Washington Boulevard (Los Angeles)

Washington Boulevard is an east-west arterial road in Los Angeles County, California spanning a total of 27.4 miles (44 km). 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

Maintained by	Local jurisdictions
Nearest metro station	Culver City Grand/LATTC San Pedro St Washington
West end	Pacific Avenue in Los Angeles, California
Major junctions	SR 1 in Los Angeles Sepulveda Boulevard in Culver City La Cienega Boulevard in Culver City Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles I-10 in Los Angeles La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles Western Avenue in Los Angeles Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles Figueroa Street in Los Angeles San Pedro Street in Los Angeles Central Avenue in Los Angeles Alameda Street in Los Angeles Soto Street in Los Angeles I-710 in Commerce Atlantic Boulevard in Commerce I-5 in Commerce Telegraph Road in Commerce Garfield Avenue in Commerce SR 19 in Pico Rivera I-605 in West Whittier-Los Nietos
East end	SR 72 (Whittier Boulevard) / Pickering Avenue / Santa Fe Springs Road in Whittier

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.

West Adams Preparatory High School is located on Vermont Avenue and Washington Blvd.

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."[1]

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 A Line runs along Washington Boulevard (serving the Grand/LATTC, San Pedro and Washington stations), from Flower Street to Long Beach Avenue, while the Metro E Line serves a rail station near the intersection with National Boulevard.

Location	Road	Notes
Los Angeles	Pacific Avenue	Western terminus of Washington Boulevard
	SR 1 (Lincoln Boulevard) – Santa Monica, Long Beach	Also known as Pacific Coast Highway
Culver City	Sepulveda Boulevard
	Culver Boulevard	Overlap with Culver Boulevard for 0.25 mile
	La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles	Fairfax Avenue
	I-10 (Santa Monica Freeway) – Santa Monica, San Bernardino
	La Brea Avenue
	Crenshaw Boulevard
	Arlington Avenue
	Western Avenue
	Normandie Avenue
	Vermont Avenue
	Figueroa Street
	San Pedro Street
	Central Avenue
	Alameda Street
	Santa Fe Avenue
	Soto Street
Commerce	I-710 (Long Beach Freeway) – Long Beach, Valley Boulevard
	Atlantic Boulevard/Avenue
	Eastern Avenue
	I-5 (Santa Ana Freeway) – Los Angeles, Santa Ana	Northbound entrance and exit via Telegraph Road
	Telegraph Road
	Garfield Avenue
Montebello	Greenwood Avenue
Pico Rivera	Paramount Boulevard
	SR 19 (Rosemead Boulevard) – Long Beach, Pasadena
West Whittier	I-605 (San Gabriel River Freeway) – Seal Beach, Duarte	No control cities listed on I-605; Northbound entrance and exit via Pioneer Boulevard
	Pioneer Boulevard
Santa Fe Springs - West Whittier line	Norwalk Boulevard
Whittier	Lambert Road	Western terminus of Lambert Road; to Chino Hills, California
	SR 72 (Whittier Boulevard) / Pickering Avenue / Santa Fe Springs Road – La Habra, Pico Rivera	Eastern terminus of Washington Boulevard

Notable landmarks

Ray Charles Square, Los Angeles

• Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery
• LA Trade Tech College is located at Grand Avenue near the Blue Line station of the same name.
• The RPM International building (Ray Charles Enterprises) is located on the corner of Westmorland Blvd. and Washington Blvd., which is also dedicated as the "Ray Charles Square".
• The Ray Charles Post Office at La Brea Avenue.[2]
• Government center named after David S. Cunningham, Jr., City Council member, 1973–87
• West Adams Preparatory High School is located on Vermont Avenue and Washington Blvd.[3]

References

1. "Fast Horses His Delight," Los Angeles Times, October 1, 1905, page III-1
2. "Restaurants". Black Enterprise Magazine. 1974.
3. Campus Map

External links