| Crescenta Valley | |
|---|---|
 The Crescenta Valley with theVerdugo Mountains to the left,San Gabriel Mountains to the top, and theMojave Desert to the very top and top right. | |
  Location in California | |
| Floor elevation | 1,500 ft (460 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | California, United States |
| Population centers | Districts ofLos Angeles, districts ofGlendale,La Cañada Flintridge |
| Borders on | San Gabriel Mountains (northeast),Verdugo Mountains andSan Rafael Hills (southwest),San Fernando Valley (northwest),San Gabriel Valley (southeast) |
| Coordinates | 34°13′30″N118°14′13″W / 34.22500°N 118.23694°W /34.22500; -118.23694 |
TheCrescenta Valley is a small inland valley inLos Angeles County, California, lying between theSan Gabriel Mountains on the northeast and theVerdugo Mountains andSan Rafael Hills on the southwest. It opens into theSan Fernando Valley at the northwest and theSan Gabriel Valley at the southeast. It is nearly bisected by theVerdugo Wash, a smaller valley separating the Verdugo Mountains from the San Rafael Hills. Most of the valley lies at an elevation of over 1,500 feet (460 m).
The name "Crescenta" does not derive from the Spanish word for "crescent", which isel creciente. Benjamin Briggs coined the name from the English word "crescent" because he could see three crescent-shaped formations from his home,[1] or because of the shape of the valley.[2] The post office was established in 1888, with the Post Office adding the "ta" to the name to distinguish it fromCrescent City, California.[2]
The Crescenta Valley area has been inhabited by theTongva for thousands of years, including the central villages ofTuyunga,Hahamongna, andWikangna.[3] Wikangna was most central to the valley, being located in the Las Barras Canyon area possibly at the Verdugo Hills Gold Course.[4] Villagers thrived on the sprawlingoak forests of the area andnatural springs.[4]
The Crescenta Valley was a pastoral area under theRancho Tujunga,Rancho San Rafael andRancho La Cañadaland grants during the Spanish and Mexican periods.
The first American settler in the valley was Theodore Pickens, who settled at the top of today's Briggs Avenue in 1871. The western portion ofRancho La Cañada, which included the major portion of the valley, was subdivided in 1881 into 10-acre parcels by Benjamin B. Briggs. Significant suburban residential development began with the opening of theMontrose subdivision in 1913, accelerating significantly afterWorld War II. Today, the Crescenta Valley is a maturesuburban area.
Incorporated cities, districts ofLos Angeles, districts ofGlendale, and unincorporatedcensus-designated places in the Crescenta Valley include:
Daytime temperatures are generally 10 to 15 °F (5.5 to 8.3°C) warmer than those in coastal regions during summer. Winter is somewhat colder than most L.A. area stations. Winter snow is rare, but not unknown on the valley floor. Because of proximity to the mountains, rainfall is generally higher than most Los Angeles area locations, averaging around 20 inches per year, mostly falling between November and March.
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