Van Ness Avenue

Van Ness Avenue

Maintained by	San Francisco DPW, Caltrans
Length	4.2 mi (6.8 km)
North end	McDowell Avenue
Major junctions	US 101
South end	Cesar Chavez (Army) Street

Intersection of Van Ness Avenue and Clay Street.

Intersection of Van Ness Avenue and Bay Street. Galileo Academy of Science and Technology is in the background.

Van Ness Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare in San Francisco, California, running from Market St north to the Bay. Originally named Marlette Street, the street was renamed Van Ness Avenue in honor of the city's seventh mayor, James Van Ness. Van Ness Avenue begins at Market Street near the Civic Center, and extends north to end at McDowell Avenue at Fort Mason. Of the more striking landmarks along the route are the San Francisco City Hall, the War Memorial Opera House, and Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall.

South Van Ness Avenue is the portion of Van Ness south of Market Street, continuing through the city's South of Market and Mission districts to end at Cesar Chavez Street. It was formerly a continuation of Howard Street, having been renamed by resolution of the Board of Supervisors on August 22, 1932.

The route is designated US 101 from the Central Freeway at the convergence of South Van Ness, Howard Street, and 13th Street, north to Lombard Street.

History

Originally a quiet residential neighborhood of mansions, the street was used as a firebreak by the U.S. Army during the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed most of San Francisco. Many of the buildings were dynamited along the street by soldiers in an ultimately successful attempt to keep the firestorm from spreading west to the entire city. Following the quake, Van Ness served as the temporary commercial center and main thoroughfare of San Francisco, as it ultimately evolved into a busy commercial district in its own right, attracting many car dealerships that exist to this day as the majority of the city's car and scooter dealerships line the street. It still remains a generally upscale area with large and grand apartment buildings, restaurants, and movie theaters.

Streetcar service started on Van Ness in 1915 for the opening of the Panama–Pacific International Exposition. The rail lines were removed in the 1950's and replaced with a tree-lined median.

Major intersections

The entire route is within the borders of the City and County of San Francisco.

Destinations	Notes
Cesar Chavez (Army Street)
US 101 south (Central Freeway) to I-80 east – San Jose	South end of US 101 overlap; interchange
US 101 north (Lombard Street) – Golden Gate Bridge	North end of US 101 overlap
McDowell Avenue

See also

• Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit