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is an affluent planned community located in Los Angeles County, California in the northwestern corner of the Santa Clarita Valley, adjacent to Interstate 5. In 1987, it was one of the four unincorporated communities (along with Saugus, Newhall, and Canyon Country) that merged to create the city of Santa Clarita, California. Santa Clarita is ranked as one of the top 100 places to live by
Valencia was first planned in the 1960s by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. Development began in the 1960s and continues to the present day. Valencia is notable for its landscaped boulevards connecting a mix of apartment buildings, single-family detached homes, shopping centers, office parks and industrial warehouses. Major schools in Valencia include California Institute of the Arts, College of the Canyons, and Valencia High School.
Valencia's residential areas are separated into villages, each with its own lifestyle (see List of Valencia, California's Residential Villages). Almost all of Valencia's villages are close to schools, shopping, etc. In many of the villages, homeowner's associations oversee the quality and upkeep of housing developments ranging in size from a few dozen homes to over a thousand. Many villages also have a Neighborhood Watch program in force.
Valencia also has an extensive system of paved pathways with grade separations over and under the boulevards. The pathways are called
. These paseos connect the entire community together making it possible to travel around Valencia without having to cross streets at grade. The paseo network is connected to the Santa Clara River Trail which runs east along the Santa Clara River to Canyon Country. Landowners in the Valencia area pay special taxes to maintain landscaping and the paseo system.
Valencia is home to the Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park and the adjacent Hurricane Harbor water park. It is also the birthplace of major league baseball player Jon Garland, who used to play for the Chicago White Sox and now plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Actress Ashley Tisdale (
) attended Valencia High School in the class of 2003. Another actress, Jessica D. Stone (