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California State Route 27

This past month I drove California State Route 27 from US Route 101 in western Los Angeles south through Topanga Canyon to CA 1 near Malibu.


CA 27 is a 20 mile north/south route contained entirely within Los Angeles County which traverses from CA 118 in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles south over the Santa Monica Mountains via Topanga Canyon to CA 1.  The present route of CA 27 was adopted into the State Highway system as part of Legislative Route Number 156 which was adopted in 1933.

CAhighways.org on LRN 156

In 1934 the Signed State Routes were created and CA 27 was selected to be signed over LRN 156.

CAhighways.org on CA 27 

1934 Department of Public Works guide announcing the Signed State Highways

CA 27 appears on the below 1935 Goshua Highway map of California.

1935 Goshua State Highway Map

The route of CA 27 is incredibly similar to the original routing on LRN 156.  Even by 1935 the California Division of Highways Maps show State Highway maintenance completely on Topanga Canyon Road.  Old Topanga Canyon Road never appears to have been a part of LRN 156 nor CA 27.

1935 California Division of Highways Map of Los Angeles County

My approach to CA 27 south was from US 101 north on the Ventura Freeway.




CA 27 south quickly crosses the former alignment of US 101 on Ventura Boulevard near the foot hills of the Santa Monica Mountains.


CA 27 south bottlenecks to a two-lane road and intersects the once planned route of CA 268 at Mulholland Drive.  CA 268 would have been routed east on Mulholland Drive east to I-405 had it been built.  CA 268 was cancelled circa 1970, of note a western jog on Mulholland Drive takes traffic into Calabasas and the beginning of Mulholland Highway.





CA 27 south of Mulholland Drive ascends into the Santa Monica Mountains and the top of Topanga Canyon.











CA 27 begins to descends into Topanga Canyon and enters the community of Topanga.







CA 27 continues to descend through Topanga Canyon and has signed access to Topanga State Park via Entrada Road.  I'm to understand all the crazy traffic along CA 27 was from the Fiddle Festival which is held in Topanga Canyon in May.









CA 27 south enters downtown Topanga and picks up Topanga Creek at Old Topanga Canyon Road.  European settlement in Topanga dates back to 1839 during the time of Mexican Alta California.  Topanga grew in importance in the early 20th Century as it became an attractive place for citizens of Los Angeles to travel to for recreation.




South of downtown Topanga the route of CA 27 follows the course of Topanga Creek.  Topanga Creek is notable as it is one of the few large water sources in Los Angeles County which has not been impounded along it's course.











Between Mulholland Drive south to CA 1 the route of CA 27 is part of the Scenic Highway program.  I was only able to locate one scenic placard on CA 27 south near the bottom of Topanga Canyon.


CA 27 empties out of the Santa Monica Mountains via Topanga Creek to a terminus at CA 1.  Interestingly while CA 27 has "End" signage there is surprisingly no junction signage for CA 1.










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