are in the distance. . State Route 33 begins in
Ventura as a short
freeway ("Ojai Freeway"). SR 33 then continues north as Maricopa Highway, an undivided surface road, through
Ojai, following
Matilija Canyon past the easternmost extremity of the
Santa Ynez Mountains in
Los Padres National Forest, and passing over the
Transverse Ranges at Pine Mountain Summit. As SR 33 comes down into the Cuyama Valley, it comes up to a junction with
SR 166 east of
Cuyama. Route 33 continues with Route 166 as they enter
Kern County for about to
Maricopa where the routes separate. In Maricopa, Route 33 turns northwest, following the western side of the
San Joaquin Valley. Between
Taft and
Avenal it roughly parallels
Interstate 5 and the eastern foothills of the
Temblor and
Diablo ranges; for the first of the portion following the axis of the
Midway-Sunset Oil Field. Northwest of Avenal, it turns due west to enter
Coalinga. It then runs
concurrent with
SR 198 and turns northeast through the
Anticline Ridge. It soon becomes
concurrent with I-5 for . Thereafter, it departs due north near
Cantua Creek, turns northwest at
Mendota, through
Firebaugh and meets
State Route 152 in
Dos Palos, in which it runs concurrently due west for approximately ten miles. It departs again west of
Los Banos, turning north to
Santa Nella (where it has an interchange with I-5), and roughly parallels I-5 and the
San Joaquin River until its northern terminus at I-5 and Bird Road southeast of Tracy. When passing through the Avenal/Coalinga area travelers pass near a series of prisons and government facilities. They include:
Avenal State Prison,
Pleasant Valley State Prison, and the
Coalinga State Hospital. In the portions of the route in
Kern and
Fresno Counties, SR 33 passes through one of the United States' largest
petroleum extraction fields, with hundreds of nodding oil pumps along the highway. Some of the fields visible from the highway include the Midway-Sunset,
South and
North Belridge,
Cymric,
McKittrick,
Lost Hills, and
Coalinga oil fields. Most of SR 33's route passes through sparsely populated, relatively desolate portions of the San Joaquin Valley. Travelers along it should use caution, since emergency services are typically dozens of miles away. Carrying extra water and coolant is especially advised, since summertime temperatures in the area routinely surpass . Several segments of this route are part of the
California Freeway and Expressway System, but only two segments, one south of the northern city limits of Ojai, and one near SR 152 are part of the
National Highway System, a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the
Federal Highway Administration. Several segments are eligible to be included in the
State Scenic Highway System; however, only the portion from 6.4 miles north of the
SR 150 junction to the Ventura–Santa Barbara county line is a scenic highway as designated by
Caltrans, meaning that it is a substantial section of highway passing through a "memorable landscape" with no "visual intrusions", where the potential designation has gained popular favor with the community. This scenic segment is also designated as part of the
Jacinto Reyes Scenic Byway, a
National Forest Scenic Byway. ==History==