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The Pacific Electric Bike Trail is a remnant of a vast transportation network that once connected most of Southern California.

Started in 1901 by real estate tycoon Henry Huntington, the Pacific Electric Railway spanned over 1,000 miles, with over 900 trolley cars. These “Red Cars” were more than a means of transportation, they were a symbol of innovation and community, connecting people and cultures across the region.

Everywhere the Pacific Electric Railway stopped, new housing sprang up. Today’s Pacific Park Neighborhood is comprised of dozens of housing tracts made possible by the railcar. Pacific Electric Railway service to Santa Ana continued until 1950.

You can still see a piece of the old “Red Car” track at the corner of Chestnut and Maple. This is also a great spot to begin exploring the beautiful Pacific Park neighborhood.

When the Pacific Electric Railway expanded into central Orange County, their first purchase was the old Santa Ana & Orange Motor Company, which ran a steam-powered car old timers called the “Peanut Roaster” and the “Orange Dummy.” This route became a part of the Pacific Electric’s service connecting downtown Santa Ana to downtown Orange. The main Santa Ana Line began operation in 1905. Route 11, as it was known by locals, left the Long Beach Line at Watts, angling across the center of Orange County to Fourth Street in Santa Ana, then continuing East to the Santa Ana Pacific Electric Depot in the Lacy neighborhood where it connected to other lines.

The Santa Ana – Huntington Beach Line began service in 1909, leaving the Santa Ana Pacific Depot and running south on Maple Street to Delhi where it turned West on Alton, continuing until crossing the Santa Ana River and then going south to Huntington Beach. The stretch of railway along Maple Street from First Street until McFadden, is what made Pacific Park neighborhood possible, inspiring investors to transform farmland and orchards into suburban housing tracts. With aspirational names like Eden Square, Fairmont Park, and Walnut Grove, each tract had a unique architectural style. You can still see variety in style and era all over Pacific Park, with stately Victorian homes, giving way to Craftsman bungalows, Mission Revival casas, Fairytale cottages, and mid-century Ranch houses. The 1918 Spanish Flu resulted in a huge reduction of service, operating just a single round trip a day from 1918 – 1921. The Pacific Electric Railway ended service to Huntington Beach in 1922.

For almost 100 years, the mark of the Pacific Electric Railway has been felt throughout Orange County, commanding a presence in art, film, and transportation history. The “Big Red Car” has been featured in countless murals, at Disneyland’s California Adventure, in local park tributes, and in the popular imagination via films like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.” Most of our OC communities owe their founding, growth or incorporation to the Pacific Electric Railway. The “Red Car” greatly impacted the development of Santa Ana and directly shaped Pacific Park as the unique neighborhood it is today.

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Photos from the Orange County Archives