Northridge Isn't One Neighborhood
Northridge covers about 12½ square miles of the northwest San Fernando Valley, from Roscoe Boulevard up to the 118 Freeway, with CSUN near its middle. Within it you'll find 1950s tract homes on 7,000 sq ft lots, 1960s homes on quarter-acre lots, half-acre RA parcels where horses are allowed, and condos and apartments near campus. Here's how the different parts of Northridge compare on the things you can actually measure: home types, lot sizes, era, zoning, parks and amenities.
- ≈15,300single-family parcels*
- ≈10,400 sq ftmedian single-family lot*
- 1960median year built*
- ≈2,160condominium units*
*Our analysis of LA County Assessor and City of LA zoning data for the Northridge East, West and South Neighborhood Council areas (October 2026), published on our Northridge real estate page. Figures are approximate.
Northridge's Three Areas at a Glance
The City divides Northridge among three certified neighborhood councils. Roughly, Nordhoff Street separates Northridge South from the other two, and Reseda Boulevard separates East from West. They're useful boundaries for comparing housing, because each has a different mix:
| Area | Single-family parcels | Median lot | Median year built | Median living area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northridge West (west of Reseda Blvd., north of Nordhoff St.) | ≈5,260 | ≈11,100 sq ft | 1964 | ≈2,360 sq ft |
| Northridge East (east of Reseda Blvd., north of Nordhoff St.) | ≈4,820 | ≈11,000 sq ft | 1959 | ≈2,070 sq ft |
| Northridge South (Nordhoff St. to Roscoe Blvd.) | ≈5,230 | ≈7,900 sq ft | 1954 | ≈1,710 sq ft |
| Sherwood Forest (inside Northridge South) | ≈1,000–1,150 homes | ≈17,600 sq ft | 1954 | ≈2,590 sq ft |
Northridge West
The newest housing of the three, with a median build year of 1964, and the largest median living area. Lots are mostly in the 10,000 sq ft-plus range.
Northridge East
Similar lot sizes to the West side, but a slightly older housing stock, with a median build year of 1959. CSUN's campus on Nordhoff Street is inside the Northridge East council area, and the area around campus includes condos and apartments as well as single-family streets.
Northridge South
The oldest and most varied area. The median lot is smaller, about 7,900 sq ft, and homes are smaller on average, with a median build year of 1954. It also contains Sherwood Forest, the officially named neighborhood between Nordhoff, Balboa, Lindley and the railroad tracks, where the median lot is about 17,600 sq ft. See our guide to living in Sherwood Forest.
Home Types and Eras
- Single-family homes make up most of Northridge. About 46% were built in the 1950s and 34% in the 1960s; fewer than 3% were built in 1990 or later. Most have 3 (41%) or 4 (39%) bedrooms.
- Pools are common: about half of single-family parcels carry an Assessor use code that indicates one.
- Condos and apartments: about 2,160 condominium units and about 9,100 units in buildings of five or more. If you're shopping for a condo or a smaller home, those markets have very different prices and comparable sales from single-family lots.
Because so much of Northridge was built before 1970, condition and permit history matter as much as the neighborhood. Many homes were repaired or rebuilt after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Ask for the permit history, and for apartment buildings, check whether the City's soft-story retrofit program applies.
Lot Sizes and Zoning
About 53% of Northridge single-family lots are 10,000 sq ft or larger, about 5% are 20,000 sq ft or larger, and only about 9% are under 6,500 sq ft. Four zones cover most single-family parcels, and each sets a different minimum lot size for new lots:
| Zone | Share of single-family parcels | Minimum lot area for new lots | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| RS (Suburban) | ≈35% | 7,500 sq ft | Standard suburban lots |
| RA (Suburban, larger lots) | ≈30% | 17,500 sq ft | Allows non-commercial horse-keeping on lots of 17,500 sq ft or more |
| RE11 (Residential Estate) | ≈20% | 11,000 sq ft | Larger estate lots |
| R1 (One-Family) | ≈14% | 5,000 sq ft | Smaller single-family lots |
If you want room for horses, note that many older RA lots are smaller than 17,500 sq ft, so horse-keeping isn't automatic; a few dozen parcels also sit in a "K" equinekeeping district. If you want room for an ADU, state law requires the City to approve qualifying ADUs on single-family lots, and Northridge's larger lots often have the space. Either way, check the specific parcel on ZIMAS.
Parks and Recreation
- Northridge Recreation Center (18300 Lemarsh St.): lighted baseball diamond, lighted tennis and volleyball courts, indoor and outdoor basketball, a multipurpose field, picnic areas and a community room.
- Northridge Pool (10058 Reseda Blvd.): a City summer pool; check Recreation and Parks for the current season and hours.
- Dearborn Park (17141 Nordhoff St.), on the northern edge of Sherwood Forest.
- Vanalden Park (8956 Vanalden Ave.): picnic tables, horseshoe pits and a jogging path.
- Oakridge Estate Park (18650 Devonshire St.): a City park on a historic estate, open daily from sunrise to sunset, with tours of the estate on weekends.
- Limekiln Canyon Park (19585 Rinaldi St.), just north of the 118: hiking and bridle trails.
Amenities and Getting Around
- CSUN on Nordhoff Street, including The Soraya performing arts center.
- Northridge Fashion Center (9301 Tampa Ave.), the regional mall, opened in 1971.
- Rail: the Northridge Metrolink station (8775 Wilbur Ave.) on the Ventura County Line; the Chatsworth station, just west, adds Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service and the Metro G Line.
- Freeways: the 118 along the northern edge; Nordhoff Street and Roscoe Boulevard lead east to the I-405.
How to Look Up Assigned Schools
Northridge is in the Los Angeles Unified School District. LAUSD's school-location data shows these campuses inside the Northridge neighborhood council boundaries:
- Elementary: Andasol Avenue, Calahan Street, Darby Avenue, Lorne Street and Napa Street Elementary; Parthenia Academy of Arts and Technology; Balboa Gifted/High Ability Magnet; and the affiliated charters Beckford Charter for Enriched Studies, Dearborn Elementary Charter Academy and Topeka Charter School for Advanced Studies.
- Middle: Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle School, Northridge Middle School and Alfred Bernhard Nobel Charter Middle School.
- High: Northridge Academy High School, plus the independent charters Valley International Preparatory High and Magnolia Science Academy 7.
A nearby school isn't necessarily the assigned one, and attendance boundaries change. To see the schools assigned to a specific address:
- Open LAUSD's Resident School Identifier.
- Enter the full street address and choose the school year.
- Review the assigned elementary, middle and high schools, and contact LAUSD about magnet, charter or choice programs if you're interested in them.
What's Your Northridge Home Worth?
Values in Northridge can swing a lot within a mile, mostly because of land and what's been done to the house. Get a free, no-obligation valuation based on sales that match your lot size, zoning and era.
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About David Petikyan
David Petikyan leads Property Provider Group with eXp Realty. He works with San Fernando Valley sellers and buyers out of his office at 15545 Devonshire St #103 in Mission Hills, a few miles east of Northridge on the same Devonshire corridor. He also holds the California Association of REALTORS® Certified Probate & Trust Specialist certification for inherited and trust sales.
David Petikyan · Property Provider Group | eXp Realty · DRE# 02089725
15545 Devonshire St #103, Mission Hills, CA 91345 · (818) 394-0012
eXp Realty of Greater Los Angeles, Inc. #02188471
Northridge Neighborhoods FAQ
What are the main neighborhoods in Northridge?
The City divides Northridge into three neighborhood council areas: Northridge West, Northridge East and Northridge South. Northridge South also includes Sherwood Forest, an officially named large-lot neighborhood between Nordhoff Street, Balboa Boulevard, Lindley Avenue and the railroad tracks.
Where in Northridge are the biggest lots?
Of the areas compared here, Sherwood Forest has the largest typical lots, with a median of about 17,600 sq ft. Across the council areas, Northridge West and East have median lots of about 11,000 sq ft, compared with about 7,900 sq ft in Northridge South, based on LA County Assessor data.
What school district is Northridge, CA in?
Northridge is in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Assigned schools depend on the exact address, so use LAUSD's Resident School Identifier to look up any home.
What ZIP codes cover Northridge?
Most Northridge addresses are in ZIP codes 91324 and 91325. Parts of Northridge also use 91326, which mostly covers Porter Ranch, and 91343, which mostly covers North Hills.
What parks are in Northridge, CA?
City parks in Northridge include Northridge Recreation Center, Dearborn Park, Vanalden Park, Oakridge Estate Park and the Northridge Pool, with Limekiln Canyon Park just north of the 118 Freeway.
Can you have horses in Northridge?
On some lots. About 30% of Northridge single-family parcels are zoned RA, which allows non-commercial horse-keeping on lots of at least 17,500 sq ft. Many older RA lots are smaller than that, so check the zoning and lot area for a specific parcel.
Sources
- LA County Assessor parcel data (2026 roll) and City of LA ZIMAS zoning layer, analyzed October 2026, as published on our Northridge and Sherwood Forest pages (methods described there). Figures are approximate.
- City of Los Angeles, Neighborhood Council Boundaries (LA GeoHub).
- LA City Planning, Zoning Code Summary; LAMC Sec. 12.07, "RA" Suburban Zone; California HCD, ADU Handbook.
- LA Department of Building and Safety, Soft-Story Retrofit Program.
- LA Recreation & Parks: Northridge Recreation Center, Northridge Pool, Dearborn Park, Vanalden Park, Oakridge Estate Park, Limekiln Canyon Park.
- CSUN, History; The Soraya; Wikipedia, Northridge Fashion Center and Northridge, Los Angeles.
- Metrolink, Northridge and Chatsworth stations.
- LAUSD school locations layer (LAUSD GIS), retrieved October 2026; LAUSD Resident School Identifier.
Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Laws, tax rates and fees change; verify zoning, lot size, permits, taxes, disclosures and school assignments independently, and consult an attorney, CPA or escrow officer for advice on your situation. David Petikyan, DRE# 02089725, eXp Realty. eXp Realty of Greater Los Angeles, Inc. #02188471. Equal Housing Opportunity.