Balboa Boulevard
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (June 2023) |
 Balboa Boulevard looking south near U.S. Route 101 | |
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| Namesake | Vasco Núñez de Balboa |
|---|---|
| Length | 12 mi (19 km) |
| Nearest metro station | File:LAMetroLogo.svgG LineBalboa |
| South end | Ventura Boulevard in Encino Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Major junctions | File:California 118.svg SR 118 in Granada Hills File:US 101 (1961 cutout).svg US 101 in Encino |
| North end | Foothill Boulevard in Newhall Pass Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 489: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
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Balboa Boulevard is a major north–south street in the city of Los Angeles, and it cuts through many communities and is one of the main thoroughfares in the San Fernando Valley.
Name
[edit | edit source]Balboa Boulevard was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, a Spanish explorer who with his crew was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from the Americas. Several of the San Fernando Valley's north-south streets were originally named after historic explorers, including Balboa, De Soto, Alvarado, Cabrillo, Cortez, and Diaz, but Balboa Boulevard and De Soto Avenue are the only street names that remain.[1][2]
Route
[edit | edit source]The southern end of Balboa Boulevard starts at Ventura Boulevard in the Encino section of Los Angeles. From there, it passes under the Ventura Freeway (US 101), goes through a portion of the Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area, and runs through the communities of Lake Balboa, Van Nuys, Northridge, North Hills, and Granada Hills.
As Balboa Boulevard passes through Granada Hills, it passes over the Ronald Reagan Freeway (SR 118) before ending at Foothill Boulevard in the vicinity of the Newhall Pass interchange.
Notable destinations
[edit | edit source]Notable destinations on Balboa Blvd include (from south to north) Encino Chamber of Commerce, Children's Hospital Los Angeles outpatient specialty center, Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area, Lake Balboa Park, Valley Relics Museum, Knollwood Country Club, and Joseph Jensen Water Treatment Plant. The Cascades, an important part of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, is also located near Balboa's northern terminus.
Several schools are also located on Balboa Blvd, including (from south to north) Birmingham High School, Daniel Pearl Magnet High School, Balboa Gifted/High-Ability Magnet Elementary School, and Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Transit
[edit | edit source]Metro Local lines 235 and 236 run along Balboa Boulevard. The G Line serves a station at its intersection with Victory Boulevard in Lake Balboa.