Bolsa Ave, Westminster

Bolsa Avenue is a major east/west artery in northern Orange County, extending from Huntington Beach to Santa Ana. It represents the variety of cultures that co-exist in this part of the county. It’s a wide street with 2 lanes in each direction and a turning lane in the middle, so traffic always moves smoothly.

In Huntington Beach, Bolsa Avenue begins at the Naval Weapons Station and forms one of the borders of the Boeing Huntington Beach Campus. It then passes through some suburban neighborhoods into Westminster. The Westminster Mall, the largest indoor mall in the area, is on Bolsa Avenue.

Once Bolsa Avenue passes over the 405 Freeway, it enters the area of Westminster known as Little Saigon. This area is the largest and oldest settlement of Vietnamese immigrants in the U.S. Bolsa Avenue in Little Saigon is lined with prosperous-looking Vietnamese shopping centers and businesses, large apartment complexes and well-kept mobile home parks. Many commercial signs in the area are written in Vietnamese, which tends to put off some longtime Orange County residents. However, the area has actually been revitalized by the establishment of Little Saigon.

After Bolsa passes over the Santa Ana River and enters Santa Ana, Vietnamese signs give way to signs in Spanish and the cultural flavor changes to Latino, which is the predominant culture in Santa Ana. Ist Street passes through old downtown Santa Ana and then continues into Tustin.