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Los Cerritos Road (Stanislaus County and Merced County)

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Los Cerritos Road is an approximately six-mile corridor located east of Turlock Lake.  Los Cerritos Road begins at Lake Road in Stanislaus County and terminates at Keyes Road (County Route J16) in Merced County.  

Los Cerritos Road was developed as an access highway to the construction site of Turlock Lake during the 1910s.  The corridor was originally called "Fanning Road" in reference to a local property owner who lived on the Tuolumne River.  The modern name "Los Cerritos Road" first appears on the 1960s-era maps.  




Part 1; the history of Los Cerritos Road

Prior to the construction of Turlock Lake Dam much of southeast Stanislaus County was devoid of infrastructure and roadways.  This lack of development can be seen southeast of Roberts Ferry and the Tuolumne River on the 1906 Map of Stanislaus County.  


Los Cerritos Road was constructed as an access roadway out of the Snelling area to the site of the Turlock Lake reservoir at Three Tree Flat.  Said reservoir was a project by the Turlock Irrigation District which has been in operations since 1887.  Turlock Lake Dam was formally commissioned in 1915.  

Fanning Road (now Los Cerritos Road) can be seen branching northwest from the Merced County line to the construction site of Turlock Lake on the 1914 Weber's map of Stanislaus County.  


The northern terminus of Fanning Road (blue pin) can be seen on the 1916 United States Geological Survey map of Three Tree Flats.  The northern terminus shown here is aligned slightly east of where modern Los Cerritos Road now terminates at Lake Road.  Fanning Road was initially named after property owner W.J. Fanning who lived along the Tuolumne River. 


Fanning Road can be seen in Township 4 South, Range 13 East spanning from Lake Road in Stanislaus County to Keyes Road near Snelling in Merced County on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Stanislaus County.  


In 1950 the state of California would lease Turlock Lake from the Turlock Irrigation District to create Turlock Lake State Recreation Area.  Fanning Road can be seen aligned to the modern terminus of Los Cerritos Road on the 1953 United States Geological Survey map of Turlock Lake.  


Fanning Road appears renamed to "Los Cerritos Road" on the 1968 United States Geological Survey map of Turlock Lake.  "Los Cerritos" translated from Spanish means "The Hills." 




Part 2; a drive on Los Cerritos Road

Southbound Los Cerritos Road begins branching away from Lake Road in Stanislaus County.  


Los Cerritos Road proves to have an accurate name as it is aligned through hilly terrain.  The southbound highway enters Merced County departing the Turlock Lake area.  










Los Cerritos Road continues south and terminates at Keyes Road (Merced County Route J16) near the outskirts of Snelling. 












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