Tejon Pass

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Tejon Pass
Tejon Pass
Elevation	4,183 ft. / 1,275 m.
Location	California,  United States
Range	Tehachapi Mountains
Traversed by	Interstate 5

At an elevation of 4,183 ft. (1,275 m), the Tejon Pass (pronounced /teɪˈhoʊn/) is a mountain pass at the southwest end of the Tehachapi Mountains in southern California in the United States. The pass is located on the boundary between Los Angeles and Kern counties, approximately 50 mi (80 km) northwest of the city of Los Angeles. The pass has a mostly gradual ascent from Los Angeles, but a precipitous descent towards the Central Valley.

The pass was the former location of Fort Tejon, built in 1854. The site is preserved at Old Fort Tejon State Park. The pass currently provides the route of Interstate 5 connecting Los Angeles with the Central Valley to the north.

The first highway linking the valley with the Los Angeles Basin, the Ridge Route, wound its way through the pass as well. The Ridge Route was originally a part of U.S. Route 99 and was bypassed by a safer, straighter route over Grapevine Hill (or simply "The Grapevine") that would become part of Interstate 5 upon its completion. Though a great deal of the Ridge Route was covered up by the new highway, parts of it are still driveable today with some parts dating back to the 1910s.

500 kV Southern California Edison power lines, constituting part of the Path 26 transmission corridor, cross the pass as well, but at a higher elevation to the west of Interstate 5 at the foot of the 8,000+ foot (2,438 m) Frazier Mountain.

The Tehachapi Mountains are also crossed by Tehachapi Pass at the northeast end where they meet the southern end of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The moderate elevation of Tejon Pass, at only a little over 4,000 ft. (1,219 m), and the pass's southern location means that the pass is mostly unaffected by snowfall. The pass usually gets only a dusting of snow in most winters. However, when a strong cold storm comes in, a foot (30 cm) of snow can accumulate at and around the pass, snarling traffic on Interstate 5.

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