Granada Hills is a neighborhood in the

San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...

region of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. The community has a sports program and a range of city recreation centers. The neighborhood has fourteen public and ten private schools.

History

The Granada Hills area is situated on the traditional homelands of the

Tongva The Tongva ( ) are an Indigenous peoples of California, Indigenous people of California from the Los Angeles Basin and the Channel Islands of California, Southern Channel Islands, an area covering approximately . In the precolonial era, the peop ...

and

Chumash Chumash may refer to: *Chumash (Judaism), a Hebrew word for the Pentateuch, used in Judaism *Chumash people, a Native American people of southern California *Chumashan languages, Indigenous languages of California See also

* Pentateuch (dis ...

. The Tongva village of Ceegenga may have been the closest village located to the Granada Hills area. The community began as a dairy farm and orchard known as the Sunshine Ranch which grew apricots, oranges, walnuts and beans. Vestiges of former

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. ''Citrus'' is nativ ...

groves can still be seen in orange, lemon or

grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The flesh of the fruit is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark red. Grapefru ...

trees in many residential yards. In 1916, the San Fernando Valley's first oil well was drilled in what is now Granada Hills. The oil well was located at the northern tip of Zelzah Avenue. Granada Hills was founded in 1926 as "Granada;" the "Hills" portion of the name was added 15 years later.

Geography and climate

Granada Hills is located at the foothills of the

Santa Susana Mountains The Santa Susana Mountains are a transverse range of mountains in Southern California, north of the city of Los Angeles, in the United States. The range runs east-west, separating the San Fernando and Simi valleys on its south from the Santa ...

, north of North Hills, Northridge, west of Mission Hills and

Sylmar Sylmar is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley and the northernmost neighborhood within the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Historically known for its profusion of sylvan olive orchards, Sylmar can trace its past t ...

, and east of the Porter Ranch neighborhoods of Los Angeles. The Ronald Reagan Freeway ( State Route 118) runs through its southern area. Van Norman Reservoir, the southern terminus of the

Los Angeles Aqueduct The Los Angeles Aqueduct system, comprising the Los Angeles Aqueduct (Owens Valley aqueduct) and the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct, is a water conveyance system, built and operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The Owens Valley ...

, is located in Granada Hills.

Demographics

The 2000 U.S. census counted 50,535 residents in the 15.11-square-mile neighborhood—or 3,344 people per square mile. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 53,998, a density of 3,574 people per square mile. In 2000 the median age for residents was 37.
"Granada Hills", Mapping L.A., ''Los Angeles Times'' The neighborhood is ethnically diverse and includes Non-Hispanic Whites, whites, 55.5%;

Latinos Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans who have a Spanish or Latin American background, culture, or family origin. This demographic group includes all Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race. According to th ...

, 20.6%;

Asians "Asian people" (sometimes "Asiatic people")United States National Library of Medicine. Medical Subject Headings. 2004. November 17, 200Nlm.nih.gov: ''Asian Continental Ancestry Group'' is also used for categorical purposes. is an umbrella term ...

, 16.3%;

blacks Black is a racial classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid- to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin and often additional phenotypical ch ...

, 3.4%; and others, 4.2%. Korea (16.0%) and Mexico (13.8%) were the most common places of birth for 29.2% of the residents who were born abroad. The median yearly household income in 2008 was $83,911. Renters occupied 26.4% of the housing stock. The average household size of 2.9 people was considered average for Los Angeles. The percentages of married men (60.4%) and women (58.5%) were among the county's highest. There were 4,032 veterans, or 10.5% of the population, a high proportion compared to the rest of the city.

Arts and culture

Architecture

Granada Hills is composed mostly of

Mid-century modern Mid-century modern (MCM) is a movement in interior design, product design, graphic design, architecture and urban development that was present in all the world, but more popular in North America, Brazil and Europe from roughly 1945 to 197 ...

architecture. Of note is the "Balboa Highlands" tract built by iconic developer

Joseph Eichler Joseph Leopold Eichler (June 25, 1900 – July 1, 1974) was a 20th-century post-war American real estate developer known for developing distinctive residential Subdivision (land), subdivisions of mid-century modern style tract housing in Califo ...

as well as the Knollwood Country Club area and Knollwood Grove tract. Many of these homes, which are North of Rinaldi/West of Balboa, have been featured in movies, commercials, magazine pictorials and appear in books about Eichler or mid-century architecture.

Historical landmarks

Cedrus deodara along White Oak Ave at Tribune St in Granada Hills 2014

White Oak Avenue, between San Fernando Mission and San Jose Street, was declared a

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites which have been designated by the Los Angeles, California, Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria. History The Historic-Cul ...

on August 3, 1966, for the 101

Deodar Cedar ''Cedrus deodara'', the deodar cedar, Himalayan cedar, or deodar, is a species of Cedrus, cedar native to the Himalayas. Description It is a large evergreen coniferous tree reaching tall, exceptionally with a trunk up to in diameter. It has a ...

trees that line the street. The trees are native to the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

and appreciated for their size, beauty and timber. White Oak Avenue trees were used as the back-drop in the flying bicycle scenes in the 1982 film ''

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (or simply ''E.T.'') is a 1982 American science fiction film, science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott Taylor, Elliott, a boy w ...

''.

Sports

Granada Hills Charter High School Granada Hills Charter (often abbreviated to GHCHS/GHC or simply Granada), formerly Granada Hills High School, is an independent charter school consisting of over 6,000 students in grades K–12, located in the Granada Hills neighborhood of Los ...

's stadium, the

John Elway Stadium The John Elway Stadium is a 4,000-seat sports stadium on the campus of Granada Hills Charter High School in Granada Hills, California, a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. The stadium is named after the legenda ...

(named after the quarterback, an alumnus), is home to the

Los Angeles Rampage Los Angeles Rampage is an American women's soccer team, founded in 2007. The team is a member of the Women's Premier Soccer League, the third tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada. The team plays in the South Division of the Paci ...

women's soccer team and formerly home to the

San Fernando Valley Quakes San Fernando Valley Quakes was an American soccer team based in Calabasas, California, United States. Founded in 2006, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when ...

. In 1963, the Granada Hills Little League won the Little League World Championship in baseball.

Parks and recreation

O'Melveny Park, the second largest park in Los Angeles, consists of a large undeveloped area and a much smaller developed section with several dozen citrus trees, a small intermittent stream, and grass and picnic areas. This park includes hiking trails and fire roads, including a grassy promontory from which a view of the northeastern portion of the

may be seen. Mission Point and its environs are popular

mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...

and hiking areas. The view from the top of Mission Point (called "Mission Peak" by many residents), the highest point in Granada Hills, is striking, taking in most of the San Fernando Valley. In clear weather, one can see the Pacific Ocean and Downtown Los Angeles. The area around the peak is home to

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...

mountain lion The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the North American, northern or common raccoon (also spelled racoon) to distinguish it from Procyonina, other species of raccoon, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest ...

s, and

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...

s. The Granada Hills Recreation Center (also known as Petit Park) features an auditorium, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, children's play areas, a gym, picnic tables, tennis courts, classrooms, a dance room and a library. Programs are offered in sports, and arts and crafts. Zelzah Park, an unstaffed park, has a

bridle path A bridle path, also bridleway, equestrian trail, horse riding path, ride, bridle road, or horse trail, is a trail or a thoroughfare that is used by people riding on horses. Trails originally created for use by horses often now serve a wider ...

, a children's play area, and picnic tables.

Government

Local

;City Council

Los Angeles City Council District 12 Los Angeles's 12th City Council district is one of the fifteen districts in the Los Angeles City Council. It is currently represented by Independent politician, Independent John Lee (California politician), John Lee since 2019 after he was electe ...

encompasses Granada Hills, with councilmember John Lee serving. ;Neighborhood Councils Granada Hills is served by two Neighborhood Councils: *Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council — Representing the area bounded by

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...

line to the north,

Aliso Canyon Aliso Canyon is a canyon located in Orange County, California in the United States. The canyon is a water gap across the San Joaquin Hills carved out by Aliso Creek, possibly as recently as the last ice age. Located in a semi-arid climate, i ...

to the west (west of Zelzah),

Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...

and Interstate 405 to the east and California 118 to the south. Formed in fall, 2002. *Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council — Representing the area bounded by California 118 to the north, Lindsey and Aliso Canyon to the west, Interstate 405 to the east, and Devonshire Street west of Balboa Bl and Lassen St east of Balboa Bl to the south.

County, state and federal

Granada Hills is in

California's 27th congressional district California's 27th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is currently represented by . The district includes most of northern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, includi ...

as of 2023 and represented by Republican Mike Garcia. It was in the 38th State Assembly district, and the 20th State Senate district until the 2014 redistricting.

Education

Thirty-two percent of Granada Hills residents aged 25 and older have earned a

four-year degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years (de ...

by 2000, an average percentage for the city.

Schools

Schools within the Granada Hills boundaries are:

Public

* John F. Kennedy High School, 11254 Gothic Avenue *

(formerly Granada Hills High School), 10535 Zelzah Avenue * Granada Hills Charter TK-8, 17081 Devonshire Street * Jane Addams High School (

continuation high school A continuation high school is an alternative to a comprehensive high school. In some countries it is primarily for students who are considered at risk of not graduating at the normal pace. The requirements to graduate are the same, but the sche ...

), 16341 Donmetz Street * North Valley Charter Academy, 16651-A Rinaldi Street * Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences, 10445 Balboa Boulevard * George K. Porter Middle School, 15960 Kingsbury Street *

Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American Colloquialism, colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New E ...

Middle School, 12314 Bradford Place *

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736 ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. May 18, 1736une 6, 1799) was an American politician, planter and orator who declared to the Virginia Conventions, Second Virginia Convention (1775): "Give me liberty or give m ...

Middle School, 17340 San Jose Street * El Oro Way Elementary Charter School, 12230 El Oro Way * Knollwood Elementary School, 11822 Gerald Avenue * Danube Avenue Elementary School, 11220 Danube Avenue * Tulsa Street Elementary School, 10900 Hayvenhurst Avenue * Haskell Elementary School, 15850 Tulsa Street * Van Gogh Street Elementary School, 17160 Van Gogh Street * Granada Elementary Community Charter School, 17170 Tribune Street * Rinaldi Adult Center (Adult School), 17540 Rinaldi Street #6

Private

* St. Euphrasia School, Elementary, 17637 Mayerling Street * Jewish Educational Trade School, 16601 Rinaldi Street * Concordia Schools, preschool–8th grade, 16603 San Fernando Mission Boulevard * Granada Hills Baptist Elementary School, 10949 Zelzah Avenue * De La Salle Elementary School, 16535 Chatsworth Street *

Abraham Joshua Heschel Abraham Joshua Heschel (January 11, 1907 – December 23, 1972) was a Polish-American rabbi and one of the leading Jewish theologians and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century. Heschel, a professor of Jewish mysticism at the Jewish Theolo ...

Day School (elementary), 17701 Devonshire Street * Heritage Christian School (formerly Hillcrest Christian School), 17531 Rinaldi Street (K–8), 10949 Zelzah Street (Preschool) * Heritage Christian School (formerly Los Angeles Baptist High School), 9825 Woodley Ave. * Iqra Elementary School, 11439 Encino Ave, Granada Hills, CA 91344 (preschool–7th)

Infrastructure

Public services

Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD or LA City Fire) provides firefighting services and technical rescue services, hazardous materials services, and emergency medical services to the residents of the city of Los Angeles, California, United ...

Stations 18 (Knollwood/Granada Hills) and 87 (Granada Hills) are in the area. Granada Hills is served by the

Los Angeles Police Department The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...

Devonshire Community Police Station.

Health care

The

Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Health Services Los Angeles County, officially the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, operates the public hospitals and clinics in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and is the United States' second largest municip ...

operates the Pacoima Health Center in

Pacoima Pacoima (Tataviam language: ''Pakoinga'', meaning "entrance") is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley region of LA. Geography Location Pacoima is bordered by the Los Angele ...

, serving Granada Hills.

Postal service

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

Granada Hills Post Office is located at 18039 Chatsworth Street.

Libraries

The

Los Angeles Public Library The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) is a public library system in Los Angeles, California, operating separate from the Los Angeles County Public Library system. The system holds more than six million volumes, and with around 19 million resid ...

operates the Granada Hills Branch and is located at 10640 Petit Avenue.

Notable people

* * Hal Bernson, Los Angeles City Council member who fought the Sunshine Canyon project in the 1980s and 1990s *

Ryan Braun Ryan Joseph Braun (born November 17, 1983) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played his entire career for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2007 to 2020. Braun also played right fielder, right ...

, professional baseball player, Granada Hills High School alumnus * Jeff Bregel, professional football player, John F. Kennedy High School alumnus *

Corey Burton Corey Burton is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on '' The Transformers'', Brainiac in the DC Animated Universe, Count Dooku and Cad Bane in ...

, voice actor, was born in Granada Hills *

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and maj ...

, actor, owned a large ranch in Granada Hills *

Chao-Li Chi Chao-Li Chi (; April 5, 1927 – October 16, 2010) was a Chinese-American actor and dancer who worked extensively in American television, including his best known role as Chao-Li, the faithful majordomo and chauffeur of Jane Wyman's character in ...

, actor *

John Elway John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American former professional football quarterback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he then spent 1 ...

, Denver Broncos quarterback * Cuba Gooding Jr., actor, John F. Kennedy High School alumnus * Stuart Gray, professional basketball player, John F. Kennedy High School alumnus * Maurice Greene, track athlete *

Ashley Judd Ashley Tyler Ciminella, known professionally as Ashley Judd (born April 19, 1968), is an American actress and activist. She grew up in a family of performing artists, the daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country ...

, actress, was born in Granada Hills *

Michaele Pride-Wells Michaele Pride-Wells (born 1956) is an American architect and educator. She is a professor of architecture at the University of New Mexico. She was the first woman-owned and operated architecture firm in the state of California. Pride-Wells was th ...

(born 1956), architect and educator; born and raised in Granada Hills * Jim Rodnunsky, technician, inventor of the Cablecam system * C. J. Sanders, football player at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

Frank Wilcox Frank Reppy Wilcox (March 13, 1907 – March 3, 1974) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films and television series, as well as Broadway plays. Background Wilcox was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roger V. Wilcox. He was born in De Soto ...

, actor and "honorary mayor" of Granada Hills in the 1960s *

Steve Yeager Stephen Wayne Yeager (born November 24, 1948) is an American former professional baseball catcher. Yeager spent 14 of the 15 seasons of his Major League Baseball career, from 1972 through 1985, with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His last year, 1986, ...

(born 1948), Major League Baseball catcher

References

External links

Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce

Granada Hills History Project
(stopped in 2007) (archived 2014-07-08) {{Authority control Communities in the San Fernando Valley Neighborhoods in Los Angeles 1927 establishments in California Populated places established in 1927