# California State Route 33

State Route 33 (SR 33) is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs north from U.S. Route 101 in Ventura through the Transverse Ranges and the western side of the San Joaquin Valley to Interstate 5 at a point east of Tracy. SR 33 replaced part of U.S. Route 399 in 1964 during the "great renumbering" of routes. In the unincorporated sections of Kern County it is known as the West Side Highway. In addition, the California Legislature designated the entire Kern County portion as the Petroleum Highway in 2004. The southernmost portion in Ventura is a freeway known as the Ojai Freeway, while it is known as the Maricopa Highway from Ojai to Maricopa.

## Route description

State Route 33 begins in Ventura as a short freeway ("Ojai Freeway"). SR 33 then continues north as Maricopa Highway, an undivided surface road, through Ojai, following Matilija Canyon past the easternmost extremity of the Santa Ynez Mountains in Los Padres National Forest, and passing over the Transverse Ranges at Pine Mountain Summit. As SR 33 comes down into the Cuyama Valley, it comes up to a junction with SR 166 east of Cuyama. Route 33 continues with Route 166 as they enter Kern County for about 20 miles (32 km) to Maricopa where the routes separate. In Maricopa, Route 33 turns northwest, following the western side of the San Joaquin Valley. Between Taft and Avenal it roughly parallels Interstate 5 and the eastern foothills of the Temblor and Diablo ranges; for the first 15 miles (24 km) of the portion following the axis of the Midway-Sunset Oil Field. Northwest of Avenal, it turns due west to enter Coalinga. It then runs concurrent with SR 198 and turns northeast through the Anticline Ridge. It soon becomes concurrent with I-5 for 13 miles (21 km). Thereafter, it departs due north near Cantua Creek, turns northwest at Mendota, through Firebaugh and meets State Route 152 in Dos Palos, in which it runs concurrently due west for approximately ten miles. It departs again west of Los Banos, turning north to Santa Nella (where it has an interchange with I-5), and roughly parallels I-5 and the San Joaquin River until its northern terminus at I-5 and Bird Road southeast of Tracy.
When passing through the Avenal/Coalinga area travelers pass near a series of prisons and government facilities. They include: Avenal State Prison, Pleasant Valley State Prison, and the Coalinga State Hospital.
In the portions of the route in Kern and Fresno Counties, SR 33 passes through one of the United States' largest petroleum extraction fields, with hundreds of nodding oil pumps along the highway. Some of the fields visible from the highway include the Midway-Sunset, South and North Belridge, Cymric, McKittrick, Lost Hills, and Coalinga oil fields.
Most of SR 33's route passes through sparsely populated, relatively desolate portions of the San Joaquin Valley. Travelers along it should use caution, since emergency services are typically dozens of miles away. Carrying extra water and coolant is especially advised, since summertime temperatures in the area routinely surpass 100 °F (38 °C).
Several segments of this route are part of the California Freeway and Expressway System, but only two segments, one south of the northern city limits of Ojai, and one near SR 152 are part of the National Highway System, a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration. Several segments are eligible to be included in the State Scenic Highway System; however, only the portion from 6.4 miles north of the SR 150 junction to the Ventura–Santa Barbara county line is a scenic highway as designated by Caltrans, meaning that it is a substantial section of highway passing through a "memorable landscape" with no "visual intrusions", where the potential designation has gained popular favor with the community. This scenic segment is also designated as part of the Jacinto Reyes Scenic Byway, a National Forest Scenic Byway.

## History

Before the US 399 designation was deleted in 1964, SR 33 followed SR 166 east from US 99 at Wheeler Ridge to Maricopa in lieu of the segment from Ventura to Maricopa, and followed the old US highway from Taft to Maricopa. Today, SR 166 remains on the segment between Wheeler Ridge and Maricopa.
SR 33 used to extend north to Interstate 205 in Tracy, but this segment was relinquished after the segment of Interstate 5 from SR 33 to I-205 was completed.
When Caltrans implemented its exit numbering program in 2002, SR 33's section of the Ojai Freeway was not included and is one of the very few stretches of freeway in California to not feature exit numbers.

## Major intersections

Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured on the road as it was in 1964, based on the alignment that existed at the time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage. R reflects a realignment in the route since then, M indicates a second realignment, L refers to an overlap due to a correction or change, and T indicates postmiles classified as temporary (for a full list of prefixes, see California postmile § Official postmile definitions). Segments that remain unconstructed or have been relinquished to local control may be omitted. The numbers reset at county lines; the start and end postmiles in each county are given in the county column. All exits are unnumbered.
| County | Location | Postmile | Destinations | Notes |
| Ventura VEN 0.00-57.51 | Ventura | 0.00 | US 101 (Ventura Freeway, SR 1) – Los Angeles, San Francisco | Interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance; south end of SR 33; US 101 exit 70B |
| Ventura VEN 0.00-57.51 | Ventura | 0.17 | Main Street – Ventura | Interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance |
| Ventura VEN 0.00-57.51 | Ventura | 1.57 | Stanley Avenue | Interchange; southbound exit and entrance are on the left |
| Ventura VEN 0.00-57.51 | ​ | 2.65 | Shell Road | Interchange |
| Ventura VEN 0.00-57.51 | ​ | R4.49 | Cañada Larga Road | Interchange |
| Ventura VEN 0.00-57.51 | ​ | R5.64 | Casitas Vista Road | Interchange |
| Ventura VEN 0.00-57.51 | Casitas Springs | | North end of freeway | North end of freeway |
| Ventura VEN 0.00-57.51 | Mira Monte | 11.21R14.41 | SR 150 west (Baldwin Road) – Meiners Oaks, Lake Casitas, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara | South end of SR 150 overlap |
| Ventura VEN 0.00-57.51 | Ojai | 16.5811.21 | SR 150 east (Ojai Avenue) – Ojai, Santa Paula | North end of SR 150 overlap |
| Ventura VEN 0.00-57.51 | ​ | 48.50 | Lockwood Valley Road to I-5 – Lockwood Valley | |
| Santa Barbara SB 0.00-8.18 | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions |
| San Luis Obispo SLO 0.00-4.95 | ​ | 2.80 | SR 166 west to US 101 – Cuyama, New Cuyama, Santa Maria | South end of SR 166 overlap |
| Kern KER 0.00-73.74 | Maricopa | R11.56 | SR 166 east (Poso Street) to I-5 south – Los Angeles | North end of SR 166 overlap |
| Kern KER 0.00-73.74 | Taft | 17.89 | SR 119 (Taft Highway) | Former US 399 north; western terminus of SR 119 |
| Kern KER 0.00-73.74 | McKittrick | 33.45 | SR 58 west – California Valley, Santa Margarita | South end of SR 58 overlap |
| Kern KER 0.00-73.74 | McKittrick | 34.29 | SR 58 east to I-5 – Buttonwillow, Bakersfield | North end of SR 58 overlap; no left turn from SR 33 south to SR 58 east, access is via a left turn at Lokern Road |
| Kern KER 0.00-73.74 | ​ | 40.74 | Lokern Road to SR 58 east – Buttonwillow | |
| Kern KER 0.00-73.74 | Blackwells Corner | 60.09 | SR 46 – Lost Hills, Wasco, Bakersfield, Paso Robles | Former US 466 |
| Kings KIN 0.00-18.99 | ​ | 7.80 | SR 41 – Kettleman City, Fresno, Paso Robles | |
| Kings KIN 0.00-18.99 | Avenal | 17.14 | SR 269 (Skyline Boulevard) to I-5 – Huron, Lemoore NAS | Southern terminus of SR 269 |
| Fresno FRE 0.00-R83.05 | ​ | 10.50 | Jayne Avenue to I-5 – Stratford | |
| Fresno FRE 0.00-R83.05 | Coalinga | 15.37 | Polk Street to SR 198 west – King City | |
| Fresno FRE 0.00-R83.05 | Coalinga | 15.71 | SR 198 west (Elm Avenue) / Coalinga Plaza (Fifth Street) – King City | South end of SR 198 overlap |
| Fresno FRE 0.00-R83.05 | ​ | 24.32 | SR 198 east (Dorris Avenue) / Shell Road – Lemoore, Hanford | North end of SR 198 overlap |
| Fresno FRE 0.00-R83.05 | ​ | R29.0217.96 | I-5 south (West Side Freeway) / SR 145 north (Fresno-Coalinga Road) – Los Angeles, Kerman | Interchange; south end of I-5 overlap; I-5 exit 337; southern terminus of SR 145 |
| South end of freeway on I-5 ||
| Fresno FRE 0.00-R83.05 | ​ | 29.96R39.82 | North end of freeway on I-5 | North end of freeway on I-5 |
| Fresno FRE 0.00-R83.05 | ​ | 29.96R39.82 | I-5 north (West Side Freeway) / Derrick Avenue – San Francisco, Sacramento | Interchange; north end of I-5 overlap; I-5 exit 349 |
| Fresno FRE 0.00-R83.05 | Mendota | 59.43 | California Avenue, Panoche Road to SR 180 east – Fresno | |
| Fresno FRE 0.00-R83.05 | Mendota | 61.45 | CR J1 (Belmont Avenue) | |
| Fresno FRE 0.00-R83.05 | Mendota | 62.25 | SR 180 east (Oller Street) – Fresno | Western terminus of SR 180 |
| Fresno FRE 0.00-R83.05 | Firebaugh | 70.19 | 12th Street to I-5 north | |
| Merced MER R0.00-30.00 | Dos Palos Y | R5.64R32.37 | SR 152 east / Elgin Avenue – Merced | Interchange; south end of SR 152 overlap |
| Merced MER R0.00-30.00 | Los Banos | 21.27 | SR 165 (Mercey Springs Road) to I-5 south – Turlock | |
| Merced MER R0.00-30.00 | ​ | 13.85 | I-5 (West Side Freeway) – San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles | Interchange; I-5 exits 403A-B |
| Merced MER R0.00-30.00 | ​ | 11.27R13.24 | SR 152 west / San Luis Drive (to Gonzaga Road) – Gilroy | Interchange; north end of SR 152 overlap; SR 152 exit 60 |
| Merced MER R0.00-30.00 | Santa Nella | R16.64 | I-5 (West Side Freeway) – San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles | Interchange; I-5 exit 407 |
| Merced MER R0.00-30.00 | Gustine | 26.464.35 | SR 140 west (Sullivan Road) to I-5 | South end of SR 140 overlap |
| Merced MER R0.00-30.00 | Gustine | 6.0627.11 | SR 140 east / First Avenue – Merced | North end of SR 140 overlap |
| Stanislaus STA 0.00-27.09 | Newman | 2.06 | CR J18 (Stuhr Road) to I-5 – Livingston, Turlock | |
| Stanislaus STA 0.00-27.09 | Crows Landing | 6.84 | Crows Landing Road, Fink Road to I-5 | |
| Stanislaus STA 0.00-27.09 | Patterson | 12.57 | CR J17 west (Sperry Avenue) to I-5 | South end of CR J17 overlap |
| Stanislaus STA 0.00-27.09 | Patterson | 13.18 | CR J17 east (Las Palmas Avenue) – Turlock | North end of CR J17 overlap |
| Stanislaus STA 0.00-27.09 | Westley | 19.55 | CR J16 (Grayson Road, Howard Road) to I-5 | |
| San Joaquin SJ 0.00-5.00 | Vernalis | 0.82 | SR 132 / Vernalis Road – Modesto, San Francisco | Interchange |
| San Joaquin SJ 0.00-5.00 | ​ | 4.83 | I-5 (West Side Freeway) – Stockton, Sacramento, Los Angeles | Interchange; north end of SR 33; I-5 exit 452 |
| San Joaquin SJ 0.00-5.00 | ​ | 5.00 | Ahern Road – Tracy | Continuation beyond I-5; former SR 33 north |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access |||||
* 1 2 Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along SR 150 rather than SR 33.
* 1 2 Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along I-5 rather than SR 33.
* 1 2 3 4 Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along SR 152 rather than SR 33.
* 1 2 Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along SR 140 rather than SR 33.