Cul-de-sac facts for kids

A cul-de-sac in Sacramento, California

A cul-de-sac is a dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet and a turnaround area at its closed end. In modern urban planning culs-de-sac are created to limit through-traffic in residential areas. While some culs-de-sac provide no possible passage, others allow cyclists, pedestrians or other non-automotive traffic to pass.

Suburban culs-de-sac

Since the end of World War II, new subdivisions in America have made heavy use of the cul-de-sac. Typically, there is one or several central roads in the subdivision, with many culs-de-sac of varying length branching out from the main roads, to fill all of the land in the subdivision. There are only a few roads leading out of the subdivision onto major roads.

This is in contrast to early 20th century American urban planning which emphasized a grid layout, partially out of wide reliance on streetcars, and alleys.

The use of culs-de-sac reduces the amount of car traffic on residential streets within the subdivision, thus reducing noise and, some think, the potential for accidents. It also essentially eliminates non-motorized traffic and most through-traffic. This, in turn, is thought to decrease crime and increase desirability, because in most cases the people who traverse the cul-de-sac either live there or are guests of those who do.

Images for kids

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  Aerial photographs of communities with cul-de-sac layouts in Loudoun County, Virginia

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  A short cul-de-sac in Welwyn Garden City, England

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  A dead end in Alicante, Spain

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  Workers' village at El Lahun pyramid site, Egypt (c. 1885 BC)

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  Two dead ends, made by closing a minor road in the center to block through-traffic

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  The Channel 4 soap opera Brookside was filmed exclusively in Brookside Close in Liverpool.

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  Cul-de-sac in the Varisto neighbourhood of Vantaa, Finland

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  A cul-de-sac in Wrocław, Poland

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  One of several short, narrow, connected cul-de-sac streets in Athens, Greece. The photos show the street (below) and the connecting footpath to the corresponding street (above)

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  A plan of Village Homes in Davis, California, showing the street and path network with connected culs-de-sac

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  A cul-de-sac sign in Dublin, Ireland

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  Dead end sign in English and Spanish in Otay Mesa, San Diego

See also

In Spanish: Cul-de-sac para niños