California's fabled coastal road begins in Dana Point and winds north along the scenic California coast, linking waterside destinations, secluded stretches, and the state's biggest cities before ending near Leggett in Mendocino County, where it follows Cottaneva Creek inland through redwood-forested mountainous terrain to U.S. 101 just outside Leggett. The early twentieth century's sudden popularity of cars created a need for reliable roads, so highway planning began in 1919 and construction started in 1921, with California opening its first north-south corridor in 1937. Over the years this road carried different names and route numbers; the state officially renamed it Pacific Coast Highway in 1941, and in 1964, after California adopted its numbering system, it also became Highway 1. The most difficult section to build was in rugged Big Sur, and in Dana Point construction began with mules and hand tools. The route was originally called Roosevelt Highway in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt, who loved the West and died in 1919 as planning for the roadway began. The road is called Pacific Coast Highway only in Orange, Los Angeles, and Ventura Counties, while north of Ventura it is known as California Highway 1.
