U.S. Highway 101 - California Travel Information
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U.S. Highway 101 - Los Angeles County (#1)

Southbound

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U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway (El Camino Real) south
After the California 23/Westlake Boulevard interchange (Exit 40), U.S. 101 leaves Ventura County and the city of Thousand Oaks and enters Los Angeles County and the city of Westlake Village. Photo taken 02/02/08.
Southbound (eastbound) U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 39, Lindero Canyon Road. This interchange serves the city of Westlake Village, which is known as the "city in the country." Located in the Conejo Valley along with Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village is home to 8,368 people as of the 2000 Census. Photo taken 02/02/08.
The next exit along southbound (eastbound) U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway is Exit 38, Reyes Adobe Road. This sign is posted on the Lindero Canyon Road overpass. Photo taken 09/27/07.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along U.S. 101 south (east): Exit 38, Reyes Adobe Road; Exit 36, Junction Los Angeles County Route N-9/Kanan Road; and Exit 35, Chesebro Road. Photo taken 09/27/07.
U.S. 101 departs Westlake Village and enters the city of Agoura Hills. Incorporated in 1982, Agoura Hills has a population of 20,537 as of the 2000 Census and consists of 8.20 square miles. The next four exits all serve the city of Agoura Hills: Exit 38, Reyes Adobe Road; Exit 36, Junction Los Angeles County Route N-9/Kanan Road; Exit 35, Chesebro Road; and Exit 34, Liberty Canyon Road. Photo taken 02/02/08.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 38, Reyes Adobe Road. The next exit serves Exit 36, Junction Los Angeles County Route N-9/Kanan Road. Photo taken 02/02/08.
Passing under Reyes Adobe Road, the next interchange along U.S. 101 south (east) is Exit 36, Junction Los Angeles County Route N-9/Kanan Road. Photo taken 09/27/07.

This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along U.S. 101 south (east): Exit 36, Junction Los Angeles County Route N-9/Kanan Road; Exit 35, Chesebro Road; and Exit 34, Liberty Canyon Road. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 36, Junction Los Angeles County Route N-9/Kanan Road. This is the first signed county route seen on U.S. 101 since leaving Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County. Los Angeles County Route N-9 is one of four major routes to connect U.S. 101 with California 1. The first was California 23/Decker Road; the second is Kanan Road; the third is Los Angeles County Route N-1/Las Virgenes Road; and the last is California 27/Topanga Canyon Road. Photo taken 09/27/07.
The next exit along southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway is Exit 35, Chesebro Road to eastern Agoura Hills. Photo taken 09/27/07.
The right lane of U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south becomes exit only for Exit 35, Chesebro Road. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 35, Chesebro Road to eastern Agoura Hills. Photo taken 09/27/07.
The next exit along southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway is Exit 34, Liberty Canyon Road to eastern Agoura Hills. Photo taken 09/27/07.
The right lane of southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway becomes exit only for Exit 34, Liberty Canyon Road, which also connects to eastern Agoura Hills. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 34, Liberty Canyon Road. This is the final Agoura Hills exit. Photo taken 09/27/07.
The next exit along southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway is Exit 33, Lost Hills Road south to the city of Calabasas. Photo taken 09/27/07.
This mileage sign along southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway provides the distance to Exit 33, Lost Hills Road; Exit 32, Junction Los Angeles County Route N-1/Las Virgenes Road; and Exit 30, Parkway Calabasas. Photo taken 09/27/07.
U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway enters the city of Calabasas. Incorporated in 1991, Calabasas was home to 23,123 people as of the 2000 Census. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 33, Lost Hills Road. Photo taken 09/27/07.
The next exit along southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway is Exit 32, Los Angeles County Route N-1/Las Virgenes Road south to Malibu Canyon. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Both gas and food are available at Exit 32, Las Virgenes Road in the city of Calabasas. Photo taken 09/27/07.
The right lane of southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway becomes exit only for Exit 32, Junction Los Angeles County Route N-9/Las Virgenes Road south to Malibu Canyon. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 32, Junction Los Angeles County Route N-9/Las Virgenes Road south to Malibu Canyon. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Passing under Las Virgenes Road, a pull through sign for U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south to Los Angeles is posted. Photo taken 09/27/07.
The next two exits along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south (east) are Exit 30, Parkway Calabasas and Exit 29, Valley Circle Boulevard and Mulholland Drive in the city of Los Angeles. While the city of Calabasas remains on the south side of the freeway, unincorporated county lies on the north side. Photo taken 09/27/07.
A final bit of rural freeway awaits over the next two miles, and then U.S. 101 will leave Calabasas and enter the city of Los Angeles. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Eastbound (southbound) U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway approaches Exit 30, Parkway Calabasas. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Passing under Mureau Road, the next offramp connects U.S. 101 south (east) with Exit 30, Parkway Calabasas. Use Exit 30 to Calabasas Road and Mureau Road. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound (eastbound) U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 30, Parkway Calabasas. Photo taken 09/27/07.
The next exit along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south is Exit 29, Mulholland Drive east and Valley Circle Boulevard north. Photo taken 09/27/07.
An empty sign bridge is found prior to the merge from Parkway Calabasas to U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south. Between Exits 30 and 29, U.S. 101 skirts between Calabasas on the south and the city of Hidden Hills on the north. Incorporated on October 19, 1961, Hidden Hills has a population of 1,875 people as of the 2000 Census, consists of 1.65 square miles, and is nearly entirely gated. Photo taken 09/27/07.
The next two exits along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south are Exit 29, Mulholland Drive east and Valley Circle Boulevard north to Ventura Boulevard (Old U.S. 101) and Exit 28, Avenida San Luis to Fallbrook Avenue. Photo taken 09/27/07.
U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway prepares to enter the city of Los Angeles, the city of angels (commonly referred to as L.A.). The largest city in California and the second largest city in the United States, Los Angeles has a population of 3,694,820 people as of the 2000 Census and continues to grow. Los Angeles is a chartered city with a mayor-council form of government, consists of 498.3 square miles (including 29.2 square miles of water), was settled in 1871 and incorporated on April 4, 1850. Los Angeles is truly a city of villages, with many diverse communities and cultures spread throughout its areas. The first community encountered by U.S. 101 within Los Angeles is Woodland Hills, and the next four exits all serve that district of Los Angeles. Woodland Hills is the first of several communities in the San Fernando Valley, which is commonly referred to as "The Valley" by locals. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 29, Mulholland Drive east and Valley Circle Boulevard north. Use Valley Circle Boulevard north to Ventura Boulevard (Old U.S. 101), which starts on the north side of U.S. 101 and then shifts to the south side at Exit 27. At this point, U.S. 101 leaves the cities of Calabasas and Hidden Hills and enters Los Angeles (link to official tourist site). Tourism is a huge business in L.A., and there is plenty to keep any visitor occupied. Hollywood (the entertainment capital of the world), beaches, mountains, Griffith Observatory, cultural events, education (UCLA and USC), industry, and climate keep people visiting. To enable incredible growth through the 20th Century with limited water resources, the Los Angeles Aqueduct and State Water Project brought fresh water to an otherwise arid region, although not without controversy that continues to this day. Controversy is nothing new to a city this large. With a multicultural environment, tensions sometimes erupt, as they did in the 1965 Watts riots and 1992 Rodney King riots. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Looking at the offramp from U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south to Exit 29, a left turn connects to the south frontage road (Calabasas Road/Avenida San Luis) and to both Mulholland Drive and Valley Circle Boulevard. To the city of Hidden Hills, turn north on Valley Circle Boulevard, then turn west on Burbank Boulevard. U.S. 101 enters Los Angeles from the west, passes through Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Encino, Sherman Oaks, and Studio City, then turns southeast via the Hollywood Freeway through Cahuenga Pass into Hollywood and finally downtown Los Angeles. U.S. 101 ends in the East Los Angeles interchange at the point where Interstate 5/Golden State Freeway merges onto the Santa Ana Freeway. U.S. 101 passes through several well-known, significant freeway structures, including the Four-Level Interchange with California 110 and the Downtown Slot on the Hollywood Freeway. The Los Angeles freeway system was largely built in the 1950s and 1960s, and U.S. 101 is among the more interesting of them. Photo taken 09/27/07.
The next exit along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south is Exit 28, Avenida San Luis to Fallbrook Avenue. Photo taken 02/02/08.
This mileage sign along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south provides the distance to the next two exits: Exit 28, Avenida San Luis to Fallbrook Avenue and Exit 27, Ventura Boulevard to Junction California 27/Topanga Canyon Road. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound (eastbound) U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 28, Avenida San Luis to Fallbrook Avenue. The next exit along southbound is Exit 27, Ventura Boulevard to Junction California 27/Topanga Canyon Road. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Use Exit 27, Ventura Boulevard to Junction California 27/Topanga Canyon Road north to Warner Center and Canoga Park (both communities of Los Angeles). California 27 connects California 1/Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu and the Pacific Palisades community of Los Angeles with U.S. 101 in Woodland Hills, then continues north through Canoga Park to California 118/Ronald Reagan Freeway Exit 34. The entire state route is known as Topanga Canyon Road. Maps from the 1958 Metropolitan Transportation Engineering Board (MTEB) Freeway and Expressway Plan called for a freeway along the California 27 alignment, but it seems that local opposition may have stopped that from happening. Photo taken 09/27/07.
This mileage sign along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south provides the distance to the next two exits: Exit 27, Ventura Boulevard (Former Business U.S. 101) to Junction California 27/Topanga Canyon Road and Exit 26, De Soto Avenue and Serrania Avenue. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Use California 27/Topanga Canyon Road north to the Warner Center community of Los Angeles. The western terminus of the Orange Line dedicated busway is located in Warner Center; the busway follows a former Pacific Electric Railway alignment and connects with the Red Line Subway at the Metro Station at Lankershim and Chandler Boulevard in North Hollywood. The Orange and Red Lines can be used as an alternative way to downtown Los Angeles from the Valley. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 27, Ventura Boulevard to Junction California 27/Topanga Canyon Road. The section of Ventura Boulevard from Exit 27 to Exit 12A (Cahuenga Pass) used to be an alignment of Business U.S. 101. While this business loop was shown on the Rand McNally L.A. maps as recently as the 1990s, it was actually decommissioned and signs removed in the 1970s. The route of Ventura Boulevard remains the original alignment of U.S. 101. Photo taken 09/27/07.
The next exit along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south is Exit 26, De Soto Avenue north to Warner Center and Serrania Avenue south to Woodland Hills. This is the last exit to serve the Woodland Hills or Warner Center communities of the city of Los Angeles. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound (eastbound) U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway approaches Exit 26, De Soto Avenue north to Warner Center and Serrania Avenue south to Woodland Hills (0.25 mile). Photo taken 09/27/07.
The left five lanes of U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway continue southeast toward downtown Los Angeles; the right lane exits only to Exit 26, De Soto Avenue north to Warner Center and Serrania Avenue south to Woodland Hills. Photo taken 09/27/07.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south: Exit 25, Winnetka Avenue; Exit 24, Tampa Avenue; and Exit 23, Reseda Boulevard. Photo taken 02/02/08.
The next exit along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south is Exit 25, Winnetka Avenue. Use Winnetka Avenue north to Los Angeles Pierce College and the Winnetka district of Los Angeles. To the south, Winnetka Avenue leads to an entrance to Marvin Braude Gateway Park. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 25, Winnetka Avenue. The next exit is Exit 24, Tampa Avenue. Photo taken 09/27/07.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south: Exit 24, Tampa Avenue; Exit 23, Reseda Boulevard; and Exit 22, White Oak Avenue. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 24, Tampa Avenue south to the Tarzana community of Los Angeles and north to the Winnetka and Reseda communities of Los Angeles. Photo taken 02/02/08.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south: Exit 23, Reseda Boulevard; Exit 22, White Oak Avenue; and Exit 21, Balboa Boulevard. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Use Reseda Boulevard north to California State University at Northridge. Northridge is another community of the city of Los Angeles within the San Fernando Valley, and it is located between U.S. 101 and California 118 along Reseda Boulevard. Photo taken 02/02/08.
Southbound U.S. 101 approaches Exit 23, Reseda Boulevard (0.50 mile). Photo taken 09/27/07.
As the name implies, Reseda Boulevard also connects to the communities of Reseda to the north and Tarzana to the south. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 23, Reseda Boulevard. The next exit along southbound is Exit 22, White Oak Avenue. Photo taken 02/02/08.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south: Exit 22, White Oak Avenue; Exit 21, Balboa Boulevard; and Exit 19B, Haskell Avenue. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 22, White Oak Avenue south to the community of Encino in the city of L.A. and north to the Reseda and Northridge districts. Photo taken 09/27/07.
The next exit along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south is Exit 21, Balboa Boulevard. Photo taken 09/27/07.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south: Exit 21, Balboa Boulevard; Exit 19B, Haskell Avenue; and Exit 19A, Junction Interstate 405/San Diego Freeway north to Sacramento and south to Santa Monica, Long Beach, Irvine, and San Diego. This is the first Interstate Highway interchange along U.S. 101 since leaving San Jose at the Interstate 280-680 interchange. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 21, Balboa Boulevard. The next exit along southbound is Exit 19B, Haskell Avenue. Photo taken 09/27/07.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south: Exit 19B, Haskell Avenue; Exit 19A, Junction Interstate 405/San Diego Freeway north to Sacramento and south to Santa Monica, Long Beach, Irvine, and San Diego; and Exit 17, Van Nuys Boulevard. Photo taken 09/27/07.
U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway approaches Exit 19B, Haskell Avenue, next right. Lane allocations are provided for the continuation of U.S. 101 south (left four lanes) and Exit 19A, Junction Interstate 405/San Diego Freeway north to Sacramento and south to Santa Monica (right three lanes). This interchange is located in the L.A. community of Sherman Oaks. Photo taken 02/02/08.
The left four lanes continue south on U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway, while the right lanes connect to Interstate 405/San Diego Freeway north and south. Interstate 405 is a major north-south corridor that connects Interstate 5 in northern San Fernando Valley with Sherman Oaks, Santa Monica, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Long Beach, and Irvine. Interstate 405 then merges back onto Interstate 5 near Lake Forest. At any time, Interstate 405 can be congested, so be mindful of that if driving north or south along this busy freeway. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Southbound U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway reaches Exit 19B, Haskell Avenue. Use Haskell Avenue south to Ventura Boulevard (Old U.S. 101). The next exit along Exit 19A, Junction Interstate 405/San Diego Freeway north to Sacramento and south to Santa Monica. Photo taken 09/27/07.
Immediately thereafter, U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway and Interstate 405/San Diego Freeway split at Exit 19A. These are original porcelain enamel signs (except for the add-on for the left lane arrow at the left end of the pull-through sign). Photo taken 09/27/07.
Now on the transition ramp from U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south to Interstate 405/San Diego Freeway, another porcelain enamel sign is posted. The left lane connects to Interstate 405 north and the right two lanes connect to Interstate 405 south. Photos taken 09/27/07 and 02/02/08.
Still on the transition from U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south to Interstate 405/San Diego Freeway south is a ramp onto Ventura Boulevard (old Business U.S. 101). Photo taken 02/02/08.
Back on mainline U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway south, an onramp merges from Interstate 405 south on the left side of the freeway. U.S. 101 now has five through lanes for southbound (eastbound) lanes. Photos taken 09/27/07.
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Page Updated March 25, 2008.