There are quite a few points of confusion about local roads in the 95033 area, particularly around names and abbreviations. This page may help clear up some of the confusion.

  • 17 - Highway 17.
  • 35 - State Route 35. Starts (on the southern end) at 17 and is also called Summit Road there. Goes north from there to the intersection with Bear Creek Road, where Summit Road ends. 35 and Bear Creek run together for less than half a mile before 35 turns off and goes north again. From that point on north it is also called Skyline Blvd, and that continues well up the peninsula towards San Francisco. At the southern end, between 17 and Black Road, 35 is very narrow and winding, making it less than an ideal commute route.
  • 9 - State Route 9, also called Big Basin Way. Starts in downtown Saratoga and winds mostly east, running up into the mountains and intersects with 35. From there it turns mostly south and goes down into Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Felton, and eventually Santa Cruz, where it becomes River Street when it crosses SR 1. This is a commute route into Silicon Valley from those nearer to it than 17.
  • Bay St - what Soquel San Jose Road is actually named in Soquel, on the south side of the intersection with SR1, heading towards the beach.
  • Bear Creek Road - a busy but still local and winding road that runs west from highway 17 at Lexington Reservoir up to Summit/35 and then west into Boulder Creek where it ends at the intersection with 9. This road gets used as a commute route for some, particularly those living in Boulder Creek.
  • Four Corners - the intersection of Summit Road and Old Santa Cruz Highway, about 1 mile east of the junction of 17 and Summit Road. One of the very few, 4 way, 90 degree corners in the mountains.
  • Glenwood Drive
  • Laurel Road - There are 3 (yes, three) roads with this name, and it isn't one that continues on someplace else.
  • Loma Prieta Ave - which is not Loma Prieta Way
  • Loma Prieta Way - which is not Loma Prieta Ave
  • Morrell Road (Formerly named Morrill CutOff) - In Santa Cruz County, south side of Summit. Not to be confused with Morrill Rd.
  • Morrill Road - in Santa Clara County, north side of Summit. Not to be confused with Morrell Rd.
  • Mountain Charlie Road - on both sides of 17
  • Porter St - what Soquel San Jose Road is actually named in Soquel, on the north side of the intersection with SR1.
  • Old San Jose - another name for Soquel San Jose Road, now out of official use.
  • Old Santa Cruz Highway - a road that approximately parallels 17, on the east side of that road. It originates at Lexington Reservoir, where Bear Creek crosses 17 and continues south, crossing Summit Road and continuing until it intersects 17 a bit south of the restaurants at the Summit. Can be abbreviated OSCH or OSH. This is a winding, residential road filled with driveways. As such it can be an alternate route in a pinch - when 17 is stopped due to an accident - but it moves much more slowly, particularly if traffic is heavy.
  • OSCH (or OSH) - abbreviations for Old Santa Cruz Highway.
  • Soquel San Jose Road - Runs from Summit Road (about 4 miles east of the intersection of Summit and 17) all they way to Soquel on the Monterey coast. Sometimes misnamed "San Jose Soquel Road" and abbreviated SSJ. In Soquel the road changes name to Porter St. in town on the north side of SR1, and changes name again to Bay St. at the intersection with SR1 and south toward the beach.
  • SSJ - abbreviation for Soquel San Jose Road
  • Summit Road - starting on the western end at the intersection with Bear Creek Road, Summit Road (also called 35 at that point) runs south and east to Highway 17 (where 35 ends). Summit continues on the east side of 17 to about Soquel San Jose where the name changes to Highland. (Some maps show it changing to "North Summit Rd" briefly before changing to Highland Rd.)  It picks up again several miles farther east at the intersection of Mt. Madonna Rd and Maymen's Flat and goes on into Mount Madonna County Park, but that second portion of Summit Rd is entirely dirt and poorly marked.
  • Upper Zayante Road - a winding County road running from Summit Road to Eagle Lane

A note on directions. Mountain roads bend and curve all the time, and peninsula doesn't point exactly in any direction, which also complicates things, but there are generally accepted directions that roads run in.

  • Summit Road nominally goes east/west.
  • 35/Skyline nominally goes north/south
  • 9 nominally goes north/south, despite crossing Skyline at nearly 90 degrees
  • Soquel San Jose runs north/south
Add tags