Sherman Oaks sits at one of the most connected points in Los Angeles. Two major freeways meet minutes away, Mulholland Drive runs the ridgeline above, and six canyon routes open into the Westside and the basin. Here's the lay of the land — and a little of the Hollywood history written into each road.
Minutes north of the door, the 101 is your direct line east toward Hollywood and Downtown and west across the Valley. It threads the Cahuenga Pass — the lowest natural gap through the Santa Monica Mountains, used to cross the range since the rancho era.
The first stretch through the pass opened in June 1940 as the "Cahuenga Pass Freeway," with the full Hollywood Freeway following in 1954. It runs straight through the heart of old Hollywood — the hillside Whitley Heights enclave of stars like Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino sits just above it, and engineers famously curved the roadway to preserve the landmarks around the Hollywood Bowl.
A short hop west puts you on the 405, the city's main north–south artery, connecting you south through the Sepulveda Pass to the Westside, Century City, LAX, and the entire coastline.
The Sepulveda Pass is one of the few crossings through the Santa Monica Mountains, and a billion-dollar improvement project widened it and added a dedicated carpool lane the length of the pass — making the run to the Westside and the airport smoother than ever.
Up the hill runs Mulholland Drive, named for William Mulholland, the engineer behind the Los Angeles Aqueduct. Opened in 1924 along the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains, it was predicted to become "one of the best known scenic roads in the United States" — and it did. From Mulholland you can drop into nearly any canyon route below, whichever way you're headed.
Between the freeways sit the canyon roads — the surface routes locals use to slip between the Valley and the Westside. Knowing all six means you can always pick the quickest line across. From west to east:
The primary freeway crossing and the fastest line straight to the Westside and LAX. The default route, with a carpool lane the length of the pass.
The scenic surface street shadowing the 405 through the pass, complete with its handsome 1930s tunnel beneath the freeway — a smooth local alternate.
The westernmost crossing, winding from the West Valley through bohemian Topanga down to the coast at PCH. The scenic, rustic escape hatch toward Malibu.
From Studio City over to the Sunset Strip and Hollywood. Steeped in music history — 1960s–70s home of Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, Jim Morrison, and the Laurel Canyon sound.
A direct commuter line from the Valley over the mountains into Beverly Hills — the well-worn shortcut for anyone headed to the flats or Rodeo.
From Ventura Boulevard, past hillside homes and over Mulholland, down to West L.A. near Westwood. Quieter and more residential than its neighbors — the locals' route.
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