 Interstate 5 | |
|---|---|
 I-5 highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 1,381.29 mi[1] (2,222.97 km) |
| Existed | 1956–present |
| History | Completed in 1979 |
| NHS | Entire route |
| Major junctions | |
| South end |   Fed. 1 /Fed. 1D at theMexican border inSan Diego, CA |
| Major intersections |
|
| North end |  Highway 99 at thePeace Arch Border Crossing inBlaine, WA |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | California,Oregon,Washington |
| Highway system | |
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–southInterstate Highway on theWest Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to thePacific coast of the contiguous U.S. fromMexico toCanada. It travels through the states ofCalifornia,Oregon, andWashington, serving several large cities on the West Coast, includingSan Diego,Los Angeles,Sacramento,Portland, andSeattle. It is the only continuous Interstate highway to touch both theMexican andCanadian borders. Upon crossing the Mexican border at its southern terminus nearSan Diego, the highway continues toTijuana, Baja California asMexican Federal Highway 1 (Fed. 1). Upon crossing the Canadian border at its northern terminus inBlaine, Washington, it continues toVancouver, British Columbia asBritish Columbia Highway 99 (BC 99).
I-5 was originally created in 1956 as part of the Interstate Highway System, but it was predated by severalauto trails and highways built in the early 20th century. ThePacific Highway was built in the 1910s and 1920s by the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, and was later incorporated intoU.S. Route 99 (US 99) in 1926. I-5 largely follows the route of US 99, with the exception of portions south ofLos Angeles and in theCentral Valley of California. The freeway was built in segments between 1956 and 1978, including expressway sections of US 99 that were built earlier to bypass various towns along the route. US 99 was removed in 1972.
| mi[1] | km | |
|---|---|---|
| CA | 796.53 | 1,281.89 |
| OR | 308.14 | 495.90 |
| WA | 276.62 | 445.18 |
| Total | 1,381.29 | 2,222.97 |
I-5 is a majorInterstate Highway that spans 1,381 miles (2,223 km) and runs north–south through theWest Coast states ofCalifornia,Oregon, andWashington. It connects several major metropolitan areas as well as agricultural regions, seaports, and freight destinations. The freeway ranges from four lanes in some rural sections to 22 lanes inOrange County, California, where it had been widened and reconstructed.[2]
The southern terminus of I-5 is at theMexican border at theSan Ysidro Port of Entry, the busiest land border crossing in theWestern Hemisphere; the crossing handles a daily average of 70,000 vehicles and 20,000 pedestrians crossing northbound and connects withMexican Federal Highway 1 inTijuana.[3] The freeway splits inSan Diego'sSan Ysidro neighborhood, with I-5 traveling northwest throughChula Vista andNational City on the John J. Montgomery Freeway andI-805 serving the eastern neighborhoods.[4] I-5 follows the shore ofSan Diego Bay and intersectsState Route 15 (a continuation ofI-15) nearNaval Station San Diego. The freeway then travels arounddowntown San Diego andSan Diego International Airport before reaching a junction withI-8.[5]
I-5 bisects theUniversity of California, San Diego campus, merging with I-805 nearby, and follows thePacific coastline through thenorthern suburbs of San Diego. BetweenOceanside andSan Clemente, an 18-mile (29 km) stretch of the San Diego Freeway passes throughMarine Corps Base Camp Pendleton before enteringOrange County. AtDana Point, I-5 turns inland and heads north throughMission Viejo to theEl Toro Y interchange inIrvine, whereI-405 splits and carries the San Diego Freeway designation.[4] I-5 continues northwest as theSanta Ana Freeway through several Orange County andLos Angeles County suburbs and passes nearDisneyland inAnaheim.[6] The freeway intersectsI-605 inDowney andI-710 inCommerce before reaching the city ofLos Angeles.[5] Southern Californians often refer to I-5 as "the 5" or as the Santa Ana Freeway in the Los Angeles area.[7][8]
At theEast Los Angeles Interchange neardowntown Los Angeles, I-5 intersectsUS 101 and begins a shortconcurrency withI-10 on a section of theGolden State Freeway.[4] The freeway splits fromI-10 and turns northwest to follow theLos Angeles River throughGlendale and intoBurbank. I-5 then leaves the river and travels across theSan Fernando Valley, later crossing theNewhall Pass through theSanta Susana Mountains to reach theSanta Clarita Valley; theNewhall Pass interchange withState Route 14 is notable for having separate lanes for truck traffic. The freeway passes the city ofSanta Clarita and ascends into theSierra Pelona Mountains, where the northbound and southbound lanes separate and cross sides for approximately 5 miles (8.0 km). The northbound ascent includes a continuous 5 percentgrade for 5 miles (8.0 km).[9] After passingPyramid Lake, I-5 makes several turns as it follows a series of narrow valleys to reach the second-highest point of its entire length,Tejon Pass (elevation 4,144 ft or 1,263 m) in theTehachapi Mountains.[5][9]
The freeway then traverses the narrowGrapevine Canyon and descends for 12 miles (19 km) into theSan Joaquin Valley.[10] AtWheeler Ridge near the south end of the valley,State Route 99 splits from the freeway to serveBakersfield and other major cities in theCentral Valley, while I-5 stays to the west. Now named the West Side Freeway,[4] I-5 travels northwest along the edge of the Central Valley through farmland and avoids populated areas. The freeway is connected to several of the valley's main cities, includingFresno,Merced, andModesto, by other highways.[5]
NearTracy,I-580 splits from I-5 to provide the first of several connections to theSan Francisco Bay Area;I-205 northeast of Tracy also provides a connection through I-580. The freeway continues north throughStockton toSacramento, where it follows theSacramento River through the southern suburbs and along the edge ofdowntown. I-5 intersects two transcontinental highways in the Sacramento area:US 50 (and unsignedI-305) south of downtown andI-80 in the northern suburbs. After an unsigned concurrency with State Route 99 in northern Sacramento, the freeway turns west to pass thecity's airport and resumes its northwestern path atWoodland. It then intersectsI-505, another Bay Area connector, nearDunnigan.[5]
The freeway continues north along the western edge of theSacramento Valley, passing through farmland and several small towns before reaching the end of the valley atRed Bluff. I-5 then traverses the ruggedShasta Cascade region, passing throughRedding and crossingShasta Lake before beginning its ascent towardsMount Shasta. The freeway follows the Sacramento River upstream to the southwestern slopes of the mountain and turns northwest to reachWeed, where it intersectsUS 97, a major highway serving theInland Northwest region. I-5 continues throughYreka in theShasta Valley and follows theKlamath River into theSiskiyou Mountains, where it crosses into Oregon.[5]
I-5 enters Oregon nearSiskiyou Summit, which sits at 4,310 feet (1,310 m) and is the highest point on the highway.[11][12] From the summit, I-5 descends by 2,300 feet (700 m) over 6 miles (9.7 km) at a 6 percent grade to reach theRogue Valley.[13] The freeway passes throughAshland andMedford, running parallel toOregon Route 99, and turns west to follow theRogue River toGrants Pass, where it intersectsUS 199. I-5 then turns north and crosses a series of passes in theKlamath Mountains to reach the Umpqua Valley, where it follows theSouth Umpqua River toRoseburg.[5][14]
The highway enters theWillamette Valley nearCottage Grove and forms the boundary between the cities ofEugene andSpringfield. After crossing theWillamette River, I-5 intersectsOregon Route 126, which carriesI-105, andOregon Route 569; both highways provide connections to Eugene and Springfield. I-5 then travels due north through farmland on the east side of the Willamette River, passing a junction withUS 20 inAlbany, and bisects easternSalem near thestate capitol campus.[14] It is connected to downtown Salem byOregon Route 22 and theSalem Parkway, which joins I-5 as the freeway crosses the45th parallel nearKeizer.[5][15]
From Salem, I-5 turns northeast and passesWoodburn before crossing the Willamette River on theBoone Bridge inWilsonville, at the south end of thePortland metropolitan area. The freeway travels through the southern suburbs ofPortland, intersectingI-205 inTualatin andOregon Route 217 inTigard before entering the city proper. I-5 then turns northeast to followBarbur Boulevard (part of Route 99W) and navigate theTerwilliger curves. The freeway continues north through theSouth Waterfront neighborhood, crossing under thePortland Aerial Tram and the western approach to theRoss Island Bridge (carryingUS 26) before reaching an interchange withI-405.[5][14]
I-5 and I-405 form a complete loop arounddowntown Portland, with I-5 crossing the Willamette River on theMarquam Bridge to run along the eastern riverfront. The freeway has interchanges with several major bridges crossing the Willamette, as well as the western terminus ofI-84 near theOregon Convention Center. From the I-84 interchange to a second junction with I-405 near theFremont Bridge, I-5 is concurrent withUS 30, which continues west towardsAstoria.[14] ThroughNorth Portland, the freeway runs below street level until it crosses theColumbia Slough to bisectDelta Park.I-5 continues acrossHayden Island to theInterstate Bridge, a pair ofvertical-lift bridges which carry the highway over theColumbia River into Washington state.[5][16]
The highway entersVancouver at the north end of the Interstate Bridge and immediately intersectsWashington State Route 14 near theFort Vancouver National Historic Site. The freeway passes near downtown Vancouver and continues north through the city's suburbs before being rejoined by I-205 atSalmon Creek. I-5 travels north along the Columbia River toKelso andLongview, where it switches to following theCowlitz River between theWillapa Hills and Cascade foothills. The freeway then turns northwest to traverse aprairie and the adjacent cities ofChehalis andCentralia while concurrent withUS 12.[5][17]
I-5 continues north to a junction withUS 101 inTumwater, nearOlympia and thestate capitol campus. The freeway skirts the southeast side of downtown Olympia and turns east to crossJoint Base Lewis–McChord (formerlyFort Lewis andMcChord Air Force Base). I-5 then turns north to enterTacoma but bends east to intersectI-705, a short spur intodowntown Tacoma. The freeway turns north again after leaving Tacoma and itsnearby seaport nearFife to traverse the suburbs ofSouth King County. I-5 intersects its eastern bypass ofSeattle,I-405, inTukwila nearSeattle–Tacoma International Airport.[17]
The freeway generally follows theGreen andDuwamish rivers into Seattle, passingBoeing Field and theindustrial district in the process. I-5 intersectsI-90 near Seattle'sChinatown–International District on the south side ofdowntown Seattle. The freeway turns northwest and bisects downtown Seattle in a trench, with some sections covered byFreeway Park and theWashington State Convention Center.[18] It then turns north to intersectWashington State Route 520 nearEastlake and crosses theShip Canal Bridge overPortage Bay, which lies betweenLake Union andLake Washington. I-5 continues through northern Seattle, passing theUniversity District near theUniversity of Washington campus andGreen Lake before leaving the city.[17] The section between downtown Seattle andNorthgate includes a set ofreversible express lanes that add extra capacity in the peak direction of travel.[19]
I-5 continues through the northern suburbs of Seattle and turns northeasterly inLynnwood, where it is rejoined by I-405, which serves theEastside region. The freeway travels north throughEverett, skirting the city's downtown and intersectingUS 2, and leaves theSeattle metropolitan area for the ruralSkagit Valley. I-5 descends into the valley and travels throughMount Vernon andBurlington before climbing into theChuckanut Mountains, where it turns west towardsBellingham Bay (part of theSalish Sea). The freeway travels around downtownBellingham and turns northwest to continue across the ruralFraser Lowland. I-5 terminates at thePeace Arch Border Crossing on theCanadian border, adjacent to theeponymous monument, inBlaine. The highway becomesBritish Columbia Highway 99, which continues northwest toVancouver.[17]
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An extensive section of this highway (over 600 mi (970 km)), from approximately Stockton, California, to Portland, Oregon, follows the track of theSiskiyou Trail.[20] This trail was based on an older network ofNative American footpaths connecting thePacific Northwest with California's Central Valley. By the 1820s, trappers from theHudson's Bay Company were the first non-Native Americans to use the route of today's I-5 to move between today's Washington state and California. During the second half of the 19th century, mule trains, stagecoaches, and theCentral Pacific railroad also followed the route of the Siskiyou Trail.[20] By the early 20th century, pioneering automobile roads were built along the path of the Siskiyou Trail, notably thePacific Highway. The Pacific Highway ran fromBritish Columbia to San Diego, California, and was the immediate predecessor of much of US 99. The route of US 99 was in turn used as a basis for much of the route of today's I-5.
A major deviation from the old US 99 route is the Westside Freeway portion of I-5 in California's Central Valley. To provide a faster and more direct north–south route through the state, the decision was made to build a new freeway to the west and bypass Fresno, Bakersfield, and the rest of population centers in the area instead of upgrading the existing highway (which was re-designated as part of SR 99).[21]This re-route through California's Central Valley was the last section of I-5 to be constructed, with the final segment dedicated and opened to traffic near Stockton, California, on October 12, 1979. Representatives from both Canada and Mexico attended the dedication to commemorate the first contiguous freeway connecting the North American countries.[22][23] It cost an estimated $2.3 billion in 1979 dollars (equivalent to $7.99 billion in 2024 dollars)[24] to construct all of I-5.[25]
This direct route also bypassesSan Francisco and the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area. Original plans called for a loop Interstate with a directional suffix, I-5W.[21] This route now roughly corresponds to I-580 from I-5 south of Tracy to Oakland, I-80 from Oakland toVacaville, and I-505 from Vacaville to I-5 near Dunnigan. I-5W and most of the other Interstates around the country with directional suffixes were eventually renumbered or eliminated. Nevertheless, San Francisco is still listed as acontrol city on northbound I-5 between SR 99 and I-580.
By the early 21st century, sections of I-5 had deteriorated due to a maintenance backlog as well as high traffic volumes. Several bridges in Oregon were reconstructed or repaired to accommodate use by heavy freight vehicles.[2]
On May 23, 2013, abridge span collapsed over theSkagit River inMount Vernon, Washington, sending two cars into the water and requiring traffic in both directions to bypass the crossing.[26] TheWashington State Department of Transportation used a temporary structure to restore access across the river while a permanent bridge replacement was built. That process was completed September 15, 2013.[27]
On December 18, 2017, anAmtrak trainderailed on an overpass crossing I-5 near Tacoma, Washington, and blocked several lanes of traffic.[28]
The I-5 corridor forms part of the West Coast Electric Highway, a partnership between the states of California, Oregon, and Washington to build and maintain a network ofcharging stations forelectric vehicles. The pact was formed in 2009 and the first charging stations—spaced 25 to 50 miles (40 to 80 km) apart—opened in 2011.[29] In 2019, the three states also broke ground on a similar charging network forelectric trucks along I-5 called the West Coast Clean Transit Corridor Initiative.[30] The program is a collaboration of nine utilities and two agencies representing municipal utilities, and aims to enable electric freight and delivery trucks to operate along the entire West Coast corridor.[31]
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Fed. 1 at theMexican border inSan Diego
I-805 in San Diego
I-8 in San DiegoI-805 in San Diego
I-405 inIrvine
I-605 on theDowney–Santa Fe Springs line
I-710 inCommerce
US 101 inLos Angeles
I-10 in Los Angeles. The highways travel concurrently through theBoyle Heights neighborhood.I-405 in Los Angeles
I-210 in Los Angeles
I-580 southwest ofVernalis
I-205 south-southwest ofLathrop
I-305 /US 50 inSacramento
I-80 in Sacramento
I-505 south-southeast ofDunnigan
US 97 inWeed
US 199 east ofGrants Pass
I-105 on theEugene–Springfield city line
US 20 inAlbanyI-205 inTualatin
US 26 inPortlandI-405 in Portland
I-84 /US 30 in Portland. I-5/US 30 travels concurrently through Portland.I-405 /US 30 in PortlandI-205 on theSalmon Creek–Mount Vista CDP line
US 12 south-southeast ofNapavine. The highways travel concurrently toGrand Mound.US 101 inTumwater
I-705 inTacomaI-405 inTukwila
I-90 inSeattleI-405 inLynnwood
US 2 inEverettHighway 99 at theCanada–US border inBlaineI-5 will have a complete set of auxiliary routes (i.e. 105, 205, 305, 405, 505, 605, 705, 805, 905), with the completion ofI-905 inSan Diego County. Currently,I-80 andI-90 are the only two Interstates to have complete sets of auxiliary routes.
Several routes, includingI-305 andI-505 in Oregon, were planned but left unbuilt due tolocal opposition.
Officials warned it could be weeks before things returned to normal along the heavily travelled corridor.
Geographic data related toInterstate 5 atOpenStreetMap 
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