Stevenson Ranch is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
in the
Santa Clarita Valley of
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the List of United States counties and county equivalents, most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 202 ...
. Stevenson Ranch is set in the foothills of the
Santa Susana Mountains and lies west of
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 the city of
Santa Clarita. Stevenson Ranch encompasses about . About are set aside as parks, recreation areas, and open space. A
master-planned community, it was approved by the
county Board of Supervisors in 1985. The population was 20,178 at the time of the
2020 census.
For statistical purposes, the Census Bureau has designated it a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
(CDP).
It is home to Stevenson Ranch, Pico Canyon, and Oak Hills elementary schools (part of the
Newhall School District), and Rancho Pico Junior High and
West Ranch High School (part of the
William S. Hart Union High School District). The Valencia Marketplace and Stevenson Ranch Shopping Center are popular shopping areas in the community.
Six Flags Magic Mountain, an amusement park, is located about north of Stevenson Ranch. The area backs up to the historic oil-mining town of
Mentryville, founded in 1875.
It is also the filming location of several film and television productions, including the television show
''Weeds'', a
Showtime original series, as well as the feature film ''
Pleasantville''. Its master-planned nature is at the heart of the suburban commentary of
''Weeds'', such as the "
Little Boxes" song and sprawling development portrayed in the opening of the show.
History
1980s-2000s: Dale Poe and Development
In the early 1980s, land in what is now known as Stevenson Ranch was purchased by Dale Poe and his real estate agency Dale Poe Development Corp. (DPDC), which was based in
Agoura.
Born in New Mexico, Poe later moved to San Diego and married his wife Margaret in 1957. In the mid-1970s, he founded DPDC (formerly D&M; Construction), which became one of
Southern California's biggest developers of master-planned communities. As explained by the website SCVHistory.com, "In late 1985, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the first phase of 4,378 single-family homes, condominiums and apartments on 3,057 acres. Envisioned as an eventual 10,000-home community, construction started in 1988."
In addition, Poe and his company agreed with the county "to donate 13 acres and $2.4 million for a new school in the fast-growing
Newhall School District. The company will
lsodonate more money and land as other phases of the project are approved."
At the time, "donations ultimately could total $22 million."
The timing of Poe's Stevenson Ranch development aligned with the rapid growth of the
Santa Clarita Valley in the 1980s and 1990s. Poe broke ground on this subdivision in 1986.
As development began, the Stevenson Ranch complex saw controversies. Poe's company was sued by homeowners, "alleging faulty construction and failure to complete roads and build a promised swimming pool." In 1990, the city of Santa Clarita filed a lawsuit against DPDC by challenging "the adequacy of the environmental impact report prepared for the Stevenson Ranch expansion."
There were concerns brought up by the Santa Clarita City Council over the amount of traffic, noise, and air pollution brought in by the new developments. In April 1991, DPDC agreed to pay Santa Clarita $675,000 for traffic improvements to settle the lawsuit.
Along with disputes over development, there was political disagreements between Santa Clarita and Poe. In the Fall of 1989, the city attempted to place Stevenson Ranch in its "sphere of influence" in order to make the area eligible for annexation, but was rejected by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO).
At the same time, vice president of DPDC, Jeff Stevenson, led a drive to incorporate Stevenson Ranch and other neighborhoods into a city called Sunset Hills, which was also rejected by the LAFCO due to a small tax base.
As reported by the
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
, "Santa Clarita council members bitterly dubbed the proposed city “Poe-dunk” and said the incorporation drive was launched only to keep Stevenson Ranch out of Santa Clarita."
On May 17th, 1993, Poe and his wife were killed in a car accident near
Delano, California
Delano ( ) is a city in Kern County, California, United States. Delano is located about north-northwest of Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield at an elevation of . The population was 51,428 in 2020, down from 53,041 in 2010. It is Kern Count ...
in
Kern County
Kern County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield.
Kern County compris ...
. Three years later, "Poe's heirs sold their interest in Stevenson Ranch to Florida-based home builder Lennar Corp. — which gained a controlling interest in Newhall Land a few years later."
By 1996, 1,500 homes were built in the community and it continued to grow until the mid-2000s. Poe Parkway, in Stevenson Ranch, with eventual plans to extend into Valencia, is named after him in legacy.
2001: Stevenson Ranch Shootout
On August 31, 2001, a
shootout
A shootout, also called a firefight, gunfight, or gun battle, is a confrontation in which parties armed with firearms exchange gunfire. The term can be used to describe any such fight, though it is typically used in a non-military context or to ...
occurred in Stevenson Ranch. After an attempt to serve a warrant to James Allen Beck, a convicted felon, he started firing upon ATF agents and police officer. During the gunfight, a sheriff's deputy, Hagop "Jake" Kuredjian, was shot by Beck and was killed instantly. Four hours into the standoff, a hot tear-gas canister was shot into Beck's home, probably starting a fire. The house eventually collapsed, which killed Beck in the process.
Geography

The Stevenson Ranch census-designated place includes two major subdivisions: Westridge and Stevenson Ranch proper.
Stevenson Ranch proper occupies the central and southern parts of the census-designated place. It includes the Valencia Marketplace and two elementary schools (Stevenson Ranch and Pico Canyon). Major thoroughfares in the community include Poe Parkway, Hemingway Avenue, Pico Canyon Road, and Stevenson Ranch Parkway. Pico Canyon Road and Stevenson Ranch Parkway continue east into the city of Santa Clarita as Lyons Avenue and McBean Parkway, respectively.
Westridge occupies the northern part of the CDP. It includes Oak Hills Elementary School, Rancho Pico Junior High, and West Ranch High School. The Oaks Club at Valencia, a country club and golf course, is located in Westridge. The major east-to-west thoroughfare is Valencia Boulevard. It is a wealthy community, with some of the Santa Clarita Valley's most expensive real estate. Although Westridge lies in the Stevenson Ranch CDP and zip code 91381, it was developed as part of
Valencia
Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
.
The two subdivisions are connected by The Old Road. Both subdivisions are located west of Interstate 5. The
Valencia
Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
neighborhood of the city of
Santa Clarita lies to the east and northeast,
Newhall lies to the southeast, and
unincorporated Valencia lies to the north.
Climate
Government and infrastructure
The
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), officially the County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, is a law enforcement agency serving Los Angeles County, California. LASD is the largest sheriff's department in the United States a ...
(LASD) operates the Santa Clarita Valley Station in
Santa Clarita, serving Stevenson Ranch for law enforcement. Traffic enforcement is handled by the
California Highway Patrol (CHP). The city of
Santa Clarita has tried unsuccessfully to annex Stevenson Ranch.
The names of many streets located in Stevenson Ranch are those of authors (e.g.,
Thackeray,
Hemingway,
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
, and
Poe).
Demographics
Stevenson Ranch first appeared as a
census designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
in the
2010 U.S. Census.
[
]
2020
According to the 2020 United States census, Stevenson Ranch had a population of 20,178. The city's racial makeup was 48.8% white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
(45.1% non-Hispanic white
Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...
), 26.8% non-Hispanic Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans with ancestry from the continent of Asia (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of those immigrants).
Although this term had historically been used fo ...
, 3.9% non-Hispanic black or African American, 0.2% non-Hispanic Native American, 0.1% non-Hispanic Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.8% non-Hispanics of other races, and 5.2% from two or more races. 18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Stevenson Ranch had a population of 17,557. The population density was . The racial makeup of Stevenson Ranch was 11,271 (64.2%) White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
(53.9% Non-Hispanic White), 606 (3.5%) African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 65 (0.4%) Native American, 4,028 (22.9%) Asian, 34 (0.2%) Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 765 (4.4%) from other races, and 788 (4.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 2,827 persons (16.1%).
The Census reported that 17,557 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 5,663 households, out of which 3,006 (53.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,761 (66.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 533 (9.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 231 (4.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 251 (4.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 42 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. Of the households, 828 (14.6%) were made up of individuals, and 227 (4.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10. There were 4,525 families (79.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.48.
The population was spread out, with 5,659 people (32.2%) under the age of 18, 1,261 people (7.2%) aged 18 to 24, 4,871 people (27.7%) aged 25 to 44, 4,668 people (26.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,098 people (6.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
There were 5,842 housing units at an average density of , of which 4,171 (73.7%) were owner-occupied, and 1,492 (26.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. Of the population, 13,819 (78.7%) lived in owner-occupied housing units, and 3,738 people (21.3%) lived in rental housing units.
Notable people
* Ryan Newman, actor
* El Hefe
Aaron Abeyta (born August 8, 1965), better known as El Hefe or simply Hefe, from ''el Jefe'' (Spanish for "the boss"), is an American musician, best known as the lead guitarist and trumpet player for the American punk rock band NOFX. He starte ...
(Aaron Abeyta), guitarist
* Hunter Greene, professional baseball player
References
External links
{{authority control
1987 establishments in California
Census-designated places in Los Angeles County, California
Census-designated places in California
Planned communities in California
Populated places established in 1987