Key takeaways
- Davis is a city, not just a street or gang area Grove Street is one location within its boundaries.
- Its main navigation axes are Davis Avenue, Strawberry Avenue, Innocence Boulevard, Roy Lowenstein Boulevard and Grove Street.
- Grove Street is Ballas-controlled in GTA V, despite its former association with the Families.
- Davis contains the Davis Sheriff's Station, the nearby LSPD Auto Impound, Davis City Hall, the courts building, a public library, a fire station and several commercial plazas.
- Franklin can purchase Grove Street Garage, also known as Auto Fix Factory, for $30,000 in Story Mode after the relevant property unlock conditions.
- The district is useful for early missions but hazardous for casual exploration because Ballas hostility, police presence and gang firefights are common around important locations.
About this guide
Spoiler warning: This guide discusses mission locations, gang history, Franklin’s properties, Hood Safari, Tonya’s towing missions and several GTA Online storylines.
Overview
This guide covers Grand Theft Auto V’s HD Universe, primarily Story Mode, with GTA Online differences labelled where they materially affect a location, activity or progression state. It treats Davis as the full incorporated city, not merely Grove Street or Franklin’s old neighbourhood.
This guide covers Grand Theft Auto V’s HD Universe, primarily Story Mode, with GTA Online differences labelled where they materially affect a location, activity or progression state. It treats Davis as the full incorporated city, not merely Grove Street or Franklin’s old neighbourhood.
Introduction
Davis is an incorporated city in southern Los Santos County, San Andreas. It occupies the southern part of Los Santos and is one of the three incorporated cities in the county, alongside Del Perro and Rockford Hills. In practical gameplay terms, it is one of the most important districts in southern Los Santos because it combines residential streets, gang territory, civic buildings, commercial strips, emergency services, mission locations and several of Franklin Clinton’s earliest connections.
Davis is bordered by Strawberry to the north, Rancho to the east, Chamberlain Hills to the west and Banning to the south. The nearby neighbourhoods are separate places and should not be treated as subdivisions of Davis. Davis itself includes Grove Street, the Davis Avenue commercial corridor, the civic centre around Innocence Boulevard and the residential streets south and west of those roads.
The city is strongly associated with The Families and the Ballas, particularly the former Grove Street Families set and the Ballas’ present control of Grove Street. It is also the setting for Hood Safari, several of Franklin’s early story activities, Tonya’s towing work and parts of the GTA Online Lowriders, The Contract, After Hours and Los Santos Tuners content.
Character of the city
The southern and south-western parts of Davis are mainly residential. Houses are generally modest, close together and often fitted with bars or security grilles. The north-eastern side, especially around Davis Avenue and Innocence Boulevard, is more commercial, with small businesses, strip-mall units and civic buildings.
Davis’ population is presented as predominantly African-American, reflecting the district’s South Central Los Angeles and Compton inspirations. The game’s depiction is fictional and exaggerated for the setting, but the environmental design consistently contrasts Davis with the wealthier western districts.
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There is no official in-game subdivision system that gives Davis a set of formal wards or neighbourhoods. However, for navigation and research, the city can usefully be understood through the following distinct areas.
Grove Street area
Grove Street is the best-known location inside Davis. It begins at Davis Avenue and ends at a cul-de-sac, running near the Los Santos storm drain and close to Maze Bank Arena. The street is controlled by the Ballas during the events of GTA V, although it was formerly associated with the Families’ Grove Street set.
Grove Street is not the same location as the Grove Street of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The two streets occupy different continuities. In GTA V, Grove Street is in Davis; in the 3D Universe, the famous Grove Street is in Ganton. The similar names are an intentional callback, not evidence that the two locations are geographically identical.
Named entries in the Grove Street area
The final end of Grove Street can produce Ballas-modified gang vehicles, including the Manana, Peyote, Buccaneer and Tornado. A letter scrap is found in a back garden, and an SMG can be found in a house’s backyard. These are fixed Story Mode placements rather than random rewards.
Davis Avenue and the civic centre
Davis Avenue begins at Capital Boulevard in Davis and runs south-west through Strawberry towards Los Santos International Airport. Within Davis, it passes the courts building, public library, fire department and Davis Plaza. It later continues past major locations outside or beyond Davis, including the Central Los Santos Medical Center and Maze Bank Arena.
The Davis section of the avenue is one of the most useful areas for orientation. If you are travelling towards the large civic buildings and the strip mall, you are in the central commercial part of the city. If you continue south-west, you eventually leave Davis and enter neighbouring districts.
Named entries on or immediately around Davis Avenue
The list above includes named storefronts and decorative businesses. Their names should not automatically be read as evidence of player-interactive services. For example, many Davis businesses are scenery or façade signage rather than usable shops. The Davis Avenue directory is documented separately from the explanation of which interiors are functional.
Davis Plaza
Davis Plaza is an unnamed-in-game strip mall commonly identified by that name in location references. It sits around the intersection of Davis Avenue and Innocence Boulevard, opposite the Central Los Santos Medical Center and near Chamberlain Mall.
The plaza is not a normal player shopping centre. Its importance comes from its environmental detail, gang activity and the number of named storefronts packed into a small space. Ballas members frequently gather around it, making it a useful location for observing gang NPC behaviour and an unsafe place to linger during free roam.
Named businesses at Davis Plaza
Most of these are decorative or non-enterable businesses in Story Mode. Do not assume that a visible sign represents a purchasable shop, functional food outlet or service.
Residential Davis
South and south-west Davis contain the city’s residential streets. These areas are less landmark-heavy than the civic centre, but they are important for understanding the city’s social geography. Houses are regularly used as gang gathering points, mission cover and ambient combat spaces.
The game does not provide a clean official name for every residential block. Unnamed streets should therefore remain unnamed rather than being given invented labels.
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Davis Avenue
Davis Avenue is the main civic and commercial route through the city. It starts at Capital Boulevard and continues south-west through Strawberry towards LSIA. It is based broadly on Compton Avenue and passes several of Davis’ most important buildings.
Use Davis Avenue when travelling between
- 01The central Davis civic buildings
- 02Davis Plaza
- 03Grove Street
- 04Chamberlain Hills and Strawberry
- 05The airport-bound road network
Strawberry Avenue
Strawberry Avenue runs north-east from the Davis Avenue and Grove Street area through Davis and Strawberry. It continues towards the boundary between Pillbox Hill and Mission Row before becoming part of the Los Santos Freeway near Textile City.
This makes it one of Davis’ best northbound escape and transit routes. It is also easy to mistake Strawberry Avenue for a road that belongs wholly to Strawberry. It passes through more than one district.
Innocence Boulevard
Innocence Boulevard is important for the Davis Plaza area and the sheriff’s station. The station is located at or near the Innocence Boulevard and Roy Lowenstein Boulevard junction.
Grove Street
Grove Street runs from Davis Avenue to its famous cul-de-sac. The cul-de-sac is a strong visual landmark, but it is also a Ballas-controlled combat zone. Approaching on foot can provoke gang hostility, especially if the player stops near the houses or the gang vehicles.
Practical route from the city centre
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For a first exploration
- 01Start at Davis Avenue and Innocence Boulevard.
- 02Visit Davis Plaza and observe the storefronts without entering the plaza on foot if Ballas are present.
- 03Follow Davis Avenue towards Grove Street.
- 04Check LTD Gasoline and the Grove Street Garage.
- 05Drive to the Grove Street cul-de-sac.
- 06Continue north-east via Strawberry Avenue to leave the area quickly.
- 07Use the storm-drain route if a mission or firefight sends you south-east from Grove Street.
Davis Sheriff's Station
The Davis Sheriff's Station is on Innocence Boulevard. It is a shared or inconsistently labelled law-enforcement facility. The building displays Los Santos County Sheriff markings, while its fenced vehicle area includes Los Santos Police Department vehicles and city seals. This reflects the game’s deliberately blurred presentation of municipal and county policing.
The station is normally not a freely accessible interior. Its associated lot and surrounding area are used for law-enforcement activity and mission staging. The nearby LSPD Auto Impound is particularly important to Franklin’s towing work with Tonya and JB.
Relevant Story Mode uses
The station may contain police vehicles such as the Police Cruiser, Police Interceptor and Police Transporter, depending on mission state. The exact vehicle availability can vary between Story Mode and GTA Online.
Relevant Story Mode uses
Davis Fire Station
The Davis Fire Station is located on Macdonald Street and is a branch of the Los Santos Fire Department. It is primarily an environmental and emergency-services landmark rather than a normal player service. Fire engines and firefighters may appear as ambient emergency traffic, but the building is not a conventional mission hub.
Davis Courts Building
The courts building is a major civic landmark on Davis Avenue. It has an expansive public-facing plaza and helps identify the city centre. It is not a normal freely explorable courthouse interior.
Davis City Hall
Davis City Hall is another civic building associated with the incorporated city. It is primarily scenery and civic world-building rather than a player-accessible government facility.
City of Davis Public Library
The public library is located along the Davis Avenue civic corridor. It is a named public building but not a standard functional library service in Story Mode.
Civic directory
South Los Santos references also identify Davis Park among the region’s named places of interest. The game provides less interactive detail there than at Grove Street or the sheriff’s station.
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Davis has a large number of named businesses, but only a small proportion provide actual player services.
Functional or practically useful locations
LTD Gasoline
The LTD Gasoline branch near Grove Street is an accessible convenience store. It is opposite the Grove Street Garage and can be useful for restoring health or taking cover. Its position makes it one of the most recognisable service points in the area.
Grove Street Garage
In Story Mode, Franklin can purchase Grove Street Garage, also known as Auto Fix Factory, for $30,000. The garage stores four vehicles, with special vehicles handled separately through the game’s special-vehicle system.
The garage is unlocked for purchase after Father/Son in the enhanced versions of the game. Older release editions could also grant access through the Collector’s Edition or Rockstar Social Club arrangements. The exact availability therefore depends on edition and progression.
The garage is close to Ballas-controlled territory. Walking out of the parking area can be more dangerous than driving away immediately.
Decorative and non-functional businesses
The following businesses are named in Davis-area directories but should be treated as storefront scenery unless a particular mission or game mode gives them an explicit function:
The names are canonical in the game world, but the signs do not establish that the player can buy food, use a laundrette, repair a vehicle or enter the premises. Davis Avenue’s documented business list includes these names independently of the area’s functional services.
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Franklin Clinton
Franklin is the principal Story Mode character associated with Davis. His early life, friendship with Lamar and involvement with The Families place him in and around the district before his rise into wealth.
Davis is especially important during the period when Franklin still lives a street-level criminal life. His connections to Grove Street, Chamberlain Hills and Lamar make the area a recurring setting for introductions, vehicle work, gang confrontations and side missions.
Lamar Davis
Lamar is Franklin’s closest friend and a major figure in Davis-related events. He is involved in the district’s gang politics, particularly the tension between The Families and the Ballas. His schemes repeatedly pull Franklin into increasingly dangerous situations.
Despite sharing the surname, Lamar is not the city’s namesake in any confirmed official sense.
Tonya and JB
Tonya and JB are associated with the LSPD Auto Impound beside the Davis Sheriff's Station. Franklin helps them through five towing-related Strangers and Freaks missions. These missions are a practical introduction to the impound lot and one of the most direct ways Story Mode uses the civic and commercial parts of Davis.
Ballas
The Ballas are the dominant hostile gang around Grove Street during GTA V. Their Original Covenant set occupies the street and appears around the cul-de-sac, nearby houses and some commercial areas.
Their presence is not merely decorative. Ballas can:
The Families
The Families remain active in southern Los Santos, but the old Grove Street Families set is defunct by the time of GTA V. Franklin describes the former set as an earlier generation whose members disappeared, moved on or became successful.
The old Grove Street Families are therefore part of Davis’ lore, not an active Story Mode faction occupying the street.
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This distinction matters
| Group | Status in GTA V |
|---|---|
| Grove Street Families | Former set, no longer active as a functioning gang |
| The Families | Active broader gang with several sets |
| Ballas | Active rival gang controlling Grove Street |
| Grove Street in GTA: San Andreas | Separate 3D Universe location and continuity |
Hood Safari
Hood Safari is Davis’ defining Story Mode mission. Franklin, Lamar and Trevor travel to Grove Street for a drug deal arranged through Stretch. The deal is a setup involving counterfeit cocaine, leading to a three-way firefight between the protagonists, the Ballas and the police.
The mission establishes several important facts about Davis:
Practical walkthrough
The mission is scripted, so the gang hostility here is more intense and more reliable than ordinary free-roam encounters.
Practical walkthrough
- 01Drive Franklin to the meeting with Lamar.
- 02Follow Lamar and Trevor into Grove Street.
- 03Wait for the deal to deteriorate.
- 04Use the houses, walls and parked vehicles as cover.
- 05Prioritise nearby Ballas before dealing with police pressure.
- 06Follow the group towards the storm drain.
- 07Continue through the drain rather than trying to force an escape along the open road.
- 08Lose the wanted level after exiting the immediate combat zone.
Tonya’s towing missions
Tonya’s five Strangers and Freaks missions use the LSPD Auto Impound next to the Davis Sheriff's Station. Franklin must collect and tow vehicles, often under time pressure.
The precise availability of later towing missions depends on Story Mode progression and character selection. They should not be treated as permanently available from the start.
Stingers
The Davis Sheriff's Station appears in Stingers, a mission involving police vehicles and a planned escape operation. Its role is mission-specific, and vehicles that appear during the mission should not be assumed to spawn there permanently in ordinary free roam.
GTA Online activities
The following GTA Online content uses Davis or Grove Street in ways that do not alter the Story Mode map:
These are progression and mode differences, not evidence that Story Mode Davis changes permanently.
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GTA Online activities
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Lowriders | Lamar’s gang-war plans involve attacking Ballas locations while disguising the player as Vagos. |
| After Hours | Grove Street can be used as a possible rescue location for kidnapped nightclub DJ associates. |
| Los Santos Tuners | Grove Street can appear as a possible gang hideout during planning work. |
| The Contract | Franklin’s agency-related investigations include Ballas activity. |
| Grove Street Survival | A Survival activity takes place in the area. |
| Vehicle Cargo | The Grove Street building can function as a Vehicle Warehouse in GTA Online. |
| Arcade | In later GTA Online states, the former Auto Fix Factory building can be replaced by an Arcade property. |
| GTA Online garage | 0432 Davis Avenue is a purchasable six-car garage with space for two bicycles. It is a separate Online property and not Franklin’s Story Mode garage. |
Grove Street letter scrap
A letter scrap is located in the back garden of a Grove Street house. It is a fixed collectible placement in Story Mode. Access may be awkward because the area is gang-controlled, so collecting it during or immediately after a firefight can be safer than approaching casually.
Grove Street SMG
An SMG can be found in the backyard of a Grove Street house. As with the letter scrap, this is a fixed placement rather than a random drop. The weapon may be especially useful for players exploring before buying stronger equipment, although the local gang presence makes collecting it hazardous.
Gang vehicles
Grove Street can produce pre-modified gang versions of:
These vehicles are associated with Ballas colour schemes and may be parked near the end of the cul-de-sac. Some can be entered and driven away when approached. Their appearance is a spawn behaviour, not a guaranteed permanent inventory.
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Ballas hostility
The main danger in Davis is gang aggression rather than the city’s buildings. Grove Street, Davis Plaza and nearby residential spaces can contain Ballas who become hostile if the player approaches too closely, fires a weapon or causes a disturbance.
A player on foot is more vulnerable than a player leaving in a vehicle. When visiting the Grove Street Garage, enter the car quickly and use Davis Avenue or the storm-drain side of the district to leave.
Police response
Davis has a high police presence because of its station, impound lot and gang activity. A minor confrontation can become a wanted-level problem if it occurs near officers or emergency vehicles.
The station itself is not a freely accessible police interior in ordinary Story Mode. Entering restricted police areas may trigger a wanted level or be blocked entirely.
Mission-state differences
Some vehicles, enemies and access routes exist only during missions. In particular:
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The fall of Grove Street Families
Davis’ most important piece of lore is the disappearance of the Grove Street Families. Lamar and Franklin discuss the former set as an old organisation whose members may have died, moved away or become successful in ordinary life.
By 2013, the name survives as a story and a reputation, while the physical street is controlled by the Ballas. This reversal is one of GTA V’s clearest differences from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The HD Universe version of Grove Street is not the 3D Universe version, and CJ, Sweet and the San Andreas-era Grove Street Families are not part of GTA V canon.
Franklin’s social progression
Davis also represents Franklin’s starting position in the story. Early on, he is tied to:
As Franklin becomes wealthier and moves into Vinewood Hills, Davis remains important as part of his past rather than his permanent home. His purchase of Grove Street Garage is a mechanical reminder of that transition: he can invest in the neighbourhood without being a resident of it.
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Davis is primarily associated with Compton and the South Central Los Angeles area. The Davis Sheriff's Station is modelled after the Compton Sheriff’s Station, while Davis Avenue is broadly based on Compton Avenue.
Grove Street appears to draw from several real-world visual and cultural references, including streets in Compton and Crenshaw. Its cul-de-sac, storm-drain proximity, gang identity and location near a large sports venue reinforce the deliberate connection to Los Angeles’ South Central urban landscape.
The city also has a radio-world identity. West Coast Classics is described as broadcasting from Davis, strengthening the area’s connection to Los Santos’ hip-hop and street-culture presentation.
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For a balanced first visit in Story Mode:
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Franklin’s social progression: steps
- 01Approach via Davis Avenue. This gives the clearest view of the city’s commercial and civic architecture.
- 02Stop at Davis Plaza. Inspect the named storefronts, but watch for Ballas activity.
- 03Continue to the civic centre. Identify the courts building, City Hall, library and fire station.
- 04Visit the sheriff’s station from outside. Locate the adjoining auto impound used in Tonya’s missions.
- 05Drive towards Grove Street. Avoid stopping on foot at the cul-de-sac unless you are prepared for combat.
- 06Check the LTD Gasoline branch and Grove Street Garage.
- 07Collect the Grove Street letter scrap and SMG if you are completing the relevant Story Mode collectibles.
- 08Leave through Davis Avenue or Strawberry Avenue.
- 09Return later for Tonya’s towing missions once they become available.
- 10Revisit Grove Street after major story missions to compare ordinary free-roam conditions with the scripted events seen in Hood Safari.
Is Davis the same as South Los Santos?
No. Davis is one incorporated city within the broader South Los Santos region. South Los Santos also includes Strawberry, Rancho and Chamberlain Hills.
Is Grove Street part of Davis?
Yes, in GTA V and GTA Online. It is a street within Davis, ending in a cul-de-sac near the storm drain and Maze Bank Arena.
Is Grove Street controlled by the Families?
Not during GTA V’s present-day events. The former Grove Street Families set was active in the 1990s, but the street is controlled by the Ballas by 2013.
Can Franklin buy a garage in Davis?
Yes. Franklin can buy Grove Street Garage, also called Auto Fix Factory, for $30,000 in Story Mode once the relevant property conditions are met. It stores four vehicles.
Can the player enter the Davis Sheriff's Station?
Not as a normal unrestricted interior. The station is primarily a mission and environmental location, while the adjoining impound lot is used in Tonya’s towing missions.
Are the Davis shops usable?
Some nearby services, such as LTD Gasoline, are functional. Many other named Davis businesses are decorative façades or non-enterable storefronts. A business name alone does not prove that the player can use it.
Is Davis based on a real city?
Its strongest real-world inspiration is Compton, with wider South Central Los Angeles influences. It is not a direct one-to-one recreation of a real municipal boundary.
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This guide is based on available GTA location references and cross-checked area, road, building, mission, gang and property entries. The broad boundaries and major named locations are well supported. However, Rockstar does not publish a formal street-by-street municipal boundary document for Davis, and some minor unnamed residential streets cannot be assigned to Davis with complete certainty from in-game signage alone.
The guide does not claim that every façade, unnamed building or transient NPC spawn in Davis has been exhaustively catalogued.
Sources
- Davis | GTA Wiki | Fandom — gta.fandom.com
- Grove Street | GTA Wiki | Fandom — gta.fandom.com
- South Los Santos | GTA Wiki | Fandom — gta.fandom.com
- Davis Avenue | GTA Wiki | Fandom — gta.fandom.com
- Davis Plaza | GTA Wiki | Fandom — gta.fandom.com
- Strawberry Avenue | GTA Wiki | Fandom — gta.fandom.com
- Davis Sheriff's Station | GTA Wiki | Fandom — gta.fandom.com
- Grove Street Garage | GTA Wiki | Fandom — gta.fandom.com
- Grove Street Families | GTA Wiki | Fandom — gta.fandom.com
- Police Stations | GTA Wiki | Fandom — gta.fandom.com
- Grove Street Families | GTA Wiki | Fandom — gta.fandom.com