Getting Around Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita is a suburban city in northwestern Los Angeles County, made up of the communities of Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus, and Valencia. It sits along the Santa Clara River, with the Golden State Freeway (I-5) running along its western edge and the Antelope Valley Freeway (CA-14) forming part of its irregular eastern boundary. The two freeways meet at Newhall Pass near the city's southernmost point. Because the city is spread out and freeway-oriented, most visitors find that a car, a bus, or a combination of rail and bus works best, while walking is practical mainly within individual neighborhoods and districts.
Rail: Metrolink and Amtrak
The rail backbone for visitors is Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line, which connects Santa Clarita to downtown Los Angeles and its Union Station. There are two Metrolink stations in Santa Clarita on this line:
- Jan Heidt Newhall Metrolink Station, 24300 Railroad Ave. From the I-5, exit Lyons Ave., go east on Lyons to San Fernando Rd., south on San Fernando Rd. to Market, then east on Market to Railroad Ave. Parking is available and free.
- Santa Clarita Metrolink Station, 22122 Soledad Canyon Rd. From the I-5, exit Valencia Ave. and go east; Valencia Ave. becomes Soledad Canyon Road. Parking is available and free, and bike lockers are available.
From Union Station you can connect to other Metrolink lines, LA's subway and bus system, Amtrak, and the FlyAway buses to LAX. The closest full-service Amtrak station is Los Angeles Union Station, so Amtrak travelers generally reach Santa Clarita by transferring to the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line there.
To buy Metrolink tickets at Union Station, follow the Metrolink signs and walk to the Antelope Valley Line (typically platform 4B, but this varies, so check signage). An automated kiosk inside the terminal sells tickets. One-way tickets are $7.50, or $10 for a weekend day pass. Discounts are available for seniors, students, and people with documented disabilities; the senior and disability discount reduces a one-way ticket to $3.75, and the student discount reduces it to $5.75. Travel time is approximately one hour, which can cut as much as 45 minutes off the trip compared with driving in traffic.
Buses and Other Public Transport
Santa Clarita Transit operates bus routes throughout the city. Full fare for a single ride is $1, children 5 and under ride free, and adults over 60 ride for a reduced fare of $0.50 per single ride. Transfers are free.
On weekdays, four bus lines (Routes 501–504) connect to the Metrolink station and link Santa Clarita to Los Angeles. They are designed for commuters, but they also work well for visitors who want easy, fast access to Los Angeles without the hassle of traffic. Details on times and stops are on the Santa Clarita Transit website.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are an option for getting around; one listed service is United Taxi of Los Angeles at +1 323-207-8294. Ride-hailing is not covered in the source material, so visitors should confirm current availability locally.
Walkability, Bicycles, and Horses
Santa Clarita has many bike paths and paseos, and because everything is connected by paseos, you can often get around by bicycle while avoiding waits at traffic lights. A map of the bike paths is available online.
There is also a large equestrian community in Santa Clarita, with horse trails throughout the city; a map of the horse trails can be found online.
Getting from the Airport into Santa Clarita
The closest and most convenient airport is in Burbank. Other nearby airports include Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Ontario, and Orange County.
From LAX by shared ride van: Prime time offers shared ride vans to and from LAX. Stand under the orange "shared ride vans" sign in the center concrete island outside the LAX airport and tell a customer service representative that you need a ride to Santa Clarita; representatives are easy to identify by their red jackets. If no representative is available, flag down a red van with a "Santa Clarita" placard in the windshield. The approximate cost is $30 per person, and the approximate time to Santa Clarita is one hour.
From LAX by Metrolink (the cheapest option): Stand under the green "FlyAway, Buses and Long-Distance Vans" sign in the center concrete island outside the LAX airport and board a blue FlyAway bus heading to Union Station. (There are also FlyAway buses to Van Nuys and Westwood.) The fare is $4 one-way for a roughly 30-minute trip. The blue FlyAway is a large charter-style bus and is occasionally not labeled. FlyAway buses operate every half hour, 24 hours a day, and if you board at the airport you will not be charged until you reach your destination. At Union Station, follow the Metrolink signs to the Antelope Valley Line (typically platform 4B, but varies, so check signage) and buy your ticket at the automated kiosk inside the terminal. One-way tickets are $7.50, or $10 for a weekend day pass, with discounts for seniors, students, and people with documented disabilities. The rail travel time is approximately one hour, which can cut as much as 45 minutes off the trip depending on traffic conditions.
Getting Around by Car
Interstate 5 runs between downtown Los Angeles and points north, along the west side of Santa Clarita, while the Antelope Valley Freeway ("the 14") runs along the east side. The two meet at the massive Newhall Pass interchange south of town. Below the interchange are the intersections of San Fernando Road, Sierra Highway, Foothill Boulevard, and The Old Road. Just south of Newhall Pass, two more freeways branch off I-5: Interstates 210 and 405. Highway 126 connects Santa Clarita to Fillmore and Ventura.
From Los Angeles or other southern cities, take Interstate 5 North (called "the 5 freeway" locally). Santa Clarita starts at the Lyons Avenue/Pico Canyon exit and ends around the Hasley Canyon exit. Slightly west of the 5 freeway in Los Angeles is the 101 North to the 170 North, which ends at the 5 North freeway; in southwest Los Angeles, the 405 North also connects to the 5 freeway North. From the northeast, the 14 (Antelope Valley) freeway South will take you to Santa Clarita, exiting at Soledad Canyon.