Harbor Boulevard
| Maintained by | Local jurisdictions |
|---|---|
| South end |  SR 55 (Newport Boulevard) in Costa Mesa |
| Major junctions |  I-405 in Costa Mesa SR 22 in Garden Grove I-5 in Anaheim SR 91 in Anaheim SR 90 in Fullerton SR 39 in La Habra |
| North end | Fullerton Road and Pathfinder Road in Rowland Heights |
Harbor Boulevard (formerly Spadra Road[1]) is a north-south road corridor in the counties of Los Angeles and Orange.[2] One of the busiest routes in Orange County, the thoroughfare passes through some of the most densely populated areas in the region and carries about 8 percent of the county's bus riders.[3] The route provides access for local residents to travel to work and for drivers travelling from Valley Boulevard in the City of Industry via Fullerton Road to Newport Beach.
Route description
Harbor Boulevard runs in Orange County from Costa Mesa through the cities of Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Anaheim, Fullerton, and La Habra. It crosses into Los Angeles County upon entering La Habra Heights, then 2 miles later, it turns into Fullerton Road in the unincorporated community of Rowland Heights just over the Los Angeles County line.
Previously, Harbor Boulevard ended at Fullerton Road in La Habra Heights. Commuters were directed to turn left onto Fullerton Road through a two-lane windy road to Pathfinder Road. An extension was proposed to extend Harbor Boulevard to Pathfinder Road in Rowland Heights in the 1980s. This extension would provide an alternate route for commuters coming from Orange County as they were limited to Hacienda Road, Brea Boulevard, and SR 57 at the time. The route would also connect Los Angeles County with Orange County with the developing unincorporated community Rowland Heights and provide access to SR 60 from Orange County. Originally opposed by residents of La Habra Heights, with one person stating that Harbor Boulevard would become a "freeway", the four-lane extension was granted when Shea Homes broke ground for their newest community, Vantage Pointe, in Rowland Heights. The extension opened in 1992, though the two-lane Fullerton Road is still open for residents who live on that street to use.[4]
The portion of Harbor Boulevard between La Palma Avenue in Anaheim to Whittier Boulevard in La Habra was part of the historical routing of U.S. Route 101, which was at the time the Coast Route from the Mexican Border to Oregon. This portion was also formerly part of SR 72, but this segment was later relinquished to the cities of Anaheim, Fullerton, and La Habra.
When the extension of Harbor Boulevard opened in 1992, there were plans to make Harbor Boulevard the official SR 39 between Whittier Boulevard and Colima Road in order to close the gap SR 39 currently has, but signs were never erected and it is unknown when this segment will be signed.[5]
North Harbor Boulevard, where it rises from La Habra and passes over the Puente Hills, follows the historical route of the 1769 Portolà expedition, first Europeans to explore inland California.
Major intersections
- Note: Mileages are taken from Google Maps and are approximate measurements.
The entire route is in Orange County except for about two miles in Los Angeles County.
| Location | Mile | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Mesa | 0.0 | SR 55 (Newport Boulevard) – Newport Beach, Riverside
|
|
| 3.8 | I-405 (San Diego Freeway) – San Diego, Long Beach
|
Interchange; I-405 north exit 11, south exit 11B | |
| Santa Ana | 4.5 | MacArthur Boulevard | |
| 5.0 | Warner Avenue | ||
| Fountain Valley | 6.0 | Edinger Avenue | |
| Santa Ana | 7 | First Street | |
| 7.9 | Westminster Boulevard | ||
| Garden Grove | 8.8 | SR 22 (Garden Grove Freeway) – Long Beach, Orange
|
Interchange; SR 22 west exit 12, east exits 12A-B |
| 9.2 | Garden Grove Boulevard | Former SR 22 | |
| Anaheim | 11.4 | Katella Avenue | |
| 12.2 | I-5 (Santa Ana Freeway) – Los Angeles, Santa Ana
|
Interchange; I-5 north exit 110, south exit 110A | |
| 12.3 | Ball Road | ||
| 13.5 | Lincoln Avenue | Former SR 214 | |
| 14.5 | La Palma Avenue | ||
| 14.9 | SR 91 (Riverside Freeway) – Riverside, Beach Cities
|
Interchange; SR 91 exit 28 | |
| Fullerton | 15.3 | Orangethrope Avenue | |
| 16.2 | Chapman Avenue | ||
| 17 | Brea Boulevard | Former SR 57 | |
| 17.7 | Bastanchury Road | ||
| 19.4 | SR 90 (Imperial Highway) – La Habra, Orange, Norwalk
|
||
| La Habra | 19.9 | Lambert Road | |
| 20.4 | La Habra Boulevard | ||
| 20.8 | SR 39 (Whittier Boulevard) – La Habra, Huntington Beach, Whittier
|
Continue on SR 39 to SR 72. A second segment of SR 39 exists from Azusa to West Covina. | |
| Rowland Heights | 23.2 | Fullerton Road/Pathfinder Road | Continuation beyond Harbor Boulevard to SR 60 and the City of Industry |
Transportation
The Orange County Transportation Authority began the Central Harbor Boulevard Transit Corridor Study in 2016 to improve transit along Harbor Boulevard in northern and central Orange County between Westminster Boulevard in Santa Ana and Chapman Avenue in Fullerton. The study will analyze and develop transportation options to move people through the area.[3][6]
History
In 1976, the Orange County District Attorney declared the stretch in Garden Grove with six gay bars a "red light area" and attempted to close the bars. While formal charges were filed, they were dismissed a year later with no convictions.[7]
Protests marches over the Anaheim police shootings in July 2012 were centered around Harbor. A fatal shooting by police officers on July 21 was followed by a second on July 22. On July 29, 200 protesters walked from the Anaheim police headquarters toward Disneyland. They were stopped at the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Ball Road by a line of riot police and officers on horseback. Both shootings were eventually ruled justified by the Orange County District Attorney.[2]
Points of interest
Current
- Disneyland Resort
- Anaheim Convention Center
- Crystal Cathedral
- Fox Theatre Fullerton
- Whittier Law School
- Orange Coast College
Former
In popular culture
Anaheim native Gwen Stefani mentions Harbor Boulevard in the song "Cool".
Orange County native Mel C. Thompson uses Harbor Boulevard as the main backdrop for his novel "Harbor Boulevard".
References
- ^ City of Fullerton: The Story of the Fire Deparment
- ^ a b Christopher Hawthorne, "On Harbor Boulevard, a pretense of business as usual", Los Angeles Times, November 24, 2012.
- ^ a b Kwong, Jessica (February 24, 2016). "OCTA to discuss ways to improve travel on Harbor Boulevard". The Orange County Register. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
- ^ "LA HABRA : Residents Sound Off About Street's Noise". Los Angeles Times. 1992-09-04. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
- ^ "California @ AARoads - California 39". www.aaroads.com. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
- ^ Kwong, Jessica (June 27, 2016). "Anaheim's streetcar hits a major bump in the road". The Orange County Register. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
- ^ Bharath, Deepa (October 1, 2014). "The gay/LGBT history of Orange County? It can be found at UC Irvine". OC LGBT history – A timeline. The Orange County Register. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
June 1976: There were six gay bars in Garden Grove. The Orange County District Attorney declared the stretch of Harbor Boulevard a "red light area" and pressed formal charges to close the bars. The charges were dismissed a year later with no convictions.