La Cañada Flintridge

History

The Tongva were first to settle in the area. Local villages included Tejungna (now the city of Tujunga, west of La Cañada) and Hahamongna (now Hahamongna Watershed Park, east of La Cañada), connected by a network of trails, which passed through what is now La Cañada Flintridge. They made extensive use of the live oaks which still are common in La Cañada, as a source of food and shelter. In 1771, the Tongva were enslaved by missionaries at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, resulting in their other name: Gabrielinos. During the Spanish and Mexican eras, the area was known as . La Cañada comes from the Spanish word (), meaning 'canyon', 'gorge', or 'ravine'. It is unrelated to the name of the country of Canada. In 1875, Rancho La Cañada was purchased by two business partners, Jacob Lanterman and Adolphus Williams. Over the next several decades, development was slow, largely owing to the scarcity of sources of water, but some orchards growing stone fruit or oranges were present. Another attraction was the air quality, with a high concentration of tuberculosis sufferers and their families emigrating to convalesce in a place with notably clear air. Flintridge was named after its developer, United States senator Frank P. Flint. Flintridge comprises the southern part of the city, covering the northern flank of the San Rafael Hills, but more generally including most areas south of Foothill Blvd. The eastern part, even north of Foothill Blvd, was also originally considered Flintridge and is still home to the Flintridge Riding Club and Flintridge Preparatory School. On December 8, 1976, the cities of Flintridge and La Cañada were merged into a single incorporated city named "La Cañada Flintridge". Reference to the entire city is often shortened to just "La Cañada" or seldom to…

Geography

The city is situated in the Crescenta Valley and far western end of the San Gabriel Valley, between the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest to the north, and the San Rafael Hills to the south. Most of the city drains southeastward toward the Arroyo Seco area in Pasadena, but the western part of the city (generally west of Alta Canyada Road) drains southward toward Glendale via Verdugo Canyon. Both drainages join the Los Angeles River north of downtown Los Angeles. La Cañada Flintridge varies in elevation from about just below Devil's Gate Dam in the Arroyo Seco to about at the highest neighborhood, along the mountain front east of Pickens Canyon, at the upper end of Ocean View Blvd. The city limits extend into the San Gabriel Mountains and reach along Mount Lukens Road, which follows the crest line well above the developed city. In August 2009, the city came under threat by the Station Fire. The city is considered a "very high fire hazard severity zone" because of the local topography at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains and abundance of California Live Oak, despite an aggressive fire safety program. In January 2025, virtually the entire city was evacuated in response to the Eaton Fire, which destroyed many homes in the neighboring community of Altadena. The destruction of chaparral vegetation by wildfire often is followed by mudslides during the following rains, as was observed in 2010, damaging homes adjacent to arroyos at the Northern edge of the city. The climate of La Cañada Flintridge is typical of a Southern California inland valley, with mild winters and hot summers. Spring often has hazy days, in contrast to the more persistently clear weather of fall. On average, the warmest month is August with high temperatures in the low to mid 90s…

Most-observed species

• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  63,394
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  56,093
• California Towhee

  Melozone crissalis (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  50,407
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  47,361
• Lesser Goldfinch

  Spinus psaltria (Say, 1822) · Aves
  47,145
• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  46,727
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  42,114
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  41,704

Largest nearby schools

• Crescenta Valley High
  High · La Crescenta · 2,488 students · 23.9:1 ratio
• Burbank High
  High · Burbank · 2,447 students · 24.7:1 ratio
• Burroughs High
  High · Burbank · 2,305 students · 23.1:1 ratio
• Alhambra High
  High · Alhambra · 2,160 students · 22.7:1 ratio
• Eagle Rock High
  High · Los Angeles · 2,069 students · 19.9:1 ratio
• La Canada High
  High · La Canada · 1,993 students · 24.3:1 ratio
• Glendale High
  High · Glendale · 1,978 students · 22:1 ratio
• John Marshall Senior High
  High · Los Angeles · 1,950 students · 20.7:1 ratio

Most recent

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