The street is named after U.S. Union General William S. Rosecrans, who purchased 13,000 acres (5,300 ha) of Rancho Sausal Redondo southwest of Los Angeles in 1869.

On its route, it crosses through Manhattan Beach, El Segundo (northside of street only), Hawthorne, Lawndale, Gardena, Harbor Gateway, Willowbrook, Compton, East Rancho Dominguez, Paramount, Downey (for one block between Century Blvd and Lakewood Blvd/SR-19), Bellflower, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, La Mirada, Buena Park (southside of street only; Fullerton and La Mirada connect on the northside near Beach Blvd/SR-39), and Fullerton where the road ends at Euclid Street (eastern terminus).

From Lakewood Boulevard in Downey/Bellflower to Valley View Avenue in Santa Fe Springs/La Mirada, Rosecrans is about one mile south of, and runs parallel to Imperial Highway.

[3][4] BNSF, Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and Southwest Chief, and Metrolink's Orange County and 91 lines run towards that crossing.

Compton native Kendrick Lamar mentions the thoroughfare in numerous songs on his albums good kid, m.A.A.d city and GNX.