Topanga (Tongva: Topaa'nga) is an unincorporated community in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. The ZIP code is 90290 and the area code is primarily 310, with 818 only at the north end of the canyon. It is in the 3rd County Supervisorial district.
Topanga is the largest unincorporated area in Los Angeles County by area, although a majority of it is undeveloped. The 2025 Palisades Fire had a severe impact on the community with the devastation of structures destroyed, forcing evacuations, and multiple road closures.
History
Name development
Topanga is the name given to the area by the local Tongva people, and may mean "where the mountain meets the sea" or "a place above". The name in the Tongva language, Topaa'nga, has a root, , that likely comes from the Chumash language. It was the western border of their territory, abutting the Chumash tribe that occupied the coast from Malibu northward. Bedrock mortars are carved into rock outcroppings in many locations.
Development of settlement and colonization
Topanga was colonized by the Spanish in 1839. In the 1920s, Topanga Canyon became a weekend getaway for Hollywood stars, with several cottages built for comfortable trips. The rolling hills and ample vegetation served to provide both privacy and attractive surroundings for the rich and famous. During the 1960s, Topanga Canyon also became a magnet to many young new artists.
In 1965, Wallace Berman settled in the area. For a time, Neil Young lived in Topanga, first living with producer David Briggs, then buying his own house, where he would record most of After the Gold Rush (1970) in the basement studio. The convicted murderer and cult leader Charles Manson lived for a time in Topanga, where he briefly befriended Young and Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys. Members of the Manson Family cult began their killing spree on July 31, 1969, with the murder of Topanga resident Gary Hinman, a music teacher, whom had opened his home to anyone needing shelter.
2005 rockslide
On January 10, 2005, after heavy rains, a 25-foot, 300-ton boulder rolled down a hillside and landed directly on Topanga Canyon Blvd. Photos of the boulder made international news. The boulder blocked traffic on the road for around a week, cutting off thru traffic between the San Fernando Valley and the Pacific Coast Highway (CA State Route 1). Six-foot holes were drilled and low-yield explosives were used to partially implode the boulder. A previous attempt with dynamite failed due to heavy saturation by rain. The Palisades Fire devastated the lower portion of the community, with most homes near the Topanga State Beach destroyed, along with Topanga Ranch Motel and Topanga State Park. The entirety of Topanga was put under an evacuation order.
Geography
Topanga Canyon
alt=Map shows Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Hollywood depicted with grids. The mountains and Topanga Canyon are done with hatch marks.|left|thumb|1915 road map of Los Angeles to Topanga Canyon & Return
left|thumb|Photograph of Topanga Summit, made in 1922
Topanga Creek drains Topanga Canyon and is the third-largest watershed entering the Santa Monica Bay. The creek is one of the area's few remaining undammed waterways, and is a spawning ground for steelhead trout. The area averages about of rain annually. Topanga Beach lies on the coast at the outlet of Topanga Creek. Topanga Canyon Boulevard, State Route 27, is the principal thoroughfare, connecting the Ventura Freeway (US 101) to the north with Pacific Coast Highway (SR 1) on the south. The southern portion of the boulevard largely follows Topanga Creek. North of the Old Topanga Canyon Road intersection, the boulevard traverses the Santa Monica Mountains.
left|thumb|Panorama from Viewpoint Trail in Topanga State Park
Topanga Canyon contains lands of Topanga State Park, the largest park in the Santa Monica Mountains and one of the world's largest open space preserves surrounded by a city, as well as the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. It is part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. It primarily represents a California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion, with large areas of the California oak woodland plant community and a variety of California native plants.
Climate
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Topanga has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.