Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) was filmed mostly in and around Los Angeles, California , with some key open‑air and establishing‑shot work done in Arizona.

Main filming base

The core of the movie was shot on the Universal‑Revue Studios lot in Universal City, Los Angeles , which is now part of Universal Studios Hollywood.

This is where you find the famous Bates house and Bates Motel exterior , the highway‑side swamp (where Marion’s car disappears), and interior scenes on the studio’s backlot sets.

Phoenix and Arizona shots

The opening scenes set in Phoenix, Arizona were filmed with Second‑Unit footage taken in Phoenix itself, including the downtown skyline and the “cheap hotel room” exterior.

The “city” shots and the brief establishing glimpses of Marion’s home life anchor the film in Phoenix, Arizona , even though the rest of the production is Californian.

Other California locations

  • Marion’s late‑night drive is shown on Highway 99 between Bakersfield and Fresno , standing in for the road out of Phoenix.
  • The used‑car‑lot exterior where Marion sells her car is at 4270 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, Los Angeles (originally a Pontiac dealership).
  • The roadside‑stop scene where she pulls over was filmed near Gorman, California , a small town along the Grapevine route.

Quick summary table

Element| Actual filming place
---|---
Bates house & motel exterior| Backlot, Universal Studios, Universal City, CA 15
Shower scene & interiors| Stage 18‑A, Universal‑Revue Studios, CA 5
Opening Phoenix “city” shots| Phoenix, Arizona 57
Cheap‑hotel room exterior| Jefferson Hotel / Barrister Place Building, Phoenix, AZ 15
Marion’s late‑night drive| Highway 99 between Bakersfield and Fresno, CA 5
Second car‑lot scene| 4270 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 14
Roadside‑pull‑over stop| Near Gorman, CA 14

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.