Stevenson Ranch, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stevenson Ranch, California
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Stevenson Ranch Fountain in 2012
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Location in Los Angeles County, California
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 Stevenson Ranch, California
Location in Santa Clarita
Stevenson Ranch, California
Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Stevenson Ranch, California
Location in California
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County |  Los Angeles |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.362 sq mi (16.478 km2) |
| • Land | 6.361 sq mi (16.475 km2) |
| • Water | 0.001 sq mi (0.002 km2) 0.01% |
| Elevation | 1,529 ft (466 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 20,178 |
| • Density | 3,171.6/sq mi (1,224.54/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code |
91381
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| Area code(s) | 661 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2583151 |
Stevenson Ranch is a community in the Santa Clarita Valley of Los Angeles County, California. It's not officially a city, but it's a well-known area. It's nestled in the foothills of the Santa Susana Mountains, just west of the I-5 freeway and the city of Santa Clarita.
Stevenson Ranch covers about 6.4 square miles (16.6 km²). Around 1,000 acres (4 km²) are set aside for parks, fun areas, and open spaces. This community was carefully planned and approved in 1985. In 2020, about 20,178 people lived here.
The area is home to several schools, including Stevenson Ranch, Pico Canyon, and Oak Hills elementary schools. There's also Rancho Pico Junior High and West Ranch High School. For shopping, people often visit the Valencia Marketplace and Stevenson Ranch Shopping Center. Six Flags Magic Mountain, a popular amusement park, is only about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Stevenson Ranch. The community is also close to the historic oil-mining town of Mentryville, which started in 1875.
Stevenson Ranch has been a filming location for movies and TV shows. For example, the TV series Weeds and the movie Pleasantville were filmed here. The planned look of the community was even a big part of the story in Weeds.
Contents
History of Stevenson Ranch
How Stevenson Ranch Started
In the early 1980s, a real estate developer named Dale Poe bought land in what is now Stevenson Ranch. His company, Dale Poe Development Corp. (DPDC), was known for building large, planned communities in Southern California.
In 1985, officials in Los Angeles County approved the first part of the Stevenson Ranch plan. This included building 4,378 homes on 3,057 acres. The goal was to eventually build 10,000 homes. Construction began in 1988. Dale Poe's company also agreed to give land and money for new schools. This development happened as the Santa Clarita Valley was growing quickly in the 1980s and 1990s.
Challenges During Development
As Stevenson Ranch was being built, there were some disagreements. The city of Santa Clarita was concerned about more traffic, noise, and air pollution from the new homes. In 1991, Dale Poe's company agreed to pay Santa Clarita $675,000 to help improve traffic.
There were also political discussions about whether Stevenson Ranch should become part of Santa Clarita or form its own city. In 1989, a plan to make Stevenson Ranch part of Santa Clarita was rejected. At the same time, some people tried to create a new city called Sunset Hills, which included Stevenson Ranch, but this idea was also turned down.
Sadly, Dale Poe and his wife passed away in a car accident in 1993. A few years later, in 1996, another home builder took over the development of Stevenson Ranch. By that time, 1,500 homes had been built. The community continued to grow until the mid-2000s. A road in Stevenson Ranch, Poe Parkway, is named after Dale Poe.
2001 Event in Stevenson Ranch
On August 31, 2001, a serious event occurred in Stevenson Ranch. During an attempt to serve a warrant, a person began firing at law enforcement officers. A sheriff's deputy, Hagop "Jake" Kuredjian, was shot and died. After a long standoff, the person's home caught fire and collapsed, leading to their death.
Geography of Stevenson Ranch
The Stevenson Ranch area includes two main parts: Westridge and Stevenson Ranch proper.
The central and southern parts of the area are called Stevenson Ranch proper. This section has the Valencia Marketplace and two elementary schools: Stevenson Ranch and Pico Canyon. Important roads here include Poe Parkway, Hemingway Avenue, Pico Canyon Road, and Stevenson Ranch Parkway. Pico Canyon Road and Stevenson Ranch Parkway continue into Santa Clarita as Lyons Avenue and McBean Parkway.
Westridge is in the northern part of the community. It has Oak Hills Elementary School, Rancho Pico Junior High, and West Ranch High School. The Oaks Club at Valencia, which has a golf course, is also in Westridge. Valencia Boulevard is a main road that runs east to west. Westridge is known for having some of the most expensive homes in the Santa Clarita Valley. Even though Westridge is part of Stevenson Ranch, it was developed as part of Valencia.
The two parts of Stevenson Ranch are connected by The Old Road. Both areas are located west of the I-5 freeway. To the east and northeast is the Valencia neighborhood of Santa Clarita. Newhall is to the southeast, and unincorporated Valencia is to the north.
Climate in Stevenson Ranch
Stevenson Ranch has a climate similar to Santa Clarita. This means it generally has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
Population and Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2010 | 17,557 | — | |
| 2020 | 20,178 | 14.9% | |
| sources 2010-2020 | |||
Population in 2020
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 9,469 | 9,094 | 53.93% | 45.07% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 571 | 790 | 3.25% | 3.92% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 52 | 37 | 0.30% | 0.18% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 3,983 | 5,402 | 22.69% | 26.77% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 25 | 26 | 0.14% | 0.13% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 59 | 157 | 0.34% | 0.78% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 571 | 1,043 | 3.25% | 5.17% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,827 | 3,629 | 16.10% | 17.98% |
| Total | 17,557 | 20,178 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The 2020 United States census showed that Stevenson Ranch had a population of 20,178 people. The community's population was made up of different groups:
- 48.8% White (45.1% were non-Hispanic White)
- 26.8% non-Hispanic Asian American
- 3.9% non-Hispanic Black or African American
- 0.2% non-Hispanic Native American
- 0.1% non-Hispanic Pacific Islander
- 0.8% non-Hispanics of other races
- 5.2% from two or more races
- 18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).
Population in 2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that 17,557 people lived in Stevenson Ranch. The population density was about 2,760 people per square mile (1,066 per km²).
Most people, 17,557 (100% of the population), lived in homes. No one lived in group homes or institutions.
There were 5,663 households.
- 3,006 (53.1%) had children under 18 living there.
- 3,761 (66.4%) were married couples.
- 533 (9.4%) had a female head of household with no husband.
- 231 (4.1%) had a male head of household with no wife.
- 828 (14.6%) households had only one person living there.
- 227 (4.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older.
The average household had 3.10 people. There were 4,525 families, with an average of 3.48 people per family.
The population included:
- 5,659 people (32.2%) under 18 years old.
- 1,261 people (7.2%) aged 18 to 24.
- 4,871 people (27.7%) aged 25 to 44.
- 4,668 people (26.6%) aged 45 to 64.
- 1,098 people (6.3%) who were 65 years or older.
The average age was 36.5 years. For every 100 females, there were about 95 males.
There were 5,842 housing units.
- 4,171 (73.7%) were owned by the people living in them.
- 1,492 (26.3%) were rented.
Most people (78.7%) lived in homes they owned, while 21.3% lived in rented homes.
Notable People from Stevenson Ranch
- Ryan Newman, an actor
- El Hefe (Aaron Abeyta), a guitarist
- Hunter Greene, a professional baseball player
Images for kids
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Stevenson Ranch Fountain in 2012
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Location in Los Angeles County, California
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The southernmost part of Stevenson Ranch can be seen to the left of I-5 northbound in a July 2021 photo
See also
In Spanish: Stevenson Ranch (California) para niños
