I-5 In LA County
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Interstate 5 (I-5) is a major north–south route of the
Interstate Highway System The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
in the United States, stretching from the Mexican border at the
San Ysidro San Ysidro (Spanish for " St. Isidore", ) is a district of the City of San Diego, immediately north of the Mexico–United States border. It neighbors Otay Mesa West to the north, Otay Mesa to the east, and Nestor and the Tijuana River Valley t ...
crossing to the Canadian border near
Blaine, Washington Blaine is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The city's northern boundary is the Canada–U.S. border; the Peace Arch international monument straddles the border of both countries. The population was 5,884 at the 2020 census. ...
. The segment of I-5 in California runs across the length of the state from San Ysidro to the
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
state line south of the Medford- Ashland metropolitan area. It is the longest interstate in California, and accounts for more than half of I-5's total length. It is the more important and most-used of the two major north–south routes on the Pacific Coast, the other being U.S. Route 101 (US 101), which is primarily coastal. I-5 links the major California cities of
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
, Santa Ana,
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
Stockton Stockton may refer to: Places Australia * Stockton, New South Wales * Stockton, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region New Zealand *Stockton, New Zealand United Kingdom *Stockton, Cheshire *Stockton, Norfolk *Stockton, Chirbu ...
,
Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
, and Redding. The
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
is about west of the highway. I-5 is known colloquially as "the 5" to
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
residents and "5" to
Northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...
residents due to varieties in California English. I-5 also has several named portions: the John J. Montgomery Freeway, San Diego Freeway, Santa Ana Freeway, Golden State Freeway, and West Side Freeway.


Route description

I-5 is part of the
California Freeway and Expressway System The California Freeway and Expressway System is a system of existing or planned freeways and expressways in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses both State highways and federal highways in California. It is defined by Article 2 (commenci ...
, and is part of the National Highway System,
a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the
Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
. The segment of I-5 from State Route 89 (SR 89) to US 97 forms part of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, an
All-American Road A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...
. I-5 is also eligible to be included in the State Scenic Highway System; however, it is a scenic highway as designated by the
California Department of Transportation The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is an executive department of the U.S. state of California. The department is part of the cabinet-level California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA). Caltrans is headquartered in Sacrame ...
(Caltrans) only from SR 152 to I-580.


San Diego County

I-5 begins at the San Ysidro Port of Entry from Mexico in the San Ysidro neighborhood of San Diego. Immediately after the border,
I-805 Interstate 805 (I-805) is a major north–south List of auxiliary Interstate Highways, auxiliary Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass (road), bypass auxiliary route of Interstate 5 in California, I-5, running roughly th ...
splits off to the northeast and serves as a bypass of I-5 that avoids
Downtown San Diego Downtown San Diego is the city center of San Diego, California, the eighth largest city in the United States. In 2010, the Centre City area had a population of more than 28,000. Downtown San Diego serves as the cultural and financial center and ...
. I-5 itself continues northwest and meets the western end of SR 905, a route that connects with the Otay Mesa border crossing. I-5 then continues northward and joins the southern end of SR 75, a highway connecting to
Coronado Coronado may refer to: People * Coronado (surname) * Francisco Vázquez de Coronado (1510–1554), Spanish explorer often referred to simply as "Coronado" * Coronado Chávez (1807–1881), President of Honduras from 1845 to 1847 Places United ...
via the Silver Strand. I-5 then enters Chula Vista, briefly leaving the San Diego city limits. It continues along the east side of
San Diego Bay San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port located in San Diego County, California near the U.S.–Mexico border. The bay, which is long and wide, is the third largest of the three large, protected natural bays on California's of c ...
where it intersects with SR 54 and enters National City. From there, I-5 veers around
Naval Base San Diego Naval Base San Diego, also known as 32nd Street Naval Station, is the second largest surface ship base of the United States Navy and is located in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, cons ...
and reenters the city limits of San Diego. I-5 subsequently intersects with four state routes: the southern end of SR 15 (the extension of
I-15 I15 may refer to: * Interstate 15, a north–south Interstate Highway in the United States of America * Polikarpov I-15, a Soviet fighter aircraft * I15 (band) "Soulja Girl" is the second single from American rapper Soulja Boy's studio album '' ...
), SR 75 and the
Coronado Bay Bridge Coronado may refer to: People * Coronado (surname) * Francisco Vázquez de Coronado (1510–1554), Spanish explorer often referred to simply as "Coronado" * Coronado Chávez (1807–1881), President of Honduras from 1845 to 1847 Places United St ...
, the western end of SR 94, and SR 163. In addition to serving Downtown San Diego, I-5 also provides access to Balboa Park from the Pershing Drive exit. The portion of I-5 from the Mexican border to SR 94 at downtown San Diego is named the John J. Montgomery Freeway in honor of
John J. Montgomery John Joseph Montgomery (February 15, 1858 – October 31, 1911) was an American inventor, physicist, engineer, and professor at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California, who is best known for his invention of controlled heavier-than-air ...
, a pioneer aviator who flew a glider from a location near Chula Vista in 1884. I-5 continues northwest from downtown as the San Diego Freeway until it reaches its junction with I-8, then turns slightly to the north while passing SeaWorld and Mission Bay. Thereafter, I-5 intersects the western end of SR 52 near La Jolla before entering University City. At Nobel Drive, the San Diego LDS Temple towers over I-5. Shortly afterward, I‑5 passes through the UC San Diego campus and intersects the northern terminus of I-805 before continuing north and intersecting the western end of SR 56. At this interchange, there is a local bypass that provides the only access to Carmel Mountain Road from both directions and provides the only direct access to SR 56 going northbound. North of the San Diego city limits, I-5 enters the city limits of Solana Beach, and then three incorporated cities to the north: Encinitas,
Carlsbad Carlsbad may refer to: *Carlsbad, California, United States *Carlsbad, New Mexico, United States *Carlsbad, Texas, United States *Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; german: Karlsbad, formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa ...
and Oceanside. This segment is currently undergoing expansion as part of the North Coast Corridor project. In Oceanside, I-5 intersects the SR 78 freeway and the SR 76 expressway and continues through
Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by Oc ...
. It then follows the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
coastline for the next . Toward the northern end of its routing through Camp Pendleton, I-5 passes through
San Onofre State Beach San Onofre State Beach (''San Onofre'', Spanish for " St. Onuphrius") is a state park in San Diego County, California. The beach is south of San Clemente on Interstate 5 at Basilone Road. The state park is leased to the state of California by ...
and near the
San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is a permanently closed nuclear power plant located south of San Clemente, California, on the Pacific coast, in Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region IV. The plant was shut down in 2013 after repla ...
. I-5 enters
Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...
at the Cristianitos Road exit.


Orange County

Upon entering Orange County, I-5 goes through San Clemente. At Dana Point, I-5 turns inland while SR 1 continues along the coast. I-5 then heads due north through
San Juan Capistrano San Juan Capistrano (Spanish for "St. John of Capistrano") is a city in Orange County, California, located along the Orange Coast. The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census. San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776, when St. ...
and
Mission Viejo Mission Viejo ( ; corruption of ''Misión Vieja'', Spanish for "Old Mission") is a commuter city in the Saddleback Valley in Orange County, California, United States. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities eve ...
, intersecting the SR 73 toll road heading northwest. I-5 continues to the
El Toro Y The El Toro "Y" is a freeway interchange in southern Orange County, California where the Santa Ana Freeway, Interstate 5 (I-5), and the San Diego Freeway (at that point the I-405) merge. South of the El Toro Y, the highway is named the " ...
interchange with I-405 in southeastern
Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier *Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia *Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada *Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...
, splitting into lanes for regular traffic as well as for truck traffic (though autos can use these lanes as well). From that point, I-405 takes over the San Diego Freeway designation, while I-5 becomes the Santa Ana Freeway as it runs southeast to northwest. After the El Toro Y junction, I-5 intersects SR 133, a toll road that eventually connects to SR 241. Just before the
Tustin Tustin is a city located in Orange County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. In 2020, Tustin had a population of 80,276. The city is located next to the county seat, Santa Ana, California, Santa Ana, and does not include the un ...
city limits, I-5 passes over SR 261, the final toll road of the
Eastern Transportation Corridor Eastern Toll Road or Eastern Turnpike may refer to the following toll roads: ;United States * The Eastern Transportation Corridor, the tollway system in California, comprising portions of: ** California State Route 133, State Route 133 ** Californi ...
, but traffic must use
Jamboree Road Jamboree Road is a long major arterial road through Orange County, California, running through the cities of Newport Beach, Irvine, Tustin, and Orange. Route description The southern terminus of Jamboree Road is at Bayside Drive, immediately b ...
to access the latter. I-5 then intersects SR 55 and enters Santa Ana, the county seat of Orange County. Towards the northern side of Santa Ana, I-5 intersects both SR 57 and SR 22 in what is known as the
Orange Crush interchange The Orange Crush interchange, frequently called The Crush, is a freeway interchange in the city of Orange, California, near the borders of the cities of Orange, Santa Ana, Anaheim, and Garden Grove. The Disneyland Resort, The Outlets at Orange, ...
. Following this, I-5 briefly enters the city of Orange and then traverses
Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
, passing along the north side of
Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...
. I-5 then intersects SR 91, passes through
Buena Park Buena Park (''Buena'', Spanish for "Good") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census its population was 84,034. It is the location of several tourist attractions, namely Knott's Berry Farm. It is about 12 mil ...
and crosses into
Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
.


Los Angeles County

After crossing the county line, I-5 goes through several cities southeast of Los Angeles, including
La Mirada La Mirada (Spanish for "The Look") is a city in southeast Los Angeles County, California United States, and is one of the Gateway Cities. The population was 48,527 at the 2010 census, up from 46,783 at the 2000 census. The La Mirada Theatre for ...
,
Santa Fe Springs Santa Fe Springs (''Santa Fe'', Spanish for "Holy Faith") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. The population was 16,223 at the 2010 census, down from 17,43 ...
, and Norwalk. In
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, I-5 intersects I-605, which serves as a north–south connector route between the cities east of Los Angeles, including those in the
San Gabriel Valley The San Gabriel Valley ( es, Valle de San Gabriel) is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, lying immediately to the east of the eastern city limits of the city of Los Angeles, and occupying the vast majority of the eastern part ...
. I-5 then enters
Commerce Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, nation ...
, passing the Citadel Outlets shopping center, and intersects
I-710 Route 710, consisting of the non-contiguous segments of State Route 710 (SR 710) and Interstate 710 (I-710), is a major north–south state highway and List of auxiliary Interstate Highways, auxiliary Interstate Highway in th ...
before entering the large unincorporated community of
East Los Angeles East Los Angeles ( es, Este de Los Ángeles), or East L.A., is an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 118,786, a drop of 6.1% from 2010, when it was 126,496. For statistical purpo ...
and later the city proper of
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. When the freeway reaches the
East Los Angeles Interchange The East Los Angeles Interchange is an interchange complex located in Boyle Heights, California, approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) east of Downtown Los Angeles. With its southern portion handling over 550,000 vehicles per day (2008 AADT), it is the ...
east of downtown Los Angeles, I-5 becomes the Golden State Freeway as US 101 takes over the Santa Ana Freeway designation. At this interchange,
I-10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...
, SR 60, and US 101 intersect; I-10 continues north on I-5 for about before continuing east towards San Bernardino and points farther east. On the north side of downtown, the Golden State Freeway follows the Los Angeles River, intersects SR 110 and SR 2 and passes along the eastern side of
Griffith Park Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park includes popular attractions such as the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the Ameri ...
. The route continues through the
San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
, intersecting the Ventura Freeway (SR 134). It briefly enters the city of
Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''. It may refer to: Places Australia * Glendale, New South Wales ** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre *Glendale, Queensland, ...
and then
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, passing near Burbank Airport before reentering the Los Angeles city limits and intersecting the northern end of the
Hollywood Freeway The Hollywood Freeway is one of the principal freeways of Los Angeles, California (the boundaries of which it does not leave) and one of the busiest in the United States. It is the principal route through the Cahuenga Pass, the primary shortcut ...
(SR 170). Near the city of
San Fernando San Fernando may refer to: People *Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia Places Argentina *San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...
, I-5 intersects SR 118. Following this, I-5 intersects three routes in succession: the northern end of I-405, the western end of I-210, and the southern end of SR 14 at the Newhall Pass interchange. It then crosses the Newhall Pass through the
Santa Susana Mountains The Santa Susana Mountains are a transverse range of mountains in Southern California, north of the city of Los Angeles, in the United States. The range runs east-west, separating the San Fernando and Simi valleys on its south from the Santa Cla ...
into the
Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) is part of the upper watershed of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. The valley was part of the Rancho San Francisco Mexican land grant. Located in Los Angeles County, its main population center is the ...
. I-5's carpool lanes also have direct connectors with the carpool lanes on the SR 170 and SR 14 freeways (an additional direct connector with the HOV lanes on I-405 near Mission Hills is planned.) This allows a continuous HOV lane to run from Palmdale to North Hollywood via SR 14 to I-5 to SR 170. I-5 continues along the western city limits of Santa Clarita and passes
Six Flags Magic Mountain Six Flags Magic Mountain, formerly known and colloquially referred to as simply Magic Mountain, is a amusement park located in Valencia, California, northwest of downtown Los Angeles. It opened on May 29, 1971, as a development of the Newha ...
, intersecting SR 126 just north of there. The Golden State Freeway then rises sharply, passing by Lake Castaic and undergoing a unique crossover resulting in a left-driving configuration for about before the highway crosses back into its standard alignment. It passes Pyramid Lake and intersects SR 138 before crossing the
Tejon Pass The Tejon Pass , previously known as ''Portezuelo de Cortes'', ''Portezuela de Castac'', and Fort Tejon Pass is a mountain pass between the southwest end of the Tehachapi Mountains and northeastern San Emigdio Mountains, linking Southern Californ ...
through the Tehachapi Mountains, with Path 26 power lines generally paralleling the freeway. After entering Kern County, the freeway sharply descends for from at the Tejon Pass to at Grapevine near the southernmost point of the
San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven c ...
, approximately south of
Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...
and south of its interchange with SR 99 at
Wheeler Ridge Wheeler Ridge is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in the southwestern San Joaquin Valley, within Kern County, California, Kern County, California. It is at the junction of the valley floor and the Wheeler Ridge landform of the Te ...
. Nearly every winter, the stretch of I-5 through the Tejon Pass and Grapevine is sometimes closed by the California Highway Patrol, generally because of the icy conditions combined with the steep grade of the pass, and the high traffic during the winter holidays. Whenever there is such a closure, traffic must either wait for it to reopen, or endure a multi-hour detour. An automated gate on the median of the Golden State Freeway in
Castaic Castaic () (Chumash: ''Kaštiq''; Spanish: ''Castéc'') is an unincorporated community in the northwestern part of Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 19,015. For statistical purposes the Census Bureau ...
north of Lake Hughes Road allows drivers to turn around when such closures occur.


Central Valley

From SR 99 to
Woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...
, I-5 is known as the West Side Freeway. I-5 parallels California State Route 33, SR 33, skirting along the far more remote western edge of the Central Valley (California), Central Valley, and is largely removed from the major population centers such as Bakersfield, Fresno, California, Fresno and Modesto, California, Modesto; other state highways provide connections. I-5 still runs within the vicinity of Avenal, California, Avenal, Coalinga, California, Coalinga, Los Banos, California, Los Banos, and a handful of other smaller cities on the western edge of the Central Valley. For most of this section, the Path 15, Path 15 electrical transmission corridor follows the highway, forming an infrastructure corridor along with the California Aqueduct. After the Grapevine, I-5 crosses the California Aqueduct. This is first time out of 5 times that I-5 crosses the aqueduct. North of the Grapevine, I-5 intersects California State Route 166, SR 166, California State Route 119, SR 119 and California State Route 43, SR 43 before meeting California State Route 58, SR 58, a highway that continues east to Bakersfield, near the town of Buttonwillow, California, Buttonwillow. I-5 then intersects California State Route 46, SR 46 before entering Kings County, California, Kings County. From the Utica Avenue exit to I-580, I-5 parallels the eastern foothills of the Diablo Range. It crosses the California Aqueduct for the second time. In Kings County, I-5 intersects California State Route 41, SR 41 before briefly entering the city limits of Avenal, where it intersects California State Route 269, SR 269. In Fresno County, California, Fresno County, I-5 intersects California State Route 198, SR 198 and California State Route 145, SR 145 before concurrency (road), running concurrently with SR 33 for several miles. I-5 then crosses into Merced County, California, Merced County, intersecting California State Route 165, SR 165, SR 152 and SR 33 near the San Luis Reservoir (where SR 152 provides a major connection to the Monterey Peninsula and the Silicon Valley), and California State Route 140, SR 140 at the Stanislaus County, California, Stanislaus county line. I-5 crosses the California Aqueduct for the third time between SR 152 and SR 33 and again near Crows Landing. In San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County, I-580 splits off from I-5 south of Tracy, providing a spur-route connection to the San Francisco Bay Area. From here, I-5 crosses the California Aqueduct for the final time and intersects California State Route 132, SR 132, a major route to Modesto, California, Modesto and the mountains in the east, as well as the northern end of SR 33. After passing Tracy, I-5 intersects Interstate 205 (California), I-205, a connector route to I-580, before intersecting the California State Route 120, SR 120 freeway near Manteca, California, Manteca. After passing through Lathrop, California, Lathrop, I-5 heads due north through Stockton, intersecting the California State Route 4, SR 4 freeway that provides access to downtown Stockton. I-5 passes through the western portion of the Lodi, California, Lodi city limits before intersecting California State Route 12, SR 12 and entering Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. I-5 enters the city of Elk Grove, California, Elk Grove while passing along the eastern edge of the Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. It then crosses into the Sacramento city limits, soon paralleling the Sacramento River before intersecting the Capital City Freeway, which carries U.S. Route 50 in California, US 50 and Interstate 80 Business (Sacramento, California), I-80 Business (I-80 Bus.). SR 99 merges with I-5 at this point, and the two routes pass through the western half of Downtown Sacramento. Following the bridge over the American River, I-5 and SR 99 intersect the major transcontinental route of Interstate 80 in California, I-80. Just as I-5 leaves Sacramento, SR 99 splits off and continues north while I-5 turns due west past Sacramento International Airport and crosses the Sacramento River into Yolo County, California, Yolo County. In
Woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...
, the California State Route 113, SR 113 freeway merges with I-5 before exiting to the north. The Interstate heads northwest again toward Dunnigan, California, Dunnigan, where it converges with Interstate 505, I-505. I-5 skirts north along the western edge of the Sacramento Valley, bypassing the larger cities of the region, including Yuba City, California, Yuba City, Oroville, California, Oroville and Chico, California, Chico, before reaching Red Bluff, California, Red Bluff. From Dunnigan, I-5 enters Colusa County, California, Colusa County, passing through the city of Williams, California, Williams and intersecting California State Route 20, SR 20. In Glenn County, California, Glenn County, I-5 intersects California State Route 162, SR 162 in Willows, California, Willows and California State Route 32, SR 32 in Orland, California, Orland. I-5 then crosses into Tehama County, California, Tehama County, passing through Corning, California, Corning before entering Red Bluff and intersecting California State Route 36, SR 36, which connects to the northern end of SR 99. I-5 crosses the Sacramento River twice before entering Shasta County, California, Shasta County.


Cascade Region

I-5 then enters the Shasta Cascade region, intersecting California State Route 273, SR 273 in Anderson, California, Anderson before passing through Redding and intersecting California State Route 44, SR 44 and California State Route 299, SR 299. The freeway then continues through the city of Shasta Lake, California, Shasta Lake, intersecting California State Route 151, SR 151, before crossing over Shasta Lake on the Pit River Bridge and climbing up to near the foot of Mount Shasta. Just north of the bridge over Shasta Lake, I-5 also boasts the second-largest median in California after I-8's In‑Ko‑Pah grade. In Siskiyou County, California, Siskiyou County, I-5 passes through Dunsmuir, California, Dunsmuir before intersecting California State Route 89, SR 89 near Lake Siskiyou and entering the city of Mount Shasta, California, Mount Shasta. North of here, US 97 intersects I-5 in Weed, California, Weed, providing access to Klamath Falls, Oregon. The Interstate then continues to Yreka, California, Yreka, intersecting California State Route 3, SR 3 and California State Route 96, SR 96 before crossing the Klamath River and reaching the Oregon border and the Siskiyou Summit.


History


Historical naming

The portion of this highway from Los Angeles to San Diego was also co-signed as US 101 until 1964–1968. The portion of this highway from Woodland to Red Bluff roughly follows old US 99W. In California, the former western branch of Interstate 5 (the northern end of the spur into the Bay Area) connecting I-80 out of Vacaville to near Dunnigan, previously known as I-5W, was renamed Interstate 505, I-505. Interstate 580 running between I-5 and I-80 was also once designated 5W; what is now I-5 (the stretch that runs through Sacramento) had been originally designated I-5E. The term "Golden State Highway" was the popular name for US 99, stretching from Mexico to Canada through the length of California. Since the construction of I-5, it has taken over the term "Golden State Freeway" from 99 south of the latter's southern terminus in Kern County.


Los Angeles area

The Golden State Freeway was proposed by the California Highway Commission in 1953. The proposal drew strong criticism from East Los Angeles residents as it would dissect and eliminate large residential and commercial areas of Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, Boyle Heights and Hollenbeck Heights. The proposal also seemed to indicate a disregard for the ethnic Mexican Americans, Mexican American population of metropolitan Los Angeles. The "Boyle–Hollenbeck Anti–Golden State Freeway Committee" was formed for the purpose of blocking or rerouting the freeway. Then–Los Angeles City Council member Edward R. Roybal chaired that committee. Despite this opposition, the construction of the freeway went ahead. When this section was completed in 1956, the newspaper ''The Eastside Sun'' wrote the freeway led to the "eradication, obliteration, razing, moving, ripping asunder, demolishing of Eastside homes." The freeway between Orange County and Los Angeles was originally designed to have three lanes on each side. Due to high demand of cars, the freeway started undergoing major extensions and widening in the early 1990s in Orange County. Work from SR 91 north through the Los Angeles–Orange County line was completed in 2010. The improvements between the county line and the East Los Angeles Interchange are scheduled to be complete by 2025.


Newhall Pass

The original route went through the towns of Saugus, California, Saugus and Newhall, California, Newhall, and then crossed Newhall Pass (current route of SR 14, the Antelope Valley Freeway). In 1862, Beale's Cut Stagecoach Pass, Beale's Cut was made in the construction of a toll wagon road. The by "slot" was dug with picks and shovels. That road would become part of the Midway Route. At the turn of the century, it was the most direct automobile route between Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley via the Mojave Desert and Tehachapi Pass. In 1910, Beale's Cut was bypassed by the Newhall Tunnel. Constructed by Los Angeles County, it was too narrow for two trucks to pass each other inside. As a result, in 1939, the tunnel was completely removed (or "Daylighting (tunnels), daylighted") when the road was widened to four lanes. Additionally, by 1930, a bypass road was constructed to avoid Newhall Pass via Weldon Canyon, Weldon and Gavin canyons, which is the current route of I-5. Both routes were eventually built as freeways. The Gavin Canyon route became I-5, and the main north–south route via the Ridge Route. The Newhall Pass route became SR 14, which is the main route between Los Angeles and the growing high desert communities of the Antelope Valley. It is also still a part of the important Midway Route, which is the primary alternate route when I-5 is closed (via SR 58 and SR 14). The interchange has partially collapsed twice due to earthquakes: the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, 1971 Sylmar earthquake and the 1994 Northridge earthquake. As a result of the 1994 collapse, this interchange was renamed the "Clarence Wayne Dean Memorial Interchange", honoring a Los Angeles Police Department motorcycle officer killed when he was unable to stop in time and drove off the collapsed flyover ramp from SR 14 south to I-5 south. After both earthquakes, the collapsed portions were rebuilt and surviving portions reinforced. In the evening of October 12, 2007, two trucks collided in the southbound tunnel that takes the truck bypass roadway under the main lanes near the Newhall Pass interchange. Fifteen trucks caught fire, killing three people and injuring ten.


Ridge Route

The Ridge Route refers to the section of highway between Castaic and Grapevine, through the Tejon Pass. The highway had its origins in the early 1910s, when a route was needed to connect Los Angeles to the Central Valley. Some believed that the only option was the route through the Mojave Desert and the Tehachapi Mountains, but a new route was discovered through the Tejon Pass. This route became known as the Ridge Route and saw almost constant planning, construction, and improvement from 1914 to 1970. The first road was completed in 1915. It was a slow, winding, two-lane road through the mountains with a speed limit of in some places. However, the need for improvements was realized soon after it was completed. The road was paved after World War I, and several blind turns were opened up ("daylighted"). Even with these improvements in the 1920s, it became clear that a new route was needed to keep up with increasing demand. In 1927, plans were drawn up for a "Ridge Route Alternate", named as it was planned as an addition to the existing Ridge Route and not as a replacement. It opened in 1933 as a three-lane highway through the mountains. The middle or "suicide lane" was used as an overtaking lane for cars in both directions. This route was a great improvement, faster and shorter than the old Ridge Route, but was not enough to satisfy demand, and a conversion to a four-lane expressway was needed. The outbreak of World War II delayed this until 1948 and the fourth lane was completed in 1952. However, just three years later, plans were begun for converting the four-lane expressway to a six-lane freeway. The last major alteration to the Ridge Route began in the early 1960s. By then, the plan for a six-lane freeway had expanded to eight lanes. This construction project made the most changes to the route. Many of the curves that followed the mountainside were cut through. To climb the mountain on the south side of Castaic more easily, traffic lanes were reversed (southbound lanes to the east and northbound lanes to the west). To prevent head-on collisions, the two ends of the route were separated on two different mountainsides, and the section through Piru Canyon was moved to an entirely new alignment to make room for Pyramid Lake. The project was completed by 1970 and brought the Ridge Route to its current alignment.


San Joaquin Valley

When the Interstate Highway System was created in 1956, there was discussion about which way to route the interstate through the San Joaquin Valley (Central Valley). Two proposals were considered. One was to convert the Golden State Highway (US 99, later SR 99) into a freeway. The other was to use the proposed West Side Freeway (current Interstate 5). The Golden State Highway route would serve many farming communities across the San Joaquin Valley, but the West Side Freeway proposal would bypass all the Central Valley communities and thus provide a faster and more direct north–south route through the state and so was eventually chosen. Construction began in the early 1960s. There were just three phases for the . The first phase, completed in 1967, ran from the San Joaquin County line to Los Banos. The second phase, completed in 1972, extended the freeway south to Wheeler Ridge and connected it to SR 99. The freeway then started to see traffic, as in Stockton there were only between the West Side Freeway and the Golden State Highway. The third phase, completed in 1979, extended the freeway to Sacramento and connected it to the northern I-5. When the second phase of the freeway opened in 1972, it was a long and lonely route with no businesses alongside. Services were not easily available as the nearest towns were miles away and generally out of sight. It was common for cars to run out of fuel. Over time the West Side Freeway (I-5) saw the development of businesses serving the needs of travelers. For years, there has still been interest in designating the Golden State Highway route as its own interstate, Future Interstate Highways#Interstate 9, I-9. The median on I-5 between Wheeler Ridge and Tracy is wide enough to accommodate widening the West Side Freeway to six or eight lanes, should the need arise.


I-5W and the San Francisco Bay Area

I-5's more direct Los Angeles-to-Sacramento route bypasses San Francisco, San Jose, California, San Jose, Oakland, California, Oakland, and the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area. Original plans also called for a loop Interstate with a directional suffix, I-5W. This route now roughly corresponds to I-580 from I-5 south of Tracy to Oakland, I-80 from Oakland to Vacaville, 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, except Interstate 35E (disambiguation), I-35E and Interstate 35W (disambiguation), I-35W in Texas and Minnesota. Nevertheless, San Francisco is still listed as a control city on northbound I-5 between SR 99 and I-580.


Sacramento area

Interstate 5 in Downtown Sacramento closely follows the Sacramento River. This has resulted in complex engineering work to keep the section dry due to it being located below the water table. Locally, Caltrans refers to this part of the freeway as the "Boat Section". Due to record levels of rainfall in 1980 the Boat Section was flooded with of water. Caltrans began constructing this section during the 1960s and 1970s. The freeway was engineered below grade so it would be out of the view of offices and shops in Downtown Sacramento. To achieve this, the site was excavated and the seeping water was pumped from the area. An intricate drainage system, water pump and retaining wall are used to protect the freeway from the Sacramento River. However, the system slowly clogged up over the years with sand and silt buildup Major repair work of the Boat Section began on May 30, 2008. The construction was to take 40 days to complete, requiring complete northbound and southbound closures on an alternating schedule.


Exit list


Newhall Pass truck route

The I-5 truck route through the Newhall Pass Interchange in Sylmar, California, Sylmar has its own separate exits. The route runs from the I-210 interchange to north of the SR 14 interchange.


Related routes

There are six signed auxiliary Interstate Highways associated with I-5 in California: * Interstate 105 (California), I-105 runs from SR 1 near El Segundo, California, El Segundo and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) east to I-605 in Norwalk. * Interstate 205 (California), I-205 runs from I-580 to I-5, forming the north side of a triangle around Tracy, California, Tracy. * I-405 is a bypass route of I-5, running along the southern and western parts of Greater Los Angeles from
Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier *Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia *Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada *Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...
north to near
San Fernando San Fernando may refer to: People *Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia Places Argentina *San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...
. * Interstate 505 (California), I-505 runs from Interstate 80 in California, I-80 in Vacaville, California, Vacaville north to I-5 near Dunnigan, California, Dunnigan. * I-605 runs from I-405 and SR 22 in Seal Beach, California, Seal Beach north to I-210 in Duarte, California, Duarte. *
I-805 Interstate 805 (I-805) is a major north–south List of auxiliary Interstate Highways, auxiliary Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass (road), bypass auxiliary route of Interstate 5 in California, I-5, running roughly th ...
is a bypass route of I-5 in the San Diego area, running from the San Diego district of
San Ysidro San Ysidro (Spanish for " St. Isidore", ) is a district of the City of San Diego, immediately north of the Mexico–United States border. It neighbors Otay Mesa West to the north, Otay Mesa to the east, and Nestor and the Tijuana River Valley t ...
near the Mexico–United States border, Mexico–U.S. border to near Del Mar, California, Del Mar. There is also one unsigned auxiliary Interstate Highway: I-305 runs along U.S. Route 50 in California, US 50 from I-80 in West Sacramento, California, West Sacramento to SR 99 in Sacramento. There is one future auxiliary Interstate Highway: SR 905 from I-5 in San Diego to the Mexico–U.S. border in Otay Mesa, San Diego, Otay Mesa is proposed to become I-905. There are also several Business routes of Interstate 5#California, business routes of Interstate 5 in California, primarily parts of the original routing of U.S. Route 99 in California, US 99.


See also

*


References


External links


Interstate 5
at Interstate-Guide.com

at California @ AARoads.com
Caltrans: Interstate 5 highway conditions


at California Highways

(Photos, text, TV shows)
Interstate 5 in the Los Angeles Area

US 99 Tour in Southern California
{{DEFAULTSORT:I05 in California Interstate Highways in California, 05 Interstate 5, *California Southern California freeways, 005 Roads in San Diego County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Orange County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Los Angeles County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Kern County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Kings County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Fresno County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Merced County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Stanislaus County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in San Joaquin County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Sacramento County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Yolo County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Colusa County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Glenn County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Tehama County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Shasta County, California, Interstate 05 Roads in Siskiyou County, California, Interstate 05 State Scenic Highway System (California), 005 U.S. Route 99, Interstate 05 in California