California State Route 72

State Route 72 (SR 72) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It forms part of El Camino Real in the Los Angeles area. Since 2025, the route consists of two short segments of Whittier Boulevard. The first segment begins at SR 39 (Beach Boulevard) and runs west to Valley Home Avenue on the Orange and Los Angeles county line in La Habra. The second segment begins at Lockheed Avenue and runs northwest to Interstate 605 in Whittier. Though some maps mark SR 72 as continuous through Whittier, control of most of the route within the city was relinquished to that local jurisdiction and is thus no longer officially part of the state highway system.

State Route 72
Whittier Boulevard
SR 72 highlighted in red; the gap represents the relinquished portion
Route information
Maintained by Caltrans
Length	0.72 mi (1,160 m) Portions of SR 72 have been relinquished to or are otherwise maintained by local or other governments, and are not included in the length.
Southern segment
Length	0.50 mi (800 m)
South end	SR 39 in La Habra
North end	Valley Home Avenue at the La Habra–Whittier line
Northern segment
Length	0.12 mi (190 m)
South end	Lockheed Avenue in Whittier
North end	I-605 in Whittier
Location
Country	United States
State	California
Counties	Orange, Los Angeles
Highway system
State highways in California Interstate US State Scenic History Pre‑1964 Unconstructed Deleted Freeways
← SR 71 → SR 73

Former eastbound SR 72 on Whittier Boulevard, entering Whittier.

Route description

Under section 372 of the California Streets and Highways Code, last amended by the California State Legislature in 2020, Route 72 is defined as follows:^[1]

Route 72 is from Route 39 to Route 605 in Whittier

Section 372 subdivision (a) of the code also stated that Route 72 will be deleted from the state highway system upon completed construction of Route 90, also known as the Slauson Freeway, from Route 5 to Route 39, but Caltrans has abandoned all plans to finish the freeway. Subdivision (c) also permits the state to relinquish to Whittier and unincorporated Los Angeles County the portion of Route 72 within their respective jurisdictional limits; if there is a relinquishment, the city and the county are instructed to "maintain within their respective jurisdictions signs directing motorists to the continuation of Route 72".

The relinquishment in Whittier and unincorporated Los Angeles County was approved in 2025. Prior to, Route 72 officially began at the junction of I-605 in Whittier. The route followed Whittier Boulevard for its entire length, heading southeast through Whittier as a four-lane arterial street. SR 72 crossed with Los Angeles County Route N8 at Colima Road and ended at the intersection of SR 39 (Beach Boulevard) in La Habra. Whittier Boulevard is a major commercial corridor in Whittier, though it does not go through the city center, which is north of the highway. Now with the 2025 relinquishment, Route 72 officially consists of two short segments along Whittier Boulevard: between SR 39 and Valley Home Avenue, and Lockheed Avenue and I-605.

SR 72 however is still defined in the state highway code as a north–south state route. This reflects the original alignment and length of SR 72 before the highway was shortened over the years. From I-605, SR 72 then formerly continued west under a railroad bridge near Pío Pico State Historic Park and then over the San Gabriel River as it entered Pico Rivera and met SR 19 at Rosemead Boulevard. After about a mile and a half, the route crossed a narrow steel bridge over the Rio Hondo into Montebello. There, it continued towards Atlantic Boulevard. From there, it continued further to its end at Downey Road. Whittier Boulevard itself continues past Downey Road towards downtown Los Angeles. Those segments were relinquished back to the cities of Pico Rivera and Montebello by 2010, and are not included in the length of SR 72. And prior to 1981, SR 72 extended further east along Whittier Boulevard to Harbor Boulevard, where it then turned south to meet with I-5 in Anaheim (see below).

SR 72 is part of the National Highway System,^[2] a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.^[3]

History

California's historic El Camino Real, which connected the Alta California missions, ran along what was then U.S. Route 101. Before 1964, U.S. Route 101 continued past today's end near the East Los Angeles Interchange east onto Whittier Boulevard and south on Harbor Boulevard until it met its bypass in Anaheim. (What is now Route 5 from Los Angeles to Anaheim was the U.S. Route 101 Bypass.)

In 1964, the U.S. Route 101 designation was removed south of the East L.A. Interchange. Its routing on Whittier and Harbor Boulevards became Route 72 and was initially defined to run from Route 5 (the former bypass) to an unbuilt State Route 245, hence the route's lackluster end at Downey Road. (Route 245 was to have been a bypass connecting Route 5 with Route 60, a function that was eventually assumed by an extended Route 710.)

In 1965, with Route 245 deleted, the definition was clarified to have Route 72 end at Downey Road, which was parallel to the planned Route 245.

In 1981, the portion from Route 5 to Harbor Boulevard (current SR 39) was deleted, and the portion from Harbor Boulevard to Route 39 was transferred to SR 39.

In 1992, the portion from Atlantic Boulevard to Downey Road was deleted.

In 2010, SB-1318 Sec. 20 deleted the segment between I-605 and Atlantic Boulevard. It also states that Route 72 will be deleted when "Route 90 freeway is completed from Route 5 to Route 39."

Cal. S&HC § 635(b) includes unspecified parts of Route 72 in El Camino Real.

On May 15, 2025, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved a deal between the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the city Whittier, for Caltrans to relinquish the segment of SR 72 between Lockheed Avenue and Valley Home Avenue to the city.^[4]

Major intersections

Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured on the road as it was in 1964, based on the alignment that existed at the time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage. R reflects a realignment in the route since then, M indicates a second realignment, L refers to an overlap due to a correction or change, and T indicates postmiles classified as temporary (for a full list of prefixes, see California postmile § Official postmile definitions).^[5] Segments that remain unconstructed or have been relinquished to local control may be omitted. The numbers reset at county lines; the start and end postmiles in each county are given in the county column.

County	Location	Postmile [5][6][7][8]	Destinations	Notes
Orange ORA 11.42-11.92	La Habra	11.42	SR 39 south (Beach Boulevard) – Buena Park, Huntington Beach	Southern terminus; Whittier Boulevard continues east as SR 39 north
Orange–Los Angeles county line	La Habra–Whittier line	11.92 0.00	Valley Home Avenue	Northern end of state maintenance[a]
Los Angeles LA 0.00-6.66	Whittier	1.80	CR N8 (Colima Road)
		4.2	Washington Boulevard	Eastern terminus of Washington Boulevard
		6.54	Lockheed Avenue	Southern end of state maintenance[a]
		6.66	I-605 (San Gabriel River Freeway)	I-605 exit 15; northern terminus; Whittier Boulevard continues west beyond I-605
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

1. The state has relinquished, and turned over various segments of the highway to local control.

See also

• California roads portal
• Greater Los Angeles portal