested 5 Freeway between Lincoln Heights and the Newhall Pass, due to the relatively few traffic signals on the route.