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WELCOME
TO THE
SANTA CLARITA VALLEY!
SCV: A Great Place for All Ages and
Lifestyles
The first discovery
of gold in California did not occur at Sutter's Mill but six years
earlier in the Santa Clarita Valley. That discovery was the
beginning of a transformation of the area where the once-ancient
Alliklik Indians, wild horses, Spanish explorers, and European
colonists roamed the gently rolling hills.
Farm and city folk
alike migrated west to Santa Clarita Valley to seek their
fortunes. Henry Mayo Newhall was among them and in 1870 he started
the valley on the road to modernization through his auctioneering
and railroad interests.
After purchasing
Rancho San Francisco (later known as Newhall Ranch) in 1875,
Newhall sold a right of way to the Southern Pacific Railroad for
$1 and a town site known as Newhall for another dollar. Not only
did it become the first rail center but the first commercially
producing oil well began operation in Pico Canyon in 1875,
followed by the state's first refinery in Railroad Canyon.
In the early 1900's
Hollywood invaded the valley where rugged canyons provided
appropriate backdrops for western silent movies. Today film making
continues to be a daily occurrence in the area.
LOCATION:
The Santa Clarita Valley forms an inverted triangle with San
Gabriel and Santa Susanna mountain ranges separating it from the
San Fernando Valley and the Los Angeles National Forest to the
north. The Santa Clara River and its tributaries drain over
490,000 acres of mountains and canyons forming the valley.
LAND AREA:
150+ square miles.
CLIMATE:
Sunny, warm, dry, summers; semi-moist, mild winters. Annual
rainfall of 15-18 inches occurring between November and March.
ALTITUDE: 1,200
to 1,400 ft. Whitaker Peak to the north at 4,148ft., Mt. Gleason
to the east at 6,502ft., Oat Mountain to the south at 3,747 ft.
TRANSPORTATION:
Interstate 5 is the major artery for north/south traffic through
the Santa Clarita Valley linking cities such as Los Angeles and
San Diego to the south, and Bakersfield and San Francisco to the
north.
Highway 14, the Antelope Valley freeway, emanates from the
northern San Fernando Valley and used by traffic going to the
Palmdale/Lancaster area, other desert communities, and Las Vegas.
The Metrolink runs daily (except Sunday) on 35 miles of track
between Santa Clarita and Los Angeles. Each car has a seating
capacity of 148 people, standing capacity of another 155 and room
to store two bicycles. A round-trip ticket between Santa Clarita
and Los Angeles costs about $10.
The realignment of Highway 126 is still in the building stages and
eventually will become an expressway crossing the northern portion
of the valley, linking I-5 and Hwy 14.
MILEAGE TO KEY
CENTERS: Pacific Ocean
(Ventura) and ports via Hwy 126 (West) 40 miles. Los Angeles Civic
Center via I-5 (south) 35 miles, Burbank Airport via I-5 (south)
25 miles, Los Angeles International Airport via 405 Freeway
(south) 40 miles.
COMMUNITIES:
In the incorporated area-within the City of Santa Clarita are the
communities of Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus and Valencia. The
city consists of 40 square miles, Incorporated on December 15,
1987. Estimated population growth through 2010 is 270,000. In the
unincorporated area of Los Angeles County the communities are:
Castaic, Val Verde, Stevenson Ranch and Agua Dulce.
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