Take a winding ride through Southern California’s transportation history as we cruise 10 storied miles down the Arroyo Seco Parkway—California Route 110—from Pasadena to the heart of Los Angeles. Known originally as the Pasadena Freeway, this was the very first freeway built in the Western United States and a proud piece of old Route 66. More than just pavement, this route is a time capsule, its narrow lanes, vintage overpasses, and subtle curves offering a rare glimpse into early 20th-century freeway design as we follow the path of the Arroyo Seco creek into downtown LA.
We begin our descent into Los Angeles at the Orange Grove Avenue interchange, where the city of Pasadena gives way to a ribbon of highway that clings to the edge of Arroyo Seco Park. Here, oak trees and sycamores blanket the sides of the road as we curve past Hermon Park, a popular spot for hikers and families looking for green space amid the urban sprawl. The lanes are narrow and the median is almost nonexistent—a reminder that this road predates the wide, concrete corridors of today’s freeways. The scenery shifts gently between wooded parkland and aging infrastructure, as though the parkway itself is easing us out of Pasadena’s quieter charm and into the vibrant intensity of Los Angeles.
As we continue south, the route ducks beneath a series of low-clearance bridges and dips through graceful S-curves before meeting Interstate 5 at the edge of Elysian Park, one of LA’s largest and oldest public parks. Though we’re heading south and miss the iconic northbound tunnels here, we still feel the route’s architectural character and historical heft. Not far from here, Dodger Stadium lies tucked away behind the hills to the west, while the city skyline begins to emerge on the horizon. With a sudden curve to the southwest, the freeway gives us one of the best views of downtown Los Angeles, framed perfectly between concrete barriers and distant palms.
Approaching US-101, the pace of the road quickens and the surroundings grow taller—buildings rising, traffic thickening—as we trace the western edge of the downtown core. The road has become more modern here, yet still refuses to shed its mid-century soul. We end our journey at the interchange with Interstate 10, just southwest of the civic center. From here, the route becomes Interstate 110, better known as the Harbor Freeway, a newer and broader continuation that takes travelers deep into South LA and toward San Pedro. But the Arroyo Seco Parkway remains distinct—both in its design and in its legacy—as a rare surviving freeway that still whispers the aspirations of a car-happy America in the 1940s.
There’s something almost cinematic about this drive. It’s not just the occasional vintage signage or the 1930s-era overpasses—it’s the way the road weaves through layers of Los Angeles history, tying together parks, parkside neighborhoods, and the city’s downtown heart. It’s a route that doesn’t just go somewhere—it tells you something along the way.
🗺️ Route Map
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