The San Gabriel Valley in Southern California is a region of Los Angeles County. Stretching from Pasadena to Pomona at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains to the north, the valley encompasses numerous suburban communities to the northeast of Downtown Los Angeles.
Cities
- Alhambra – home to a large Chinese-American population and a major Lunar New Year celebration.
- Altadena – home to Christmas Tree Lane, the Cobb Estate's botanical garden, hiking trails, and even The Bunny Museum, which is the world's largest collection of rabbit-themed objects
- Arcadia – contains the historic Santa Anita horse racing track and the large Los Angeles County Arboretum botanical garden.
- Azusa
- Baldwin Park – home to a large Hispanic population and the first In-N-Out Burger.
- Claremont - Home to the prestigious Claremont Colleges and a charming downtown area.
- Covina
- Diamond Bar
- El Monte
- Glendora
- Hacienda Heights – home of the Hsi Lai Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in North America.
- Industry
- Irwindale - the site of Santa Fe Dam and Recreation Area, a reservoir that allows for fishing and is home to many ducks and other waterfowl.
- La Cañada Flintridge - a wealthy suburban community home to a private botanical garden and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
- La Puente
- La Verne
- Monrovia - holds a small Old Town district with a number of historic buildings.
- Monterey Park - a center of Los Angeles' Asian-American population, with many Chinese and Japanese businesses and celebrations.
- Pasadena - the main population center of the San Gabriel Valley, home to a charming old town area, several small museums, and the famous Rose Bowl football game and its associated parade.
- Pomona - a major population center at the eastern end of the valley, host to the annual Los Angeles County Fair.
- Rosemead
- Rowland Heights
- San Dimas - contains the massive and popular Raging Waters waterpark.
- San Gabriel - home to the Mission San Gabriel Arcangel, one of the oldest of California's Spanish Missions
- San Marino - a wealthy community home to many gardens and historic sites.
- South Pasadena
- Temple City
- Walnut
- West Covina
Other destinations
Understand
Get in
Several major freeways criss-cross the San Gabriel Valley. I-210 cuts across the foothill communities of the valley, connecting to the San Fernando Valley to the west and San Bernardino to the east. I-10 and CA-60 run through the middle of the valley between Downtown Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. I-605 and CA-57 run north-south through the valley, linking to Long Beach and Orange County, respectively. Further west, CA-110 links Downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena.
A couple of rail lines serve the San Gabriel Valley. The regional rail service Metrolink runs the San Bernardino Line between Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles and San Bernardino, which passes through much of the San Gabriel Valley and stops in El Monte, Baldwin Park, Covina, Pomona, and Claremont. The line runs nearly every hour on the weekdays, with some weekend service. Further north, the frequent Metro Gold Line light rail service connects Downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena, continuing east along I-210 through Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale, and Azusa.
Get around
Several main freeways run through this area, including the I-210, I-10, I-605, I-5 and CA-60. As for mass transit, most of the San Gabriel Valley (or SGV) is serviced by either Foothill Transit or Metro for buses, or the Metro Gold Line on the north side of the valley between Pasadena and Azusa, with an extension to Montclair in the works.
Go next
- San Fernando Valley - The San Gabriel's more famous sister valley, home to many major Hollywood studios and the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park.
- Inland Empire - East beyond the LA County line lies this suburban region stretching inland to the California desert.
- Eastside - The Eastside of Los Angeles encompasses the hilly neighborhoods that separate the San Gabriel Valley from the Los Angeles Basin.
- Angeles National Forest - Encompasses the San Gabriel Mountains north of the valley.