Highway 97 is a major highway in the
Canadian province
Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...
of
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. It is the longest continuously numbered route in the province, running and is the only route that runs the entire north–south length of the British Columbia, connecting the
Canada–United States border
The border between Canada and the United States is the longest international border in the world. The terrestrial boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Can ...
near
Osoyoos
Osoyoos (, ) is the southernmost town in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia between Penticton and Omak. The town is north of the United States border with Washington state and is adjacent to the Osoyoos Indian reserve. The origin of the na ...
in the south to the British Columbia–
Yukon
Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
boundary in the north at
Watson Lake, Yukon.
The highway connects several major cities in
BC Interior
, settlement_type = Region of British Columbia
, image_skyline =
, nickname = "The Interior"
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivi ...
, including
Kelowna
Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word ''ki ...
,
Kamloops
Kamloops ( ) is a city in south-central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the South flowing North Thompson River and the West flowing Thompson River, east of Kamloops Lake. It is located in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, w ...
,
Prince George, and
Dawson Creek. Within and near these cities, Highway 97 varies from a two-lane highway to a
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
with as many as six lanes. Some remote sections also remain unpaved and
gravelled. The route takes its number from
U.S. Route 97
U.S. Route 97 (US 97) is a major north–south route of the United States Numbered Highway System in the Pacific Northwest region. It runs for approximately through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, primarily serving in ...
, with which it connects at the international border. The highway was initially designated '97' in 1953.
Route description
The busiest section of Highway 97 is in West Kelowna, carrying almost 70,000 vehicles per day. Some sections in the northern regions of the province have as few as 250 vehicles per day.
Okanagan Highway
The Okanagan Highway is a section of Highway 97 between the international border and the junction of
Highway 97A north of
Vernon. It is named for the
Okanagan region of British Columbia, through which it largely passes. It begins in the south at the international border crossing north of
Oroville, and travels north to its junction with the
Crowsnest Highway
The Crowsnest Highway is an east-west highway in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. It stretches across the southern portions of both provinces, from Hope, British Columbia to Medicine Hat, Alberta, providing the shortest highway connection b ...
(
Highway 3
The following highways are numbered 3, H-3, PRI-3, AH3, E03 and R3. For roads numbered A3, see A3 roads. For roads numbered M3, see M3. For roads numbered N3, see N3. For roads numbered 3A, see 3A.
International
* Asian Highway 3
* Europea ...
) at Osoyoos. The highway travels north for , passing through the
Testalinden Creek
Testalinden is a historic area, school, creek, and a dam south of the Okanagan town of Oliver, British Columbia.
Disasters
The dam at Testalinden Lake located on Mt. Kobau burst June 13, 2010 at approximately 2:15 creating a debris torrent land ...
Landslide and the communities of
Oliver and
Okanagan Falls
Okanagan Falls (also known as OK Falls) is a community located on the south end of Skaha Lake in British Columbia.
History
The community was founded in 1893 as Dogtown, which was derived from the name Dog Lake ("skaha" means "dog" in the Okanagan ...
. From Okanagan Falls, Highway 97 runs near the western shore of
Skaha Lake
Skaha Lake is a freshwater lake, through which the Okanagan River flows, in the Okanagan region of south central British Columbia. Along the shoreline are Penticton (north), Kaleden (west), and Okanagan Falls (south).
Name origin
The lake was labe ...
before arriving at the locality of
Kaleden
Kaleden () is an unincorporated community about midway along the western shore of Skaha Lake in the Okanagan region of south central British Columbia. Adjacent to BC Highway 97, the locality is by road about south of Penticton.
Agriculture
As ea ...
, where
Highway 3A diverges west.
north of Kaleden, Highway 97 arrives at the city of
Penticton. North of Penticton, Highway 97 follows the western shore of
Okanagan Lake
Okanagan Lake ( oka, kɬúsx̌nítkw) is a lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. The lake is long, between wide, and has a surface area of 348 km2 (135 sq. mi.).
Hydrography
Okanagan Lake is called a fjord lake as i ...
for , through the communities of
Summerland and
Peachland, before reaching its junction with
Highway 97C just south of
Westbank. From there, Highway 97 passes through
West Kelowna
West Kelowna, formerly known as Westbank and colloquially known as Westside, is a city in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. The city encompasses several distinct neighbourhoods, including Casa Loma, Gellatly, Glenrosa, Lakeview Heights, Shan ...
and reserve lands belonging to the
Westbank First Nation until, northeast of the 97C junction, Highway 97 begins to cross Okanagan Lake via the
William R. Bennett Bridge
The William R. Bennett Bridge is a pontoon bridge in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Completed on May 25, 2008, the bridge replaced the older Okanagan Lake Bridge built in 1958 to link Downtown Kelowna to West Kelowna across Okan ...
. The highway enters the city of
Kelowna
Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word ''ki ...
upon landfall on the east shore of the lake. east into the city centre, the highway reaches its junction with
Highway 33
The following highways are numbered 33:
International
* Asian Highway 33
* European route E33
Australia
* South Arm Highway (Tasmania)
Canada
* Alberta Highway 33
* British Columbia Highway 33
* Bedford Bypass, also known as Nova Scotia Tr ...
. As the Okanagan is a very popular travel destination and also has the highest population in inland B.C. (about 300,000), this section of highway 97 is by far the busiest. Congestion is frequent - particularly near the William Bennett Bridge, and Southbound towards West Kelowna.
Four kilometres (2 mi) north of the Highway 33 junction, Highway 97 leaves the urbanized area of Kelowna (the municipal boundary is actually a further 12 km, 7 mi, north). For the next , the route travels well east of Okanagan Lake, passing through the community of
Winfield. Prior to 2013, the highway ran alongside the west shore of
Wood Lake Wood Lake may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Wood Lake, Louisiana
* Wood Lake, Minnesota
* Wood Lake, Nebraska
Lakes Canada
* Wood Lake (British Columbia)
United States
* Wood Lake (Lyon County, Minnesota)
* Wood Lake, a lake in Watonwan ...
to
Oyama. A new section of four-lane highway was constructed and opened to traffic at that time, which bypasses Oyama entirely to the north. The original section of the highway skirting the western shore of Wood Lake is now known as ''Pelmewash Parkway''. Both Oyama and Winfield lie within the municipality of
Lake Country
Lake Country is a district municipality with a population of approximately 15,000 in the Okanagan Valley region of British Columbia, Canada. It is a part of the Central Okanagan Regional District, and of the Kelowna metropolitan area. The city ...
.
Highway 97 then passes along the west shore of
Kalamalka Lake
Kalamalka Lake ( "Kal Lake") is a large lake in the interior plateau of southern central British Columbia, Canada, east of Okanagan Lake. The lake is located approximately south of the city of Vernon and is its main drinking water supply. The la ...
before entering the city of
Vernon and a junction with
Highway 6
Route 6, or Highway 6, may refer to routes in the following countries:
International
* Asian Highway 6
* European route E6
* European route E006
Albania
* National Road SH6
Argentina
* Buenos Aires Provincial Route 6
Australia New ...
just south of the city centre. The highway then travels north for to a junction with Highway 97A near
Swan Lake
''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...
.
Vernon-Kamloops-Cache Creek
Highway 97 continues northwest from Highway 97A for , past the town of
Falkland, before it merges onto the Trans-Canada Highway at
Monte Creek Monte Creek is a rural locality on the South Thompson River east of Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, approximately equidistant from Kamloops and the village of Chase, British Columbia. It is a major highway junction where British Columbia Highwa ...
, and is known as the ''Vernon-Monte Creek Highway''. The highway follows
Highway 1
The following highways are numbered 1.
For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads.
For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads.
For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads.
For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads.
For roads numbered ...
for west to
Cache Creek. As it travels westward, Highways 1 and 97 parallel the
Thompson River, passing through the city of
Kamloops
Kamloops ( ) is a city in south-central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the South flowing North Thompson River and the West flowing Thompson River, east of Kamloops Lake. It is located in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, w ...
, where the route shares a
wrong-way concurrency
A concurrency in a road network is an instance of one physical roadway bearing two or more different route numbers. When two roadways share the same right-of-way, it is sometimes called a common section or commons. Other terminology for a concurre ...
with
Highway 5 (signed as 97 ''North'' and 5 ''South'' and vice versa) and intersects
Highway 5A.
Cariboo Highway
The Cariboo Highway section of Highway 97, between Cache Creek and
Prince George, is in length and named for the
Cariboo
The Cariboo is an intermontane region of British Columbia, Canada, centered on a plateau stretching from Fraser Canyon to the Cariboo Mountains. The name is a reference to the caribou that were once abundant in the region.
The Cariboo was the ...
region, through which it travels. Much of its length as far as
Quesnel Quesnel or Quesnell means "little oak" in the Picard dialect of French. It is used as a proper name and may refer to:
Places
* Le Quesnel, a commune the Somme department in France
* Quesnel, British Columbia, a city in British Columbia, Canada ...
follows approximately the route of the original
Cariboo Wagon Road, which was also known as the Queen's Highway. The Cariboo Wagon Road's lower stretches between
Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
and Cache Creek were severed in many places by the construction of the
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
in the 1880s. That section, now part of the Trans-Canada, was rebuilt in the 1920s, when the name Cariboo Highway was first applied to the route, a designation which ran from Yale to
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, with a population of 74,004 in the metropolitan area. It is often called the province's "northern capital" or sometimes the "spruce capital" because it is the hub city for ...
(where portions of the route survive as the
Old Cariboo Highway). Today the Cariboo Highway designation begins at Cache Creek, veering north for to its junction with
Highway 99
International
* European route E99
Australia
* Springbrook Road, Queensland
Canada
* British Columbia Highway 99
* Ontario Highway 99 (former)
* Saskatchewan Highway 99
China
* G99 Expressway
India
* National Highway 99 (India)
...
. North of Highway 99, Highway 97 travels through
Clinton
Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...
, where the
British Columbia Railway
BC Rail is a railway in the Canadian province of British Columbia.
Chartered as a private company in 1912 as the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE), it was acquired by the provincial government in 1918. In 1972 it was renamed to the British ...
begins to roughly parallel Highway 97, as well as through the community of
70 Mile House before reaching a junction at
93 Mile House
93 Mile House (officially 93 Mile) is an unincorporated community in 100 Mile House (outside edge of) the Cariboo, South Cariboo region of British Columbia, Canada. It is at the junction of British Columbia Highway 24, Highway 24 and British Colum ...
with
Highway 24
Route 24, or Highway 24, can refer to:
International
* European route E24
Australia
* Lyell Highway (Tasmania)
* Central Arnhem Road, NT
Austria
* Verbindungsspange Rothneusiedel
Canada
* Alberta Highway 24
* British Columbia Highway 24
* Ma ...
(the
Interlakes
The Interlakes, also known as the Interlakes District, is a geographic region of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located along and around the Interlakes Highway between 100 Mile House on BC Highway 97 and Little Fort on the North Tho ...
Highway). The roughly section of highway between 70 Mile House and
Highway 24
Route 24, or Highway 24, can refer to:
International
* European route E24
Australia
* Lyell Highway (Tasmania)
* Central Arnhem Road, NT
Austria
* Verbindungsspange Rothneusiedel
Canada
* Alberta Highway 24
* British Columbia Highway 24
* Ma ...
has been re-routed to a new expressway with a speed limit of 110km/h.
Over the of road north of Highway 24, Highway 97 travels through
100 Mile House
100 Mile House is a district municipality located in the South Cariboo region of central British Columbia, Canada.
History
100 Mile House was originally known as Bridge Creek House, named after the creek running through the area. Its origins ...
and
150 Mile House before reaching the city of
Williams Lake and a junction with
Highway 20
Route 20, or Highway 20, may refer to:
International
* European route E20
Australia
* Sturt Highway (NSW/VIC/SA)
* Yarra Bank Highway
Brazil
* BR-020
Canada
* Alberta Highway 20
* British Columbia Highway 20
* Manitoba Highway 20
*New B ...
, which runs west across the
Chilcotin District to
Bella Coola on the
Central Coast. Over the next continuing generally northward, the highway passes through
McLeese Lake
McLeese Lake, originally Mud Lake, is a lake in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the Cariboo Highway
Highway 97 is a major highway in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is the longest continuously ...
and
Marguerite. En route, Highway 97 follows the east bank of the
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annual d ...
to the city of
Quesnel Quesnel or Quesnell means "little oak" in the Picard dialect of French. It is used as a proper name and may refer to:
Places
* Le Quesnel, a commune the Somme department in France
* Quesnel, British Columbia, a city in British Columbia, Canada ...
, and a junction with
Highway 26. Over the next north of Quesnel, after passing through the hamlets of
Strathnaver,
Hixon,
Stoner and
Red Rock, Highway 97 meets its junction with
Highway 16
Route 16, or Highway 16, can refer to:
International
* Asian Highway 16
* European route E16
* European route E016
Australia
- Thompsons Road (Victoria)
- South Australia
Canada
;Parts of the Trans-Canada Highway:
* Yellowhead ...
at
Prince George. North of here, the highway veers away from the Fraser River, and the British Columbia Railway veers northwestward from it.
The term Cariboo Highway originally applied to the reconstructed route from
Hope
Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large.
As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...
through the
Fraser Canyon to Cache Creek and Prince George. Constructed in 1924-25, the new gravel toll highway opened in 1926, giving road access to canyon communities cut off since the destruction of parts of the
Cariboo Road
The Cariboo Road (also called the Cariboo Wagon Road, the Great North Road or the Queen's Highway) was a project initiated in 1860 by the Governor of the Colony of British Columbia, James Douglas. It involved a feat of engineering stretching fro ...
by construction of the
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
in the 1880s. The Cariboo Highway designation for the Fraser Canyon portion of the route was supplanted with the completion and naming of the Trans-Canada Highway c.-1962. Portions of the old highway survive as local streets, some carrying the name
Old Cariboo Highway (as in Prince George).
John Hart Highway
![Fort Nelson Alcan Highway 4210](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Fort_Nelson_Alcan_Highway_4210.jpg)
This stretch of Highway 97, named for former British Columbia Premier
John Hart, begins at the
John Hart Bridge
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
crossing the
Nechako River in Prince George, travelling for north through the small hamlet of
Summit Lake, which is situated at the
Continental Divide
A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not ...
, as well as through
Crooked River Provincial Park
Crooked River Provincial Park is a 970-hectare provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. The park, named after the Crooked River, was established in 1965. It is located approximately 70 km north of Prince George, along Highway 97
Route 97, ...
,
Bear Lake and
McLeod Lake
McLeod Lake is an unincorporated community located on Highway 97 in northern British Columbia, Canada, north of Prince George. It is notable for being the first continuously inhabited European settlement established west of the Rocky Mountains ...
, to its intersection with
Highway 39. It then journeys northeast another over the crest of the
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
via the
Pine Pass, at which point the
time zone
A time zone is an area which observes a uniform standard time for legal, Commerce, commercial and social purposes. Time zones tend to follow the boundaries between Country, countries and their Administrative division, subdivisions instead of ...
changes from
Pacific Time
The Pacific Time Zone (PT) is a time zone encompassing parts of western Canada, the western United States, and western Mexico. Places in this zone observe standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC−08:00). ...
to
Mountain Time. After descending from the Pine Pass, the highway generally follows the
Pine River northeast to its intersection with
Highway 29 at the town of
Chetwynd. After a trek of another east, the Hart Highway terminates at
Dawson Creek.
Alaska Highway
This northernmost section of Highway 97 is long, and travels north through largely unpopulated wilderness, intersecting the communities of
Fort St. John and
Fort Nelson Fort Nelson may refer to:
Canada
*Fort Nelson, British Columbia, a town
*Fort Nelson River, British Columbia
* Fort Nelson (Manitoba) (1670–1713), an early fur trading post at the mouth of the Nelson River and the first headquarters of the Hudson ...
, the latter being just east of the junction of
Highway 77, travelling north to the
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
. Here, the highway veers generally northwestward into wilderness spotted with tiny localities. As it passes over the
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
, the highway parallels the
Liard River
The Liard River of the North American boreal forest flows through Yukon, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Canada. Rising in the Saint Cyr Range of the Pelly Mountains in southeastern Yukon, it flows southeast through British Co ...
before terminating just over the BC/Yukon boundary at
Watson Lake, where the Alaska Highway is numbered as
Yukon Highway 1.
Major intersections
From south to north:
References
External links
Official Numbered Routes in British Columbiaby British Columbia Driving & Transportation
Old Cariboo Highway, U.Wash Digital Collections
{{BCHighways
097
Dawson Creek
Fort St. John, British Columbia
Transport in Kamloops
Transport in Kelowna
Transport in Penticton
097
Vernon, British Columbia
West Kelowna
Highways in the Okanagan