Interstate 84 (I-84) in the U.S. state of
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
is a major
Interstate Highway that traverses the state from west to east. It is
concurrent
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...
(US 30) for most of its length and runs from an interchange with
I-5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
in
Portland to the
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
state line near
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
. The highway roughly follows the
Columbia River and historic
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what is now the state of Kans ...
in northeastern Oregon, and is designated as part of Columbia River Highway No. 2 and all of the Old Oregon Trail Highway No. 6; the entire length is also designated as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. I-84 intersects several of the state's main north–south roads, including
US 97,
US 197,
I-82, and
US 395.
The freeway serves as the main east–west route through Portland and
Gresham and continues into the
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Columbia may refer to:
* Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America
Places North America Natural features
* Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...
. It passes through the cities of
Hood River and
The Dalles
The Dalles is the largest city of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,010 at the 2020 census, and it is the largest city on the Oregon side of the Columbia River between the Portland Metropolitan Area, and Hermiston ...
within the gorge and also serves several state parks and natural monuments. Near
Pendleton, it leaves the Columbia River and runs southeasterly across the
Blue Mountains via
La Grande and
Baker City
Baker City is a city in and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States. It was named after Edward D. Baker, the only U.S. Senator ever killed in military combat. The population was 10,099 at the time of the 2020 census.
History
Pla ...
. I-84 crosses the
Snake River at Ontario,
continuing southeast towards
Boise, Idaho
Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown ar ...
.
I-84 was established in 1957 and originally carried the designation of Interstate 80N (I-80N) until 1980, when this was changed to I-84 to prevent confusion with the southerly
I-80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
. The earliest sections of the freeway incorporated the existing Banfield Freeway between Portland and
Troutdale, opened in 1955, and upgraded other parts of US 30 to
Interstate standards. New roads were built through the Columbia River Gorge in the 1960s and across northeastern Oregon in the 1970s. The final section of I-84, near Baker City, was opened to traffic on July 3, 1975.
Route description
Interstate 84 is the longest freeway in Oregon, at over in length, and is the only Interstate to traverse the state from west to east.
The highway connects the
Portland metropolitan area
The Portland metropolitan area is a metro area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered on the principal city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) identifies it as the Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro, ...
to the
Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the st ...
, the northeastern
Columbia Plateau
The Columbia Plateau is a geologic and geographic region that lies across parts of the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. It is a wide flood basalt plateau between the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains, cut through by the Col ...
, and part of the
Snake River Valley.
[, wit]
inset maps
As a component of the Interstate Highway System, I-84 is also designated as an important national highway under the
National Highway System. It is officially named the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway and is mostly
concurrent
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with
US 30, which also carries part of the Columbia River Highway No. 2 and all of the Old Oregon Trail Highway No. 6 under Oregon's
named route system.
I-84 is maintained by the
Oregon Department of Transportation
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is a department of the state government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for systems of transportation. It was first established in 1969. It had been preceded by the Oregon State Highway Depar ...
(ODOT), who conduct an annual survey of traffic volume that is expressed in terms of
average annual daily traffic
Annual average daily traffic, abbreviated AADT, is a measure used primarily in transportation planning, transportation engineering and retail location selection. Traditionally, it is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for a ...
(AADT), a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. The highway is the busiest in Oregon, with a daily average of over 177,000 vehicles in eastern
Portland; while the least-traveled section of I-84, south of
Baker City
Baker City is a city in and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States. It was named after Edward D. Baker, the only U.S. Senator ever killed in military combat. The population was 10,099 at the time of the 2020 census.
History
Pla ...
, only carries 9,400 vehicles.
The highway's route through the Columbia River Gorge is considered one of the most scenic sections of the Interstate Highway System and is visited by 4.5 million tourists annually.
Portland area
![I-5 Northbound junction with I-84 Eastbound](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/I-5_Northbound_junction_with_I-84_Eastbound.jpg)
Interstate 84 begins across from
downtown Portland
Downtown Portland is the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is on the west bank of the Willamette River in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found ...
at an interchange with
I-5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
on the east bank of the
Willamette River
The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...
, between the
Burnside and
Steel bridges and adjacent to the
Oregon Convention Center
The Oregon Convention Center is a convention center in Portland, Oregon. Completed in 1989 and opened in 1990, it is located on the east side of the Willamette River in the Lloyd District neighborhood. It is best known for the twin spire towers, ...
complex. The interchange is also the terminus of the Banfield Freeway, officially the T.H. Banfield Expressway,
which carries I-84 and
US 30 through eastern Portland along a railroad grade. The freeway travels northeast through
Sullivan's Gulch, passing under the twin overpasses of
Oregon Route 99E
Oregon Route 99E is an Oregon state highway that runs between Junction City, Oregon and an interchange with I-5 just south of the Oregon/Washington border, in Portland. It, along with OR 99W, makes up a split of OR 99 in the northern part of ...
(OR 99E), which also carries the
Portland Streetcar
The Portland Streetcar is a streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, that opened in 2001 and serves areas surrounding downtown Portland. The NS Line runs from Northwest Portland to the South Waterfront via Downtown and the Pearl District. The Lo ...
's
Loop lines that serve the Eastside district of the city. At an interchange near the
Lloyd Center
Lloyd Center is a shopping mall in the Lloyd District, Portland, Oregon, Lloyd District of Portland, Oregon, United States, just northeast of Downtown Portland, downtown. It is owned by Arrow Retail of Dallas. The mall features three floors of ...
and
Holladay Park, the Banfield Freeway is joined by
MAX Light Rail
The Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) is a light rail system serving the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Owned and operated by TriMet, it consists of five color-designated lines that altogether connect the six sectio ...
trains, which stop along stations on the north side of the freeway.
I-84 serves several local interchanges, which often lack exits for both directions of the freeway, in the neighborhoods of
Kerns
Kerns may refer to:
* Plural of Kern
* Kerns (surname)
* Kerns, Ontario, Canada
* Kerns, Portland, Oregon, United States
* Kerns, Switzerland, a village and municipality
See also
*
* Kernstown, Virginia, United States
** Battle of Kernsto ...
,
Hollywood,
North Tabor, and
Madison South while following the meandering gulch. After an interchange with
OR 213, the freeway intersects the city's north–south bypass,
I-205. The two freeways run parallel to each other for , with I-205 and the MAX Light Rail tracks to the west, the railroad and a
multi-use path
A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is 'designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists'. Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. A ...
in the center, and I-84 on the east, along the east side of
Rocky Butte
Rocky Butte (previously known as Mowich Illahee and Wiberg Butte) is an extinct cinder cone butte in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is also part of the Boring Lava Field, a group of volcanic vents and lava flows throughout Oregon and Wash ...
. At Fremont Street, I-84 splits from I-205 and the MAX Light Rail tracks to continue east along Sandy Boulevard (
US 30 Bypass) through the city's easternmost suburban neighborhoods. The freeway briefly enters northern
Gresham and passes through the neighboring cities of
Fairview and
Wood Village before reaching
Troutdale. It passes north of downtown Troutdale and crosses over the
Sandy River near
Troutdale Airport, entering the Sandy River Delta
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
.
Columbia Gorge
![Columbia River from Rowena Crest Viewpoint looking east](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Columbia_River_from_Rowena_Crest_Viewpoint_looking_east.jpg)
I-84 and US 30 emerge from the park at the south bank of the
Columbia River, which it follows into the
Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area. The freeway runs east along the foot of the gorge, passing through several
state parks and
scenic viewpoint
A scenic viewpoint – also called an observation point, viewpoint, viewing point, vista point, lookout, scenic overlook,These terms are more commonly used in North America. etc. – is an elevated location where people can view scenery (often w ...
s connected via the
Historic Columbia River Highway
The Historic Columbia River Highway is an approximately scenic highway in the U.S. state of Oregon between Troutdale and The Dalles, built through the Columbia River Gorge between 1913 and 1922. As the first planned scenic roadway in the United ...
, including
Multnomah Falls
Multnomah Falls is a waterfall located on Multnomah Creek in the Columbia River Gorge, east of Troutdale, between Corbett and Dodson, Oregon, United States. The waterfall is accessible from the Historic Columbia River Highway and Interstate 84. ...
—the second-tallest year-round waterfall in the United States and one of the state's most visited tourist destinations.
I-84 runs opposite from
Washington State Route 14
State Route 14 (SR 14) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Washington. The highway travels east-west on the north side of the Columbia River, opposite Interstate 84 (I-84) to the south in Oregon. SR 14 forms a section ...
(WA 14) on the north bank of the river, which also carries
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...
's ''
Empire Builder
The ''Empire Builder'' is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northe ...
'' passenger trains, and several large mountains that are visible from the freeway.
The highway reaches the
Bonneville Dam
Bonneville Lock and Dam consists of several run-of-the-river dam structures that together complete a span of the Columbia River between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington at River Mile 146.1. The dam is located east of Portland, Oregon ...
, where it provides the main access to the
visitors center on Bradford Island, and passes three regional
fish hatcheries. Adjacent to the dam, the freeway reaches a
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...
cliff under Tooth Rock, which it traverses using a tunnel for the eastbound lanes and a viaduct for the westbound lanes that overhangs the river. Further upriver from the dam in
Hood River County, I-84 intersects the
Bridge of the Gods, a toll bridge near
Cascade Locks
Cascade Locks is a city in Hood River County, Oregon, United States. The city took its name from a set of locks built to improve navigation past the Cascades Rapids of the Columbia River. The U.S. federal government approved the plan for the l ...
and the first public crossing of the Columbia River east of the Portland area. The bridge also carries the
Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...
, a transcontinental hiking trail that follows the crest of the
Cascade and
Sierra Nevada mountain ranges.
From the bridge, I-84 briefly leaves the river's edge and travels around the south side of Cascade Locks, while US 30 splits from the freeway and runs through the town. The two highways are rejoined near
Cascade Locks State Airport and return to the shore of the river near Government Cove. Near this area, the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs proposed to build a
large casino and resort, which was rejected by various governments several times and abandoned in 2013.
I-84 then continues into
Hood River, situated in an
open valley with a mix of farmland and suburban housing.
US 30 leaves the freeway at Cascade Avenue and runs through the city's downtown, which lies just south of the freeway and railroad. The freeway intersects a downtown street on the west side of the
Hood River, just north of the city's historic train depot on the
Mount Hood Railroad
The Mount Hood Railroad is a heritage and shortline freight railroad located in Hood River, Oregon, east of Portland, Oregon, United States.
The majority of the railroad's revenue is generated from passenger excursions although a few smal ...
, where excursion trains depart for
Parkdale near
Mount Hood. Across the river, I-84 is rejoined by US 30 and intersects
OR 35, part of the
Mount Hood Scenic Byway, at the south end of the
Hood River Bridge
The Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge, or just the Hood River Bridge is a truss bridge with a vertical lift that spans the Columbia River between Hood River, Oregon and White Salmon, Washington. It connects Interstate 84/U.S. Route 30 o ...
. The toll bridge crosses the Columbia River and connects Hood River to
White Salmon, Washington
White Salmon is a city in Klickitat County, Washington, United States. It is located in the Columbia River Gorge. The population was 2,193 at the 2000 census and increased 1.4% to 2,224 at the 2010 census.
History
White Salmon was first settle ...
and has a regular toll of $2 per vehicle. The freeway continues southeast along the
Bingen Gap and enters
Wasco County
Wasco County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,213. Its county seat is The Dalles. The county is named for a local tribe of Native Americans, the Wasco, a Chinook tribe w ...
near Kobert Beach.
Upon reaching
Mosier, US 30 splits from I-84 and travels inland along the Historic Columbia River Highway while I-84 remains near the riverbank, passing through
Memaloose State Park. The two highways run parallel to each other and the
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
through
Rowena
Rowena in the Matter of Britain was the daughter of the purported Anglo-Saxon chief Hengist and wife of Vortigern, "King of the Britons". Presented as a beautiful ''femme fatale'', she won her people the Kingdom of Kent through her treacherous ...
and turn south while approaching
The Dalles
The Dalles is the largest city of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,010 at the 2020 census, and it is the largest city on the Oregon side of the Columbia River between the Portland Metropolitan Area, and Hermiston ...
. The highways pass the
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum and through the suburban areas of the city, separated from the river by an
industrial park
An industrial park (also known as industrial estate, trading estate) is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more "heavyweight" version of a business park or office park ...
that includes a major
data center for
Google
Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
. The freeway returns to the river near
downtown The Dalles, crossing southeast over US 30 twice as it remains on city streets. US 30 returns to I-84 east of The Dalles at an intersection with
US 197, which travels south towards
Bend and north across
The Dalles Bridge
The Dalles Bridge is a bridge on U.S. Route 197 (US 197) that spans the Columbia River in the United States between The Dalles, Oregon and Dallesport, Washington. (for Washington state)
Description
The steel cantilever truss bri ...
to WA 14 near
Dallesport, Washington.
The freeway passes
The Dalles Dam
The Dalles Dam is a concrete-gravity run-of-the-river dam spanning the Columbia River, two miles (3 km) east of the city of The Dalles, Oregon, United States. It joins Wasco County, Oregon with Klickitat County, Washington, 300 miles (309&nbs ...
and continues northeast around the foot of Signal Hill and Kaser Ridge to
Celilo Village, where it intersects
OR 206.
OR 206 continues along the south side of the freeway as both roads cross the
Deschutes River into
Sherman County and travels southeasterly towards
Condon.
The Deschutes River marks the eastern end of the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, though the gorge itself continues further northeast through the
shrublands of the
Columbia Plateau
The Columbia Plateau is a geologic and geographic region that lies across parts of the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. It is a wide flood basalt plateau between the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains, cut through by the Col ...
. I-84 and US 30 travel northeast to
Biggs Junction, where it intersects
US 97 at the south end of the
Sam Hill Memorial Bridge
The Sam Hill Memorial Bridge, also known as the Biggs Rapids Bridge, is a steel truss bridge in the northwest United States that carries U.S. Route 97 (US 97) across the Columbia River between Biggs Junction in Sherman County, Oreg ...
, which continues across the river to
Maryhill State Park in
Maryhill
Maryhill ( gd, Cnoc Màiri) is an area of the City of Glasgow in Scotland. Maryhill is a former burgh. Maryhill stretches over along Maryhill Road.
The far north west of the area is served by Maryhill railway station.
History
Hew Hill, ...
—an early
planned community
A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
by businessman
Sam Hill that features a
Stonehenge replica and had the first paved roads in the Northwest. US 97 also continues south from Biggs Junction to Bend and north to
Goldendale and
Yakima
Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The uni ...
.
The freeway continues northeast through
Rufus
Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname (from Latin '' rufus'', "red"). Notable people with the name include:
Given name
Politicians
* Rufus Ada George (born 1940), Nigerian politician
* Rufus ...
and past the
John Day Dam
The John Day Dam is a concrete gravity run-of-the-river dam spanning the Columbia River in the northwestern United States. The dam features a navigation lock plus fish ladders on both sides. The John Day Lock has the highest lift (at ) of any U.S ...
to the
John Day River
The John Day River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northeastern Oregon in the United States. It is known as the Mah-Hah River by the Cayuse people, the original inhabitants of the region. Undammed along its entire ...
, where it crosses into
Gilliam County
Gilliam County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,995, making it the third-least populous county in Oregon. The county seat is Condon. The county was established in 1885 and is ...
.
Eastern Oregon
![Winter driving on I-84 at Meacham Hill Oregon (2646735439)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Winter_driving_on_I-84_at_Meacham_Hill_Oregon_%282646735439%29.jpg)
I-84 and US 30 continue east along the river, now the expanded
Lake Umatilla, and reaches
Arlington at the foot of Alkali Canyon. There, it intersects
OR 19 in an interchange that is split into two halves by Earl Snell Memorial Park. OR 19 travels south to Columbia Ridge, a major
landfill that serves Portland and
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, and the
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a U.S. national monument in Wheeler and Grant counties in east-central Oregon. Located within the John Day River basin and managed by the National Park Service, the park is known for its well-preserved l ...
.
From Arlington, I-84 runs northeast along the edge of the
Shepherds Flat Wind Farm
The Shepherds Flat Wind Farm is an 845 megawatt (MW) wind farm in the eastern part of U.S. state of Oregon, near Arlington, in both Gilliam and Morrow counties. Groundbreaking occurred in 2009, and it officially opened in September 2012.
The w ...
, the second-largest
wind farm
A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turb ...
in the United States, and intersects
OR 74 at Willow Creek.
After reaching
Morrow County, the terrain opens into wide rangelands, including the
Boardman Naval Weapons Training Facility that the freeway passes to the north and a
poplar tree
''Populus'' is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar (), aspen, and cottonwood.
The ...
farm planted in rows for along the lanes and considered a scenic sight and a community fixture. I-84 continues through the city of
Boardman and turns southeast, leaving the river to intersect
US 730 and pass under the
Umatilla Army Depot,
which is planned to be redeveloped into industrial land and a
wildlife refuge
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
.
At the southeast corner of the Army depot near
Hermiston in
Umatilla County
Umatilla County () is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 80,075. Hermiston is the largest city in Umatilla County, but Pendleton remains the county seat. Umatilla County is part of ...
, I-84 intersects the southern terminus of
I-82, a freeway connecting northeastern Oregon to Washington's
Tri-Cities, Yakima, and
I-90. The freeway goes on to intersect
OR 27 south of Hermiston and
US 395 near
Stanfield, forming a concurrency with the latter. From Stanfield, I-84, US 30, and US 395 continue southeast along the
Umatilla River
The Umatilla River is an tributary of the Columbia River in northern Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Draining a basin of , it enters the Columbia near the city of Umatilla in the northeastern part of the state. In downstream order, beg ...
and the old
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what is now the state of Kans ...
to
Pendleton, which lies in a valley formed by the river.
West of the city, near the
Eastern Oregon Regional Airport
Eastern Oregon Regional Airport (Eastern Oregon Regional Airport at Pendleton) is a public airport three miles northwest of Pendleton, in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Commercial service is provided by Boutique Air to Portland, subsid ...
, US 30 leaves the concurrency to run through downtown on city streets. After passing the
Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution and crossing the river, US 395 splits from I-84 at Southgate, heading south towards
John Day. I-84 continues around the south edge of Pendleton and intersects
OR 11, a connecting highway to
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is a city in Walla Walla County, Washington, where it is the largest city and county seat. It had a population of 34,060 at the 2020 census, estimated to have decreased to 33,927 as of 2021. The population of the city and its two su ...
, before being rejoined by US 30.
The freeway travels southeast through a portion of the
Umatilla Indian Reservation
The Umatilla Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It was created by The Treaty of June 9, 1855 between the United States and members of the Walla, Cayuse, and Umatilla tribes. It lies in nor ...
, passing the on-reservation
resort casino, and begins its ascent into the
Blue Mountains.
The easternmost of I-84 includes several sharp curves and steep
grades, along with winter weather that causes frequent closures and collisions.
The westbound and eastbound lanes are split by a wide median for as I-84 climbs up a series of
switchbacks on Cabbage Hill (also known as Emigrant Hill), which have a maximum grade of 5 to 6 percent.
This section of the freeway also has an additional passing lane for uphill travel,
runaway truck ramps on descending slopes, chain-up zones, water refills for truck
radiators, and
variable-message sign
A variable- (also changeable-, electronic-, or dynamic-) message sign, often abbreviated VMS, CMS, or DMS, and in the UK known as a matrix sign,
is an electronic traffic sign often used on roadways to give travelers information about special ...
age for weather conditions.
I-84 cuts northeast across Emigrant Hill and turns south after
Deadman Pass, traveling towards the
Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area
Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area is a state park located in central Umatilla County, Oregon, United States, approximately 15 mi (24 km) southeast of Pendleton. Located in old growth forest near the summit of the Blue Mountains a ...
near
Meacham, located in the
Umatilla National Forest
The Umatilla National Forest, in the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon and southeast Washington, covers an area of 1.4 million acres (5,700 km2). In descending order of land area the forest is located in parts of Umatilla, Grant, Columbia ...
.
Near
Kamela, I-84 crosses the Blue Mountain summit, the second highest point of any freeway in the state at above sea level.
I-84 descends from the central Blue Mountains along Railroad Canyon, named for the Union Pacific line that runs through it, and reaches a junction with
OR 244 at
Hilgard Junction. From Hilgard, the highway travels east along the meandering
Grande Ronde River
The Grande Ronde River ( or, less commonly, ) is a tributary of the Snake River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 3, 2011 in northeastern Oregon and southeastern ...
to
La Grande, seat of
Union County and home to
Eastern Oregon University
Eastern Oregon University (EOU) (officially designated as Oregon’s Rural University) is a public university in La Grande, Oregon. It was formerly part of the Oregon University System, since dissolved. EOU was founded in 1929 as a teacher’ ...
.
US 30 splits from I-84 and runs through downtown, while I-84 bypasses the city on its northeast side, crossing over the Grande Ronde River and intersecting
OR 82. I-84 and US 30 are reunited southeast of the city at an interchange with
OR 203, just west of the
La Grande/Union County Airport
La Grande/Union County Airport is four miles southeast of La Grande, in Union County, Oregon, United States. It is owned by Union County.
West Coast Airlines DC-3s stopped at the airport from 1959 to 1960.
Facilities
The airport covers an ...
. The freeway continues south through the Grande Ronde Valley to Ladd Canyon, which it follows while gently ascending part of Craig Mountain at the edge of the
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
I-84 then descends into a wide valley and splits from US 30 at an interchange with
OR 237 in
North Powder. The two highways continue south into
Baker County, but are separated by the
Powder River and Coyote Point. I-84 intersects
OR 86 and the south end of OR 203 near
Baker City Municipal Airport, at the edge of
Baker City
Baker City is a city in and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States. It was named after Edward D. Baker, the only U.S. Senator ever killed in military combat. The population was 10,099 at the time of the 2020 census.
History
Pla ...
.
The freeway passes the east side of Baker City, intersecting
OR 7, and continues south through a
cut
Cut may refer to:
Common uses
* The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force
** A type of wound
** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past
** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment
** Cut (ea ...
in the city's southeastern hill. I-84 and US 30 are rejoined and follow Sutton and Alder creeks southeast through Pleasant Valley, an area notorious for inclement weather due to its
microclimate
A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squ ...
.
The surrounding area is marked by
gravel mines and dry shrubland that runs over the ridges formed by various streams. At
Durkee, the freeway begins to follow the
Burnt River, passing
Rattlesnake Springs State Park,
Weatherby
Weatherby, Inc. is an American gun manufacturer founded in 1945 by Roy Weatherby. The company is best known for its high-powered magnum cartridges, such as the .257 Weatherby Magnum, .270 Weatherby Magnum, .300 Weatherby Magnum, .340 Weatherb ...
, and
Lime
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Botany ...
. I-84 leaves the Burnt River valley west of
Huntington and continues southeast to the
Farewell Bend State Recreation Area
Farewell Bend State Recreation Area is a state park in Baker County, Oregon, United States, about northwest of Ontario. Farewell Bend was the last stop on the Oregon Trail along the Snake River
The Snake River is a major river of the great ...
in northeastern
Malheur County, where it briefly follows the
Snake River. The freeway leaves the river at an interchange with
OR 201 near Huffman Island and continues southeast across several cuts and
embankment
Embankment may refer to:
Geology and geography
* A levee, an artificial bank raised above the immediately surrounding land to redirect or prevent flooding by a river, lake or sea
* Embankment (earthworks), a raised bank to carry a road, railwa ...
s dug into an arm of the Blue Mountains. I-84 continues into the
Payette Valley and intersects OR 201 (co-signed with
US 30 Business) in the northern outskirts of
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
. The freeway continues along the Snake River, bypassing downtown Ontario to the north, and reaches an interchange with Idaho Avenue, where US 30 splits to cross into
Fruitland, Idaho
Fruitland is a city along the Snake and Payette rivers in Payette County, Idaho, United States. It lies along U.S. Route 95 in the Treasure Valley of southwest Idaho, about west of Boise on the border with Oregon. It is part of the Ontari ...
. I-84 travels south and passes Ontario's northbound
welcome center
A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to visitors.
Types of visitor center
A visi ...
, which receives up to 55,000 visitors annually, before crossing the Snake River into Idaho west of Fruitland.
Within Idaho,
I-84
Interstate 84 may refer to:
* Interstate 84 (Oregon–Utah), passing through Idaho, formerly known as Interstate 80N
* Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts)
Interstate 84 (I-84) is an Interstate Highway in the Northeaster ...
travels east into the
Treasure Valley
The Treasure Valley is a valley in the western United States, primarily in southwestern Idaho, where the Payette, Boise, Weiser, Malheur, Owyhee, and Burnt rivers drain into the Snake River. It includes all the lowland areas from Vale in rur ...
(including
Boise
Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown area' ...
) and
Magic Valley
The Magic Valley is a region in south-central Idaho constituting Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Twin Falls counties. It is particularly associated with the agricultural region in the Snake River Plain located ...
before continuing on towards
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
.
History
The Columbia River Gorge and overland crossing between
The Dalles
The Dalles is the largest city of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,010 at the 2020 census, and it is the largest city on the Oregon side of the Columbia River between the Portland Metropolitan Area, and Hermiston ...
and Idaho were originally part of the
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what is now the state of Kans ...
during the 19th century. The gorge itself was traversed via boat until the construction of a
wagon road
''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. I ...
in the 1870s that was upgraded to a water-level route that opened in 1882.
The wagon roads were replaced by the
Columbia River Highway, built from 1913 to 1922 and paved with
asphaltic concrete
Asphalt concrete (commonly called asphalt, blacktop, or pavement in North America, and tarmac, bitumen macadam, or rolled asphalt in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland) is a composite material commonly used to surface roads, parkin ...
. The gorge road was incorporated into a longer highway from
Astoria to
Pendleton designated as Columbia River Highway No. 2 in 1917 as part of Oregon's first state highway system. The new system also included Old Oregon Trail Highway No. 6, which followed the historic Oregon Trail from Pendleton to
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
on the Idaho state border, passing through
La Grande and
Baker City
Baker City is a city in and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States. It was named after Edward D. Baker, the only U.S. Senator ever killed in military combat. The population was 10,099 at the time of the 2020 census.
History
Pla ...
. The two highways were signed as
US 30 under the
national numbered highway system, approved in 1926 by the
American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO).
Improvements to the Columbia River Highway and Old Oregon Trail Highway had been planned since the early 1930s, primarily centered on a straighter alignment along the river, but
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
delayed further development until 1948. After the state legislature authorized construction of
controlled-access highways in 1947, the Columbia River Highway was targeted for major rebuilding to grade-separated standards. The Oregon State Highway Division started rebuilding parts of the highway segment by segment beginning in 1948 as bond funding became available, and completed the "water level" route in 1954. One of the segments completed in the early 1950s was the Banfield Expressway in Portland.
After the passing of the Federal Interstate and Defense Highways Act in 1956, US 30 was scheduled to be superseded by a new freeway, on an alignment closer to the river on flat terrain. The segment between Portland and The Dalles was mostly complete by 1963, but it would take until 1968 for construction of the highway to meet Interstate highway standards. Several sections of the Historic Columbia River Highway were destroyed to accommodate the wider highway, including the iconic
Mitchell Point Tunnel. Further work on the section in the eastern gorge, from The Dalles to Pendleton, began in the 1950s and was completed in 1964. Construction on the remaining segment between Pendleton and Ontario began in 1965 and continued until July 3, 1975, when the final section of I-84 opened near
Baker City
Baker City is a city in and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States. It was named after Edward D. Baker, the only U.S. Senator ever killed in military combat. The population was 10,099 at the time of the 2020 census.
History
Pla ...
.
The highway was initially designated in 1957 as Interstate 82, but was renumbered as Interstate 80N in 1958 to correspond with US 30 and give Oregon a "transcontinental" number. Oregon leaders had originally requested the designation of Interstate 80, but accepted I-80N as a compromise. It remained as Interstate 80N until May 1, 1980, when it was changed to Interstate 84 to eliminate confusion with the western section of the
non-suffixed I-80, which split from I-80N in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
and continued west to
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
.
The changing of signs in Oregon cost $140,000 and was funded by the federal government, which approved the change in 1979.
The entire highway was dedicated as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway in September 2014 by the state legislature, joining a similar designation in Idaho.
In November 2016, ODOT activated a
variable speed zone on a stretch of Interstate 84 between Baker City and Ladd Canyon. The new electronic signs collect data regarding temperature, skid resistance, and average motorist speed to determine the most effective speed limit for the area before presenting the limit on the sign.
Banfield Freeway
The T.H. Banfield Expressway, commonly known as the Banfield Freeway, is the portion of Interstate 84 between its western terminus at
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
and its intersection at
Interstate 205
Interstate 205 may refer to either of two unconnected Interstate Highways in the United States, both of which are related to Interstate 5
* Interstate 205 (California), a connector in the San Francisco Bay Area
* Interstate 205 (Oregon–Washing ...
in
Portland,
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The expressway, originally built as part of US 30, is named for Thomas H. "Harry" Banfield (1885–1950), a former
Oregon State Highway commissioner.
Prior to the creation of the Banfield, surface streets were the only routes from Portland to the country. Under
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
, the federal government had started providing federal assistance to expressway projects. As a result, planners designed a freeway system in Portland. The first step in building this new freeway system was to construct the Banfield, which would stretch from Portland to
Troutdale. The first section of the Banfield Expressway from Northeast 42nd Street to Troutdale opened on October 1, 1955, as Oregon's first freeway.
The full length, stretching from the Burnside Bridge to Troutdale, opened on January 24, 1958, with the completion of the section west of Northeast 42nd Avenue. The section through Sullivan's Gulch had been used by the
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
beginning in 1882 and had a right of way for use by the freeway.
I-80N was planned to be moved from the Banfield, which did not meet full Interstate standards, to the
Mount Hood Freeway
The Mount Hood Freeway is a partially constructed but never to be completed freeway alignment of U.S. Route 26 and Interstate 80N (now Interstate 84), which would have run through southeast Portland, Oregon. Related projects would have contin ...
under planning in the 1960s. The freeway would have connected to I-5 near the
Marquam Bridge
The Marquam Bridge is a double-deck, steel-truss cantilever bridge that carries Interstate 5 traffic across the Willamette River from south of downtown Portland, Oregon, on the west side to the industrial area of inner Southeast on the east. ...
and run through southeastern Portland to I-205, requiring a concurrency to reach the Banfield near Parkrose. The proposal was later cancelled in 1974.
A pair of time-limited
high-occupancy vehicle
A high-occupancy vehicle lane (also known as an HOV lane, carpool lane, diamond lane, 2+ lane, and transit lane or T2 or T3 lanes) is a restricted traffic lane reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers, i ...
lanes were installed in December 1975 at an approximate cost of $500,000. They were available for buses and passenger vehicles with three or more occupants. The westbound lane was long and open 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.; and the eastbound lane was and open from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. In 1977, the lane had a passenger volume of 1,075 people in the peak hour of traffic with an average of 2.81 people per rideshare vehicle, compared to 2,272 passengers per hour and 1.18 passengers per car for the regular lanes. The lane was calculated to have 88 percent
excess capacity in the peak hour of traffic, remaining relatively open. A report noted a 12 percent violation rate of the HOV lane and that enforcement of the lane was difficult because there was no shoulder for police to pull over a driver.
The HOV lane was removed in 1982 for the start of freeway widening work and
TriMet MAX construction.
The highway was widened to eight lanes during the 1980s, and the
MAX Light Rail
The Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) is a light rail system serving the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Owned and operated by TriMet, it consists of five color-designated lines that altogether connect the six sectio ...
's
Blue Line was added along the north side at the same time in 1986. Construction of the widened freeway and light rail line required the demolition and replacement of twelve overpasses and the closure of several ramps.
The
Portland Bureau of Transportation The Portland Bureau of Transportation (or PBOT) is the agency tasked with maintaining the city of Portland's transportation infrastructure. Bureau staff plan, build, manage and maintain a transportation system with the goal of providing people and ...
plans to build a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over a section of the Banfield Expressway. The bridge, named the
Earl Blumenauer
Earl Francis Blumenauer ( ; born August 16, 1948) is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1996. The district includes most of Portland east of the Willamette River.
A member of the Democrat ...
Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, would connect two ends of Northeast 7th Avenue (near Grand Avenue) between East Portland and the
Lloyd District
The Lloyd District is a primarily commercial neighborhood in the North and Northeast sections of Portland, Oregon. It is named after Ralph Lloyd (1875–1953), a California rancher, oilman, and real estate developer who moved to and started ...
. It is estimated to cost $13.7 million and is scheduled to be complete in 2022.
Exit list
References
External links
*
Interstate 84 (western) at Interstate Guide.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Interstate 084 In Oregon
Columbia River Gorge
Oregon
84
Transportation in Baker County, Oregon
Transportation in Gilliam County, Oregon
Transportation in Hood River County, Oregon
Transportation in Malheur County, Oregon
Transportation in Morrow County, Oregon
Transportation in Multnomah County, Oregon
Transportation in Portland, Oregon
Transportation in Sherman County, Oregon
Transportation in Umatilla County, Oregon
Transportation in Union County, Oregon
Transportation in Wasco County, Oregon