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 Balboa Boulevard looking south nearU.S. Route 101 | |
 Interactive map of Balboa Boulevard | |
| Namesake | Vasco Núñez de Balboa |
|---|---|
| Length | 12 mi (19 km) |
| Nearest metro station |   Balboa |
| South end | Ventura Boulevard inEncino 34°09′33″N118°30′04″W / 34.1593°N 118.5011°W /34.1593; -118.5011 |
| Major junctions |  SR 118 inGranada Hills US 101 inEncino |
| North end | Foothill Boulevard inNewhall Pass 34°19′09″N118°29′14″W / 34.3193°N 118.4872°W /34.3193; -118.4872 |
Balboa Boulevard is a major north–south street in the city ofLos Angeles, and it cuts through many communities and is one of the mainthoroughfares in theSan Fernando Valley.
Balboa Boulevard was named afterVasco Núñez de Balboa, a Spanish explorer who with his crew was the first European to see thePacific Ocean fromthe Americas. Several of theSan Fernando Valley's north-south streets were originally named after historic explorers, including Balboa,De Soto,Alvarado,Cabrillo,Cortez, and Diaz, but Balboa Boulevard andDe Soto Avenue are the only street names that remain.[1][2]
The southern end of Balboa Boulevard starts atVentura Boulevard in theEncino section of Los Angeles. From there, it passes under theVentura Freeway (US 101), goes through a portion of theSepulveda Dam Recreation Area, and runs through the communities ofLake Balboa,Van Nuys,Northridge,North Hills, andGranada Hills.
As Balboa Boulevard passes throughGranada Hills, it passes over theRonald Reagan Freeway (SR 118) before ending atFoothill Boulevard in the vicinity of theNewhall Pass interchange.
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, andJoseph Jensen Water Treatment Plant. The Cascades, an important part of theLos 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, andValley Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Metro Local lines 235 and 236 run along Balboa Boulevard. TheG Line serves astation at its intersection withVictory Boulevard in Lake Balboa.