The route
This is a suggested first route along the Pacific Coast Highway, built from the places already in the Old Route Retro atlas. It follows the California coast south from San Francisco, over the Golden Gate, through Monterey and Big Sur, then down the beach-and-bluff shore of Southern California to San Diego. Every stop below links to its own place page, where the postcards filed for that place are gathered together.
The California route shows the whole state and holds every design currently filed under it.
Start in San Francisco
The route begins in San Francisco, whose fog, hills, and bay views have made it one of the most-painted cities in the atlas. Just north, the Golden Gate is the gate itself — the bridge, the headlands, and the strait that opens the coast to the Pacific.
Monterey and the coast road
Heading south, Monterey is the natural second stop — its harbor, cypresses, and rocky shore have drawn artists for over a century. Beyond it the road becomes the classic coast highway, hugging cliffs and redwood canyons into Big Sur, where the mountains meet the sea and there is nothing between the road and the Pacific but the drop.
Santa Barbara and the beach towns
Past the coast road's wild middle section, the shore softens into the garden city of Santa Barbara, with its mission, palms, and low red-roofed skyline. Farther south, Santa Monica brings the classic Southern California beach — pier, boardwalk, and wide sand — before the route reaches the great coastal city of Los Angeles.
End in San Diego
The route finishes at San Diego, the last city before the border, whose bay, lighthouse, and year-round mild coast make it a postcard in its own right. A worthwhile side stop along the way is Long Beach, where the harbor and gardens offer a calmer version of the LA coast.
Planning the route
This is a suggested route from the Old Route Retro atlas, not an official itinerary. The full Pacific Coast Highway runs much farther — north into Oregon and Washington and beyond Big Sur in stages — but this route covers the stretch the atlas files completely, and each place page stands alone if you prefer a single stop. Drive it south, as suggested, so the ocean is on your side of the road.
Open the California route to browse every design currently filed under it.
How long does the Pacific Coast Highway route take?
San Francisco to San Diego along the coast is roughly a week if you stop properly, or two relaxed days of pure driving. The stretch through Big Sur deserves its own unhurried day — the road is winding and the pullouts are worth every stop.
Is this the whole Pacific Coast Highway?
No. The full Pacific Coast Highway (California State Route 1 and the roads it connects to) runs from near Leggett in Northern California to San Juan Capistrano, and the broader coastal route continues through Oregon and Washington. This guide follows the section the atlas files completely — from San Francisco to San Diego.
What is the best time to drive it?
The coast is mild year-round. Spring and fall give the clearest skies; summer brings fog to the northern half and crowds to the beaches; winter is quietest but can bring rain and occasional road closures on the cliff sections. Check the current road status before the Big Sur stretch in any season.