Welcome to L.A. Street Names, the origin stories of street names across Los Angeles County, from the shortest cul-de-sacs to the longest boulevards. Mysteries solved, myths debunked, scandals exposed, history revealed. This is an ongoing project with more than 1,700 streets – and growing. See FAQ for more information.
Featured Major Street
Appian Way
Laid out in 1906 on the Naples Extension tract, Appian Way follows the route of the late great Pacific Electric Railway. The street’s name is a nod to the Via Appia, the ancient highway that once connected Rome to Brindisi – a distance of some 350 miles, give or take. It was begun in 312 B.C. by its namesake, Appius Claudius Caecus, a Roman censor (a magistrate who oversaw both the census and public morality – hence today’s definition of “censorship”). Given the Naples neighborhood’s Italian theme, you can see the connection, although Italy’s Via Appia never went to Napoli.