La Cañada Flintridge , commonly known as just , is a city in the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located in the Crescenta Valley on the western edge of the San Gabriel Valley, it is the site of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory as well as Descanso Gardens.
Before the city's incorporation on November 30, 1976, it consisted of the two distinct communities of La Cañada and Flintridge.
The population was 20,573 at the 2020 census. They made extensive use of the live oaks which still are common in La Cañada, as a source of food and shelter. In 1771, the Tongva were enslaved by missionaries at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, resulting in their other name: Gabrielinos.
La Cañada
During the Spanish and Mexican eras, the area was known as . La Cañada comes from the Spanish word (), meaning 'canyon', 'gorge', or 'ravine'. It is unrelated to the name of the country of Canada.
In 1875, Rancho La Cañada was purchased by two business partners, Jacob Lanterman and Adolphus Williams. Over the next several decades, development was slow, largely owing to the scarcity of sources of water, but some orchards growing stone fruit or oranges were present. Another attraction was the air quality, with a high concentration of tuberculosis sufferers and their families emigrating to convalesce in a place with notably clear air.
Flintridge
Flintridge was named after its developer, United States senator Frank P. Flint.
Flintridge comprises the southern part of the city, covering the northern flank of the San Rafael Hills, but more generally including most areas south of Foothill Blvd. The eastern part, even north of Foothill Blvd, was also originally considered Flintridge and is still home to the Flintridge Riding Club and Flintridge Preparatory School.
Incorporation
On November 30, 1976, the cities of Flintridge and La Cañada were merged into a single incorporated city named "La Cañada Flintridge".
Reference to the entire city is often shortened to just "La Cañada" or seldom to just "Flintridge". The full city name specifically does not have a hyphen in it, to illustrate unity between the two communities that became one.
Geography
The city is situated in the Crescenta Valley and far western end of the San Gabriel Valley, between the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest to the north, and the San Rafael Hills to the south. Most of the city drains southeastward toward the Arroyo Seco area in Pasadena, but the western part of the city (generally west of Alta Canyada Road) drains southward toward Glendale via Verdugo Canyon. Both drainages join the Los Angeles River north of downtown Los Angeles.
La Cañada Flintridge varies in elevation from about just below Devil's Gate Dam in the Arroyo Seco to about at the highest neighborhood, along the mountain front east of Pickens Canyon, at the upper end of Ocean View Blvd. The city limits extend into the San Gabriel Mountains and reach along Mount Lukens Road, which follows the crest line well above the developed city.
In August 2009, the city came under threat by the Station Fire. The city is considered a "very high fire hazard severity zone" because of the local topography at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains and abundance of California Live Oak, despite an aggressive fire safety program. In January 2025, virtually the entire city was evacuated in response to the Eaton Fire, which destroyed many homes in the neighboring community of Altadena. The destruction of chaparral vegetation by wildfire often is followed by mudslides during the following rains, as was observed in 2010, damaging homes adjacent to arroyos at the Northern edge of the city.
thumb|center|1024px|Panoramic view of [[San Gabriel Mountains from La Cañada Flintridge, 2012]]
Climate
thumb|Japanese Garden at [[Descanso Gardens ]]
The climate of La Cañada Flintridge is typical of a Southern California inland valley, with mild winters and hot summers. Spring often has hazy days, in contrast to the more persistently clear weather of fall. On average, the warmest month is August with high temperatures in the low to mid 90s and lows in the low 70s. December and January are the coolest months with typical highs in the low to mid 60s and lows in the low 40s. Rainfall occurs mostly during winter, averaging about 21 inches annually. Rainfall is rare in summer.
During winter atmospheric river events, storm rainfall totals can be magnified by the orographic effect of the San Gabriel Mountains, producing intense runoff in the foothills where La Cañada is located. In December 1933 and January 1934, the La Cañada Valley was severely flooded in the Crescenta Valley flood (1933 and 1934).
The moderating influence of the ocean (22 miles, 35 km, away) is limited due to the city's location inland from the intervening Santa Monica Mountains, the Verdugo Mountains, and the San Rafael Hills. Consequently, summers are generally hotter and winters often cooler than in coastal parts of metropolitan Los Angeles, if winds are calm or blowing gently offshore. Occasional strong offshore winds, known as the Santa Ana winds, can bring particularly hot air in summer and fall as air from the desert plateaus crosses the mountains and descends, thus warming further by adiabatic heating. Summer and early fall temperatures are substantially cooler if the prevailing wind is persistently onshore. Occasionally during a winter storm, the upper elevations of the city may see trace amounts of snow. Several ski resorts, Mountain High, Mount Baldy, and Mount Waterman, are located about to the northeast.