Harbor Boulevard
| Maintained by | Local jurisdictions |
|---|---|
| South end | Newport Boulevard (SR 55) in Costa Mesa |
| Major junctions |
.svg.png){kind=small} I-405 in Costa Mesa.svg.png){kind=small} I-5 in Anaheim |
| North end | Fullerton Road in Rowland Heights |
Harbor Boulevard is the busiest north-south corridor in Orange County, California.[1] 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.[2]
Route description
It runs from Costa Mesa through Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Anaheim, Fullerton, La Habra and La Habra Heights before it turns into Fullerton Road in the unincorporated community of Rowland Heights just over the Los Angeles County line.
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.
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 those are approximate measurements.
The route is in Orange County except for a mile in Los Angeles County.
| Location | Mile | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport Beach | 0.0 | Newport Boulevard (SR 55) | |
| Costa Mesa | 3.3 | I-405 (San Diego Freeway) – San Diego, Long Beach |
Interchange; I-405 north exit 11, south exit 11B. |
| Fountain Valley | 6.0 | Edinger Avenue | |
| Garden Grove | 8.8 |  SR 22 (Garden Grove Freeway) – Long Beach, Orange |
Interchange; SR 22 west exit 12, east exits 12A-B |
| Garden Grove Boulevard | Former SR 22 | ||
| Anaheim | 12.2 | I-5 (Santa Ana Freeway) – Los Angeles, Santa Ana |
Interchange; I-5 north exit 110, south exit 110A. |
| 13.5 | Lincoln Avenue | Former SR 214 | |
| 14.9 |  SR 91 (Riverside Freeway) – Riverside |
Interchange; SR 91 exit 28. | |
| 20.8 | Whittier Boulevard (SR 72) | ||
| Fullerton, La Habra | Hacienda Boulevard (SR 39) | ||
| Rowland Heights | 23.2 | Fullerton Road |
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.[2][3]
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.[4]
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.[1]
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".
References
- 1 2 Christopher Hawthorne, "On Harbor Boulevard, a pretense of business as usual", Los Angeles Times, November 24, 2012.
- 1 2 Kwong, Jessica (February 24, 2016). "OCTA to discuss ways to improve travel on Harbor Boulevard". The Orange County Register. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
- ↑ 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.
Coordinates: 33°49′11″N 117°54′53″W / 33.81972°N 117.91472°W