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Santa Clarita, California

"Movie Ranch Capital"
Nestled in the canyons north of LA, Santa Clarita grew from Western movie ranches and oil fields into one of the safest and most family-friendly cities in Southern California.
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Founded 1987 | Population 227,527 | Peak 227,527 (2024) | County Los Angeles County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Santa Clarita, California

1
1928St. Francis Dam Collapse: The catastrophic failure of the St. Francis Dam sent a wall of water through the Santa Clara River Valley, killing over 400 people. It was the worst American civil engineering disaster of the 20th century.
2
1987Santa Clarita Incorporated: Newhall, Saugus, Valencia, and Canyon Country voted to incorporate as Santa Clarita, creating the third-largest city in LA County to prevent unwanted development.
3
2019Saugus High School Shooting: A student shot five classmates, killing two, before taking his own life. The shooting devastated the close-knit community.
4
1920Movie Ranch Era: Film studios built ranches in the Santa Clarita canyons for filming Westerns. Melody Ranch, Vasquez Rocks, and others hosted thousands of productions.
5
1967Valencia Master-Planned Community: Newhall Land developed Valencia with CalArts (founded by Walt Disney) and Six Flags Magic Mountain, transforming the valley's economy.
6
1876Southern Pacific Railroad Arrives: The railroad connected the Santa Clarita Valley to Los Angeles through the San Fernando Tunnel.
7
1910Oil Boom: Oil discovery in the nearby hills brought drilling operations and workers to the valley.
8
1971Sylmar/San Fernando Earthquake: The 6.6 earthquake caused significant damage in the Santa Clarita area, including destroying the Veterans Hospital in Sylmar.
9
1994Northridge Earthquake Impact: The Northridge earthquake severely damaged parts of Santa Clarita and collapsed sections of the I-5/SR-14 interchange.
10
2000Safest City Rankings: Santa Clarita consistently ranked among the safest cities in California, driving family-oriented growth.
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Population Over Time

0 57,168 114,337 171,505 228,673 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

Latest News in Santa Clarita

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Complete Historical Timeline

1876 Transport
Railroad connects valley to LA
1910 Industry
Oil boom in the valley
1920 Culture
Movie ranches built for Western films
1928 Disaster
St. Francis Dam collapse kills 400+
1967 Architecture
Valencia planned; CalArts and Six Flags come
1971 Disaster
Sylmar earthquake causes damage
1987 Government
Four communities incorporate as Santa Clarita
1994 Disaster
Northridge earthquake damages area
2000 Government
Named among safest cities in California
2019 Crime
Saugus High School shooting
2024 Government
Population surpasses 227,000

Did You Know?

1
The St. Francis Dam collapse in 1928 was the worst civil engineering disaster in 20th century America — the flood carried bodies as far as the Pacific Ocean, 54 miles away.
2
Thousands of Western movies and TV shows were filmed at ranches in the Santa Clarita Valley, including classics like 'The Lone Ranger' and modern films at Vasquez Rocks.
3
CalArts, the art school founded by Walt Disney in Valencia, has produced more Pixar and Disney animators than any other institution in the world.
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