San Fernando Valley

Basin of neighbourhoods and suburbs of Los Angeles, California, covering 670 sq km/260 sq mi, between the Santa Monica Mountains to the south, the Simi Hills to the west, and the San Gabriel and Santa Susana mountains to the northeast and northwest, 16 km/10 mi northwest of central Los Angeles. It is home to one-third of the city's population.

The Valley was a ranching area before the 1870s, when the arrival of the railway spurred the founding of a number of small towns. Most of the area was annexed to Los Angeles in 1915 to gain access to municipal water from the Los Angeles Aqueduct. Market gardens and walnut and citrus orchards predominated in the Valley until the area became a focus for booming post-World War II residential development.

Beside the separate municipalities of San Fernando, Hidden Hills, and Burbank, the Valley includes North Hollywood, Van Nuys, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Reseda, Tarzana, Northridge, Chatsworth, Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, Calabasas, Panorama City, Granada Hills, Pacoima, Sylmar, and Universal City. Many of its communities are becoming racially and economically diverse. The entertainment and aerospace industries have been prominent in various Valley locations.