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Highway 150: Santa Paula to Rincon, Ojai Valley, California
Photo: Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0 · cropped

Drives California The Central Coast

Highway 150: Santa Paula to Rincon

CA 150, Baldwin Road, Casitas Pass · Santa Paula → Rincon

Sweeping35 mi1 hr 5 min3,300 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,600 ftOne way
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The drive

Highway 150 is the old inland way between Ventura County and Santa Barbara, and this drive follows nearly all of it. From Santa Paula it climbs a canyon into Upper Ojai, a small upland valley of ranches and orchards, then drops down the Dennison Grade into the Ojai Valley.

In the middle the highway becomes Ojai Avenue through downtown Ojai, then Baldwin Road and Casitas Pass Road west past Lake Casitas, a 1959 Bureau of Reclamation reservoir that hosted the rowing and canoeing events of the 1984 Olympics. The road climbs again over Casitas Pass, a stage route since 1878, and winds down Rincon Road toward the ocean, ending just before US 101 at Rincon.

It's driven west from Santa Paula, so it finishes at the sea.

Along the way

  1. Santa Paula
  2. Ojai
  3. Lake Casitas
  4. Rincon (US 101)
Elevation
3,300 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,600 ft
Santa PaulaRincon
Curves
Mostly gentle, with three twisty stretches
Santa PaulaRincon
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The middle few miles are town driving on Ojai Avenue through downtown Ojai.
  • The tightest curves are on the climb out of Santa Paula and the descent from Casitas Pass to the coast.
  • Lake Casitas is a drinking-water reservoir: swimming and any body contact with the water are prohibited.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Caltrans: Highway 150 conditions.

Questions about this drive

How long does Highway 150 take from Santa Paula to Rincon?

Highway 150 from Santa Paula through Ojai and past Lake Casitas to US 101 at Rincon is 34.9 miles and takes about 1 hour 5 minutes without stops.

Is Highway 150 twisty?

Mostly no. Highway 150 is gentle for most of the way, with three short twisty stretches on the climbs and descents at either end of the Ojai Valley.

Can you swim in Lake Casitas?

No. Lake Casitas, beside Highway 150 west of Ojai, is a drinking-water reservoir, and body contact with the water is prohibited.

What is the history of Casitas Pass on Highway 150?

Casitas Pass on Highway 150 became the inland stage route between Ventura and Santa Barbara in 1878, because the coast road was so often blocked by tides, storms and slides.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Highway 150: Santa Paula to Rincon, from Santa Paula to Rincon