Oregon Route 86 is an

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 ...

state highway running from Interstate 84 at

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 ...

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 at

Oxbow __NOTOC__ An oxbow is a U-shaped metal pole (or larger wooden frame) that fits the underside and the sides of the neck of an ox or bullock. A bow pin holds it in place. The term " oxbow" is widely used to refer to a U-shaped meander in a rive ...

(near the former site of Copperfield). OR 86 comprises most of the Baker-Copperfield Highway No. 12 (see

Oregon highways and routes The state highway system of the U.S. state of Oregon is a network of highways that are owned and maintained by the Highway Division of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Highways and routes The state highway system consists of abo ...

). It is long and runs east–west. OR 86 has an unsigned spur near Halfway, which runs for . Most of OR 86 is part of the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway.

Route description

OR 86 begins at an intersection with I-84 near Baker City. It heads east through Richland and turns north toward Halfway, to which the spur connects. Shortly after the spur departs, OR 86 intersects

OR 414 Oregon Route 414 (OR 414) is an Oregon state highway running from OR 86S and OR 413 in Halfway to OR 86 near Halfway. OR 414 is known as the Pine Creek Highway No. 414 (see Oregon highways and routes). It is long and runs east–west, e ...

, which also heads to Halfway. OR 86 then turns northeast and continues to the Idaho state line on the Snake River at Oxbow. Just before the state line, a

county road A county highway (also county road or county route; usually abbreviated CH or CR) is a road in the United States and in the Canadian province of Ontario that is designated and/or maintained by the county highway department. Route numbering can ...

turns off to the south, following the river to the

Brownlee Dam Brownlee Dam is a hydroelectric earth fill embankment dam in the western United States, on the Snake River along the Idaho-Oregon border. In Hells Canyon at river mile 285, it impounds the Snake River in the Brownlee Reservoir. It is part of ...

and

Idaho State Highway 71 State Highway 71 (SH-71) is a state highway, connecting the north–south U.S. Route 95 (US-95) corridor with the recreational opportunities in Hells Canyon. It runs north from Cambridge to the Oregon border at the Brownlee Dam. Route descript ...

. The spur begins at an intersection near Halfway and heads northeast into Halfway, where it ends at an intersection with OR 413 and OR 414.

History

Highway 12 was established in 1917 as the Baker-Cornucopia Highway, running from Baker (now Baker City) to

Cornucopia In classical antiquity, the cornucopia (), from Latin ''cornu'' (horn) and ''copia'' (abundance), also called the horn of plenty, was a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers ...

. It was designated OR 86 when the Oregon route numbering system was initiated in 1932. In 1935, Highway 12 was divided at Halfway into the Baker-Homestead Highway and the

Halfway-Cornucopia Highway Oregon Route 413 (OR 413) is an Oregon state highway running from Cornucopia to Halfway. OR 413 is known as the Halfway-Cornucopia Highway No. 413 (see Oregon highways and routes). It is long and runs northwest to southeast, entirely within ...

No. 413. The OR 86 designation was removed from the Halfway-Cornucopia highway. In 1959, Highway 12 was rebuilt between Richland and Halfway, and the portion of the

Pine Creek Highway Oregon Route 414 (OR 414) is an Oregon state highway running from OR 86S and OR 413 in Halfway to OR 86 near Halfway. OR 414 is known as the Pine Creek Highway No. 414 (see Oregon highways and routes). It is long and runs east–west, e ...

No. 414 from Halfway to Copperfield was reassigned to Highway 12. Highway 12 was then renamed the Baker-Copperfield Highway and the OR 86 designation extended along its full length. In 1976, with the construction of what was then Interstate 80N and is now Interstate 84, the Baker-Copperfield Highway was realigned onto the

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

and the OR 86 designation removed from the freeway section and the section west of the freeway. The section west of I-84 was added to OR 7.

Major intersections

Spur

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Oregon Route 086 086 Transportation in Baker County, Oregon