St. Francis Dam
The St. Francis Dam, or the San Francisquito Dam, was a concrete gravity-arch dam located in San Francisquito Canyon in northern Los Angeles County, California, United States, that was built between 1924 and 1926. It lies 8 mi northeast of Castaic. Worth the trip, Six Flags Magic Mountain is 9.8 mi off.
A dam, 8 mi northeast of Castaic
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 110K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 97% of the 7,799 attractions we track.
Summers are hot
July and August highs run 93–95°, and about 87 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
Castaic is the nearest base
Castaic is 8 miles southwest, with 6 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct and Nov
January, February, March, April, May, October and November are the mild months, with highs of 64–81°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
The climate here
This is the year’s weather near St. Francis Dam.
St. Francis Dam
The St. Francis Dam, or the San Francisquito Dam, was a concrete gravity-arch dam located in San Francisquito Canyon in northern Los Angeles County, California, United States, that was built between 1924 and 1926. The dam failed catastrophically in 1928, killing at least 431 people in the subsequent flood, in what is considered to have been one of the worst American civil engineering disasters of the 20th century and the third-greatest loss of life in California history.
The dam was built to serve the growing water needs of the city of Los Angeles, creating a large regulating and storage reservoir that was an integral part of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. It was located in San Francisquito Canyon of the Sierra Pelona Mountains, about 40 miles (64 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles, and approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of the present day city of Santa Clarita.
- Type
- Dam
- Wikipedia readers
- 110K a year
Overnight near St. Francis Dam
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Santa Clarita (18) and Castaic (6), and Los Angeles has the most rooms in the area (841).
Santa Clarita
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
228,430 people
9 mi south of St. Francis Dam
Los Angeles
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
3,869,089 people
37 mi south of St. Francis Dam
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From St. Francis Dam | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clarita | 9 mi south | 15 min | 18 12 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 228,430 | $785K | B− |
| Castaic | 8 mi southwest | 15 min | 6 3 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 17,999 | $792K | — |
| Lancaster | 22 mi northeast | 35 min | 27 17 hotels · 8 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 170,084 | $447K | D |
| Stevenson Ranch | 12 mi south | 20 min | 5 5 hotels | 20,990 | $1,086K | — |
| Burbank | 27 mi southeast | 40 min | 29 24 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 102,988 | $1,089K | D |
| Palmdale | 23 mi east | 35 min | 19 16 hotels · 3 motels | 161,845 | $471K | C− |
| Glendale | 30 mi southeast | 45 min | 32 22 hotels · 6 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins | 187,160 | $1,102K | C |
| Lake Hughes | 10 mi north | 15 min | 2 2 campgrounds | 888 | $515K | — |
| Los Angeles | 37 mi south | 1 hr | 841 554 hotels · 169 motels · 39 inns & B&Bs · 17 lodges & cabins · 36 hostels · 17 campgrounds · 9 RV parks | 3,869,089 | $921K | D |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Pair St. Francis Dam with these
Places worth adding lie within 62 miles.
Big draw32 mi LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year
Big draw42 mi Stadium & arenaSoFi Stadium
Big draw110 mi Theme parkSix Flags Magic Mountain3.3M visitors a year
Big draw39 mi MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art
Big draw61 mi Theme parkDisneyland17.3M visitors a year
Big draw31 mi LandmarkHollywood Sign
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Big draw230 mi Theme parkUniversal Studios Hollywood8.7M visitors a yearPhoto credits
Hollywood Walk of Fame: BenSherman, Public domain · SoFi Stadium: Thank You (21 Millions+) views, CC BY 2.0 · Six Flags Magic Mountain: Alton, CC BY 3.0 · Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: Kriddl, CC0 · Disneyland: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Hollywood Sign: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: CanonStarGal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Universal Studios Hollywood: 林振宇, CC BY-SA 4.0
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St. Francis Dam: what to know
What town is St. Francis Dam near?
Castaic, CA, about 8 miles southwest.
When is the best time to visit St. Francis Dam?
January, February, March, April, May, October and November, with highs of 64–81°.
How far is St. Francis Dam from Long Beach?
About 56 miles south of Long Beach, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to St. Francis Dam?
Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope (BUR), about 25 miles away.
Where should I stay near St. Francis Dam?
Los Angeles (37 mi, 841 places to stay), Santa Clarita (9 mi, 18 places to stay) and Castaic (8 mi, 6 places to stay).
Castaic has the answers
Questions and tips go in Castaic’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.