Washington Boulevard (Los Angeles)


Washington Boulevard is an east-west arterial road in Los Angeles County, California spanning a total of 27.4 miles. 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 four lanes, primarily 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.

History

The thoroughfare was known as Washington Street until around 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."

Transportation

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 Blue line runs along Washington Boulevard, from Flower Street to Long Beach Avenue, while the Metro Expo Line serves a rail station near the intersection with National Boulevard.
LocationRoadNotes
Los AngelesPacific AvenueWestern terminus of Washington Boulevard
Los AngelesAlso known as Pacific Coast Highway
Culver CitySepulveda Boulevard
Culver CityCulver BoulevardOverlap with Culver Boulevard for 0.25 mile
Culver CityLa Cienega Boulevard
Los AngelesFairfax Avenue
Los Angeles
Los AngelesLa Brea Avenue
Los AngelesCrenshaw Boulevard
Los AngelesArlington Avenue
Los AngelesWestern Avenue
Los AngelesNormandie Avenue
Los AngelesVermont Avenue
Los AngelesFigueroa Street
Los AngelesSan Pedro Street
Los AngelesCentral Avenue
Los AngelesAlameda Street
Los AngelesSanta Fe Avenue
Los AngelesSoto Street
Commerce, Valley Boulevard
CommerceAtlantic Boulevard/Avenue
CommerceEastern Avenue
CommerceNorthbound entrance and exit via Telegraph Road
CommerceTelegraph Road
CommerceGarfield Avenue
MontebelloGreenwood Avenue
Pico RiveraParamount Boulevard
Pico Rivera
West WhittierNo control cities listed on I-605; Northbound entrance and exit via Pioneer Boulevard
West WhittierPioneer Boulevard
Santa Fe Springs - West Whittier lineNorwalk Boulevard
WhittierLambert RoadWestern terminus of Lambert Road; to Chino Hills, California
WhittierEastern terminus of Washington Boulevard

Notable landmarks