View source for Santa Clarita, California

{{Redirect|Santa Clarita}}
{{distinguish|Santa Clara, California}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Santa Clarita, California
| settlement_type          = [[List of municipalities in California|City]]
| image_skyline            = {{multiple image
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  | image1                 = Winter at Central Park, Santa Clarita (cropped).jpg
  | alt1                   = Central Park
  | caption1               = [[Central Park (Santa Clarita)|Central Park]]
  | image2                 = 2000 0820 TowncenterFountain.jpg
  | alt2                   = Valencia Town Center
  | caption2               = [[Valencia Town Center]]
  | image3                 = WSHart House (cropped).jpg
  | alt3                   = William S. Hart Museum
  | caption3               = La Loma de los Vientos
  | image4                 = Bridgeport Lighthouse, Santa Clarita CA.jpg
  | alt4                   = Bridgeport Marketplace Lake
  | caption4               = Bridgeport Marketplace Lake
}}
| named_for                = [[Santa Clara River (California)|Santa Clara River]]
| image_flag               = Flag of Santa Clarita, California.png
| image_seal               = Seal of Santa Clarita, California.png
| nickname                 = SCV
| motto                    = Where the Good Life Takes You<ref name=transit />
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  | switch                 = Santa Clarita;Los Angeles County;California;the United States
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| coordinates              = {{coord|34.42|N|118.52|W|region:US-CA_type:city(239,000)|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[California]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in California|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles]]
| established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date         = December 15, 1987<ref>{{cite web
  | url                    = http://www.calafco.org/docs/Cities_by_incorp_date.doc
  | title                  = California Cities by Incorporation Date
  | format                 = Word
  | publisher              = California Association of [[Local Agency Formation Commission]]s
  | access-date            = August 25, 2014
  | url-status             = dead
  | archive-url            = https://web.archive.org/web/20141103002921/http://www.calafco.org/docs/Cities_by_incorp_date.doc
  | archive-date           = November 3, 2014 
  | df                     = mdy 
}}</ref>
| government_type          = [[Council-manager government|Council–Manager]]
| leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name              = Cameron Smyth<ref>{{cite web
  | url                    = https://santaclarita.gov/city-council/
  | title                  = City Council
  | publisher              = City of Santa Clarita
  | access-date            = September 25, 2023
}}</ref>
| leader_title1            = Mayor Pro-Tem
| leader_name1             = Bill Miranda
<!-- Area------------------>
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web
  | title                  = 2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files
  | url                    = https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_06.txt
  | publisher              = United States Census Bureau
  | access-date            = July 1, 2020
}}</ref>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 161
| area_total_sq_mi         = 62.16
| area_land_km2            = 160.84
| area_land_sq_mi          = 62.10
| area_water_km2           = 0.16
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.06
| area_water_percent       = 0.099
| area_urban_km2           = 
| area_urban_sq_mi         = 
| area_metro_km2           = 
| area_metro_sq_mi         = 
| area_note                = 
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name="GNIS">{{Cite GNIS|1662338|Santa Clarita|accessdate=November 5, 2014}}</ref>
| elevation_ft             = 1207
| population_total         = 228673
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = <ref name=2020census/>
| population_rank          = [[List of cities in Los Angeles County, California|3rd]] in Los Angeles County<br />[[List of largest California cities by population|17th]] in California<br />[[List of United States cities by population|103rd]] in the United States
| population_urban         = 278,031 ([[List of United States urban areas|US: 146th]])<ref name="urban area">{{cite web
  | url                    = https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/29/2022-28286/2020-census-qualifying-urban-areas-and-final-criteria-clarifications
  | title                  = 2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications
  | author                 = United States Census Bureau
  | website                = Federal Register
  | date                   = December 29, 2022
}}</ref>
| population_density_urban_km2 = 1,379.0
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 3,571.6
| population_demonym       = Santa Claritan
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]s<ref>{{cite web
  | url                    = https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action
  | title                  = ZIP Code(tm) Lookup
  | publisher              = [[United States Postal Service]]
  | access-date            = December 6, 2014
}}</ref>
| postal_code              = 91321–91322, 91350–91351, 91354–91355, 91380, 91385–91387, 91390{{efn|This only includes ZIP Codes within the Santa Clarita city limits. Some ZIP Codes in the valley, such as 91381 (Stevenson Ranch) and 91384 (Castaic), have "Santa Clarita" as an acceptable place name, but are entirely outside the city limits.}}
| area_code                = [[Area code 661|661]]
| area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| website                  = {{URL|santaclarita.gov}}
| leader_title2            = [[City council]]<ref name=cc/>
| leader_name2             =Laurene Weste<br/>Marsha McLean<br/>Jason Gibbs
| leader_title3            = [[City manager]]
| leader_name3             = Ken Striplin<ref>{{cite web
  | url                    = https://santaclarita.gov/city-manager-s-office/
  | title                  = City Manager's Office
  | publisher              = City of Santa Clarita
  | access-date            = September 25, 2023
}}</ref>
| timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific]]
| utc_offset               = −08:00
| timezone_DST             = PDT
| utc_offset_DST           = −07:00
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = {{FIPS|06|69088}}
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature IDs
| blank1_info              = {{GNIS 4|1662338}}, {{GNIS 4|2411819}}
| population_density_sq_mi = 3232
| population_density_km2   = 1250
}}

'''Santa Clarita''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|s|æ|n|t|ə|_|k|l|ə|ˈ|r|iː|t|ə|}}; [[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[California]]. With a [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]] population of 228,673, it is the third-most populous city in Los Angeles County, the [[List of municipalities in California|17th-most populous in California]], and the [[List of United States cities by population|103rd-most populous city]] in the [[United States]].<ref name="ca.gov">{{cite web|url=http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-1/documents/E-1_2016PressRelease.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604031730/http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-1/documents/E-1_2016PressRelease.pdf|title=California Department of Finance Press Release|archive-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref><ref name="2020census"/> It is located about {{convert|30|mi}} northwest of downtown Los Angeles, and occupies {{convert|70.75|sqmi|km2}}<ref name=CenPopGazetteer2019/> of land in the [[Santa Clarita Valley]], along the [[Santa Clara River (California)|Santa Clara River]]. It is a classic example of a U.S. [[edge city]],<ref name="Clark">{{cite book |last=Clark |first=William A. V. |editor1-last=Bridge |editor1-first=Gary |editor2-last=Watson |editor2-first=Sophie |title=A Companion to the City |date=2003 |publisher=Blackwell Publishers |isbn=978-0-470-69341-4 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=T-0GNw8qk2AC&q=%22Santa+Clarita%22 148] |doi=10.1002/9780470693414.ch13 |chapter=Monocentric to Policentric: New Urban Forms and Old Paradigms}}</ref> [[satellite city]],<ref name="Vey">{{cite book |last1=Vey |first1=Jennifer S. |last2=Forman |first2=Benjamin |editor1-last=Berube |editor1-first=A. |editor2-last=Katz |editor2-first=B. |editor3-last=Lang |editor3-first=R.E. |title=Redefining Urban and Suburban America: Evidence from Census 2000, Volume 3 |date=2006 |publisher=Brookings Institution Press |isbn=978-0-8157-0885-8 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=r62A497dYOYC&q=%22Santa+Clarita%22 26] |chapter=Demographic Change in Medium-Sized Cities}}</ref> or [[boomburb]].<ref name="Lang">{{cite book |last1=Lang |first1=Robert E. |last2=LeFurgy |first2=Jennifer B. |editor1-last=Kantor |editor1-first=Paul |editor2-last=Judd |editor2-first=Dennis R. |title=American Urban Politics in a Global Age |date=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-35035-4 |chapter=The Ethnic Diversity of Boomburbs}}</ref>

Human settlement of the Santa Clarita Valley dates back to the arrival of the [[Chumash people]], who were displaced by the [[Tataviam]] circa 450 AD. After Spanish colonists arrived in [[Alta California]], the [[Rancho San Francisco]] was established, covering much of the Santa Clarita Valley. [[Henry Newhall|Henry Mayo Newhall]] purchased the Rancho San Francisco in 1875 and established the towns of [[Saugus, Santa Clarita, California|Saugus]] and [[Newhall, Santa Clarita, California|Newhall]]. The [[Newhall Land and Farming Company]] played a major role in the city's development. In December 1987, the city of Santa Clarita was incorporated, encompassing the communities of [[Canyon Country, Santa Clarita, California|Canyon Country]], Newhall, Saugus, and [[Valencia, Santa Clarita, California|Valencia]].<ref name="Boston">{{cite book|last1=Boston|first1=John|author2=Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society|title=Santa Clarita Valley|date=2009 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing|location=Charleston, SC|isbn=978-0-7385-6938-3|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=N3bO-hXlWWgC&pg=PA124 124]}}</ref> The four communities retain separate identities, and residents commonly refer to one of them when asked where they are from. Santa Clarita is bounded on the west by the [[Interstate 5 in California|Golden State Freeway]] (I-5). The [[California State Route 14|Antelope Valley Freeway]] (CA-14) runs northeast–southwest forming part of the city's irregular east boundary. The two freeways meet at [[Newhall Pass]], near the city's southernmost point.

Santa Clarita is home to three institutions of higher education: [[California Institute of the Arts]], a private art university; [[The Master's University]], a Christian liberal arts university; and [[College of the Canyons]], a community college. Companies headquartered in or near the city include [[Princess Cruises]], [[Sunkist Growers, Incorporated|Sunkist]], [[Remo]], and the Newhall Land and Farming Company. The unincorporated communities of [[Castaic, California|Castaic]] and [[Stevenson Ranch, California|Stevenson Ranch]], located to the north and west of the Santa Clarita city limits, respectively, are closely associated with the city. [[Six Flags Magic Mountain]], though commonly thought to be in the Valencia part of Santa Clarita, is also west of Interstate 5 and outside of the Santa Clarita city limits.

==Name==
The [[Santa Clara River (California)|Santa Clara River]] was named by Spanish explorers for Saint [[Clare of Assisi]]. The valley and the settlement later became known as "little Santa Clara" ("Santa Clarita" in the Spanish diminutive) to distinguish it from the Northern Californian city of [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]]<ref name="Everett-Heath">{{cite book |last=Everett-Heath |first=John |title=The Concise Dictionary of World Place Names |date=2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-1917-5139-4 |edition=3rd |language=en}}</ref> and its accompanying [[Mission Santa Clara de Asís]]. The [[Santa Clarita Valley]] similarly differentiates itself from the [[Santa Clara Valley]] in Northern California. The region was not widely referred to as Santa Clarita until the 1950s; before this, it was unofficially referred to as the "Newhall–Saugus area" and the "Bonelli tract," after a family that owned land in the valley.<ref>{{cite web|last=Newhall|first=Ruth Waldo|url=http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/scv-name.htm|title=How Santa Clarita Got Its Name|work=Old Town Newhall Gazette|date=February–March 1997|via=SCVHistory.com|access-date=July 3, 2017}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Ygnacio_del_Valle.gif|thumb|left|upright|Don [[Ygnacio del Valle]], a [[Californio]] ranchero, owned much of Santa Clarita as part of his [[Rancho San Francisco]]. He founded the original settlement in Santa Clarita.]]
[[File:santaclaritawelcomesign.jpg|thumb|right|The Santa Clarita welcome sign (on Newhall Avenue in [[Newhall, Santa Clarita, California|Newhall]] near the 14 freeway) in May 2010]]

===Pre-Columbian and Spanish colonial eras===
The Santa Clarita Valley has been settled for millennia before European arrival. The oldest archaeological site in the area dates back to roughly 3000 BC.<ref name=timeline/> About AD 450, the [[Tataviam people|Tataviam]] arrived, displacing the [[Chumash people]] who previously inhabited the area.<ref>{{cite web|last=Higgins|first=Paul|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/higgins-tataviam.htm|title=The Tataviam: Early Newhall Residents|website=scvhistory.com|date=January–February 1996|access-date=February 19, 2021}}</ref> The Tataviam lived in approximately 20 villages in the valley and surrounding areas including [[Piru, California|Piru]], [[Agua Dulce, California|Agua Dulce]], [[Elizabeth Lake, California|Elizabeth Lake]], and [[Tochonanga]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=SCVHistory.com {{!}} Tataviam Culture |url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/tataviam.htm |access-date=December 24, 2022 |website=scvhistory.com |language=en}}</ref>

In the 18th century, Spanish colonists arrived in southern California including Santa Clarita, founding [[Spanish missions in California|mission settlements]]. The [[Mission San Fernando Rey de España|Mission San Fernando]] was founded in 1797 in present-day [[Mission Hills, Los Angeles|Mission Hills]], just {{convert|9.5|mi|km}} south of downtown Newhall.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Newhall,+Railroad+Avenue,+Newhall,+Santa+Clarita,+CA/San+Fernando+Mission,+San+Fernando+Mission+Boulevard,+Mission+Hills,+CA/|title=Newhall to San Fernando Mission|publisher=Google Maps|access-date=February 22, 2021}}</ref> In 1822, [[Alta California]], which included most of the present-day southwestern United States including all of California, became a territory of the newly independent country of Mexico.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Williams|first1=Mary Floyd|title=Mission, presidio and pueblo: Notes on California local institutions under Spain and Mexico|journal=California Historical Society Quarterly|date=July 1922|volume=1|issue=1|pages=23–35|doi=10.2307/25613566|jstor=25613566 |url=https://archive.org/stream/californiahisto1219cali_0#page/n34/mode/1up|access-date=February 25, 2021}}</ref>

The {{convert|48612|acres|km2|adj=on}} [[Rancho San Francisco]] land grant was issued by [[Juan Bautista Alvarado]], governor of [[Alta California]], to Mexican army officer Antonio del Valle.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/sg090199a.htm|title=Del Valle descendant pursues her roots|work=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|first=Marci|last=Wormser |date=September 1, 1999|access-date=April 9, 2007}}</ref> It was an agricultural area serving the nearby Mission San Fernando.

===1822–1899: Gold discovery, Mentryville, and Henry Mayo Newhall===
In 1842, Francisco Lopez discovered gold in [[Placerita Canyon State Park|Placerita Canyon]]—the first documented discovery of gold in California. The discovery is commemorated in an 1842 mining claim issued by Governor Alvarado.<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Rawls|editor1-first=James|editor2-first=Richard J.|editor2-last=Orsi|title=A golden state: mining and economic development in Gold Rush California|series=California History Sesquicentennial, 2|year=1999 |location=Berkeley and Los Angeles|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=0-520-21771-3|page=3}}</ref> The Oak of the Golden Dream, which marks the site of the discovery, remains an attraction for tourists. Several places throughout Santa Clarita carry the "Golden Oak" name, including Golden Oak Road in Saugus; Golden Oak Lane, Golden Oak Ranch, and Golden Oak Adult School in Newhall; and Golden Oak Community School in Canyon Country.

The United States acquired California in 1848, after winning the [[Mexican–American War]]. The community of Newhall is named after [[Henry Mayo Newhall|Henry Newhall]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newhallfoundation.org/aboutHMN.html |title=About Henry Mayo Newhall |publisher=Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation |year=2000 |access-date=April 20, 2007}}</ref> an American businessman who made his fortune during the [[California Gold Rush]]. He founded the H.M. Newhall & Company, a successful auction house in [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]]. Newhall had also invested in rail companies that would connect San Francisco to other cities and became president of the [[San Francisco and San Jose Railroad]]. In 1870, he and his partners sold the company to [[Southern Pacific Railroad]], and he served on Southern Pacific's board of directors.

From 1858 to 1861, the Santa Clarita Valley was used as a transportation corridor for the [[Butterfield Overland Mail]] stagecoach service as part of its first division, stretching from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Two Butterfield Overland Mail stations were located in the area: [[Lyons Station Stagecoach Stop|Lyons Station]] in Newhall, and [[King's Station]] in San Francisquito Canyon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/files/ahnert_stations_20200101/ahnert_stations_20200101.pdf|title=Butterfield's Overland Mail Stage Stations in California from San Fernando Mission to Posey Creek|website=scvhistory.com|access-date=February 26, 2021}}</ref> [[Beale's Cut Stagecoach Pass|Beale's Cut]] was constructed in 1859 through what is now known as the [[Newhall Pass]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.californiahistoricallandmarks.com/landmarks/chl-1006|title=CHL #1006 Beale's Cut Stagecoach Pass|publisher=California Historical Landmarks|access-date=January 16, 2021}}</ref>

After railroads, Newhall turned to real estate and ranching. He purchased a number of the former Spanish and Mexican land grants in the state, amassing a total of {{convert|143,000|acre|ha}} between Monterey and Los Angeles counties. The most significant portion was the Rancho San Francisco, which he purchased for $2/acre. It became known as Newhall Ranch after Newhall's death. Within this territory, Newhall granted a right-of-way to Southern Pacific through what is now Newhall Pass. He also sold the railroad part of the land, upon which the company built the town of [[Newhall, Santa Clarita, California|Newhall]], founded just north of the present-day intersection of Magic Mountain Parkway and Railroad Avenue.<ref>{{cite web|last=Worden|first=Leon|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/signal/worden/lw022404.htm|title=Newhall By Any Other Name ... is Elayon|website=scvhistory.com |date=February 24, 2004|access-date=June 6, 2021}}</ref> He moved the town south in 1879, and the original townsite was named [[Saugus, Santa Clarita, California|Saugus]], after Henry Newhall's hometown of [[Saugus, Massachusetts]].<ref name="capace">Capace, Nancy (1999). ''Encyclopedia of California''. North American Book Dist LLC. Page 428. {{ISBN|9780403093182}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Alvarenga|first=Emily|date=May 26, 2019|title=The history behind the names: SCV edition|url=https://signalscv.com/2019/05/the-history-behind-the-names-scv-edition/|access-date=March 20, 2021|work=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|language=en-US}}</ref>

After his death, Newhall's heirs incorporated the [[Newhall Land and Farming Company]] in 1883. Since its founding, it has overseen the development of the communities that comprise present-day Santa Clarita, including the master-planned community of Valencia (in which it is headquartered), Canyon Country, Newhall, and Saugus. The company also manages farm land elsewhere in the state.<ref name=capace />

On September 5, 1876, [[Charles Crocker]], president of the [[Southern Pacific Company]], hammered a ceremonial spike into a railroad tie at [[Lang Southern Pacific Station]] in what is now far eastern Canyon Country, marking the completion of the [[San Joaquin Valley]] line of the [[Southern Pacific Railroad]], connecting Los Angeles to [[San Francisco]] and the rest of the nation for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/hs3601.htm|title=Lang Station 1936|website=scvhistory.com|access-date=January 5, 2021}}</ref>

In the 1850s and 1860s, businessmen and political leaders such as [[Andrés Pico]], Sanford Lyon, Henry Clay Wiley, Darius Towsley, and Christopher Leaming came to the Santa Clarita Valley for its oil reserves. On September 26, 1876, the town of [[Mentryville, California|Mentryville]] was founded by French immigrant Charles Alexander Mentry near present-day [[Stevenson Ranch, California|Stevenson Ranch]]. Mentryville's Pico Number 4 oil well was the first commercially successful oil well in the western United States. Oil from Mentryville was refined at [[Pioneer Oil Refinery]] in Newhall, the first viable oil refinery in the state. (Pioneer Oil Refinery is currently the only site on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] within the city limits of Santa Clarita.) By the early 1900s, most of Pico Canyon's richest oil reserves had been depleted, although Pico Number 4 continued to operate until 1990. Many of the aforementioned oil pioneers have lent their names to streets in the valley, such as Pico Canyon Road, Lyons Avenue, Wiley Canyon Road, and Towsley Canyon Road.<ref>{{cite web|last=Worden|first=Leon|url=https://scvhistory.com/mentryville/mstory.htm|title=Friends of Mentryville: California's First Oil Boom Town|publisher=Friends of Mentryville|website=scvhistory.com|access-date=January 5, 2020}}</ref> Drilling continues to occur in Santa Clarita at the [[Honor Rancho Oil Field]].

The Saugus Cafe was established in 1886 near the present-day intersection of Railroad Avenue and Magic Mountain Parkway. It is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Los Angeles County.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gonzalez|first=Christina|url=https://www.foxla.com/news/original-saugus-cafe-las-oldest-restaurant-struggling-after-recent-outdoor-dining-ban|title=Original Saugus Cafe: LA's oldest restaurant struggling after recent outdoor dining ban|publisher=FOX11 Los Angeles|date=December 12, 2020|access-date=January 18, 2021}}</ref>

===1900–1987===
Los Angeles studios began filming in Santa Clarita shortly after the turn of the 20th century. Actors in these early films included [[William S. Hart]], [[Tom Mix]], [[Harry Carey (actor)|Harry Carey]], and a young [[John Wayne]]. Many [[movie ranch]]es (see [[#Films|section below]]) were developed in the Santa Clarita Valley. Hart and Carey made their homes in the valley; today both their former estates are operated as county parks.

One major contributor to the valley's early development was the Whittaker-Bermite Corporation. From 1934 to 1987, the corporation manufactured, stored, and tested explosives, including bombs and [[skyrocket|bottle rockets]], on a {{convert|996|acre||adj=mid| site}} south of Soledad Canyon Road, east of Railroad Avenue, northeast of the Circle J Ranch community, southwest of Centre Pointe Parkway, and west of Golden Valley Road. The first housing tract in the area consisted of company homes along Walnut Street in Newhall. In modern times, the [[California Department of Toxic Substances Control]] has made efforts to clean the area of [[perchlorate]] and other toxic chemicals left behind by decades of munitions testing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/lw2336.htm|title=DTSC Uses Bacteria to Rid Whittaker-Bermite of Perchlorate|website=scvhistory.com|access-date=February 19, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Worden|first=Leon|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/sg060803.htm|title=Un-Well Water: The Problem of Perchlorate|website=scvhistory.com|access-date=February 19, 2021}}</ref> The site is being considered for development.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Perry |date=February 27, 2024 |title=New developer, new plans |url=https://signalscv.com/2024/02/new-developer-new-plans/ |access-date=February 28, 2024 |website=Santa Clarita Valley Signal |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Santa Clarita Valley was the scene of the second deadliest disaster in California's history, known as the "worst civil engineering failure of the 20th century." Shortly before midnight on March 12, 1928, the [[St. Francis Dam]] collapsed. Water from the St. Francis Reservoir coursed through [[San Francisquito Canyon]] and the Santa Clara River in a wave up to {{convert|140|ft|m}} high and {{convert|2|mi|km}} wide, destroying buildings in its path. By the time the floodwaters reached the Pacific Ocean near Ventura five hours later, 411 people had died. Some buildings in Newhall became makeshift morgues. After the disaster, engineer [[William Mulholland]] resigned from his position as superintendent of the Los Angeles Bureau of Water Works and Supply (now the [[Los Angeles Department of Water and Power|Department of Water and Power]]).<ref>{{cite web|last=Pollack|first=Alan|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/stfrancistimeline_pollack2014.htm|title=St. Francis Dam Disaster: An Extended Timeline|website=scvhistory.com|date=March 13, 2014|access-date=February 21, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Stansell|first=Ann|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/annstansell_damvictims022214.htm|title=Roster of St. Francis Dam Victims|website=scvhistory.com|access-date=February 21, 2021}}</ref>

On December 27, 1936, [[United Airlines Trip 34]] crashed into a hilltop in Rice Canyon which is near Newhall, killing all twelve people on board.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/sw3602.htm|title=SCVHistory.com SW3602 {{!}} Plane Crashes {{!}} 1936 Plane Crash in Rice Canyon: Searching for Casualties|website=scvhistory.com|access-date=April 13, 2020}}</ref>

In 1945, the Santa Clarita Union High School District was created. The following year it was renamed [[William S. Hart Union High School District]] after William S. Hart. The district's first high school was [[William S. Hart High School]] in Newhall.<ref name="timeline">{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/timeline.htm|title=SCV Chronology — A Timeline of Historical Events|website=scvhistory.com|first=Leon|last=Worden|access-date=March 1, 2021}}</ref>

The first official use of the name "Santa Clarita" in a housing development appeared in the Rancho Santa Clarita housing tract in Saugus, built in 1947.<ref name=timeline/>

On September 17, 1966, William V. Fowler, Grand Cyclops (leader) of the California Knights of the [[Ku Klux Klan]], organized a reactivation rally in Soledad Canyon, on Capra Road around {{convert|2|mi|km}} east of the present-day Soledad Canyon Road exit on State Route 14.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/34.4312189,-118.3560775/34.4336535,-118.3856138/@34.4328167,-118.3766948,15.5z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0|title=Sulphur Springs Union Elementary School District to CA-14|website=Sulphur Springs Union Elementary School District to CA-14}}</ref> Fowler sought to reactivate the KKK in California, where it was banned by law since 1946. Estimates of the rally's size range from 30 to 100 people, far fewer than the 5,000 to 10,000 Fowler expected. The rally took place on [[United States Forest Service]] property and included a fake [[cross burning]]. Just one person was arrested at the rally – for assaulting a police officer he mistook for a Klansman.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/sg19660901kkk.htm|title=California KKK Holds Rally, Fake Cross Burning in Soledad Canyon|website=scvhistory.com|access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref>

On April 5, 1970, four [[California Highway Patrol|CHP]] officers were shot dead by two heavily armed career criminals at a Standard Gas Station in present-day Valencia. The shootout was the deadliest attack on law enforcement in California history. As Valencia had barely been developed, it came to be known as the [[Newhall incident]]. One of the perpetrators was sentenced to life in prison; the other committed suicide. In the aftermath of the incident, policing was transformed nationwide – police training and weaponry were improved and bullet proof vests became widespread.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/al1972.htm|title=The Newhall Incident|website=scvhistory.com|access-date=February 22, 2021}}</ref>

In the early morning of July 23, 1982, a [[Twilight Zone accident|helicopter crash]] occurred at the [[Indian Dunes]] amusement park in Valencia during the making of ''[[Twilight Zone: The Movie]]'', killing three people.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/wingo072313.htm|title=Proximate Cause: Pilot Recalls 'Twilight Zone Movie' Tragedy.|website=scvhistory.com|date=July 23, 2013|access-date=February 24, 2021}}</ref>

As early as 1920, there were attempts to incorporate some of the communities of the Santa Clara River Valley. Four years later a chamber of commerce was formed in Newhall, with one of its goals being city formation.<ref name="scvtv">{{cite web |last1=Reynolds |first1=Jerry |title=History of the Santa Clarita Valley |url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/signal/reynolds/contents.html |website=SCVTV |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref>

Starting in 1970s, residents, such as educator Carl Boyer III and retired businessman H. Gil Callowhill, began efforts to determine the feasibility of incorporating Newhall, Saugus and Valencia into a city. In 1974, individuals, such as Signal co-editor Ruth Newhall, suggested that the Santa Clarita area should secede from Los Angeles County to form their own county. That December a new committee was formed to lead the fight to break Acton, Agua Dulce, Gorman, Castaic, Val Verde, Canyon Country, Saugus, Valencia and Newhall off from Los Angeles County. The new entity was to be called Canyon County. This effort eventually led to the creation of Proposition F on the 1976 November ballot. Under state law, the creation of the new county would have to be approved by all the voters in the existing county. This effort failed with sixty-eight to thirty-two percent of the county at large rejecting it. The proposed Canyon County voted fifty-five percent in favor of its creation. On November 7, 1978, the area of Canyon County tried again to secede. Proposition K revealed greater support for the creation of a new county, in which fifty-nine percent of local voters voted in favor, but, again, most LA county voters rejected it.<ref name="scvtv"/>

Despite the rejection of "home rule" through the creation of Canyon County, attention turned back to creating a new city. In the mid-1980s, Louis Garasi, president of the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce, chaired the city formation committee, with Connie Worden, a veteran of the Canyon County effort, as vice chair. As noted by Jerry Reynolds, "With strong support from the Santa Clarita Valley and Canyon Country chambers of commerce, the committee held lively, well-attended public meetings that revealed a growing interest in home rule and mounting dissatisfaction with inadequate roads." A petition campaign and the filing of the official cityhood application with the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) requested a ninety square-mile area for the proposed City of Santa Clarita. The LAFCO shrunk the proposed city to just over thirty-nine square miles, carving out most of the areas where development was pending.<ref name="scvtv"/>

The city boundaries approved by LAFCO included most of the populated areas of Newhall, Saugus, Canyon Country and Valencia. Left out were Castaic, Agua Dulce, everything west of Interstate 5, and most of the land south of State Route 14 except for Sand Canyon, whose inclusion was championed by three cityhood leaders who lived there – Lou Garasi, Jan Heidt and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon.<ref name="scvtv"/>

===1987–present: City of Santa Clarita===
[[File:Saugus High School, November 2014.jpg|thumb|left|[[Saugus High School (California)|Saugus High School]] was the site of [[2019 Saugus High School shooting|a deadly mass shooting]] on November 14, 2019.]]
After multiple failed attempts to form a city and at least two failed attempts to form a separate county, residents of the Santa Clarita Valley finally incorporated the City of Santa Clarita on December 15, 1987. The proposal passed by a margin of two to one in that year's general election. Other proposed names for the city were "City of the Canyons" and "La Mancha"; "Santa Clarita" narrowly defeated "City of the Canyons."<ref name="Boston" /> The city's first mayor was future Congressman [[Buck McKeon]].

In 1990, the federal government awarded [[Cemex]] a contract to [[Soledad Canyon Sand and Gravel Mining Project|mine millions of tons of sand and gravel]] in Soledad Canyon, just east of the city. The proposed mine caused controversy due to its potential for air pollution, traffic congestion, and environmental damage to the [[Angeles National Forest]] and Santa Clara River. The city of Santa Clarita fought for decades to prevent mining in the canyon. In 2019, the Interior Board of Land Appeals (part of the [[United States Department of the Interior]]) upheld a 2015 decision by the [[Bureau of Land Management]], permanently preventing Cemex from mining in Soledad Canyon. Cemex had never mined any sand or gravel in the canyon.<ref>{{cite news|last=Peeples|first=Stephen K.|url=https://scvnews.com/cemex-loses-federal-appeal-soledad-canyon-mega-mine-all-but-dead/|title=Cemex Loses Federal Appeal; Soledad Canyon Mega-Mine Effectively Dead|publisher=SCV News|date=March 20, 2019|access-date=March 19, 2021}}</ref>

Santa Clarita was devastated by the [[1994 Northridge earthquake]]. The [[Newhall Pass interchange]] of I-5 and CA-14 collapsed, and [[Sierra Highway]] became the only route in and out of the valley; Sierra Highway was soon closed as well. Several surface streets throughout the city were closed due to structural damage. The Four Corners oil spill led to contamination of the Santa Clara River. Electricity was temporarily shut off for the entire valley, and schools were closed. Shelters opened in Newhall, Saugus, and Canyon Country. The [[California National Guard|National Guard]] was sent to the area, and City Hall was temporarily relocated. Water distribution points were set up as residents lost access to running water.<ref name="1994quake">{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/sc9407.htm|title=Chronology of Events Following January 17, 1994 Earthquake|website=scvhistory.com|access-date=January 16, 2021}}</ref> The city suffered an estimated $76.8 million in damages.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/sc9405.htm|title=Santa Clarita Valley Damage Cost Estimates|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|date=December 1994|access-date=June 16, 2021}}</ref>

Santa Clarita was ranked in 2006 by ''[[Money (magazine)|Money]]'' magazine as 18th of the 100 best places to live in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/top100/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027021647/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/top100/index.html|title=MONEY Magazine: Best places to live 2006: Top 100 1-25|archive-date=October 27, 2007|website=money.cnn.com}}</ref>

On November 14, 2019, [[2019 Saugus High School shooting|a mass shooting]] occurred at [[Saugus High School (California)|Saugus High School]]. That morning, Nathaniel Berhow, a 16-year-old junior at the school, used a semi-automatic pistol to shoot five other students, killing two of them, before turning his gun on himself. The shooting lasted 16 seconds. Survivors were reunited with their parents at nearby [[Central Park (Santa Clarita)|Central Park]], and injured students were sent to [[Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital|Henry Mayo Hospital]] in Valencia and [[Providence Holy Cross Medical Center]] in [[Mission Hills, Los Angeles|Mission Hills]]. The shooter succumbed to his self-inflicted injuries the following day in the hospital. A vigil honoring the victims was held at Central Park the next day.<ref name="saugusshooting">{{cite web|last=Fry|first=Hannah|display-authors=etal|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-11-14/shooting-reported-at-saugus-high-school-in-santa-clarita-police-searching-for-teen-suspect|title=Santa Clarita shooting: 2 teens killed; attack came on suspect's birthday, officials say|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=November 14, 2019|access-date=November 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114180422/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-11-14/shooting-reported-at-saugus-high-school-in-santa-clarita-police-searching-for-teen-suspect|archive-date=November 14, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Holt|first=Jim|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/sg20191114shs.htm|title=2 Students Killed, 4 Wounded in Saugus High School Shooting|website=scvhistory.com|date=November 14, 2019|access-date=February 20, 2021}}</ref>

In the 21st century, the city's developed area has expanded significantly as [[Lennar]], [[Tri Pointe Homes]], and [[KB Home]] have constructed housing developments in the area,<ref>{{cite web|last=Worden|first=Leon|date=August 20, 2011|title=Pair of Single-Family Neighborhoods Open in Valencia|url=https://scvnews.com/pair-of-single-family-neighborhoods-open-in-valencia/|access-date=March 23, 2021|website=SCVNews.com|language=en-US}}</ref> including the neighborhoods of West Creek, West Hills, Aliento, River Village, Skyline Ranch, Vista Canyon, and Five Knolls.<ref name="gregory">{{cite web|url=https://gregoryrealestategroup.com/property-search-options/new-housing-developments-santa-clarita/|title=New Housing Developments in Santa Clarita|date=August 17, 2021 |publisher=Gregory Real Estate Group|access-date=October 16, 2021}}</ref> Just outside the city limits, a large development by the FivePoint company is in construction.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Collins|first=Jeff|date=January 14, 2020|title=New homes on horizon following $135 million sale of Valencia lots|url=https://www.dailynews.com/2020/01/14/new-homes-on-horizon-following-135-million-sale-of-valencia-lots|access-date=March 12, 2021|work=Daily News|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Santa Clarita (27914344664).jpg|800px|thumb|center|Santa Clarita in July 2016]]
Santa Clarita, according to the [[United States Census Bureau]], covers an area of {{convert|70.82|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|70.75|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.07|sqmi|km2}} (0.10%) is water. Nearly half of the city's land area has been acquired via annexations; the city's area at the time of incorporation was just {{convert|39.09|sqmi|km2}}.<ref name=annexations /> The [[Newhall Pass]] is located at the southern end of the city, south of Newhall and north of the [[San Fernando Valley]] communities of [[Granada Hills, Los Angeles|Granada Hills]] and [[Sylmar, Los Angeles|Sylmar]].

[[File:Location map Santa Clarita.svg|thumb|Map of Santa Clarita, showing neighborhoods, city boundaries, freeways, major surface streets, and the Angeles National Forest]]

Santa Clarita lies within the [[Santa Clarita Valley]], bounded by the [[San Gabriel Mountains]] to the east, the [[Santa Susana Mountains]] to the south and west, and the [[Sierra Pelona Mountains]] to the north, all part of the [[Transverse Ranges]].

The broad [[Santa Clara River (California)|Santa Clara River]] passes through the city from east to west. Though usually dry, the river exhibits significant surface flow during seasonal episodes of heavy rainfall. The river's numerous tributaries incise the hilly terrain of the valley to form steep canyons after which many of the city's major streets are named. The largest of these canyons are [[Bouquet Canyon, California|Bouquet Canyon]], [[San Francisquito Canyon]], [[Sand Canyon, Los Angeles County, California|Sand Canyon]], and [[Soledad Canyon]].

===City limits===
Currently, the city is bounded by [[Interstate 5]] to the west, extending east to include almost all developed areas of the Santa Clarita Valley east of the freeway. Part of the city's eastern boundary follows [[California State Route 14]], although the city limits extend beyond Route 14 to include the communities of Aliento, Fair Oaks Ranch, Vista Canyon, and Sand Canyon; the Plaza at Golden Valley shopping center; and the Whitney Canyon, Elsmere Canyon, Golden Valley Ranch, Walker Ranch, and East Walker Ranch open spaces. Santa Clarita extends as far east as the eastern end of Shenandoah Lane, east of Shadow Pines Boulevard in Canyon Country. The city limits also include a small [[exclave]] west of Interstate 5 in Towsley Canyon Park.<ref name="annexations">{{cite web|url=https://santaclarita.gov/document-central/16334/638047105791700000|title=Completed Annexations|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|access-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref> The [[Angeles National Forest]] forms part of the city's northern and eastern boundaries, although parts of northern Saugus (north of Copper Hill Drive and Haskell Canyon Road) and Canyon Country (south of Placerita and Sand Canyon Roads) extend into the national forest.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd646017.html|title=Angeles NF Interactive Maps|publisher=United States Forest Service|access-date=March 26, 2021}}</ref>

===Topography===
The official elevation of the city is {{convert|1207|ft|m}},<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lat-long.com/Latitude-Longitude-1662338-California-Santa_Clarita.html |title=Santa Clarita, CA |website=Lat-Long.com |access-date=March 26, 2021}}</ref> the elevation of the historic Newhall Airport which was northwest of Via Princessa and Railroad Avenue from the 1930s through the 1950s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/we3001.htm|title=Saugus-Newhall Airport Map, 1930|publisher=Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society|access-date=March 26, 2021}}</ref> Elevation varies substantially throughout the city. The lowest point in Santa Clarita is near the junction of [[California State Route 126|CA-126]] and [[Interstate 5 in California|I-5]] ({{Coord|34.4422|-118.6029}}), at an elevation of {{convert|1024|ft|m}}. The highest point is in the San Gabriel Mountains south of Placerita and Sand Canyon Roads ({{Coord|34.3599|-118.4062}}) at an elevation of {{convert|3048|ft|m}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://elevation.maplogs.com/|title=Worldwide Elevation Finder / Topographic map / Altitude map|website=elevation.maplogs.com|access-date=April 3, 2021}}</ref> Most populated areas in the city are {{convert|1100|-|1700|ft|m}} above sea level. The highest residential areas of Canyon Country, north of Skyline Ranch Road and east of Shadow Pines Boulevard, exceed {{convert|2000|ft|m}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/@34.4,-118.5,12z/data=!5m1!1e4|title=Google Maps|website=Google Maps}}</ref>

===Geology===
{{further|Santa Clarita Valley#Geology}}
Santa Clarita is near the San Fernando fault zone and has been affected by the [[1971 San Fernando earthquake]] and [[1994 Northridge earthquake]] (see [[#1987-present: City of Santa Clarita|above]]), both of which had epicenters in the San Fernando Valley.<ref name=1994quake/>

==Climate==
Santa Clarita experiences a hot-summer [[Mediterranean climate]] (''Csa'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.plantmaps.com/koppen-climate-classification-map-united-states.php|title=Interactive United States Köppen Climate Classification Map|website=plantmaps.com|access-date=March 5, 2021}}</ref>
with hot, dry, sunny summers and mild, rainy winters. Due to its close proximity to the [[Mojave Desert]] ([[High Desert (California)|High Desert]]) and [[Pacific Ocean]], and the city's wide range of elevations, varying micro-climates are common. There is a large [[diurnal temperature variation]], especially in the summer.

During the summer (late June through mid-September) high temperatures average {{convert|90|-|95|F|C}}, commonly reaching {{convert|110|F|C}} or higher during heat waves. Rain is very rare. Due to the aridity, summer temperatures cool down significantly at night. Summer and fall carry significant wildfire risk due to the presence of dry brush. The hottest temperature recorded in the city is {{convert|118|F|C}} on July 5, 2024.<ref name="xmacis">[https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/ XMACIS] ("Saugus, California" station)</ref>

During winter, temperatures are mild. In most winters, there are a few days with highs above {{convert|80|F|C}} and a few days that stay below {{convert|50|F|C}}. Temperatures rarely fall below freezing. Rain falls primarily from December through March. Snowfall is very rare; the most recent snow was a light dusting in February 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/02/25/california-blizzards-multistate-storm/|title=CityNews|website=toronto.citynews.ca|date=February 26, 2023 }}</ref> Santa Clarita lies within USDA plant [[hardiness zone]] 10a, except for the far eastern part of the city, which is in zone 9b.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/|title=2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map|publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture|access-date=November 28, 2023}}</ref>

In Santa Clarita, the sun is above the horizon for 9 hours, 51 minutes on the [[winter solstice]] (December 20–22) and 14 hours, 28 minutes on the [[summer solstice]] (June 20–22).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/@34.42,-118.52|title=34°25'N, 118°31'W — Sunrise, Sunset, and Daylength, December 2023|website=timeanddate.com}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|single line = true
|location = Saugus, Santa Clarita, California (1994-2020 averages, 1994-2023 extremes)<ref>Temperatures measured exclude the periods from Jun-Dec 2016 and Jun-Dec 2021. Precipitation measured from 1997-2014 in Stevenson Ranch.</ref>
|Jan record high F = 87
|Feb record high F = 93
|Mar record high F = 95
|Apr record high F = 101
|May record high F = 108
|Jun record high F = 111
|Jul record high F = 118
|Aug record high F = 114
|Sep record high F = 115
|Oct record high F = 111
|Nov record high F = 97
|Dec record high F = 88
|Jan high F = 65.0
|Feb high F = 65.8
|Mar high F = 70.2
|Apr high F = 73.4
|May high F = 79.3
|Jun high F = 85.3
|Jul high F = 93.0
|Aug high F = 94.3
|Sep high F = 90.6
|Oct high F = 81.3
|Nov high F = 72.7
|Dec high F = 64.2
|Jan low F = 44.6
|Feb low F = 44.8
|Mar low F = 45.9
|Apr low F = 48.3
|May low F = 52.9
|Jun low F = 57.3
|Jul low F = 62.9
|Aug low F = 63.6
|Sep low F = 61.0
|Oct low F = 54.8
|Nov low F = 48.4
|Dec low F = 44.1
|Jan record low F = 28
|Feb record low F = 29
|Mar record low F = 32
|Apr record low F = 33
|May record low F = 40
|Jun record low F = 42
|Jul record low F = 52
|Aug record low F = 51
|Sep record low F = 45
|Oct record low F = 40
|Nov record low F = 33
|Dec record low F = 29
|Jan precipitation inch = 3.05
|Feb precipitation inch = 4.24
|Mar precipitation inch = 2.50
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.90
|May precipitation inch = 0.37
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.01
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.00
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.01
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.12
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.70
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.92
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.48
|Jan precipitation days = 6
|Feb precipitation days = 6
|Mar precipitation days = 5
|Apr precipitation days = 3
|May precipitation days = 1
|Jun precipitation days = 0
|Jul precipitation days = 0
|Aug precipitation days = 0
|Sep precipitation days = 1
|Oct precipitation days = 2
|Nov precipitation days = 3
|Dec precipitation days = 5
|year precipitation days = <ref name=xmacis />
|source = 
|date=September 2024}}

===Wildfires===
[[File:Sand Fire in Santa Clarita (28213236340).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Sand Fire (2016)|Sand Fire]] burning in the foothills of the [[San Gabriel Mountains]] in July 2016.
Wildfires of varying sizes occur periodically around the valley.]]
Characterized by dry hills covered in brush and [[chaparral]], Santa Clarita is susceptible to wildfires.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Doug Smith|author2=Ben Welch|url=https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-california-buildings-in-fire-zones/|title=A million California buildings face wildfire risk. 'Extraordinary steps' are needed to protect them|work=Los Angeles Times|date=December 18, 2018|access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref> Although wildfires are most common in summer and fall, they can occur throughout the year during drought conditions, such as in [[December 2017 Southern California wildfires|December 2017]]. Wildfire risk is highest when [[Santa Ana winds]] blow through the area from the Mojave Desert.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bennett|first=Jacqueline|url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/weather/2020/10/01/what-are-santa-ana-winds-and-do-they-cause-wildfires-|title=What are Santa Ana winds and do they cause wildfires?|publisher=[[Spectrum News]]|date=November 5, 2021|access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref>

Notable wildfires in the Santa Clarita Valley include the [[Rye Fire]], [[October 2007 California wildfires|Buckweed Fire]], [[Sand Fire (2016)|Sand Fire]], and [[Tick Fire]].

==Ecology==
{{further|Santa Clarita Valley#Ecology}}
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = horizontal
| width             = 180
| image1            = Hiking Towsley Canyon - Santa Clarita, California (3361480184).jpg
| caption1          = [[California coastal sage and chaparral|Coastal sage and chaparral]] typical of the southwestern and central portions of the city
| image2            = A Sunrise on Vasquez Canyon Road.jpg
| caption2          = [[California montane chaparral and woodlands|Montane chaparral]] typical of the northern and eastern foothills
}}
Santa Clarita is located along the boundary between the [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]]-designated [[California coastal sage and chaparral]] [[ecoregion]] to the southwest, and [[California montane chaparral and woodlands]] ecoregion to the northeast.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Atlas of Global Conservation|url=http://maps.tnc.org/globalmaps.html|access-date=April 9, 2021|website=maps.tnc.org|archive-date=March 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305201312/http://maps.tnc.org/globalmaps.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Cityscape==
[[File:Santaclaritaintersection.jpg|thumb|right|A stretch of Valencia Boulevard in July 2004, near the [[Valencia Town Center]]. The bridge in the distance carries a ''paseo'' (a type of dedicated pedestrian pathway) over the roadway.]]
Although generally considered a large suburb of [[Greater Los Angeles]], the city of Santa Clarita consists of four distinct communities: [[Canyon Country, Santa Clarita, California|Canyon Country]], [[Newhall, Santa Clarita, California|Newhall]], [[Saugus, Santa Clarita, California|Saugus]], and [[Valencia, Santa Clarita, California|Valencia]]. Each community is characterized by a mixture of single-family homes, townhomes, apartment buildings, condominiums, and commercial and industrial areas. Valencia, a [[planned community|master-planned community]], contains the city's largest shopping center ([[Valencia Town Center]]) and most of the city's corporate headquarters, government buildings, hotels, and tallest buildings.<ref name=emporis/> The neighborhoods in Canyon Country and Saugus are characterized by a wide age range, from older developments dating from the 1960s or earlier to new developments built in the 21st century.<ref name=gregory/> Newhall, the oldest area of the city, has also experienced new commercial and industrial development. Throughout the city, single-family suburban [[tract housing]] predominates, with apartment and condominium complexes along major thoroughfares. Many communities in Santa Clarita, especially in newer areas, have [[homeowner associations]], and some are gated. Placerita Canyon and Sand Canyon are [[equestrianism|equestrian]] communities with large custom ranch homes.

Communities just outside the city limits include [[Agua Dulce, California|Agua Dulce]], [[Castaic, California|Castaic]], [[Stevenson Ranch, California|Stevenson Ranch]], [[Valencia, California|unincorporated Valencia]], and [[Val Verde, California|Val Verde]]. All residents of the Santa Clarita Valley, both inside and outside the city, may use either their neighborhood or "Santa Clarita" for their mailing addresses.<ref>{{cite web | title=ZIP Code™ Lookup | website=USPS | url=https://tools.usps.com/zip-code-lookup.htm?bycitystate | access-date=July 11, 2021}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Demographic profile !! 2020<ref>{{cite web | url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=redistricting&g=0100000US_0400000US06_1600000US0669088&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2&hidePreview=true | title=Explore Census Data }}</ref>!! 2010<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://santaclarita.gov/document-central/17384/636933574906930000|title=Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI)|date=May 2019|author=City of Santa Clarita}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.laalmanac.com/population/po38_2010.php | title=2010 Racial/Ethnic Composition by City and Unincorporated Community, Los Angeles County, California }}</ref>!! 2000<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 2002 |title=California: 2000 Summary Population and Housing Characteristics |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2002/dec/phc-1-6.pdf |publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce}}</ref>!! 1990<ref>{{Cite web |title=1990 Census of Population Social and Economic Characteristics California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-2/cp-2-6-1.pdf}}</ref> 
|-
| [[White American|White]] || 50.8% || 70.9% || 79.5% || 87.3%
|-
| —[[Non-Hispanic Whites|Non-Hispanic]] (NH) || 44.5% || 56.1% || 69.3% || 80.6%
|-
| [[African American|Black or African American]] (NH) || 4.0% || 2.9% || 2.0% || 1.5% 
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (of any race) || 34.4% || 29.5% || 20.5% || 13.2%
|-
| [[Asian American|Asian]] (NH) || 11.7% || 8.3% || 5.1% || 3.9%
|-
| Other (NH) || 5.4% || 3.2% || 3.1% || 0.7%
|}

Historically, Santa Clarita's population has been predominantly [[non-Hispanic White]]. Starting in the 1960s and continuing into the 1990s, white Americans, primary those from affluent backgrounds, began migrating from [[Los Angeles]] to suburban cities such as Santa Clarita, [[Calabasas, California|Calabasas]], [[Malibu, California|Malibu]], [[Thousand Oaks, California|Thousand Oaks]], and [[Camarillo, California|Camarillo]].<ref>{{cite web |title=4. Whites and Blacks |url=https://www.csun.edu/~hfgeg005/eturner/images/Books/CFCP/CFCP_Ch4.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315172825/https://www.csun.edu/~hfgeg005/eturner/images/Books/CFCP/CFCP_Ch4.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2023-03-15 |access-date=18 June 2024}}</ref> However, from 1980s onward, the city's population has become increasingly diverse.<ref>{{cite web |title=4. Whites and Blacks |url=https://www.csun.edu/~hfgeg005/eturner/images/Books/CFCP/CFCP_Ch4.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315172825/https://www.csun.edu/~hfgeg005/eturner/images/Books/CFCP/CFCP_Ch4.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2023-03-15 |access-date=18 June 2024}}</ref> The non-Hispanic White percentage of the population has dropped from 80.6% in 1990 to 44.5% in 2020. The total White population (including those of Hispanic heritage) has proportionately decreased from 87.3% in 1990 to 50.8% in 2020. Nevertheless, non-Hispanic Whites remain the largest ethnic group in the city, and Santa Clarita's non-Hispanic white percentage is higher than the California statewide average of 34.7%, but lower than the national average of 57.8%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=redistricting&g=0100000US_0400000US06_1600000US0669088&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2&hidePreview=true|title=Hispanic or Latino, and not Hispanic or Latino by Race|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 19, 2021}}</ref>

Santa Clarita's population growth rate has historically outpaced county, state, and national averages. In 2019, Santa Clarita was ranked 20th out of 515 U.S. cities in population and economic growth, and was second among California cities.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/community-news/santa-clarita-ranked-the-20th-fastest-growing-city-in-america-297254#:~:text=The%20City%20of%20Santa%20Clarita,WalletHub%2C%20a%20personal%20finance%20website.|title=Santa Clarita ranked 20th fastest growing city in America|publisher=Hometown Station|date=October 17, 2019|access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> During the 2010 census, Santa Clarita was the fourth-largest city in Los Angeles County; however, it has since surpassed [[Glendale, California|Glendale]] as the county's third-largest city. However, in 2021, the United States Census Bureau estimates showed a 2% decline in the city's population, in line with the rest of Los Angeles County.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/losangelescountycalifornia,santaclaritacitycalifornia,US/PST045221|title=Quickfacts|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 22, 2022}}</ref> It is the largest city in Los Angeles County north of the Newhall Pass.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.laalmanac.com/population/po32.php|title=Most Populous Cities in Los Angeles County, California|publisher=Los Angeles Almanac|access-date=January 16, 2021}}</ref>

As in many United States cities, different ethnic groups in Santa Clarita are concentrated in different areas. The Hispanic population is somewhat higher in Canyon Country and Newhall, while the non-Hispanic white population is somewhat higher in Saugus and Valencia.<ref name="racialdotmap">{{cite web|url=http://racialdotmap.demographics.coopercenter.org/|title=The Racial Dot Map|publisher=[[Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service]]|access-date=February 19, 2021}}</ref> Median household income is highest in Valencia, Stevenson Ranch, northern Saugus, and select areas of Canyon Country such as Fair Oaks Ranch and Sand Canyon. The lowest median household incomes are around Newhall Avenue in Newhall and Jakes Way in Canyon Country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justicemap.org/|title=Justice Map|access-date=2024-10-27}}</ref>

As a part of Los Angeles County, Santa Clarita is located within the [[Greater Los Angeles|Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA]] [[metropolitan statistical area]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/metroarea/us_wall/Mar2020/CBSA_WallMap_Mar2020.pdf|title=Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas of the United States and Puerto Rico|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=March 2020|access-date=March 7, 2021}}</ref> and the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA [[combined statistical area]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/metroarea/us_wall/Mar2020/CSA_WallMap_Mar2020.pdf|title=Combined Statistical Areas of the United States and Puerto Rico|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=March 2020|access-date=March 7, 2021}}</ref>

{{US Census population
|1950= 2895
|1960= 15212
|1970= 50086
|1980= 66730
|1990= 110642
|2000= 151088
|2010= 176320
|2020= 228673
|estyear= 2023
|estimate= 224028
|footnote=<ref name="2020census">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/santaclaritacitycalifornia/POP010220|title=U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts: Santa Clarita city, California|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 28, 2021}}</ref>
}}

===2020===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Santa Clarita, California – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref>{{cite book |title=California: 2000 - Summary Population and Housing Characteristics |date=November 2002 |publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2002/dec/phc-1-6.pdf |access-date=18 June 2024}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref>{{cite web |title=City of Santa Clarita: Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) |url=https://santaclarita.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/migration/2019-20%20to%202023-24%20AI%20-%20Final.pdf |publisher=City of Santa Clarita |access-date=18 June 2024}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref>{{cite web |title=HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P2?q=redistricting&g=040XX00US06_160XX00US0669088_010XX00US&hidePreview=true&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |website=United States Census Bureau |access-date=18 June 2024}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|104,646
|98,838
|style='background: #ffffe6; |101,794
|69.26%
|56.06%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |44.52%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|2,957
|5,157
|style='background: #ffffe6; |9,046
|1.96%
|2.92%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.96%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|528
|435
|style='background: #ffffe6; |458
|0.35%
|0.25%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.20%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|7,758
|14,689
|style='background: #ffffe6; |26,797
|5.13%
|8.33%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |11.72%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|198
|235
|style='background: #ffffe6; |291
|0.13%
|0.13%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.13%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Some Other Race]] alone (NH)
|337
|458
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,309
|0.22%
|0.26%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.57%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race or Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|3,696
|4,567
|style='background: #ffffe6; |10,243
|2.45%
|2.59%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.48%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|30,968
|51,941
|style='background: #ffffe6; |78,735
|20.50%
|29.46%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |34.43%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''151,088'''
|'''176,320'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''228,673'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], Santa Clarita had a population of 228,673. The city's racial makeup was 50.8% [[white Americans|white]] (44.5% [[non-Hispanic white]]), 11.7% non-Hispanic [[Asian Americans|Asian American]], 4.0% non-Hispanic [[African Americans|black or African American]], 0.2% non-Hispanic [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 0.1% non-Hispanic [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]], 0.1% non-Hispanics of other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. 34.4% of the population were [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=redistricting&g=1600000US0669088&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1&hidePreview=true|title=Race|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 19, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=redistricting&g=1600000US0669088&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2&hidePreview=true|title=Hispanic or Latino, and not Hispanic or Latino by Race|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 19, 2021}}</ref> Of the city's 78,586 housing units, 1,894 (2.4%) were vacant.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=redistricting&g=1600000US0669088&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.H1&hidePreview=true|title=Occupancy Status|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 19, 2021}}</ref>

From 2018 to 2022, the median household income in Santa Clarita was $116,186.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/santaclaritacitycalifornia,US/INC110222|title=U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2024-10-27}}</ref> The median house price according to [[Zillow]] as of September 2024 was $807,425 ($849,725 for single-family homes and $510,080 for condos).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zillow.com/home-values/54311/santa-clarita-ca/|title=Santa Clarita, CA Housing Market|publisher=Zillow|access-date=2024-10-27}}</ref>

Approximately 129,905 residents (56.8% of the city population) lived north of the Santa Clara River, and 98,768 residents (43.2%) lived south of the river.<ref>[https://davesredistricting.org/join/cba2c2aa-d2fb-41f1-845e-b578aef6d48b Dave's Redistricting] (border corresponds to Santa Clara River as closely as possible)</ref>

As of the 2019 [[American Community Survey]], 20.8% of the city's population was born outside the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=ACSST1Y2016.S0501&g=1600000US0669088&tid=ACSST5Y2019.S0501&hidePreview=true|title=Selected Characteristics of the Native and Foreign-Born Populations|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 16, 2021}}</ref> Among residents 25 years of age and older, 36.9% had a bachelor's degree or higher.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=educational%20attainment&g=1600000US0669088&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S1501&hidePreview=false|title=Educational Attainment|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 16, 2021}}</ref> 65.3% of the population 5 years and older spoke only English at home, while 23.4% spoke [[Spanish language|Spanish]], 3.4% spoke other [[Indo-European languages]], and 6.1% spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Language%20Spoken%20at%20Home&g=1600000US0669088&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S1601&hidePreview=true|title=Language Spoken At Home|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref>

===2010===
The [[2010 United States Census]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0669088|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140715033043/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0669088|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2014|title=2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA — Santa Clarita city|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 12, 2014}}</ref> reported that Santa Clarita had a population of 176,320. The population density was {{convert|3,340.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Santa Clarita was 125,005 (70.9%) [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (56.1% Non-Hispanic White),<ref name="quickfacts.census.gov">{{cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0669088.html|title=Santa Clarita city California QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau|access-date=May 15, 2016}}</ref> 5,623 (3.2%) [[African American]], 1,013 (0.6%) [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 15,025 (8.5%) [[Asian Americans|Asian]] (3.4% Filipino, 1.7% Korean, 0.8% Indian, 0.8% Chinese, 0.6% Japanese, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.9% Other Asian), 272 (0.2%) [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 21,169 (12.0%) from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 8,213 (4.7%) from two or more races. There were 51,941 people of [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] origin, of any race (29.5% of the population).

The census reported that 174,910 people (99.2% of the population) lived in households, 1,281 (0.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 129 (0.1%) were institutionalized.
There were 59,507 households, out of which 24,677 (41.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 34,126 (57.3%) were [[marriage|opposite-sex married couples]] living together, 6,888 (11.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3,322 (5.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 3,134 (5.3%) [[POSSLQ|unmarried opposite-sex partnerships]], and 484 (0.8%) [[same-sex partnerships|same-sex married couples or partnerships]]. 11,634 households (19.6%) were made up of individuals, and 4,335 (7.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94. There were 44,336 [[family (U.S. Census)|families]] (74.5% of all households); the average family size was 3.37.

In terms of age, the population included 46,180 people (26.2%) under the age of 18, 17,565 people (10.0%) aged 18 to 24, 47,788 people (27.1%) aged 25 to 44, 47,936 people (27.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 16,851 people (9.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.

There were 62,055 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,175.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}, of which 42,335 (71.1%) were owner-occupied, and 17,172 (28.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%. 124,532 people (70.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 50,378 people (28.6%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the Census Bureau, Santa Clarita had a median household income of $82,607, with 9.5% of the population living below the federal poverty line.<ref name="quickfacts.census.gov"/>

===Religion===
{{bar box
|title=Religion in Santa Clarita<ref name="scvreligion" />
|titlebar=#ddd |left1=religion |right1=percent |float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Christianity]]|#000080|50.5}}
{{bar percent|[[Roman Catholicism]]|#0080ff|37}}
{{bar percent|[[Baptist]]|#0000ff|2}}
{{bar percent|[[Pentecostalism]]|#0040c0|1.8}}
{{bar percent|[[Mormonism]]|#00aacc|1.6}}
{{bar percent|[[Methodism]]|#40c0ff|1.2}}
{{bar percent|Other Christians|#80ffff|5.2}}
{{bar percent|[[Judaism]]|#8080ff|1.1}}
{{bar percent|[[Islam]]|#00cc00|0.7}}
{{bar percent|Eastern religions|#ff0000|1.1}}
}}

According to bestplaces.net, 53.4% of Santa Clarita's population is religious. [[Christianity|Christians]] comprise 50.5% of the city's population. Of these, 37% are [[Catholic Church|Catholic]], 2% are [[Baptism|Baptist]], 1.8% are [[Pentecostal]], 1.6% are [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Mormon]], 1.2% are [[Methodist]], and 5.2% were other Christians. Among non-Christians, 1.1% of Santa Clarita residents are [[Judaism|Jewish]], 0.7% are [[Islam|Muslim]], are 1.1% follow Eastern religions.<ref name="scvreligion">{{cite web|url=https://www.bestplaces.net/religion/city/california/santa_clarita|title=Religion in Santa Clarita, California|publisher=Bestplaces|access-date=February 26, 2021}}</ref>

Christianity is the dominant religion in Santa Clarita, and the city has over 40 Christian churches of the Catholic, Baptist, [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]], Methodist, [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist]], [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]], [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]], and [[Calvinism|Reformed]] denominations as well as non-denominational churches.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchfinder.com/churches/ca/santa-clarita|title=Churches in Santa Clarita CA|publisher=Church Finder|access-date=August 31, 2023}}</ref>

[[Synagogue]]s in Santa Clarita include Chabad of Santa Clarita Valley<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chabadscv.com/|title=Chabad of SCV|access-date=August 31, 2023}}</ref> and Temple Beth Ami<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.templebethami.org/|title=Temple Beth Ami|access-date=August 31, 2023}}</ref> in Newhall, and Congregation Beth Shalom in Saugus.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cbs-scv.org/|title=Congregation Beth Shalom Santa Clarita|access-date=August 31, 2023}}</ref>

There are three [[mosque]]s in the city: the Islamic Center of Santa Clarita Valley in north Saugus,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://icscv.org/|title=Islamic Center of Santa Clarita Valley|access-date=August 31, 2023}}</ref> Unity Center in Newhall,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unitycentersc.org/|title=Unity Center of Santa Clarita|access-date=August 31, 2023}}</ref> and Al Umma Center of Santa Clarita in Canyon Country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aucscv.org/|title=Al Umma Center of Santa Clarita|access-date=August 31, 2023}}</ref>

===Homelessness===
In June 2020, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported 168 homeless people in Santa Clarita, down from 258 in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.santa-clarita.com/Home/Components/News/News/9501/|title=2020 Homeless Count Shows Decline in the Number of People Experiencing Homelessness in Santa Clarita|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|date=July 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525215334/https://www.santa-clarita.com/Home/Components/News/News/9501/ |access-date=May 25, 2021|archive-date=May 25, 2021 }}</ref> The Bridge to Home organization provides assistance for homeless people in the valley. Its administrative offices are located on Newhall Avenue in Newhall, and its client housing shelter is on Drayton Street in Saugus.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://btohome.org/|title=Bridge to Home|publisher=Bridge to Home|access-date=May 25, 2021}}</ref> Santa Clarita's percentage of homeless people is low compared to Los Angeles County as a whole.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/03/19/california-homeless-population-crisis/|title=New Federal Report Shows Scope Of California's Homeless Crisis, Over 160K Homeless Prior To Pandemic|publisher=CBSLA|date=March 19, 2021|access-date=May 30, 2021}}</ref>{{efn|The CBS Los Angeles article in the previous reference reported 66,436 homeless people in Los Angeles County in January 2020, 0.66% of the county's total 2019 population of 10,039,107. Santa Clarita's 2020 homeless population was 168, which when divided by the city's 2019 population of 212,979 yields a homeless percentage of just 0.078%.}}

==Government and politics==
{{see also|Government of Los Angeles County}}
According to the [[Secretary of State of California|California Secretary of State]], as of February 10, 2019, Santa Clarita has 135,052 registered voters. Of those, 46,096 (34.1%) are registered [[California Democratic Party|Democrats]], 45,725 (33.9%) are registered [[California Republican Party|Republicans]], and 35,764 (26.5%) have [[Decline to State|declined to state]] a political party.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/ror/ror-odd-year-2019/politicalsub.pdf |title=Election data |website=elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov|access-date=July 30, 2020}}</ref>

In presidential elections, Santa Clarita has historically been a Republican stronghold. However, it has shifted toward the Democratic Party in recent years. [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[Joe Biden]] won the city in 2016 and 2020, respectively. Santa Clarita remains one of the most conservative cities in Los Angeles County, having voted for Clinton and Biden by much smaller margins than the county and state as a whole, both of which are strongly Democratic.
{|style="margin:1em 0 1em 1em; font-size:100%;"
|+ Santa Clarita city vote<br /> by party in presidential elections
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! Other

|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2020 United States presidential election|2020]]<ref name="lavote">{{cite web |url=https://lavote.net/docs/rrcc/svc/4193_Community.pdf?v=3 |title=Election data |website=lavote.net|access-date=December 21, 2020}}</ref>
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''53.07%''' ''63,507''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|44.93% ''53,768''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.99% ''2,388''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2016 United States presidential election|2016]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2016-general/ssov/pres-by-political-districts.pdf |title=Election data |website=elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov|access-date=July 30, 2020}}</ref>
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''48.53%''' ''42,316''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|45.33% ''39,523''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|6.14% ''5,355''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2012 United States presidential election|2012]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2012-general/ssov/pres-by-political-districts.pdf|title=Election data |website=elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov|access-date=July 30, 2020}}</ref>
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|45.10% ''32,789''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''52.32%''' ''38,033''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|2.58% ''1,874''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2008 United States presidential election|2008]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2008-general/ssov/5-pres-by-political-districts.pdf |title=Election data |website=elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov|access-date=July 30, 2020}}</ref>
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|47.57% ''35,379''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''50.32%''' ''37,422''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|2.1% ''1,564''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2004 United States presidential election|2004]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2004-general/ssov/pres_general_ssov_all.pdf|title=Election data |website=elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov|access-date=July 30, 2020}}</ref>
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|39.26% ''25,657''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''59.68%''' ''39,007''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.06% ''695''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2000 United States presidential election|2000]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2000-general/ssov/pol-dis.pdf |title=Election data |website=elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov|access-date=July 30, 2020}}</ref>
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|41.76% ''18,607''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''54.79%''' ''24,411''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|3.45% ''1,538''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1996 United States presidential election|1996]]<ref name="elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov">{{cite web |url=https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/1996-general/ssov/president-pol-district.pdf |title=Election data |website=elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov|access-date=July 30, 2020}}</ref>
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|38.2% ''15,136''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''48.56%''' ''19,240''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|13.24% ''5,246''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1992 United States presidential election|1992]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/1992-general/ssov/ssov-complete.pdf|title=Election data |website=elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov|access-date=July 30, 2020}}</ref>
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|33.87% ''14,780''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''36.94%''' ''16,120''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|29.18% ''12,733''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1988 United States presidential election|1988]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/statementofvote81988cali/page/30 | title=Statement of vote| year=1988}}</ref>
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|29.97% ''11,722''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''68.9%''' ''26,947''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.12% ''439''
|}

===Local government===
The City of Santa Clarita is a [[California#Counties|general law city]] and as such is governed by a [[council-manager government|council–manager]] form of government. The city council is made up of five council members, elected at-large to four-year terms. Each year the council selects one of its members to serve as mayor, a largely ceremonial position. Mayors are not directly elected.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://votesantaclarita.com/|title=City Council Election|website=Vote Santa Clarita|access-date=April 24, 2020}}</ref> In March 2020, the city council declared its intention to switch to district-based elections; however, the transition has been delayed due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in California|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://signalscv.com/2020/07/santa-clarita-council-members-discuss-district-based-elections-in-light-of-santa-monica-lawsuit/|title=Santa Clarita council members discuss district-based elections in light of Santa Monica lawsuit|work=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|date=July 29, 2020|access-date=March 18, 2021}}</ref>

The city hall is located at 23920 Valencia Boulevard, across the street from the [[Valencia Town Center]].

The current elected council<ref name=cc>{{cite web
 | url = https://www.santaclarita.gov/city-council/
 | title = City Council
 | publisher = City of Santa Clarita
 | access-date = September 25, 2023}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Council Member
! Current Position
|-
|Cameron Smyth
|Mayor
|-
|Bill Miranda
|Mayor Pro-Tem
|-
|Laurene Weste
|Councilmember
|-
|Marsha McLean
|Councilmember
|-
|Jason Gibbs
|Councilmember
|}

According to the city's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for fiscal year 2019–20, the city's various funds included $116.3 million in revenues, $112.6 million in expenditures, $1.482 billion in total assets, and $217.2 million in total liabilities.<ref name="City of Santa Clarita CAFR">{{cite web|url=https://santaclarita.gov/document-central/19225/637474299578400000|title=City of Santa Clarita Comprehensive Annual Financial Report|date=June 30, 2020|access-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref>

The structure of the management and coordination of city services<ref>{{cite web|url=https://santaclarita.gov/departments/|title=Departments|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|access-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! City Department
! Director
|-
|City Manager
|Ken Striplin
|-
|Assistant City Manager
|Frank Oviedo
|-
|City Attorney
|Joe Montes
|-
|Director of Administrative Services
|Carmen Magaña
|-
|Director of Community Development
|Jason Crawford
|-
|Director of Economic Development
|Tom Cole
|-
|Director of Human Resources & Library Services
|Kristi Hobrecker
|-
|Director of Neighborhood Services
|Jerrid McKenna
|-
|Director of Parks, Recreation & Community Services
|Janine Prado
|-
|Director of Public Works
|Mike Hennawy
|}

====List of mayors====
Santa Clarita has had 15 mayors since its incorporation, serving 35 terms.

{|class="wikitable sortable collapsible"
!Name<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/citycouncilmembers.htm|title=Santa Clarita City Council Members, 1987-present|website=scvhistory.com|access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref>
!Term
|-
|[[Buck McKeon|Howard P. "Buck" McKeon]] || December 1987{{spaced ndash}}December 1988
|-
|Janice "Jan" Heidt || December 1988{{spaced ndash}}December 1989
|-
|Jo Anne Darcy|| December 1989{{spaced ndash}}December 1990
|-
|Carl Boyer III || December 1990{{spaced ndash}}December 1991
|-
|Jill Klajic || December 1991{{spaced ndash}}December 1992
|-
|Janice "Jan" Heidt || December 1992{{spaced ndash}}December 1993
|-
|George Pederson || December 1993{{spaced ndash}}December 1994
|-
|Jo Anne Darcy || December 1994{{spaced ndash}}December 1995
|-
|Carl Boyer III || December 1995{{spaced ndash}}December 1996
|-
|Hamilton "Clyde" Smith || December 1996{{spaced ndash}}December 1997
|-
|Janice "Jan" Heidt || December 1997{{spaced ndash}}December 1998
|-
|Jo Anne Darcy || December 1998{{spaced ndash}}December 2000<ref>Served two consecutive terms</ref>
|-
|Laurene Weste || December 2000{{spaced ndash}}December 2001
|-
|Frank Ferry || December 2001{{spaced ndash}}December 2002
|-
|[[Cameron Smyth]] || December 2002{{spaced ndash}}December 2003
|-
|Robert "Bob" Kellar || December 2003{{spaced ndash}}December 2004
|-
|Cameron Smyth || December 2004{{spaced ndash}}December 2005
|-
|Laurene Weste || December 2005{{spaced ndash}}December 2006
|-
|Marsha McLean || December 2006{{spaced ndash}}December 2007
|-
|Robert Kellar || December 2007{{spaced ndash}}December 2008
|-
|Frank Ferry || December 2008{{spaced ndash}}December 2009
|-
|Laurene Weste || December 2009{{spaced ndash}}December 2010
|-
|Marsha McLean || December 2010{{spaced ndash}}December 2011
|-
|Laurie Ender || December 2011{{spaced ndash}}April 2012
|-
|Frank Ferry || April 2012{{spaced ndash}}December 2012
|-
|Robert Kellar || December 2012{{spaced ndash}}December 2013
|-
|Laurene Weste || December 2013{{spaced ndash}}December 2014
|-
|Marsha McLean || December 2014{{spaced ndash}}December 2015
|-
|Robert Kellar || December 2015{{spaced ndash}}December 2016
|-
|Cameron Smyth || December 2016{{spaced ndash}}December 2017
|-
|Laurene Weste || December 2017{{spaced ndash}}December 2018
|-
|Marsha McLean || December 2018{{spaced ndash}}December 2019
|-
|Cameron Smyth<ref name="billmiranda">{{cite web|last=Stewart|first=Raychel|url=https://scvnews.com/miranda-sworn-in-as-new-santa-clarita-mayor-gibbs-replaces-kellar-on-council/|title=Miranda Sworn in as New Santa Clarita Mayor; Gibbs Replaces Kellar on Council|publisher=scvnews.com|date=December 9, 2020|access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> || December 2019{{spaced ndash}}December 2020
|-
|Bill Miranda<ref name=billmiranda/> || December 2020{{spaced ndash}}December 2021
|-
|Laurene Weste || December 2021{{spaced ndash}}December 2022
|-
|Jason Gibbs
|December 2022{{spaced ndash}}December 2023
|-
|Cameron Smyth
|December 2023{{spaced ndash}}present
|}

===County, state and federal representation===
In the [[Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors]], Santa Clarita is in the 5th district which is represented by Republican [[Kathryn Barger]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/lac/1031544_5thDistrictMap.pdf|title=Fifth Supervisorial District Map|work=County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors|publisher=County of Los Angeles|access-date=November 26, 2020}}</ref>

In the [[United States House of Representatives]], Santa Clarita is in {{Representative|cacd|27|fmt=district}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/projects/california-congressional-district-map-2021|title=California's new congressional districts|work=Los Angeles Times|date=December 21, 2021|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref>

In the [[California State Legislature]], Santa Clarita is in {{Representative|casd|21|fmt=sdistrict}},<ref>{{cite web|url=https://davesredistricting.org/join/f0a4ed9d-205f-4122-abab-fa3c75b6b050|title=CA 2022 State Senate|publisher=[[Dave's Redistricting]]|access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref> and [[California's 40th State Assembly district]], represented by [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Pilar Schiavo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://davesredistricting.org/join/f0a4ed9d-205f-4122-abab-fa3c75b6b050|title=CA 2022 State House|publisher=Dave's Redistricting|access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref>

California is represented by [[United States Senate|US Senators]] [[Laphonza Butler]] and [[Alex Padilla]], both Democrats.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://davesredistricting.org/join/43cea5ab-ef0a-4946-b3e2-c3f2aaf73cf1|title=CA 2022 State House|publisher=[[Dave's Redistricting]]|access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref>

==Education==
===Elementary schools===
Santa Clarita elementary school students (grades TK/K-6) are served by four elementary school districts.<ref name="schoolsitelocator">{{cite web|url=http://apps.schoolsitelocator.com/index.html?districtCode=06345|title=Wm. S. Hart Union High SD|publisher=SchoolSite Locator|access-date=March 23, 2021}}</ref>
*[[Castaic Union School District]]: serves Castaic, Val Verde, and a small residential and mostly commercial/industrial portion of northwestern Valencia.
*[[Newhall School District]]: serves Stevenson Ranch, Newhall, and southern Valencia.
*[[Saugus Union School District]]: serves Saugus, northern and central Valencia, and western Canyon Country.
*[[Sulphur Springs School District]]: serves the majority of Canyon Country.
These four school districts include 37 elementary schools and one middle school (Castaic Middle School, administered by Castaic Union School District).

===Junior high and high schools===
With the exception of Castaic Middle School, all junior high and high schools (grades 7–12) serving Santa Clarita are part of the [[William S. Hart Union High School District]]. The district includes seven general-education high schools ([[Canyon High School (Santa Clarita, California)|Canyon]], [[Castaic High School|Castaic]], [[Golden Valley High School (Santa Clarita, California)|Golden Valley]], [[William S. Hart High School|Hart]], [[Saugus High School (California)|Saugus]], [[Valencia High School (Santa Clarita, California)|Valencia]], and [[West Ranch High School|West Ranch]]) and six general-education junior high schools (Arroyo Seco, La Mesa, Placerita, Rancho Pico, Rio Norte, and Sierra Vista).<ref name=schoolsitelocator/> All Hart District schools are located within Santa Clarita city limits, except for Castaic High School in unincorporated [[Castaic, California|Castaic]], and Rancho Pico Junior High and West Ranch High School in unincorporated [[Stevenson Ranch, California|Stevenson Ranch]]; however, these schools also serve portions of the city.<ref name=schoolsitelocator/> The seven aforementioned high schools in the Hart District compete in the [[Foothill League]] athletic conference. ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' has ranked Hart District high schools in the top 12% in the nation.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Michael|url=https://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/education/william-s-hart-union-school-district/hart-district-high-schools-ranked-among-top-12-percent-in-the-country-343711|title=Hart District high schools ranked among top 12% in the country|date=September 2020|publisher=[[KHTS (AM)|Hometown Station]]|access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> The district's headquarters are located along Centre Pointe Parkway.

Hart District also includes seven [[special education|special schools]]: a [[Middle College Program|middle college]] high school ([[Academy of the Canyons]]), on the College of the Canyons campus; the alternative high schools Bowman and Learning Post, with adjacent campuses along Centre Pointe Parkway;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bowmanhighschool.org/|title=Bowman High School|website=www.bowmanhighschool.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.learningpostacademy.org/|title=Learning Post Academy|website=www.learningpostacademy.org}}</ref> Santa Clarita Valley International Charter School (SCVi)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ileadsantaclarita.org/|title=SCVi Charter School &#124; Free to Think. Inspired to Lead.|website=SCVi, iLEAD's Founding School}}</ref> in Castaic; the Opportunities for Learning (OFL) charter school, with campuses in Canyon Country and Valencia;<ref>[https://canyoncountry.oflschools.com OFL Canyon Country Center]<br />[https://santaclarita.oflschools.com/ OFL Santa Clarita (Valencia) Center]</ref> and Golden Oak Adult School.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldenoakadultschool.com/|title=Golden Oak Adult School|website=www.goldenoakadultschool.com}}</ref>

===Private schools===
Private schools in Santa Clarita include [[Santa Clarita Christian School]], [[Trinity Classical Academy]], Legacy Christian Academy, La Petite Academy, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Guidepost [[Montessori education|Montessori]], and Tutor Time. Guidepost Montessori and Tutor Time have two campuses in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-private-schools/t/santa-clarita-los-angeles-ca/|title=2021 Best Private Schools in Santa Clarita|publisher=Niche|access-date=March 9, 2021}}</ref>

===Colleges and universities===
[[File:2012-1104-CalArts01.jpg|thumb|California Institute of the Arts in [[Valencia, California|Valencia]]]]
The city is home to [[California Institute of the Arts]] (CalArts), a private art university. Founded in 1961 by [[Walt Disney]], [[Roy O. Disney]], and [[Nelbert Chouinard]], CalArts was the first college or university created specifically for students of visual and performing arts. It was created by the merger of [[Chouinard Art Institute]] and the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. It relocated to its current Valencia campus in 1971, on McBean Parkway near Interstate 5.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clancco.com/wp/2007/01/intervview_sergio-muoz-sarmiento_cal-arts_law/| title= Interview with Tom Lawson, Dean of CalArts School of Art, January 2007| access-date= December 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510185603/http://clancco.com/wp/2007/01/intervview_sergio-muoz-sarmiento_cal-arts_law/| archive-date= May 10, 2013| url-status= live}}</ref> CalArts has produced numerous renowned actors and musicians including [[Brad Bird]], [[Tim Burton]], [[Julia Holter]], [[John Lasseter]], [[Marina Rosenfeld]], [[Andrew Stanton]], and [[Carl Stone]] among [[List of California Institute of the Arts people|others]]. CalArts is currently administered by president [[Ravi Rajan]].

[[The Master's University]] is a non-denominational, Christian liberal arts university based in the Placerita Canyon neighborhood of Newhall. Founded as Los Angeles Baptist College and Seminary in 1927, it moved to Santa Clarita in 1961 and later adopted the name The Master's College and then The Master's University. The university also operates [[The Master's Seminary]] in [[Sun Valley, Los Angeles]]. The university is currently led by Interim President Abner Chou, following the resignation of Dr. Sam Horn in February 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.masters.edu/about/president|title=PRESIDENT (INTERIM) ABNER CHOU|publisher=The Master's University|access-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref> [[John F. MacArthur]] served as president from 1985 to 2019; he currently serves as chancellor.<ref>{{cite web|last=Padilla|first=Steve|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-05-me-3094-story.html|title=Amazing Growth : Sleepy Baptist College Takes Off Under New Leader|work=Los Angeles Times|date=November 5, 1990|access-date=February 20, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.masters.edu/news/dr-john-stead-named-interim-president-of-tmu.html|title=Dr. John Stead named Interim President of TMU|publisher=The Master's University|date=April 16, 2019|access-date=February 20, 2021}}</ref>

[[College of the Canyons]] (COC) is a public community college with two campuses. The main campus is located in Valencia, at the southwest corner of Rockwell Canyon Road and Valencia Boulevard. The secondary Canyon Country campus is located on Sierra Highway between Skyline Ranch Road and Sand Canyon Road. The two COC campuses comprise the Santa Clarita Community College District of [[California Community Colleges]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canyons.edu/|title=Home|publisher=College of the Canyons|access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref>

Charter College has a campus at the intersection of Soledad Canyon Road and Hidaway Avenue in Canyon Country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chartercollege.edu/locations/canyon-country-ca|title=Charter College in Canyon Country|date=March 16, 2012|publisher=Charter College|access-date=May 30, 2021}}</ref>

==Parks and recreation==

===Six Flags Magic Mountain===
[[File:Six Flags Magic Mountain (13208988393).jpg|thumb|Entrance to [[Six Flags Magic Mountain]] in [[Valencia, California|Valencia]] in 2014]]
One of the most well-known attractions in the Santa Clarita Valley is the [[Six Flags Magic Mountain]] theme park, located just outside the city limits. Six Flags occupies 262 acres of land on the west side of the valley, in unincorporated [[Valencia, California|Valencia]]. It opened on May 29, 1971, as a development of the [[Newhall Land and Farming Company]]<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | title=The Newhall Land and Farming Company | encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Company Histories | publisher=The Gale Group | url=http://www.answers.com/topic/the-newhall-land-and-farming-company | access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> and [[SeaWorld|SeaWorld Inc.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/sr9602.htm|title=Magic Mountain Initial Construction|website=scvhistory.com|access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> It was sold to Six Flags in 1979. Six Flags Magic Mountain has 20 roller coasters, the most of any amusement park in the world.<ref>{{cite news|last=MacDonald|first=Brady|title=Six Flags Magic Mountain to reclaim roller coaster title|url=http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/themeparks/la-trb-six-flags-magic-mountain-cedar-point-coaster-capital-05201202,0,745879.story|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=January 8, 2021|date=May 2, 2012}}</ref> The park received an estimated 3.365 million visitors in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=TEA/AECOM 2017 Global Attractions Attendance Report Report|url=http://www.teaconnect.org/images/files/TEA_268_653730_180517.pdf|publisher=[[Themed Entertainment Association]] |access-date=May 21, 2018|date=May 21, 2018}}</ref> It is one of 26 Six Flags properties in North America.<ref>{{cite news|last=Fais|first=Scott|url=https://www.iaapa.org/news/funworld/six-flags-reopens-enhanced-safety-protocols|title=Six Flags Reopens With Enhanced Safety Protocols|agency=IAAPA|date=June 20, 2020|access-date=July 13, 2020}}</ref> The park's property also includes the 25-acre waterpark, [[Six Flags Hurricane Harbor]], which operates from late spring to early fall.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Los Angeles |url=https://www.socalthemeparks.com/six-flags-hurricane-harbor |access-date=April 28, 2022 |website=Southern California Theme Parks}}</ref>

===City parks and facilities===
[[File:Santa Clarita Overlook.jpg|thumb|Overlooking Santa Clarita from [[Santa Clarita Woodlands Park|Ed Davis Park in Newhall and Towsley Canyon]] ]]
[[File:Santa Clarita Aquatics Center.jpg|thumb|Santa Clarita Aquatics Center, part of the larger George A. Caravalho Sports Complex in [[Canyon Country, Santa Clarita, California|Canyon Country]]]]

Since incorporation, the City of Santa Clarita's leadership has placed a priority on offering recreational facilities and programs. The city operates a park system which includes 35 parks scattered throughout the city. Many of the parks have lighted [[basketball]] and [[tennis]] courts as well as [[baseball]], [[softball]], and [[association football|soccer]] fields.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://santaclarita.gov/parks-division/parks/|title=City Parks and Facilities|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|access-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref> The largest city park in Santa Clarita is [[Central Park (Santa Clarita)|Central Park]] in Saugus, on the south side of Bouquet Canyon Road, which includes four outdoor basketball courts; several baseball, softball, and soccer fields; a community garden; [[disc golf]] course; [[cross country running|cross country]] course; and the Central Bark [[dog park]].<ref name=centralpark/>

The George A. Caravalho Sports Complex, located near the intersection of Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway in Canyon Country, includes a gymnasium with two indoor, full-sized basketball courts, four [[pickleball]] courts, two [[volleyball]] courts, two [[futsal]] courts, and four [[racquetball]] courts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://santaclarita.gov/recreation/facilities/sports-complex/|title=George A. Caravalho Santa Clarita Sports Complex Gymnasium|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|access-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref> The Sports Complex includes the City of Santa Clarita Activities Center (a.k.a. The Centre) which contains rooms for banquets and meetings. The Sports Complex also includes the Santa Clarita Aquatic Center, which includes three large swimming pools and several water slides; the Trek Bike Park of Santa Clarita covering 7 acres including BMX and mountain biking trails;<ref>{{cite web|last=Murga|first=Tammy|url=https://signalscv.com/2020/09/city-unveils-long-awaited-bike-park/|title=City unveils long-awaited bike park|work=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|date=September 11, 2020|access-date=April 5, 2021}}</ref> the Santa Clarita Skate Park; and the Canine Country dog park. Many of the city's recreational programs are held at the Sports Complex.

Over the past several years, the city has cosponsored a summer concert series in cooperation with various local businesses. These concerts, offering a variety of musicians, are offered free of charge and take place on weekends in Central Park. The concert was canceled in 2020 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in California|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://santaclarita.gov/arts-and-culture/events/concerts-in-the-park/|title=Concerts in the Park|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|access-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref> The city offers a wide variety of fee-based and free classes and programs in a variety of locations throughout the year.

The city operates two [[community center]]s: the Newhall Community Center, adjacent to the Newhall Metrolink station; and the Canyon Country Community Center (CCCC), at the northeast corner of Sierra Highway and Soledad Canyon Road. The Canyon Country Community Center was located at Sierra Highway and Flying Tiger Drive before its relocation in October 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://santaclarita.gov/newhall-community-center/|title=Newhall Community Center|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|access-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://santaclarita.gov/canyon-country-community-center/|title=Canyon Country Community Center|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|access-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://signalscv.com/2021/10/public-invited-to-grand-opening-of-canyon-country-community-center/|title=Public invited to grand opening of Canyon Country Community Center|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|via=YouTube|date=October 29, 2021|access-date=November 6, 2021}}</ref>

City-sponsored recreational programs are listed in the quarterly magazine ''Seasons,'' which is delivered to all residences within the city limits via [[United States Postal Service|mail]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://santaclarita.gov/seasons|title=Seasons|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|access-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref>

The Santa Clarita Marathon is an annual race through the city's streets and paseos. First run in 1995, it is now considered a qualifying race for the [[Boston Marathon]]. Previously held in November, starting in 2022 it was permanently moved to February. Both the 2020 and 2022 marathons were canceled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]; there was no 2021 marathon.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stratton|first=Jonathan|url=https://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/community-news/santa-clarita-marathon-to-close-streets-over-the-weekend-299356|title=Santa Clarita Marathon to Close Streets Over the Weekend|publisher=Hometown Station|date=November 1, 2019|access-date=February 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Lunetta|first=Caleb|url=https://signalscv.com/2022/01/2022-santa-clarita-marathon-canceled/|title=2022 Santa CLarita Marathon canceled|publisher=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|date=January 10, 2022|access-date=February 19, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://signalscv.com/2020/08/city-2020-santa-clarita-marathon-canceled-due-to-pandemic/|title=2022 Santa CLarita Marathon canceled|publisher=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|date=August 3, 2020|access-date=February 19, 2022}}</ref>

Santa Clarita was picked to host stages in the AMGEN [[Tour of California]] for a total of 9 years. It has hosted a total of 14 stages as of 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://santaclaritatourofca.com/|title=AMGEN Tour of California (Santa Clarita stage)|publisher=AMGEN Tour of California|access-date=February 25, 2021}}</ref>

Surrounded by three mountain ranges, the Santa Clarita area contains numerous hiking trails, in areas such as Agua Dulce Canyon, [[Central Park (Santa Clarita)|Central Park]], East Walker Ranch, Elsmere Canyon, Golden Valley Ranch, Newhall Pass Open Space, Haskell Canyon Open Space, Quigley Canyon, East Canyon, Fish Canyon, San Francisquito Open Space, Tapia Canyon, Towsley Canyon, and Wildwood Canyon.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://hikesantaclarita.com/where-to-go|title=Where To Go|access-date=October 3, 2016|publisher=hikesantaclarita.com}}</ref>

===County parks===
[[File:Front entrance sign, Placerita Canyon State Park.jpg|thumb|Entrance sign of [[Placerita Canyon State Park]]]]
The [[Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation]] operates one park within the city of Santa Clarita, and two others within the city's sphere of influence.<ref name=annexations/>

[[William S. Hart Regional Park]] in Newhall includes the estate of silent film star [[William S. Hart]], known as La Loma de los Vientos (The Hill of the Winds)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://friendsofhartpark.com/Mansion/mansion.html|title=La Loma de los Vientos|publisher=Friends of Hart Park|access-date=February 21, 2021}}</ref> and has hosted the annual [[Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival]] since 1994.<ref>{{cite web|last=Madren|first=Chelsea|url=https://m.axs.com/the-23rd-annual-santa-clarita-cowboy-festival-is-coming-to-newhall-cal-79884|title=The 23rd Annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival is coming to Newhall, Calif. - AXS|publisher=M.axs.com|date=March 26, 2016|access-date=April 26, 2017}}</ref> The William S. Hart Museum, one of three Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, is located on the grounds of Hart Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://parks.lacounty.gov/william-s-hart-regional-park/|title=William S. Hart Regional Park|publisher=LA County Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://hartmuseum.org/|title=HART HOMEPAGE|publisher=William S. Hart Museum|access-date=January 17, 2021}}</ref> It is the only Los Angeles County park located within the Santa Clarita city limits.

[[Placerita Canyon State Park]] is in an unincorporated area east of Newhall, in the western San Gabriel foothills on the southeast side of the Santa Clarita Valley. It is administered by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, in partnership with [[California State Parks]]. It features eight hiking trails, equestrian trails, waterfalls, the Oak of the Golden Dream, and the Walker Cabin. Its visitor center, known as Placerita Canyon Nature Center includes exhibits and descriptions of the flora and fauna of the region.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://parks.lacounty.gov/placerita-canyon-state-park|title=Placerita Canyon State Park|publisher=Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=January 13, 2021}}</ref>

Tesoro Adobe Historic Park was the home of actor [[Harry Carey (actor)|Harry Carey]], and has been described as "the first tourist attraction in Santa Clarita." It is located in the unincorporated community of Tesoro del Valle, at the northernmost point in Valencia. In June 2005, Montalvo Properties LLC, the developer of Tesoro del Valle, donated the park to Los Angeles County.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://parks.lacounty.gov/tesoro-adobe-historic-park/|title=Tesoro Adobe Historic Park|publisher=Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=January 14, 2021}}</ref>

===Other===
The city is home to an ice rink known as The Cube—Ice and Entertainment Center (formerly Ice Station Valencia).<ref>{{cite web|last=Murga|first=Tammy|url=https://signalscv.com/2021/03/the-cube-city-reveals-ice-rinks-new-name/|title='The Cube': City reveals ice rink's new name|work=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|date=March 5, 2021|access-date=March 17, 2021}}</ref> It is used for [[ice skating]] and [[ice hockey|hockey]]. In 2020, Ice Station Valencia was on the brink of permanent closure due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in California|COVID-19]], until the city council unanimously voted to acquire the building for $14.2 million. On February 23, 2021, the city council reached an agreement with American Sports Entertainment Company and the [[Los Angeles Kings]] to operate the facility.<ref>{{cite web|last=Murga|first=Tammy|url=https://signalscv.com/2021/02/city-council-oks-l-a-kings-as-new-operators-of-ice-rink/|title=City Council OKs L.A. Kings, partner as new operators of ice rink|work=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|date=February 23, 2021|access-date=February 24, 2021}}</ref> The city renovated The Cube to include two large ice rinks (one [[National Hockey League|NHL]]-size rink and one [[Ice hockey at the Olympic Games|Olympic]]-sized rink) and one small ice rink known as The Pond. The rinks, covered with insulated floors, can also be used for conventions, business meetings, concerts, birthday parties, and filming.<ref>{{cite web|first=Bill|last=Miranda|url=https://signalscv.com/2021/03/ready-to-welcome-the-community-to-the-cube/|title=Ready to welcome the community to The Cube|work=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|date=March 12, 2021|access-date=March 17, 2021}}</ref> The Cube opened on April 12, 2021, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.<ref>{{cite web|first=Devon|last=Miller|url=https://valleypostnews.com/opening-date-set-for-the-cube-ice-and-entertainment-center-in-santa-clarita/16/03/2021/|title=Opening Date Set For The Cube Ice And Entertainment Center|work=Valley Post News|date=March 16, 2021|access-date=March 17, 2021}}</ref> It is the home arena for the [[UCLA Bruins men's ice hockey]] team and is located along Smyth Drive in Valencia, across the street from Valencia High School.

MB2 Entertainment,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/community-news/mb2-entertainment-previously-santa-claritas-mountasia-family-fun-center-announces-fall-grand-opening-391929|title=MB2 Entertainment, Previously Santa Clarita's Mountasia Family Fun Center, Announces Fall Grand Opening|publisher=Hometown Station|date=September 30, 2021|access-date=October 23, 2021}}</ref> previously known as Mountasia Family Fun Center, is an entertainment and recreation center located in Saugus, along Golden Triangle Road (a [[frontage road]] of Soledad Canyon Road) near its intersection with Golden Oak Road. It first opened in August 1995, and currently offers [[miniature golf]], [[go-kart]]s, [[bumper boats]], [[laser tag]], and [[video game]]s. On March 15, 2020, it was forced to close due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. In September, after nearly six months of closure, the owners sold the center. MB2 Group, which operates go-kart racing tracks, purchased the center in February 2021.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Michael|url=https://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/community-news/santa-clarita-mountasia-forced-to-sell-fun-center-due-to-six-month-closure-344661|title=Santa Clarita Mountasia Forced to Sell Fun Center due to Six-Month Closure|publisher=Hometown Station|date=September 8, 2020|access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Alvarenga|first=Emily|url=https://signalscv.com/2021/02/mb2-purchases-mountasia/|title=MB2 purchases Mountasia|work=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|date=February 23, 2021|access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref>

==Sports==
Santa Clarita does not have any sports teams in the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]], [[Major League Baseball|MLB]], [[National Football League|NFL]], or [[National Hockey League|NHL]]. The professional teams in [[Los Angeles]] and [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]] (specifically, the [[Los Angeles Clippers|Clippers]] and [[Los Angeles Lakers|Lakers]] of the NBA, the [[Los Angeles Angels|Angels]] and [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Dodgers]] of MLB, the [[Los Angeles Chargers|Chargers]] and [[Los Angeles Rams|Rams]] of the NFL, and [[Anaheim Ducks|Ducks]] and [[Los Angeles Kings|Kings]] of the NHL) are popular among Santa Clarita residents. The athletics teams of [[The Master's University]] and [[College of the Canyons]], as well as the valley's seven high schools, have some following among the people of Santa Clarita.

The [[Santa Clarita Blue Heat]] is a women's pre-professional soccer team which plays in the [[USL W League]]. It was founded as the Ventura County Fusion in 2008 and played in the city of [[Ventura, California|Ventura]] before relocating to Santa Clarita. Their home games are played at College of the Canyons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scblueheat.com/stadium.html|title=Stadium|publisher=Santa Clarita Blue Heat|access-date=January 16, 2021}}</ref>

The city is home to the Santa Clarita Flyers Hockey Club, a youth travel ice hockey program which competes in the [[Southern California Amateur Hockey Association]] and [[California Amateur Hockey Association]] and is based at The Cube Ice and Entertainment Center in Valencia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scflyers.org/about/about-us/38534|title=About Us|publisher=Santa Clarita Flyers Hockey Club|access-date=November 17, 2024}}</ref> The [[UCLA Bruins men's ice hockey]] team also plays its home games at The Cube.

The [[Canyons Aquatic Club]] is a competitive swim team based in Santa Clarita affiliated with [[USA Swimming]]. Its home pool is located at [[College of the Canyons]], with practice locations at the Santa Clarita Aquatics Center, Santa Clarita Park, Castaic Aquatic Center, North Oaks Park, and Newhall Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canyons.org/locations.html|title=Locations|publisher=Canyons Aquatic Club|access-date=June 25, 2021}}</ref>

The [[Saugus Speedway]], located along Soledad Canyon Road in Saugus, was a {{convert|0.33|mi|km|adj=on}} race track covering {{convert|35|acres|ha}}. It first opened in 1939 as Bonelli Stadium. The first [[stock car racing]] event on the speedway occurred in 1957. In 1995, the track was permanently closed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.moderndayruins.com/2012/10/saugus-speedway-nascar.html|title=Saugus Speedway - NASCAR|publisher=Modern Day Ruins|date=October 3, 2012|access-date=May 25, 2021}}</ref> The speedway served as the venue for the Santa Clarita Swap Meet prior to its closure and planned redevelopment of the site.

[[Central Park (Santa Clarita)|Central Park]] contains a {{convert|3.1|mi|km|adj=on}} cross country course used by high school and college athletes to train and race.<ref name="centralpark">{{cite web|url=https://hikesantaclarita.com/where-to-go/central-park/|title=Central Park|publisher=Hike Santa Clarita|access-date=January 16, 2021}}</ref>

The city includes four golf courses: Vista Valencia Golf Course and [[Valencia Country Club]] in Valencia, and Sand Canyon Country Club and Friendly Valley Golf Course in Canyon Country.<ref name="santaclarita.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.santaclarita.com/maps/neighborhoods.php|title=Santa Clarita Neighborhoods|website=santaclarita.com|access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref> The Oaks Club at Valencia is located in the Westridge area of Stevenson Ranch, adjacent to the city.

The Canyon Country [[Little League]] baseball and softball teams play their games on a field along Sierra Highway in unincorporated Canyon Country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ccll.org/|title=Home|publisher=Canyon Country Little League|access-date=January 17, 2021}}</ref>

==Services==
===Law enforcement===
Santa Clarita is a [[contract city]], meaning it does not have its own police department and instead relies on county services. The [[Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department]] (LASD) operates the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station at 26201 Golden Valley Road, just south of the intersection of Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway. Prior to its October 2021 relocation, the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station was located on Magic Mountain Parkway in Valencia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailynews.com/2021/10/18/la-countys-new-santa-clarita-valley-sheriffs-station-to-open-soon-on-golden-valley-road/|title=LA County's new Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station to open soon on Golden Valley Road|publisher=Los Angeles Daily News|date=October 18, 2021|access-date=May 28, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://lasd.org/santa-clarita-valley/|title=Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station|publisher=Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department|access-date=February 27, 2021}}</ref>

The [[California Highway Patrol]]'s Newhall office patrols the highways and streets of the Santa Clarita Valley. Despite being referred to as the Newhall office, its headquarters are actually located in unincorporated Valencia, along The Old Road just south of [[California State Route 126|State Route 126]]. Its service area covers {{convert|772|sqmi|km2}}, including most of northwestern Los Angeles County, containing {{convert|204|mi|km}} of freeways and {{convert|296|mi|km}} of unincorporated roadways.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chp.ca.gov/find-an-office/southern-division/offices/(540)-newhall|title=(540) Newhall|publisher=California Highway Patrol|access-date=February 27, 2021}}</ref>

===Water===
[[File:Los Angeles Aqueduct crossing the Santa Clara River.jpg|thumb|right|260px|The [[Los Angeles Aqueduct]] emerges from beneath the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency in [[Saugus, Santa Clarita, California|Saugus]] (top right) and crosses the [[Santa Clara River (California)|Santa Clara River]].]]
Santa Clarita receives its water from the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency, also known as SCV Water.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yourscvwater.com/|title=SCV Water — Your Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency|publisher=SCV Water|access-date=February 27, 2021}}</ref> The agency was formed on January 1, 2018, through the merger of three agencies: Castaic Lake Water Agency, Newhall County Water District, and the Valencia Water Company. The agency's service area covers about {{convert|195|sqmi|km2}} and is home to 273,000 people. It is split into three water divisions—Santa Clarita, Newhall, and Valencia—descendants of the three original agencies. Its headquarters, adjacent to Central Park in Saugus, include a conservatory garden and learning center with over 350 plant species.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yourscvwater.com/demonstration-gardens/|title=Demonstration Gardens|publisher=SCV Water|access-date=February 27, 2021}}</ref> The SCV Water Agency sources its water from the [[California Aqueduct]], Castaic Lake, [[alluvium|alluvial wells]], and the Saugus Aquifer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yourscvwater.com/localwater-2/|title=Local Water Source|publisher=SCV Water|access-date=February 27, 2021}}</ref> The SCV Water Agency is currently involved in removing hazardous material from the Saugus Aquifer left behind by decades of munitions testing at the Whittaker-Bermite site (see [[#1900-1987|History section above]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yourscvwater.com/removal-action/|title=PROJECT: Removal of Hazardous Substances from the Saugus Formation Aquifer|publisher=SCV Water Agency|access-date=March 17, 2021}}</ref>

The [[Los Angeles Aqueduct]] passes through Santa Clarita on its way from the [[Owens Valley]] to [[Granada Hills, Los Angeles]]. It passes next to, and is visible from, the north-bound Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5); [[Saugus High School (California)|Saugus High School]]; and the Centre Pointe Business Park. However, Santa Clarita does not receive Los Angeles Aqueduct water–all of the aqueduct's water goes to the city of Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web|last=Trinidad|first=Elson|url=https://www.kcet.org/redefine/a-self-guided-tour-of-the-los-angeles-aqueduct|title=A Self-Guided Tour of the Los Angeles Aqueduct|publisher=[[KCET]]|date=November 4, 2013|access-date=May 25, 2021}}</ref>

===Public libraries===
The city operates the Santa Clarita Public Library system, consisting of three libraries: the main office in Valencia, the Old Town Newhall Library in Newhall, and the Jo Anne Darcy Library in Canyon Country. The libraries offer books ranging from preschool to adult reading levels. In addition, each library has a variety of services for students, teachers, and home schoolers, including homework help, mental health, and employment resources, as well as community events. Passport acceptance services are also offered at each library branch. In addition to its three properties, the system includes an [[digital library|eLibrary]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.santaclaritalibrary.com/|title=Santa Clarita Public Library|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|access-date=January 12, 2021}}</ref> The main office in Valencia has a sculpture that says "IMAG NE"; when a person stands between the G and the N the word "IMAGINE" is spelled.

===Health services===
[[File:Henry_Mayo_Hospital,_April_2021.jpg|thumb|[[Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital]] in [[Newhall, Santa Clarita, California|Newhall]]]]
[[Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital]] (commonly referred to as Henry Mayo Hospital), founded in 1975, is a Level II trauma center and hospital. It includes 357 beds, as well as a helipad, an [[urgent care center]], inpatient facilities, a catheterization lab, a breast imaging center, disaster resource center, outpatient surgery center, and cardiac rehabilitation center. It is located in Valencia, along McBean Parkway at its intersections with Avenida Navarre and Orchard Village Road. The complex which contains Henry Mayo Hospital also includes medical institutions not affiliated with the hospital, such as Valencia Perinatal Services, Advanced Pain Management, [[UCLA Health]], and an office of Heritage Sierra Medical Group. Henry Mayo also runs a fitness center along Town Center Drive, about {{convert|2|mi|km}} north of the hospital.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.henrymayofitness.org/|title=Henry Mayo Fitness and Health|publisher=Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital|access-date=April 5, 2021}}</ref>

Santa Clarita is also served by private health care providers such as Exer Urgent Care, Facey Medical Group, [[Kaiser Permanente]], Concentra Urgent Care, and [[Providence Health & Services]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/search/medical+center/@34.4086778,-118.5143224,12.49z|title=Medical Centers|publisher=Google Maps|access-date=July 11, 2021}}</ref>

As part of Los Angeles County, Santa Clarita is under the jurisdiction of the [[Los Angeles County Department of Public Health]]. It does not have its own public health agency.

===Electricity and gas===
Santa Clarita does not have its own electricity or natural gas utilities. The city's electricity comes from [[Southern California Edison]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sce.com/about-us/who-we-are/leadership/our-service-territory|title=Our Service Territory|publisher=Southern California Edison|access-date=February 27, 2021}}</ref> and its natural gas comes from [[Southern California Gas Company|SoCalGas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.socalgas.com/about-us/company-profile|title=Company Profile|publisher=SoCalGas|access-date=February 27, 2021}}</ref>

===Fire===
The city contracts with the [[Los Angeles County Fire Department]] for fire protection. The agency has eleven fire stations in the city of Santa Clarita, as well as one station in unincorporated Valencia, two in unincorporated Castaic, one in Val Verde, one in Stevenson Ranch, and one in Agua Dulce.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/search/los+angeles+county+fire+dept.+station/@34.4481531,-118.5305992,12.13z|title=Los Angeles County Fire Department stations|publisher=Google Maps|access-date=February 22, 2021}}</ref>

===Post offices===
The [[United States Postal Service]] operates four post offices in the city: at Creekside Road and McBean Parkway in central Valencia, on Tournament Road in southern Valencia, at Lyons Avenue near Peachland Avenue in Newhall, and at Soledad Canyon Road east of Sierra Highway in Canyon Country. Two post offices are located in the Santa Clarita Valley just outside the city limits, at The Old Road, which serves as the main post office for the area, and Towsley Canyon Road in unincorporated Newhall, and on Franklin Parkway in the Valencia Commerce Center.<ref name="Find USPS Locations">{{cite web|url=https://tools.usps.com/find-location.htm?_gl=1*1be1ebb*_ga*MTQ1MTk4NjgzLjE2NTM3OTM4MzE.*_ga_3NXP3C8S9V*MTY1Mzc5MzgzMC4xLjAuMTY1Mzc5MzgzMC4w|title=Find USPS Locations|publisher=United States Postal Service|access-date=May 28, 2022}}</ref> There is also a [[Community post office|Contract Postal Unit]] located in the Saugus Drugs store at Bouquet and Haskell Canyon Roads.<ref name="Find USPS Locations"/>

===Other===
The [[California Department of Motor Vehicles]] has an office in Newhall, at the southwest corner of Lyons Avenue and Newhall Avenue, serving the entire Santa Clarita Valley.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/field-office/newhall/|title=Newhall — California DMV|publisher=California Department of Motor Vehicles|access-date=January 16, 2021}}</ref>

==Crime==
Santa Clarita has a relatively low crime rate. The city's violent crime rate is about one-third of the national average and 51% of the California statewide average.<ref>{{cite web |title=Santa Clarita, CA Crime Report 2023 |url=https://www.homesnacks.com/ca/santa-clarita-crime/ |access-date=July 13, 2023 |publisher=HomeSnacks}}</ref> In 2020, the home security site Safety ranked Santa Clarita the seventh-safest city in California, specifically mentioning the low property crime rate. Then-mayor Cameron Smyth credited this to the "diligence" of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.<ref>{{cite web|last=Miller|first=Devon|url=https://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/community-news/santa-clarita-named-7th-safest-city-in-california-347330|title=Santa Clarita named 7th safest city in California|publisher=[[KHTS (AM)|Hometown Station]]|date=September 25, 2020|access-date=January 7, 2021}}</ref>

Nevertheless, some of the poorer neighborhoods of Santa Clarita have struggled with crime. The apartment and condominium complexes along Jakes Way in Canyon Country (south of the Santa Clara River, east of Sierra Highway, north of the [[Metrolink (California)|Metrolink]] railroad line, and west of State Route 14) have seen some of the highest crime rates in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailynews.com/2007/08/12/jakes-way-sees-higher-crime/|title=Jake's Way Sees Higher Crime|publisher=[[Los Angeles Daily News]]|date=August 12, 2007|access-date=February 15, 2021}}</ref> Gangs such as Brown Familia<ref>{{cite web|last1=Holt|first1=Jim|last2=Dave|last3=Austin|url=https://signalscv.com/2018/01/five-arrested-sweep-targeted-gang-area/|title=Five arrested in sweep of targeted gang area|work=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|date=January 26, 2018|access-date=February 15, 2021}}</ref> and Newhall 13<ref>{{cite web|last=Dave|first=Austin|url=https://signalscv.com/2017/09/three-arrested-newhall-13-gang-sweep/|title=Three arrested in Newhall 13 gang sweep|work=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|date=September 21, 2017|access-date=February 15, 2021}}</ref> are active in parts of Canyon Country and Newhall.

Other past incidents have included a shootout in 1970 known as the [[Newhall incident]], the [[Stevenson Ranch shootout]] in 2001, and the [[2019 Saugus High School shooting|Saugus High School shooting]] in 2019.<ref name=saugusshooting/>

==Economy==
Companies based in Santa Clarita include [[Princess Cruises]], [[Honda Performance Development]], [[Precision Dynamics Corporation]], HASA,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hasapool.com/|title=HASA Pool - Keeping Your Water Safe and Clean Since 1964|publisher=HASA|access-date=August 29, 2021}}</ref> and the American division of Advanced Bionics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://advancedbionics.com/us/en/home/about-us/ab-global-offices.html|title=Global Offices|publisher=Advanced Bionics|access-date=April 15, 2021}}</ref> [[Sunkist Growers, Incorporated|Sunkist]], [[Mechanix Wear]], [[Remo]], [[condomman.com]], [[Newhall Land and Farming Company]] and [[WayForward]] are headquartered just outside the city in unincorporated Valencia.

===Largest employers===
[[File:Siege social de la princess cruise et de la cunard.jpg|thumb|right|[[Princess Cruises]] headquarters in [[Valencia, California|Valencia]]]]
According to the city's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://santaclarita.gov/document-central/19225/637474299578400000|title=City of Santa Clarita, California Comprehensive Annual Financial Report|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|date=December 28, 2020|access-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref> here are the top employers in the city.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Employer
! # of Employees
|-
| 1
|[[Six Flags Magic Mountain]]
|3,200
|-
|2
| [[Princess Cruises]]
|2,092
|-
|3
|[[Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital]]
|1,917
|-
|4
|[[Boston Scientific]]
|1,000
|-
|5
|[[The Master's University]]
|796
|-
|6
|[[Walmart]]
|705
|-
|7
|[[California Institute of the Arts]]
|700
|-
|8
|[[Woodward, Inc.|Woodward HRT]]
|680
|-
|9
|Scorpion Internet Marketing & Design
|653
|-
|10
|[[Sonova|Advanced Bionics]]
|550
|}

=== Industrial centers ===
Santa Clarita includes several industrial areas and [[office park]]s.

The Valencia Industrial Center is the largest business park in the Santa Clarita Valley, with {{convert|11000000|sqft|m2}} of office space. Stretching from Valencia High School to the I-5/CA-126 interchange, it includes the headquarters of the [[Saugus Union School District]] and ''[[The Santa Clarita Valley Signal]]'', offices of Advanced Bionics, Aerospace Dynamics International, Woodward,  ATK Audiotek, and other businesses.

Other industrial areas in the city include Saugus Station, on the east side of Railroad Avenue; Valencia Corporate Center, on Tourney Road just east of Interstate 5; Needham Ranch, on Sierra Highway south of Newhall Avenue; and Vista Canyon, on Lost Canyon Road west of Sand Canyon Road. The unincorporated area of Valencia west of Interstate 5 also contains several business parks, such as the Valencia Commerce Center.<ref name="scvedc">{{cite web|url=https://www.scvedc.org/scv-business-parks|title=SCV Business Parks|publisher=Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation|access-date=October 9, 2021}}</ref>

=== Shopping and commercial centers ===

====Valencia Town Center====
[[File:Westfield Valencia Town Center Entrance.jpg|thumb|right|Valencia Town Center in [[Valencia, California|Valencia]]]]
The largest shopping center in Santa Clarita is the [[Valencia Town Center]]. This large shopping mall occupies an area bounded by Valencia Boulevard to the south, McBean Parkway to the west, Magic Mountain Parkway to the north, and Citrus Street to the east.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.westfield.com/valencia/patiosconnection|title=The Patios Connection Project|publisher=Westfield|access-date=February 25, 2021}}</ref> It includes over {{convert|1000000|sqft|m2}} of retail space and contains 134 stores and 46 restaurants. [[Anchor tenant|Anchor stores]] include [[Macy's]], [[JCPenney]], [[H&M]], [[Gold's Gym]], and [[Forever 21]]; there is also a [[Regal Cinemas|Regal Edwards]] movie theater.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.westfield.com/valencia/stores|title=Stores|publisher=Westfield Valencia Town Center|access-date=January 8, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.westfield.com/valencia/restaurants|title=Restaurants|publisher=Westfield Valencia Town Center|access-date=January 8, 2020}}</ref> Town Center Drive circles the interior of the mall. Valencia Town Center and the surrounding area functions as one of the city's major [[central business district|business districts]] — within the area are the headquarters of [[Princess Cruises]], the Santa Clarita City Hall, Santa Clarita Courthouse, and Santa Clarita Valley Medical Plaza. Six of the city's ten tallest buildings, including the three tallest, are in or adjacent to the Town Center; the two tallest buildings are 24305 Town Center Drive (headquarters of Princess Cruises) and the Hyatt Regency Valencia, both of which are {{convert|22|m|ft|order=flip}} tall.<ref name="emporis">{{cite web|url=https://www.emporis.com/statistics/tallest-buildings/city/103383/santa-clarita-ca-usa|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513193637/https://www.emporis.com/statistics/tallest-buildings/city/103383/santa-clarita-ca-usa|url-status=usurped|archive-date=May 13, 2021|title=Tallest buildings in Santa Clarita|publisher=Emporis|access-date=April 3, 2021}}</ref> Most of the city's car dealerships are just north of the Town Center, near Magic Mountain Parkway, Creekside Road, and Auto Center Drive.

====Old Town Newhall====
The historic district of Old Town Newhall (aka. Downtown Newhall) is a major cultural and business center. It contains many independent restaurants, stores, and theaters, as well as a public library. The areas surrounding Old Town Newhall are predominantly Hispanic,<ref name=racialdotmap/> and there are many Mexican restaurants there. Theaters in Old Town Newhall include Canyon Theater Guild, The Main, and [[Laemmle Theatres|Laemmle]]. The Old Town Newhall Farmers Market is located on the grounds of the public library. Other notable sites in the area include the [[William S. Hart Regional Park]]; Newhall DMV; Newhall Elementary School (part of the [[Newhall School District]]); [[Newhall station|Newhall Metrolink station]]; Newhall Terrace, Newhall Crossings, and Californian apartment complexes; Veterans Historical Plaza; First Presbyterian Church of Newhall; Unity Center mosque; Newhall Community Center; and the historic Saugus Train Station (Heritage Junction). The official Old Town Newhall website describes it as "Santa Clarita's premier arts and entertainment district."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://oldtownnewhall.com/|title=Old Town Newhall|publisher=Old Town Newhall|access-date=March 6, 2021}}</ref> The Hart and Main wedding and event venue is scheduled to open in spring 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://santaclaritamagazine.com/2021/05/meet-the-merchants-of-hart-and-main/|title=Meet the Merchants of Hart and Main|publisher=Santa Clarita Magazine|date=May 1, 2021|access-date=June 9, 2021}}</ref> Some of the recent developments in Old Town Newhall have been described as [[gentrification]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gallatingroup.net/area/downtown-newhall/|title=Downtown Newhall|publisher=Gallatin Group|access-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insidescv.com/I+Heart+SCV/Main+Page/I+Heart+SCV/Content/2994/3|title=Your Tax Dollars at Work & Play|publisher=Inside SCV|date=April 2016|access-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref>

Numerous other shopping centers are scattered throughout the city along major thoroughfares. These shopping centers include both [[chain store]]s and small businesses. 
The Centre Pointe Business Park is located near the city's geographic center, south of Soledad Canyon Road on both sides of Golden Valley Road. It includes the Centre Pointe Village and Centre Pointe Marketplace shopping centers.

==Media==
The City of Santa Clarita and surrounding communities are served by several local media organizations.

===Newspapers===
Santa Clarita is served by the ''[[Los Angeles Daily News]]'' and ''[[The Santa Clarita Valley Signal]]''. The ''Daily News'' primarily focuses on news, sports and entertainment stories in the city of Los Angeles and adjacent areas, but also covers Santa Clarita periodically. ''Daily News'' circulation numbers within the Santa Clarita Valley are not known.

====The Santa Clarita Valley Signal====
{{main|The Santa Clarita Valley Signal}}
The primary daily newspaper, ''The Santa Clarita Valley Signal'', was founded in 1919. In 2012, it had a weekday circulation of 10,454<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.verifiedaudit.com/results.php?publication_name=&type_of_report=circulation&publisher_name=&city=santa+clarita&state=&type=&Circulation+Report2=Search|title=Verified Audit Circulation|author=Taitl|access-date=May 15, 2016}}</ref> and a Sunday circulation of 11,598.<ref>{{cite web|author = Taitl |url = http://www.verifiedaudit.com/results.php?publication_name=&type_of_report=circulation&publisher_name=&city=santa+clarita&state=&type=&Circulation+Report2=Search |title = Verified Audit Circulation |publisher = Verifiedaudit.com |access-date = August 2, 2012}}</ref> Until 2018, the newspaper focused almost exclusively on local news, sports, entertainment and features. In October 2016, the ''Signal'' moved its headquarters from Creekside Road in Valencia to Diamond Place near Centre Pointe Parkway;<ref>{{cite web|last=Kenney|first=Kevin|url=https://signalscv.com/2016/10/farewell-creekside-road-hello-diamond-place-signal-packs-bags-moves-across-town/|title=Farewell, Creekside Road – hello Diamond Place. The Signal packs its bags and moves across town|work=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|date=October 7, 2016|access-date=April 4, 2021}}</ref> since October 2021, it has been headquartered on Avenue Stanford in the Valencia Industrial Center.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://signalscv.com/ |title=Home |website=signalscv.com}}</ref>

From 1979 to 2016, the ''Signal'' was owned by [[Morris Multimedia]] which is a company based in [[Savannah, Georgia]]. In 2016, Morris Multimedia sold the ''Signal'' to Paladin Multi-Media Group. In June 2018, Richard and Chris Budman purchased Paladin and began to publish a new free Sunday magazine, featuring a column by editor-in-chief Tim Whyte under the byline "Black and Whyte".<ref name="CJR_Darrach">{{cite news |url=https://www.cjr.org/special_report/the-proclaimer-santa-clarita.php/|title=Both Sides Now: When a California town's newspaper gets troubling new owners, critics start their own|first=Amanda|last=Darrach |publisher=[[Columbia Journalism Review]] (CJR)|date=October 9, 2018|access-date=October 9, 2018}}</ref> According to an October 9, 2018, article in the ''[[Columbia Journalism Review]]'' (CJR), the new management led to a conservative shift in the paper's editorial stance, which prompted a group of progressives in the Santa Clarita Valley to start their own news outlet, the ''Proclaimer''.<ref name="CJR_Darrach"/>

===Radio===
The primary radio station serving the Santa Clarita Valley is the Hometown Station, or [[KHTS (AM)|KHTS]]. KHTS broadcasts on FM 98.1 and AM 1220. The KHTS transmitters are located along Sierra Highway in unincorporated northern Canyon Country,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://radio-locator.com/info/KHTS-AM|title=KHTS-AM 1220 kHz — Canyon Country, CA|publisher=Radio-Locator|access-date=January 8, 2020}}</ref> and its studios have been in Old Town Newhall since June 2015.<ref>{{cite web|last=Boyer|first=Jessica|url=http://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-latest-news/khts-am-1220-moves-from-canyon-country-to-old-town-newhall-156081|title=KHTS AM-1220 moves from Canyon Country to Old Town Newhall|publisher=Hometown Station|date=June 30, 2015|access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> KHTS was founded as KBET<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Annuals/Archive-BC-YB-IDX/90s-OCR-YB/1994-YB/1994-BC-YB-OCR-Page-0186.pdf |title=Directory of Radio Stations in the U.S. |magazine=Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook |publisher=R.R. Bowker |location=New Providence, New Jersey |page=B-32 |date=1994 |access-date=June 24, 2018 }}</ref> in 1984 and was renamed KIIS and later KHTS. KHTS is a full-service station—it covers local news, including talk shows, high school and college sports, as well as professional sports in the Los Angeles area.

The region is also served by FM-101.5 KZNQ-LP, Santa Clarita's first local FM radio station. It features a non-profit [[country music]] format owned and is operated by Santa Clarita Public Broadcasters Corporation, transmitting from Round Mountain in the city of Santa Clarita since 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.qcountryscv.com/|title=Q-101.5 / KZNQ Hot Country Hit Radio|website=Q-101.5 / KZNQ Hot Country Hit Radio}}</ref>

In addition to KHTS and KZNQ-LP, Santa Clarita and its surrounding communities are indirectly served by a number of major market Los Angeles FM and AM radio stations.

There are also several other Internet-based radio stations that serve the public in the Santa Clarita Valley.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://streema.com/radios/Santa_Clarita_CA|title=Santa Clarita CA Radio Stations|publisher=Streema|access-date=February 26, 2021}}</ref>

===Television===
All local programming for Santa Clarita is carried on a single [[public-access television]] [[cable TV]] channel, which is operated by SCVTV, a tax-exempt [[501(c)(3)]] nonprofit corporation. It is available to [[Spectrum Cable]] customers throughout the Santa Clarita Valley on Channel 20 and to [[AT&T U-verse]] customers under local programming (Channel 99/Santa Clarita). SCVTV carries public, educational and government programming, including Santa Clarita City Council and Planning Commission meetings, history shows, high school and college news programs, talk shows, football games, and other programs of local interest. SCVTV also runs the local news website scvnews.com<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scvnews.com |title=Santa Clarita Valley News for Newhall, Saugus, Valencia, Canyon Country, Castaic, Stevenson Ranch, Agua Dulce, Acton |publisher=SCVNews.com |date= |accessdate=March 16, 2022}}</ref> and the history website scvhistory.com.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com |title=Santa Clarita Valley History Archives &#124; Research Library &#124; SCV History In Pictures |publisher=SCVHistory.com |date= |accessdate=March 16, 2022}}</ref> scvhistory.com contains archives of the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society.

There are no commercial over-the-air [[television station]]s in the Santa Clarita Valley. The city is part of the Los Angeles [[media market]]. [[Digital television|Digital]] signals from the Los Angeles stations are available on local [[cable television|cable television systems]], [[DirecTV]], and [[Dish Network]].

===Podcasts===
Local podcast studios serving the Santa Clarita Valley include ''Podcast SCV''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.podcastscv.com/|title=Podcast SCV &#124; Podcast Studio in Santa Clarita|website=www.podcastscv.com}}</ref> and ''Arcay Studios''.

===Magazines===
Magazines serving the Santa Clarita Valley include ''Seasons'' (which covers city-sponsored recreational programs), ''élite'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scvelitemagazine.com/|title=èlite Magazine Interactive Media of Santa Clarita|website=élite Magazine}}</ref> ''Santa Clarita Magazine,''<ref>[https://santaclaritamagazine.com/ Santa Clarita Magazine],</ref> and ''Inside SCV''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.insidescv.com/|title=Santa Clarita California magazine - Inside SCV monthly full gloss magazine|website=Inside SCV Magazine}}</ref>

==Transportation==

===Highways===
* The only interstate highway in the city is [[Interstate 5]], which defines the city's western border. Interstate 5 is one of the main arteries of the western United States, and connects Santa Clarita with the rest of greater Los Angeles to the south and the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]] to the north. 
* [[California State Route 14]] passes through the east side of the city and connects Santa Clarita to the [[Antelope Valley]] cities of [[Palmdale, California|Palmdale]] and [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]]. Route 14 merges with Interstate 5 at the large [[Newhall Pass interchange]] just south of the city. This interchange is the primary route used by Santa Claritans commuting to Los Angeles. Due to the rugged terrain of the Santa Susana and San Gabriel Mountains, it is one of the few routes (and the only freeway) connecting northern Los Angeles County with the rest of the county.
* [[California State Route 126]] follows the Santa Clara River from I-5 in Santa Clarita to [[Ventura, California|Ventura]], passing through [[Piru, California|Piru]], [[Fillmore, California|Fillmore]], and [[Santa Paula, California|Santa Paula]]. The Santa Clarita Veterans' Parkway, formerly the Cross Valley Connector, connects Route 126 in Valencia to Route 14 on the city's eastern edge. It includes the entirety of Newhall Ranch Road, and Golden Valley Road from Newhall Ranch Road to State Route 14.<ref>{{cite web|last=Harbin|first=Heather|url=https://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/traffic/cross-valley-connector-to-be-renamed-in-honor-of-u-s-military-personnel-in-santa-clarita-166443|publisher=Hometown Station|title=Cross Valley Connector to be Renamed in Honor of U.S. Military Personnel in Santa Clarita|date=January 27, 2016|access-date=February 11, 2021}}</ref> 
* [[Sierra Highway]] passes through the east side of the city, parallel to and west of Route 14, providing an alternate route to the [[Sierra Pelona Mountains]] and Antelope Valley, as well as to the [[Los Angeles Basin]]. Although named a highway, it is actually a surface street in the Santa Clarita area.

===Bus service===
[[File:Santa Clarita Transit MCI D4500.jpg|thumb|right|200px|City of Santa Clarita Transit provides "Commuter Express Service" between Santa Clarita and various destinations throughout [[Greater Los Angeles]].]]
[[City of Santa Clarita Transit]], formerly known simply as Santa Clarita Transit, provides extensive bus service within the Santa Clarita Valley and to/from [[North Hollywood, Los Angeles|North Hollywood]] in the San Fernando Valley. City of Santa Clarita Transit is operated by MV Transportation, under contract with the city of Santa Clarita.<ref name="transit">{{cite web|url=https://santaclaritatransit.com/|title=City of Santa Clarita Transit|website=City of Santa Clarita Transit}}</ref>

On weekdays, City of Santa Clarita Transit operates commuter buses to/from [[Union Station (Los Angeles)|Union Station]] in [[downtown Los Angeles]] and [[North Hollywood station|North Hollywood Station]] (operating seven days per week as the "NoHo Express/757"), allowing riders to access [[Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority|Metro Los Angeles]] rapid transit subway and light rail services, as well as [[Warner Center, Los Angeles|Warner Center]], [[Burbank, California|Burbank]], [[Van Nuys]], [[Century City]], and [[UCLA]]. During the summer, the city provides a limited express service to the [[Santa Monica Pier]].<ref>{{cite web|url=httsp://santaclaritatransit.com/routes-schedules/commuter-express/noho-express/|title=NoHo Express|publisher=City of Santa Clarita Transit|language=en-US|access-date=June 21, 2019}}</ref>

On weekdays when school is in session, City of Santa Clarita Transit operates supplemental school-day service with routes and scheduled stops designed around various schools within the Santa Clarita Valley.

City of Santa Clarita Transit also operates Dial-A-Ride service for seniors and the disabled. The service allows for pick-up and drop-off at any address within the City of Santa Clarita and within a three-quarter mile radius of the nearest fixed route bus stop in unincorporated areas.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dial-a-Ride & Access Services|url=https://santaclaritatransit.com/services/dial-a-ride-asi/|publisher=City of Santa Clarita Transit|access-date=January 7, 2021}}</ref>

City of Santa Clarita Transit operates weekdays from 4:55&nbsp;a.m.–10:30&nbsp;p.m., Saturdays from 6:30&nbsp;a.m.-9:45&nbsp;p.m., and on Sundays from 7:15&nbsp;a.m. to 9:00&nbsp;p.m. Service operates as frequently as every 10 minutes during peak periods to every 85 minutes during off-peak hours. Typically buses operate every 25 to 60 minutes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Routes & Schedules|url=https://santaclaritatransit.com/routes-schedules/|publisher=City of Santa Clarita Transit|access-date=January 7, 2021}}</ref>

===Rail===
[[File:Metrolink in Santa Clarita.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A [[Metrolink (California)|Metrolink]] [[Antelope Valley Line]] train passing through Santa Clarita]]
[[Metrolink (California)|Metrolink]] provides [[commuter rail]] service to the [[Santa Clarita Valley]] along its [[Antelope Valley Line]], which runs between [[Lancaster station (California)|Lancaster station]] in [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]] and [[Union Station (Los Angeles)|Union Station]] in [[Downtown Los Angeles]], where transfers can be made to further destinations in [[Southern California]] and beyond. There are three Metrolink stations in the city: [[Via Princessa station]] in [[Canyon Country, Santa Clarita, California|Canyon Country]], [[Santa Clarita station]] in [[Saugus, Santa Clarita, California|Saugus]] (near the geographic center of the city), and [[Newhall station]] in [[Newhall, Santa Clarita, California|Newhall]]. All stations have large parking lots to allow commuters to [[park and ride]]. An additional [[infill station]], [[Vista Canyon Multi-Modal Center]], opened on October 23, 2023<ref>{{Cite news |last=Striplin |first=Ken |date=October 2, 2023 |title=Vista Canyon Opening |agency=SCVTV |url=https://scvnews.com/ken-striplin-vista-canyon-opening/ |access-date=October 3, 2023}}</ref> in Canyon Country, east of Via Princessa station.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2007071039/9|title=Vista Canyon Metrolink Station Project|date=October 23, 2018 |publisher=CEQAnet|access-date=January 7, 2020}}</ref> Metrolink service operates 7 days a week, with reduced service on Saturdays and Sundays.

===Bicycle and walking===
There are a series of [[bike trail]]s and walking paths threaded throughout the city. Bicyclists can ride from the eastern end of the city in Canyon Country along a paved path which is independent from automobile traffic all the way to Valencia on the [[Santa Clara River Trail]]. This path closely follows the [[Santa Clara River (California)|Santa Clara River]] and Soledad Canyon Road. There are many jumping-off points along this route providing access to neighborhoods, Metrolink stations and commerce. In Valencia, there are several pedestrian bridges called ''paseos'' connected to the bike path network. The paseos keep riders and walkers above and away from automobile traffic. The neighborhoods in Valencia were planned to include an ample amount of walking and riding paths that connect to this overall network. Santa Clarita contains over {{convert|77|mi|km}} of bicycle routes. In 2007, the League of American Bicyclists awarded Santa Clarita its bronze designation as a bicycle friendly community.<ref>{{cite news|last = McLean|first = Marsha|title = Santa Clarita Named Bicycle Friendly Community|url = http://www.cicle.org/wordpress/2007/10/01/santa-clarita-named-bicycle-friendly-community-2/|access-date = April 15, 2011|newspaper = The Signal|date = September 30, 2007|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110719085746/http://www.cicle.org/wordpress/2007/10/01/santa-clarita-named-bicycle-friendly-community-2/|archive-date = July 19, 2011|df = mdy-all}}</ref>

===Air travel===
There are no airports in the city of Santa Clarita. The nearest airports are the small [[Agua Dulce Airpark]] in [[Agua Dulce, California|Agua Dulce]] and [[Whiteman Airport]] in [[Pacoima, Los Angeles|Pacoima]]. Commercial airlines fly into [[Hollywood Burbank Airport|Bob Hope Airport]] in Burbank which is about {{convert|23|mi|km}} and [[Los Angeles International Airport]] in Los Angeles, approximately {{convert|42|mi|km}} from Santa Clarita.<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Central+Park,+Bouquet+Canyon+Road,+Santa+Clarita,+CA/Bob+Hope+Airport,+North+Hollywood+Way,+Burbank,+CA/@34.3591113,-118.5551201,11.64z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c2879758b0648f:0xc8cc42586c98851e!2m2!1d-118.5207842!2d34.4344907!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c2951ec368e233:0xa63a6462f518c48b!2m2!1d-118.3539745!2d34.1964412!3e0!5m1!1e4 Google Maps showing distance from Central Park to Burbank Airport]<br />[https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Central+Park,+Bouquet+Canyon+Road,+Santa+Clarita,+CA/Los+Angeles+International+Airport+(LAX),+World+Way,+Los+Angeles,+CA/@34.1805561,-118.6827681,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c2879758b0648f:0xc8cc42586c98851e!2m2!1d-118.5207842!2d34.4344907!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c2b0d213b24fb5:0x77a87b57698badf1!2m2!1d-118.40853!2d33.9415889!3e0!5m1!1e4 Google Maps showing distance from Central Park to LAX]</ref>

==Culture==

===Films===
{{see also|Category:Television shows filmed in Santa Clarita, California{{!}}Television shows filmed in Santa Clarita}}

Santa Clarita, along with other foothill regions in Greater Los Angeles is known for its [[movie ranch]]es. The valley contains multiple movie ranches including [[Melody Ranch Studio|Melody Ranch]], [[Sable Ranch]], Rancho Deluxe, [[Golden Oak Ranch]], Blue Cloud Movie Ranch, and Veluzat Movie Ranch. These movie ranches lie within the [[studio zone]], the area within a {{convert|30|mi|km|adj=on}} radius of the intersection of Beverly and La Cienega Boulevards in [[West Los Angeles]].<ref name="latimesblog">{{cite web|last=Verrier|first=Richard|url=https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2012/01/santa-clarita-movie-ranches-corral-tarantino-and-other-filmmakers-.html|title=Santa Clarita movie ranches corral Tarantino and other filmmakers|work=Los Angeles Times|date=January 24, 2012|access-date=January 9, 2021}}</ref> Movie ranches are a major contributor to Santa Clarita's economy, and the valley has been nicknamed "Hollywood North."<ref name=latimesblog/> Movies and TV shows filmed in Santa Clarita include ''[[Django Unchained]]'', ''[[NCIS (TV series)|NCIS]]'', ''[[Franklin & Bash]]'', ''[[Jane by Design]]'', ''[[Make It or Break It]]'', ''[[The Muppets (TV series)|The Muppets]]'', ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|Pirates of the Caribbean]]'', ''[[24 (TV series)|24]]'', and ''[[Old Yeller (film)|Old Yeller]]''.

Other filming locations in the Santa Clarita Valley include CalArts, Castaic Lake, College of the Canyons, Westfield Valencia Town Center, Placerita Canyon State Park, Southern California Innovation Park (an office park in Valencia), Saugus Cafe, and Halfway House Cafe which is on the outskirts of Canyon Country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://santaclaritaguide.com/HollywoodsBacklot.html|title=Hollywood's Backlot|publisher=Santa Clarita Guide|access-date=February 27, 2021}}</ref> [[Vasquez Rocks]], located in Agua Dulce about {{convert|10|miles|km}} northeast of the city, has also been used as a filming location for [[List of productions using the Vasquez Rocks as a filming location|many movies and shows]].

Santa Clarita was the setting of the horror-comedy show ''[[Santa Clarita Diet]]'', which debuted on February 3, 2017<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/santa-clarita-diet-drew-barrymore-timothy-olyphant-netflix-comedy-series-1201734047/|title=Drew Barrymore & Timothy Olyphant to Star in Netflix Comedy Series 'Santa Clarita Diet'|first=Elizabeth|last=Wagmeister|work=Variety|date=March 18, 2016}}</ref> and was canceled on April 26, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/05/santa-clarita-diet-renewed-season-3-netflix-1202384421/|title='Santa Clarita Diet' Renewed For Season 3 By Netflix|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 8, 2018|access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref> The show revolves around the careers of real estate agents Joel and Sheila Hammond.<ref>{{cite news |work=CNN Entertainment |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/02/entertainment/santa-clarita-diet-city/index.html |date=February 2, 2017 |title='Santa Clarita Diet' brings attention to city |first=Lisa |last=Respers}}</ref> Sheila Hammond becomes [[undead]] and starts craving human flesh. As Joel and the family try helping Sheila during her metamorphosis, they deal with neighbors and [[cultural norms]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Harnick|first1=Chris|title=Drew Barrymore Is TV's Newest Zombie (But, Don't Call Her a Zombie) |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/822559/santa-clarita-diet-is-tv-s-latest-zombie-show-complete-with-drew-barrymore-eating-people|access-date=January 22, 2017|work=E! Online |date=January 17, 2017}}</ref>

====Western films====
[[File:Walk of Western Stars.jpg|thumb|right|Walk of Western Stars in [[Newhall, Santa Clarita, California|Newhall]]]]
Santa Clarita has been the home of many well-known stars of [[Western (genre)|Western film]], including [[William S. Hart]], [[Harry Carey (actor)|Harry Carey]], [[John Ford]], and [[Gene Autry]]. Western film, television, and radio figures are honored at the Walk of Western Stars, located along Main Street in Old Town Newhall. Each April, the city of Santa Clarita inducts one or two new honorees into the Walk of Western Stars. The walk was founded in 1981; previous honorees have included [[Roy Rogers]], [[Dale Evans]], [[John Wayne]], [[Sam Elliott]], [[Richard Farnsworth]], and [[Bruce Dern]]. The induction ceremony is held in conjunction with the [[Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival]] at William S. Hart Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://oldtownnewhall.com/walk_of_the_western_stars/|title=Walk of Western Stars|website=oldtownnewhall.com|access-date=February 27, 2021}}</ref>

====Packard Humanities Institute====
The [[Packard Humanities Institute]], headquartered in [[Los Altos, California|Los Altos]], also has a [[Packard Humanities Institute#Packard Humanities Institute, Santa Clarita|campus in Santa Clarita]]. The campus, which opened in 2014, is located in Valencia directly south of College of the Canyons. It includes a film preservation facility which houses more than 400,000 films from [[Paramount Pictures]], [[Warner Brothers]], [[Columbia Pictures]], [[20th Century Fox]], and [[Republic Pictures]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cougarnews.com/2015/02/phi-builds-state-of-the-art-film-archive-in-santa-clarita/|title=PHI builds state-of-the-art film archive in Santa Clarita|last=Reserved|first=Cougar News Online © 2017 All Rights|date=February 19, 2015|website=Cougar News Online|language=en-US|access-date=June 7, 2021}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{main|List of people from Santa Clarita, California}}
{{see also|List of California Institute of the Arts people|Category:The Master's University alumni|Category:College of the Canyons alumni}}

==Sister cities==
The city is a member of [[Sister Cities International]].
*{{flagdeco|ECU}} [[Tena, Ecuador|Tena]], [[Napo Province|Napo]], Ecuador<ref name="sistercities">{{cite web|url=https://santaclaritasistercities.org/|title=Santa Clarita Sister Cities|publisher=City of Santa Clarita|access-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref>
*{{flagdeco|PHL}} [[Sariaya]], [[Quezon]], Philippines<ref name=sistercities/>

== Explanatory notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{wikivoyage|Santa Clarita}}
* {{official website|https://www.santaclarita.gov/}}
* [http://www.scvhistory.com Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society archive]
* [http://www.visitsantaclarita.com Santa Clarita tourism]

{{Adjacent communities
|Center = Santa Clarita
|N = [[Lake Hughes, California|Lake Hughes]], [[Green Valley, Los Angeles County, California|Green Valley]] & ''[[Sierra Pelona Mountains]]''
|NE = [[Agua Dulce, California|Agua Dulce]]
|E = ''[[San Gabriel Mountains]]''
|SE = [[Sylmar, Los Angeles]]
|S = [[Granada Hills, Los Angeles]]
|SW = [[Stevenson Ranch, California|Stevenson Ranch]] and ''[[Santa Susana Mountains]]''
|W = [[Valencia, California|Unincorporated Valencia]]
|NW = [[Castaic, California|Castaic]], [[Val Verde, California|Val Verde]]
}}
{{Santa Clarita}}
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[[Category:Santa Clarita, California| ]]
[[Category:1987 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Cities in Los Angeles County, California]]
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