Highway 1 (especially the portion north of Santa Barbara) is famous for boasting some of the most beautiful coastline in the world, the cliffs of Big Sur, the cities of Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara; then south where it connects Southern California beach cities such as Ventura, Oxnard, Malibu and Santa Monica. South of the Los Angeles area, P.C.H. travels through cities which include Long Beach, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and San Clemente. For most of its length, Highway 1 is a winding, two lane road. State parks and small coastal towns can be found amongst hundreds of miles of wilderness. Many Californians take weekend road trips along this highway.
State Route 1 is often erroneously referred to as US Highway 1, but US Highway 1 follows the East Coast of the United States. US Highway 101 runs north from Los Angeles to the Washington/British Columbia line, typically several miles inland from State Highway 1 and the Pacific Ocean.