Western Avenue (Los Angeles)

Western Avenue is a major four-lane street west of Downtown Los Angeles and the center portion of Los Angeles County. Apart from Sepulveda Boulevard, it is one of the longest north–south streets in Los Angeles. The name of the street is derived from its history as the westernmost border of Los Angeles before annexations in the early 20th century expanded the city.

Western Avenue passes through a diversity of neighborhoods ranging from the wealthiest to the most economically depressed in Los Angeles. It begins near the Pacific Ocean and passes north through Lomita, Torrance, Gardena, Inglewood, Baldwin Hills, and South Los Angeles.

Around Pico Boulevard, Olympic Boulevard, and Wilshire Boulevard, Western Avenue passes through Koreatown. Further north, Western Avenue passes through the eastern portions of Hollywood. Around Santa Monica Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard it passes through the neighborhood of Little Armenia and Thai Town.

Western Avenue eventually ends north of Franklin Avenue in the Hollywood Hills. It swerves to become an east/west street, Los Feliz Boulevard, a major thoroughfare for Los Feliz.

The portion from Interstate 405 to 25th Street in San Pedro is State Route 213.

Western is served by three rail stations: Hollywood Boulevard on the Red Line, Wilshire Boulevard on the Purple Line, and Exposition Boulevard on the Expo Line. Metro Local lines 205 and 207, in addition to Metro Rapid line 757 and Gardena Transit line 2 operate on Western Avenue; Metro lines 207 and 757 run between Hollywood Boulevard and Imperial Highway, Gardena line 2 between Imperial Highway and Pacific Coast Highway, and Metro line 205 south of Pacific Coast Highway.