diff --git a/samples/MvcSample.Web/Views/Shared/MyView.cshtml b/samples/MvcSample.Web/Views/Shared/MyView.cshtml
index 9964d7cdce..93bbfee5cf 100644
--- a/samples/MvcSample.Web/Views/Shared/MyView.cshtml
+++ b/samples/MvcSample.Web/Views/Shared/MyView.cshtml
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
         <p>
             Go to our cool travel reservation system.
         </p>
-        <p><a class="btn btn-default" href="@Url.Action("Fly", "Flight", new { area = "Travel" })">Reserve Now</a></p>
+        <p>@Html.ActionLink("Reserve Now", "Fly", "Flight", new { area = "Travel" }, new { @class = "btn btn-default" })</p>
     </div>
     <div class="col-md-4">
         <h2>Get more libraries</h2>
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Html/HtmlHelper.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Html/HtmlHelper.cs
index ca84bf991a..51e75dfa11 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Html/HtmlHelper.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Html/HtmlHelper.cs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Globalization;
 using System.IO;
-using System.Linq.Expressions;
 using System.Net;
 using System.Reflection;
 using System.Text;
@@ -88,6 +87,20 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Rendering
 
         protected IModelMetadataProvider MetadataProvider { get; private set; }
 
+        public HtmlString ActionLink(
+            [NotNull] string linkText, 
+            string actionName, 
+            string controllerName, 
+            string protocol, 
+            string hostname, 
+            string fragment, 
+            object routeValues, 
+            object htmlAttributes)
+        {
+            var url = _urlHelper.Action(actionName, controllerName, routeValues);
+            return GenerateLink(linkText, url, HtmlHelper.AnonymousObjectToHtmlAttributes(htmlAttributes));
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Creates a dictionary from an object, by adding each public instance property as a key with its associated 
         /// value to the dictionary. It will expose public properties from derived types as well. This is typically used
@@ -483,6 +496,22 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Rendering
             return theForm;
         }
 
+        protected virtual HtmlString GenerateLink(
+            [NotNull] string linkText,
+            [NotNull] string url,
+            IDictionary<string, object> htmlAttributes)
+        {
+            var tagBuilder = new TagBuilder("a")
+            {
+                InnerHtml = WebUtility.HtmlEncode(linkText),
+            };
+
+            tagBuilder.MergeAttributes(htmlAttributes);
+            tagBuilder.MergeAttribute("href", url);
+
+            return tagBuilder.ToHtmlString(TagRenderMode.Normal);
+        }
+
         protected virtual HtmlString GenerateTextBox(ModelMetadata metadata, string name, object value, string format,
             IDictionary<string, object> htmlAttributes)
         {
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Html/HtmlHelperOfT.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Html/HtmlHelperOfT.cs
index 9fd01c2d98..f802c84ca0 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Html/HtmlHelperOfT.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Html/HtmlHelperOfT.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
-using System.Diagnostics.Contracts;
 using System.Linq.Expressions;
 using Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core;
 using Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.ModelBinding;
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/HtmlHelperLinkExtensions.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/HtmlHelperLinkExtensions.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..301dab4c91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/HtmlHelperLinkExtensions.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+
+namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Rendering
+{
+    public static class HtmlHelperLinkExtensions
+    {
+        public static HtmlString ActionLink<TModel>(
+            [NotNull] this IHtmlHelper<TModel> helper, 
+            [NotNull] string linkText, 
+            string actionName)
+        {
+            return helper.ActionLink(
+                linkText,
+                actionName,
+                controllerName: null,
+                protocol: null,
+                hostname: null,
+                fragment: null,
+                routeValues: null,
+                htmlAttributes: null);
+        }
+
+        public static HtmlString ActionLink<TModel>(
+            [NotNull] this IHtmlHelper<TModel> helper, 
+            [NotNull] string linkText, 
+            string actionName, 
+            object routeValues)
+        {
+            return helper.ActionLink(
+                linkText,
+                actionName,
+                controllerName: null,
+                protocol: null,
+                hostname: null,
+                fragment: null,
+                routeValues: routeValues,
+                htmlAttributes: null);
+        }
+
+        public static HtmlString ActionLink<TModel>(
+            [NotNull] this IHtmlHelper<TModel> helper, 
+            [NotNull] string linkText, 
+            string actionName, 
+            object routeValues, 
+            object htmlAttributes)
+        {
+            return helper.ActionLink(
+                linkText,
+                actionName,
+                controllerName: null,
+                protocol: null,
+                hostname: null,
+                fragment: null,
+                routeValues: routeValues,
+                htmlAttributes: htmlAttributes);
+        }
+
+        public static HtmlString ActionLink<TModel>(
+            [NotNull] this IHtmlHelper<TModel> helper, 
+            [NotNull] string linkText, 
+            string actionName, 
+            string controllerName)
+        {
+            return helper.ActionLink(
+                linkText,
+                actionName,
+                controllerName,
+                protocol: null,
+                hostname: null,
+                fragment: null,
+                routeValues: null,
+                htmlAttributes: null);
+        }
+
+        public static HtmlString ActionLink<TModel>(
+            [NotNull] this IHtmlHelper<TModel> helper, 
+            [NotNull] string linkText, 
+            string actionName, 
+            string controllerName, 
+            object routeValues, 
+            object htmlAttributes)
+        {
+            return helper.ActionLink(
+                linkText,
+                actionName,
+                controllerName,
+                protocol: null,
+                hostname: null,
+                fragment: null,
+                routeValues: routeValues,
+                htmlAttributes: htmlAttributes);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/IHtmlHelperOfT.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/IHtmlHelperOfT.cs
index b00ec094b6..44928af7e4 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/IHtmlHelperOfT.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/IHtmlHelperOfT.cs
@@ -31,6 +31,38 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Rendering
         /// </summary>
         ViewDataDictionary<TModel> ViewData { get; }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Returns an anchor element (a element) that contains a url path to the specified action.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="linkText">The inner text of the anchor element.</param>
+        /// <param name="actionName">The name of the action.</param>
+        /// <param name="controllerName">The name of the controller.</param>
+        /// <param name="protocol">The protocol for the URL, such as &quot;http&quot; or &quot;https&quot;.</param>
+        /// <param name="hostname">The host name for the URL.</param>
+        /// <param name="fragment">The URL fragment name (the anchor name).</param>
+        /// <param name="routeValues">
+        /// An object that contains the parameters for a route. The parameters are retrieved through reflection by 
+        /// examining the properties of the object. This object is typically created using object initializer syntax. 
+        /// Alternatively, an <see cref="IDictionary{string, object}"/> instance containing the route parameters.
+        /// </param>
+        /// <param name="htmlAttributes">
+        /// An object that contains the HTML attributes to set for the element. Alternatively, an 
+        /// <see cref="IDictionary{string, object}"/> instance containing the HTML attributes.
+        /// </param>
+        /// <returns>
+        /// An anchor element (a element).
+        /// </returns>
+        HtmlString ActionLink(
+            [NotNull] string linkText,
+            string actionName,
+            string controllerName,
+            string protocol,
+            string hostname,
+            string fragment,
+            object routeValues,
+            object htmlAttributes);
+        
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Writes an opening <form> tag to the response. When the user submits the form,
         /// the request will be processed by an action method.