May 15
Highway 21: The Highway You Need to Know About if You’re Moving to Los Angeles
With the cost of housing and traffic continuing to rise in Los Angeles, people are looking for affordable alternatives. Many are turning to cities outside of L.A. County for a more affordable lifestyle with a shorter commute and more attainable housing options. The city of Redlands and other nearby communities have seen their populations grow from 20,000 residents in the 1950s to more than 100,000 today — in part because they’re so affordable compared to LA. Even celebrities like Meghan Markle have moved to places like Redlands or specific neighborhoods within an hour drive from LA (like New
What is Highway 21?
Highway 21 is a major east-west highway that stretches from western Los Angeles to the eastern suburbs of Redlands. Highway 21 is named for the distance between West LA and Riverside, which is about 60 miles. It’s also known as Foothill Boulevard, Mount Vernon Avenue, or San Bernardino Road. With the cost of housing and traffic continuing to rise in Los Angeles, people are looking for affordable alternatives. Many are turning to cities outside of L.A. County for a more affordable lifestyle with a shorter commute and more attainable housing options. The city of Redlands and other nearby communities have seen their populations grow from 20,000 residents in the 1950s to more than 100,000 today — in part because they’re so affordable compared to LA. Even celebrities like Meghan Markle have moved to places like Redlands or specific neighborhoods within an hour drive from LA (like Newhall Ranch). And now that there’s even better access thanks to Highway 21 improvements and new transit routes connecting these communities, there’s never been a better time to move out here!
Transportation and Weather on Highway 21
Highway 21 is one of the most popular routes from LA to other parts of Southern California. The highway connects cities like Colton, Fontana, Rialto, and Redlands. From I-215 to Highway 38 in Redlands, the distance is about 37 miles. The most significant thing you need to know about Highway 21 is that it can be pretty congested during rush hours. In fact, it has been ranked as one of the worst stretches of freeway in L.A., according to CBS News Los Angeles. Traffic usually isn’t too bad on weekdays, but things get hairy on Friday afternoons and Sundays when everyone is returning from their weekend trips back home. The weather in this part of California is a little different than what you would expect in LA — with milder winters and hotter summers. That means a lot more foggy days in the morning and colder nights during winter months. But overall, there are more sunny days than San Diego or San Francisco are accustomed to seeing every year: about 300 days out of 365 days per year!
10 Reasons to Move to Redlands and the Other Communities along Highway 21
1) The average commute time is 20 minutes. 2) The median home price is $350,000. 3) There are plenty of jobs available in Redlands and other nearby communities. 4) It’s much more affordable than living in L.A. County. 5) The schools are great with a 5-star rating from GreatSchools.org. 6) You have access to the best of both worlds: urban LA life in Riverside and suburbia culture in Redlands. 7) You can buy a house with less than a 10 percent down payment and an easy monthly mortgage payment that’s half of what you’d pay for rent near LA or other big cities like San Diego or San Francisco. 8) Redlands is perfect for families; it has a low crime rate, and there are few natural disasters in the area like earthquakes or wildfires that would put your property at risk if they happened to strike while you live there. 9 ) The public transportation system is clean, safe, and efficient — it’s also inexpensive thanks to discounts offered by employers and the city government on monthly passes (for example, Google offers employees discounted transit passes). 10) Your children will be safer at school here too because there are no gangs and few incidents of bullying or drug use at school — it’s just not tolerated by the community).
Downsides to Living Along Highway 21
The downside to living along highway 21 is that sometimes it can take hours and hours to get from one place to the other. The I-15, which goes from Southern California to Las Vegas, cuts through the Inland Empire and ends at the border of Arizona. This means that you have to go all the way down south before you can head east, west or north. No matter how fast your car is, it takes a lot more time than it would if you could just hop on the I-5 in Los Angeles and go north or south. If you’re coming from out of town trying to visit L.A., expect some delays — and lots of traffic! To combat this issue, people who live in Redlands are now able to use Highway 210 which goes right into downtown L.A., making commuting much shorter for locals who work in LA’s neighboring cities like Pasadena or Burbank.
Final Words: Is Moving to LA’s Highways a Good Idea?
Highway 21 is one of the most popular and fastest growing highways in Los Angeles. This highway has seen its population grow from 20,000 people to more than 100,000 in the past 60 years. People are moving to Redlands and other nearby communities because they’re more affordable compared to LA. But what do you need to know about Highway 21? Like any other highway, there are pros and cons. If you’re considering moving to L.A., it’s important that you research the best side of Highway 21 before making a decision. The freeway goes through many major cities like Temecula, Murrieta, Corona, and Norco. These cities have seen their populations grow substantially in recent years because of Highway 21’s proximity to LA. The freeway does have some downsides as well though; with traffic increasing on the highway every day, it’s important for drivers to be mindful of the speed limit and drive defensively so that everyone can get where they need to go safely!
