State Route 1 SR 1 is a major northโsouth state highway that runs along most of the Pacific coastline of the U. At miles 1, km , it is the longest state route in California, and the second-longest in the US after Montana Highway SR 1 also at times runs concurrently with US , most notably through a mile 87 km stretch in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and across the Golden Gate Bridge. The highway is designated as an All-American Road.
In addition to providing a scenic route to numerous attractions along the coast, the route also serves as a major thoroughfare in the Greater Los Angeles Area , the San Francisco Bay Area , and several other coastal urban areas. SR 1 was built piecemeal in various stages, with the first section opening in the Big Sur region in the s.
However, portions of the route had several names and numbers over the years as more segments opened. It was not until the state highway renumbering that the entire route was officially designated as SR 1.
Although SR 1 is a popular route for its scenery, frequent landslides and erosion along the coast have caused several segments to be either closed for lengthy periods for repairs, or re-routed inland. Due to its fragmented nature and piecemeal relinquishments, the California Streets and Highways Code defines Route 1 across several subdivisions of section as follows: [ 5 ]. In addition to the relinquished portions listed under subdivision a , sections subdivision h , SR 1 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System , [ 10 ] and through the Los Angeles metro area, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco metro area is part of the National Highway System , [ 11 ] a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.
The entire route is designated as a Blue Star Memorial Highway to recognize those in the United States armed forces; this designation is sponsored by the California Garden Clubs, but the organization has not erected such markers along SR 1 yet.
