U.S. Route 2 (US 2) is a component of the
United States Numbered Highway System
The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...
that connects the city of
Everett in the U.S. state of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
to the
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by t ...
, with a separate segment that runs from
Rouses Point, New York
Rouses Point is a village in Clinton County, New York, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Jacques Rouse, a French Canadian soldier who fought alongside the Americans d ...
, to
Houlton, Maine
Houlton is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, on the Canada–United States border. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 6,055. It is perhaps best known for being at the northern terminus of Interstate 95 and as the birthplace of Sam ...
. Within Washington, the highway travels on a route that connects the
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
and
eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
regions of the state as a part of the
state highway system and the
National Highway System. US 2 forms parts of two
National Scenic Byway
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 ...
s, the Stevens Pass Greenway from
Monroe to
Cashmere and the
Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway The Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in the U.S. state of Washington. It has three component highways:
* SR 17 from Othello to Coulee City;
* US 2 in Coulee City; and
* SR 155 from Coulee City to Omak
Oma ...
near
Coulee City
Coulee City is a town in Grant County, Washington. The population was 549 at the 2020 census.
History
The town was named after nearby Grand Coulee. Coulee City was officially incorporated on May 10, 1907.
Geography
Coulee City is located at ...
, and 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 ...
named the
International Selkirk Loop
The International Selkirk Loop is a scenic highway in the U.S. states of Idaho and Washington, as well as the Canadian province of British Columbia. The loop encircles the Selkirk Mountain Range, and offers several side trips aside from the mai ...
within
Newport.
US 2 begins in Everett at an intersection with
State Route 529 (SR 529) in Everett and travels east to an interchange with
Interstate 5 (I-5). The highway travels over the
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...
through
Stevens Pass
Stevens Pass (elevation ) is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range, Cascade Mountains located at the border of King County, Washington, King County and Chelan County, Washington, Chelan County in Washington (state), Washington, United States. ...
, connecting the
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
and
eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
parts of the state. US 2 becomes
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 97 from
Peshastin to
Orondo, crossing the
Columbia River
The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...
in
Wenatchee
Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and largest city of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and was estimated to have increased to 34,360 as of 2019. Located in the north-central part ...
on the
Richard Odabashian Bridge
The Richard Odabashian Bridge, formerly the Olds Station Bridge, is a box girder bridge
A box girder bridge, or box section bridge, is a bridge in which the main beams comprise girders in the shape of a hollow box. The box girder ...
. The highway continues east across 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 Columbia ...
in
Central Washington
Central Washington is a region of the U.S. state of Washington between the western and eastern parts of the state extending from the border with the Canadian province of British Columbia in the north to the border with the U.S. state of Oregon i ...
and crosses the
Grand Coulee
Grand Coulee is an ancient river bed in the U.S. state of Washington. This National Natural Landmark stretches for about 60 miles (100 km) southwest from Grand Coulee Dam to Soap Lake, being bisected by Dry Falls into the Upper and Lower ...
while concurrent with
SR 17 west of Coulee City. The highway travels into
Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...
concurrent with
I-90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
and
US 395 and leaves both highways continuing northeast to Newport. US 2 leaves Washington at 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 Wyom ...
state line, located along
SR 41 in Newport and
Idaho State Highway 41 (ID-41) in
Oldtown, Idaho
Oldtown is a city in Bonner County, Idaho and suburb of Newport, Washington, with a population of 184 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Pend Oreille River, just east of Newport. There are no natural or physical barriers, and it is stric ...
.
The present route of US 2 follows several wagon roads that were built in the late 19th century by local railroad companies, including the Stevens Pass Highway along the
Skykomish River
The Skykomish River is a long river in the U.S. state of Washington which drains the west side of the Cascade Mountains in the southeast section of Snohomish County and the northeast corner of King County. The river starts with the confluence ...
. The state of Washington began maintaining sections of what would become US 2 with the extension of
State Road 7 in 1909, from Pashastin to Spokane on the
Sunset Highway and later
State Road 2. In addition to State Road 2,
State Road 23 was created in 1915, traveling north from Spokane to Newport, and was renumbered to
State Road 6 in 1923. The Stevens Pass Highway was transferred to state maintenance in 1931 with the establishment of
State Road 15, traveling from Everett to Peshastin. The United States Highway System was adopted on November 11, 1926, and designated
US 10 on the future route of US 2 from Peshastin to Spokane and
US 195 from Spokane to Newport. US 10 was re-routed in 1939 and replaced by
US 10 Alternate, which was routed across Stevens Pass in the 1940s and itself replaced by US 2 in 1946. The primary state highways were replaced by the current state route system during the
1964 state highway renumbering, and US 2 replaced its three concurrent routes. US 2 underwent conversions to
limited-access highway
A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...
s during the next several decades, including the completion of the
Hewitt Avenue Trestle
The Hewitt Avenue Trestle is a causeway carrying U.S. Route 2 from Everett to Lake Stevens. It crosses the Snohomish River, Ebey Island, and the Ebey Slough. The western end of the trestle is an interchange with Interstate 5, while the eastern ...
and a bypass of
Snohomish. A series of projects is planned to improve the US 2 corridor between Snohomish and
Skykomish
Skykomish is a town in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 198 as of the 2010 census, down from an estimated peak of "several thousand" in the 1920s.
Located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 49 miles east ...
by expanding the highway near various cities and the completion of a bypass around
Monroe.
Route description
![US 2 eastbound near Everett](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/US_2_eastbound_near_Everett.jpg)
US 2 is defined by the
Washington State Legislature
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senat ...
as SR 2, part of the
Revised Code of Washington The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) is the compilation of all permanent laws currently in force in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. Temporary laws such as appropriations acts are excluded. It is published by the Washington State S ...
as
47.17.005 Every year, WSDOT conducts a series of surveys on its highways in the state to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of
annual average 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 y ...
(AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2013, WSDOT calculated that the busiest section of US 2 within Washington was the
Hewitt Avenue Trestle
The Hewitt Avenue Trestle is a causeway carrying U.S. Route 2 from Everett to Lake Stevens. It crosses the Snohomish River, Ebey Island, and the Ebey Slough. The western end of the trestle is an interchange with Interstate 5, while the eastern ...
above the
Snohomish River
The Snohomish River is a river in Snohomish County, Washington, formed by the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers near Monroe. It flows northwest entering Port Gardner Bay, part of Puget Sound, between Everett and Marysville. The ...
east of
Everett, carrying over 76,000 vehicles, while the least busiest section of US 2 is in
Moses Coulee
Moses Coulee is a canyon in the Waterville plateau region of Douglas County, Washington. Moses Coulee is the second-largest and westernmost canyon of the Channeled Scablands, located about to the west of the larger Grand Coulee. This water channe ...
, carrying 630 vehicles.
The entire route of US 2 within Washington is designated as part of the
National Highway System,
classifying it as important to the national economy, defense, and mobility.
WSDOT designates US 2 as a Highway of Statewide Significance,
which includes highways that connect major communities in the
state of Washington
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
.
US 2 begins in downtown Everett, with its eastbound lanes starting at the intersection of Hewitt Avenue and Maple Street, signed as
SR 529, and its westbound lanes ending at the intersection of California Street and Maple Street (SR 529). The highway travels east onto the Hewitt Avenue Trestle,
crossing the Snohomish River after 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 ...
.
The four-lane trestle continues east across
Ebey Island
Everett is the county seat and largest city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett is the seventh-largest city in the st ...
, intersecting Homeacres Road before crossing the
Ebey Slough.
US 2 turns southeast at the east end of the trestle in
Cavalero at an interchange with
SR 204, which serves
Lake Stevens
Lake Stevens is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States, that is named for the lake it surrounds. It is located east of Everett and borders the cities of Marysville to the northwest and Snohomish to the south. The city's popula ...
.
The
limited-access road
A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...
travels around the city of
Snohomish, intersecting Bickford Avenue in an
at-grade intersection
An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections a ...
and
SR 9 in a
diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road.
Design
The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
.
US 2 turns south and crosses over the
Pilchuck River
The Pilchuck River ( lut, dxʷkʷiƛ̕əb) is a river in Snohomish County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a tributary of the Snohomish River. The name is derived from Chinook Jargon ''pilpil'' ("blood", "red") and ''chuck'' ("water"), or " ...
and the
Centennial Trail A Centennial Trail is either a trail created to celebrate a centennial, or the memorialization of a path or trail that has endured for a century. These can be, but are not necessarily, rail trails.
Centennial Trails in the United States
* Centen ...
before its limited-access road ends at a diamond interchange with 88th Street.
The two-lane road continues southeast along the
Scenic Subdivision
The Scenic Subdivision or Scenic Sub is a railroad line running about 155 miles (249 km) from Seattle, Washington to Wenatchee, Washington. It is operated by BNSF Railway as part of their Northern Transcon. This route includes the Cascade Tu ...
of the
Northern Transcon
The Northern Transcon, a route operated by the BNSF Railway, traverses the most northerly route of any railroad in the western United States. This route was originally part of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, Northern Pacific Railwa ...
, a
BNSF
BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...
rail line,
into
Monroe. The highway travels past the
Evergreen State Fair
The Evergreen State Fair is a 12-day fair which is held each year from late August through Labor Day. It is the largest county fair in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and the largest single attraction held annually in Snohomis ...
grounds and intersects
SR 522 before entering downtown Monroe.
US 2, now part of a
National Scenic Byway
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 ...
named the Stevens Pass Greenway,
continues through the city of Monroe and forms the northern terminus of
SR 203. The highway leaves the city while parallel to the
Skykomish River
The Skykomish River is a long river in the U.S. state of Washington which drains the west side of the Cascade Mountains in the southeast section of Snohomish County and the northeast corner of King County. The river starts with the confluence ...
and travels through the cities of
Sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
and
Gold Bar
A gold bar, also called gold bullion or gold ingot, is a quantity of refined metallic gold of any shape that is made by a bar producer meeting standard conditions of manufacture, labeling, and record keeping. Larger gold bars that are produced ...
. US 2 begins following the
South Fork Skykomish River
The Skykomish River is a long river in the U.S. state of Washington which drains the west side of the Cascade Mountains in the southeast section of Snohomish County and the northeast corner of King County. The river starts with the confluence o ...
at
Index
Index (or its plural form indices) may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Index (''A Certain Magical Index''), a character in the light novel series ''A Certain Magical Index''
* The Index, an item on a Halo megastru ...
into the
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...
, crossing into
King County
King County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Washington, and the 13th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, also the st ...
near the town of
Baring. The highway enters
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest.
Mount or Mounts may also refer to:
Places
* Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England
* Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...
and continues east along the
Tye River
The Tye River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the James River in central Virginia in the United States. Originating on the eastern slope ...
past the town of
Skykomish
Skykomish is a town in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 198 as of the 2010 census, down from an estimated peak of "several thousand" in the 1920s.
Located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 49 miles east ...
and the
Cascade Tunnel
The Cascade Tunnel refers to two railroad tunnels (original and its replacement) in the northwest United States, east of the Seattle metropolitan area in the Cascade Range of Washington, at Stevens Pass. It is approximately east of Everett, wit ...
towards
Stevens Pass
Stevens Pass (elevation ) is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range, Cascade Mountains located at the border of King County, Washington, King County and Chelan County, Washington, Chelan County in Washington (state), Washington, United States. ...
.
The pass, located above sea level, is also home to the
Stevens Pass Ski Area and a trailhead for 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 ...
while serving as the point in which US 2 crosses into the
Wenatchee National Forest
Wenatchee National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in Washington. With an area of 1,735,394 acres (2,711.55 sq mi, or 7,022.89 km²), it extends about 137 miles along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range of Washington, USA from ...
in
Chelan County.
The highway continues east down
Nason Creek Nason may refer to:
People
* Anne Nason (early 20th century), American golfer
* Ben Nason (born 1989), Australian rules football player
* Charles Geoffrey Nason Stanley, Irish Anglican Dean of Lismore (1934-60)
* David Nason (born 1970), American l ...
to
Coles Corner
Coles Corner is the name given to the corner of Fargate and Church Street in Sheffield, England in sight of the cathedral. It was the site of the old Cole Brothers department store until it moved to Barker's Pool in 1963.
The modern building wa ...
, the southern terminus of
SR 207, which serves
Lake Wenatchee
Lake Wenatchee is a glacier- and snowmelt-fed lake situated in the Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern slopes of the Cascades Mountain Range in the state of Washington. Lake Wenatchee covers and reaches a depth of . Lake Wenatchee is the so ...
. US 2 travels due south along the
Wenatchee River
The Wenatchee River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington, originating at Lake Wenatchee and flowing southeast for , emptying into the Columbia River immediately north of Wenatchee, Washington. On its way it passes the towns of Plain, Leaven ...
valley through
Leavenworth before it begins a
concurrency
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 97 at a
diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road.
Design
The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
east of
Peshastin.
![Eastern Washington Truck](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Eastern_Washington_Truck.jpg)
US 2 and US 97 travel together on a four-lane highway on the north side of the Wenatchee River heading southeast past
Cashmere heading towards
Wenatchee
Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and largest city of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and was estimated to have increased to 34,360 as of 2019. Located in the north-central part ...
. The roadway intersects
SR 285, a short connector to downtown Wenatchee,
and
US 97 Alternate, an alternate route to
Chelan,
in
Sunnyslope before crossing the
Richard Odabashian Bridge
The Richard Odabashian Bridge, formerly the Olds Station Bridge, is a box girder bridge
A box girder bridge, or box section bridge, is a bridge in which the main beams comprise girders in the shape of a hollow box. The box girder ...
over the
Columbia River
The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...
and into
Douglas County. The two highways continue east into
East Wenatchee
East Wenatchee is a city in Douglas County, Washington, Douglas County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census was 13,190, a 129.1% increase on the 2000 census, having annexed m ...
and turn north at the western terminus of
SR 28. US 2 and US 97 continue north between the Columbia River to the west and
Badger Mountain to the east, passing the
Rocky Reach Dam
Rocky Reach Dam is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric dam in the U.S. state of Washington owned and operated by Chelan County Public Utility District. It has 11 generators rated in total 1300 MW. The project is on the Columbia River in north cent ...
and its reservoir,
Lake Entiat
Lake Entiat (also known as Rocky Reach Reservoir) is a reservoir between Chelan County and Douglas County in North Central Washington, USA, that is formed above Rocky Reach Dam (built 1962), a hydroelectric dam on the Columbia River. The reser ...
before reaching
Orondo. US 2 and US 97 split at Orondo, with US 97 continuing north along the Columbia River towards Chelan and US 2 traveling east up Pine Canyon onto the
Waterville Plateau Waterville may refer to:
Places Canada
* Waterville, Quebec
* Waterville, Nova Scotia
* Waterville, Carleton County, New Brunswick, a rural community
* Waterville, Sunbury County, New Brunswick, a rural community
* Waterville, Newfoundland and Labr ...
. The highway travels through the town of
Waterville via several turns on city streets before heading due east across 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 Columbia ...
, intersecting
SR 172 at
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mig ...
. US 2 becomes concurrent with
SR 17 as it descends into the
Grand Coulee
Grand Coulee is an ancient river bed in the U.S. state of Washington. This National Natural Landmark stretches for about 60 miles (100 km) southwest from Grand Coulee Dam to Soap Lake, being bisected by Dry Falls into the Upper and Lower ...
south of
Banks Lake
Banks Lake is a long reservoir in central Washington in the United States.
Part of the Columbia Basin Project, Banks Lake occupies the northern portion of the Grand Coulee, a formerly dry coulee near the Columbia River, formed by the Missoula Fl ...
, becoming part of the
Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway The Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in the U.S. state of Washington. It has three component highways:
* SR 17 from Othello to Coulee City;
* US 2 in Coulee City; and
* SR 155 from Coulee City to Omak
Oma ...
.
![I-90SunsetHillSpokane](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/I-90SunsetHillSpokane.jpg)
The byway travels off US 2 and onto
SR 155 east of
Coulee City
Coulee City is a town in Grant County, Washington. The population was 549 at the 2020 census.
History
The town was named after nearby Grand Coulee. Coulee City was officially incorporated on May 10, 1907.
Geography
Coulee City is located at ...
at
Fordair, continuing north through
Grant County Grant County may refer to:
Places
;Australia
* County of Grant, Victoria
;United States
*Grant County, Arkansas
*Grant County, Indiana
*Grant County, Kansas
*Grant County, Kentucky
*Grant County, Minnesota
*Grant County, Nebraska
*Grant Co ...
towards the
Grand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation water. Constructed between 1933 and 1942, Grand Coulee originally had two powerhous ...
.
US 2 travels east into
Lincoln County between the towns of
Hartline
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (also known as the Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART)) provides public transportation for Hillsborough County, Florida. The agency provides fixed-route local and express bus service, door-to-door paratransit ...
and
Almira
''Almira, Königin von Castilien'' ("Almira, Queen of Castile", HWV 1; full title: ''Der in Krohnen erlangte Glücks-Wechsel, oder: Almira, Königin von Castilien'') is George Frideric Handel's first opera, composed when he was 19 years old. I ...
and becomes concurrent with
SR 21 in
Wilbur for several city blocks. The highway parallels the
Columbia River Subdivision of the BNSF Northern Transcon through Bachelor Prairie towards
Davenport,
where it intersects the termini of SR 28 and
SR 25. US 2 travels into
Reardan concurrent with
SR 231 and enters
Spokane County
Spokane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 539,339, making it the fourth-most populous county in Washington. The largest city and county seat is Spokane, the second largest cit ...
east of the town boundary. The highway passes
Fairchild Air Force Base
Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base, located in the northwest United States in eastern Washington, approximately southwest of Spokane.
The host unit at Fairchild is the 92nd Air Refueling Wing (92 ARW) assigned t ...
and becomes a four-lane arterial street through
Airway Heights
Airway Heights is a city in Spokane County, Washington, United States, just west of Spokane. The population was 10,757 at the 2020 census. The city's name was taken from its close proximity to the runways at Fairchild Air Force Base and Spokane ...
approaching
Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...
. US 2 enters the city of Spokane as a four-lane freeway northeast of
Spokane International Airport
Spokane International Airport is a commercial airport located approximately west-southwest of downtown Spokane, Washington, United States. It is the primary airport serving the Inland Northwest, which consists of 30 counties and includes areas ...
and intersects Airport Way before beginning its concurrency with
I-90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
and
US 395 at a
partial cloverleaf interchange
A partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange.
The design has been well received, and has since become one of the most popular freeway-to-arterial interchange designs in North America. It has also bee ...
.
I-90, US 2 and US 395 travel east into
Downtown Spokane
Downtown Spokane or Riverside is the central business district of Spokane, Washington. The Riverside neighborhood is roughly bounded by I-90 to the south, Division Street to the east, Monroe Street to the west and Boone Avenue to the north. The t ...
and intersects the northern terminus of
US 195, which travels south towards
Pullman and
Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston is a city and the county seat of Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States, in the state's north central region. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene, and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is ...
.
US 2 and US 395 split from I-90 and travel into Downtown Spokane on the
one-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or couplet refers to that portion of a bi-directional traffic facilitysuch as a road, bus, streetcar, or light rail linewhere its opposing flows exist as two independent and roughly parallel facilities.
Descriptio ...
of Browne and
Division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
streets,
serving the
Spokane Intermodal Center
The Spokane Intermodal Center is an intermodal transport facility located in Spokane, Washington, United States. It serves as a service stop for the Amtrak ''Empire Builder'', as well as the Greyhound, Trailways, and Jefferson Lines station for S ...
and
Spokane Convention Center
Spokane Convention Center is the primary convention center in Spokane, Washington, in the northwest United States, and consists of two interconnected buildings along the south bank of the Spokane River in downtown Spokane. The facility, owned and ...
before reaching
Riverfront Park. Division Street crosses the
Spokane River
The Spokane River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northern Idaho and eastern Washington in the United States. It drains a low mountainous area east of the Columbia, passing through the Spokane Valley and the city of ...
and the
Centennial Trail A Centennial Trail is either a trail created to celebrate a centennial, or the memorialization of a path or trail that has endured for a century. These can be, but are not necessarily, rail trails.
Centennial Trails in the United States
* Centen ...
on the
Senator Sam C. Guess Memorial Bridge before splitting into the one-way pairing of Division and Ruby streets.
Division Street continues north past the
NorthTown Mall and the eastern terminus of
SR 291 at Francis Street before US 2 and US 395 split.
US 2 travels northeast through
Country Homes on the Newport Highway to an interchange with the
North Spokane Corridor
The U.S. Route 395 North Spokane Corridor (NSC) is a freeway - with complete and currently operational – running north–south along the eastern border of Spokane, Washington and parts of unincorporated Spokane County to the north.
The $ ...
,
an incomplete freeway bypass of Spokane that is signed as a
spur route
A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A bypass or beltway should not be considered a true spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the s ...
of US 395. The highway continues west of
Mead
Mead () is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alcoholic content ranges from about 3.5% ABV to more than 20%. The defining character ...
and intersects
SR 206, a road serving
Mount Spokane State Park
Mount Spokane State Park is a public recreation area in the northwest United States,located in the Selkirk Mountains, northeast of the city of Spokane, Washington. The state park surrounds Mount Spokane and other peaks including Mount Kit C ...
, before becoming a four-lane
divided highway
A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
parallel the
Kooteani River Subdivision of the BNSF Northern Transcon. US 2 travels north along the
Little Spokane River
The Little Spokane River is a major tributary of the Spokane River, approximately long, in eastern Washington in the United States. It drains a rural area of forested foothills and a farming valley north of the city of Spokane along the Idaho– ...
through
Colbert and Chattaroy, Washington, Chattaroy before leaving Spokane County and entering Pend Oreille County, Washington, Pend Oreille County. The divided highway ends at the southern terminus of Washington State Route 211, SR 211, located west of Diamond Lake, Washington, Diamond Lake. US 2 continues northeast along the Little Spokane River and enters the city of
Newport, splitting into a one-way pair on Washington and Union avenues. The two streets travel north through the city to the eastern terminus of Washington State Route 20, SR 20 and turn east onto Walnut Street and the
International Selkirk Loop
The International Selkirk Loop is a scenic highway in the U.S. states of Idaho and Washington, as well as the Canadian province of British Columbia. The loop encircles the Selkirk Mountain Range, and offers several side trips aside from the mai ...
,
where U.S. Route 2 in Idaho, US 2 crosses 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 Wyom ...
state line at the northern terminus of
SR 41 in Newport and Idaho State Highway 41, ID-41 in
Oldtown, Idaho
Oldtown is a city in Bonner County, Idaho and suburb of Newport, Washington, with a population of 184 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Pend Oreille River, just east of Newport. There are no natural or physical barriers, and it is stric ...
.
History
US 2 follows the route of several wagon roads and early state highways that themselves followed the route of the
Skykomish River
The Skykomish River is a long river in the U.S. state of Washington which drains the west side of the Cascade Mountains in the southeast section of Snohomish County and the northeast corner of King County. The river starts with the confluence ...
and the Great Northern Railway (U.S.), Great Northern Railway, a transcontinental railroad that was completed in 1893.
A wagon road from
Snohomish to
Skykomish
Skykomish is a town in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 198 as of the 2010 census, down from an estimated peak of "several thousand" in the 1920s.
Located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 49 miles east ...
was completed in the late 1880s,
while another wagon road along the
Wenatchee River
The Wenatchee River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington, originating at Lake Wenatchee and flowing southeast for , emptying into the Columbia River immediately north of Wenatchee, Washington. On its way it passes the towns of Plain, Leaven ...
from
Leavenworth to
Sunnyslope was completed by 1904.
The modern-day route of US 2 between Snohomish and Monroe was completed as a county wagon road in 1904. The
state of Washington
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
began maintaining State Road 7 (Washington 1905-1919), State Road 7 in 1909,
traveling from
Peshastin to
Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...
on what would become the
Sunset Highway and US 2.
The easternmost segment of US 2 within Washington, from Spokane to
Newport, was added to the state highway system in 1915 as
State Road 23 and renamed to the Pend Oreille Highway two years later.
State Road 7 was renumbered to
State Road 2, part of an east–west highway connecting Seattle to
Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...
.
The Stevens Pass Highway was opened on July 11, 1925, and traveled from Everett along the Skykomish River and over
Stevens Pass
Stevens Pass (elevation ) is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range, Cascade Mountains located at the border of King County, Washington, King County and Chelan County, Washington, Chelan County in Washington (state), Washington, United States. ...
towards
Leavenworth.
The highway was transferred to state maintenance from the Department of Highways (Washington), Department of Highways in 1931 as
State Road 15.
The United States Numbered Highway, United States Highway System was adopted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on November 11, 1926, and included a shorter US 2, traveling from Bonners Ferry, Idaho to the
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by t ...
, and several routes along the modern route of US 2 in Washington.
The corridor of US 2 was signed as
US 10 from Peshastin to Spokane and
US 195 from Spokane to Newport, co-signed with State Road 2 and State Road 6, respectively.
The Primary State Highways (Washington), Washington primary and secondary state highway system was adopted by the
Washington State Legislature
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senat ...
on March 17, 1937, and the three highways that comprise the present route of US 2 were included in the system as Primary State Highway 15 (Washington), Primary State Highway 15 (PSH 15) from Everett to Peshastin, Primary State Highway 2 (Washington), PSH 2 from Peshastin to Spokane, and Primary State Highway 6 (Washington), PSH 6 from Spokane 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 Wyom ...
state line in Newport via a short branch route.
US 10 was relocated to a southern route in 1939, crossing the
Columbia River
The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...
at Vantage, Washington, Vantage,
and the former route was replaced by
US 10 Alternate the following year.
A proposal from representatives of the highway departments of Idaho and Washington to extend US 2 to Everett was considered by the AASHO's U.S. Route Numbering Committee in January 1946, but was vetoed. The proposal resurfaced during the committee's meeting on December 20, 1946, and was approved as a replacement of US 10 Alternate from Everett to Bonners Ferry and US 195 from Spokane to Newport.
The yet-unbuilt highway across Stevens Pass was also proposed in 1956 as a tunnel that would be funded as an addition to the new Interstate Highway System by Senator Warren G. Magnuson, but the amendment did not make it into the final bill.
The State highways in Washington, Washington state highway system was changed to its current "sign route system" beginning in January 1963 with a 1964 state highway renumbering (Washington), state highway renumbering.
Under the new system, Interstate highways, U.S. routes, and state routes replaced the primary and secondary highways and were codified under the
Revised Code of Washington The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) is the compilation of all permanent laws currently in force in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. Temporary laws such as appropriations acts are excluded. It is published by the Washington State S ...
in 1970.
US 2 was re-routed around various cities over the next several decades onto
limited-access highway
A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...
s to reduce congestion, beginning with the construction of the current westbound
Hewitt Avenue Trestle
The Hewitt Avenue Trestle is a causeway carrying U.S. Route 2 from Everett to Lake Stevens. It crosses the Snohomish River, Ebey Island, and the Ebey Slough. The western end of the trestle is an interchange with Interstate 5, while the eastern ...
east of Everett, which opened on April 8, 1969. The existing wooden trestle was used by eastbound traffic until it was replaced by a new bridge in 2002.
US 2 was routed north of Wenatchee onto the Richard Odabashian Bridge, Olds Station Bridge, renamed in 1991 to honor Richard Odabashian, over the Columbia River in 1975,
while the former alignment was designated as
SR 285 in 1977.
The present two-lane expressway north and east of Snohomish was proposed in 1969 and completed in 1983; it was originally intended to also include an unfinished bypass of
Monroe.
US 97 had its concurrency with US 2 extended from Sunnyslope to Orondo along the east side of the Columbia River in 1987 after US 97 was moved onto the former route of Washington State Route 151, SR 151.
The Stevens Pass Greenway, which became a National Forest Scenic Byway on April 14, 1992, was re-designated as a
National Scenic Byway
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 ...
on September 22, 2005.
Within Newport, US 2 had an unsigned spur route that traveled on the southbound lanes of Idaho State Highway 41, ID-41 on the Idaho state line until 1997, when
SR 41 was created to avoid confusion.
The intersection between US 2 and US 97 east of Peshastin was replaced by a new
diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road.
Design
The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
completed in October 2008 as part of general improvements to the two highways' concurrency from Peshastin to Sunnyslope.
The current interchange between US 2 and the
North Spokane Corridor
The U.S. Route 395 North Spokane Corridor (NSC) is a freeway - with complete and currently operational – running north–south along the eastern border of Spokane, Washington and parts of unincorporated Spokane County to the north.
The $ ...
, a spur route of
US 395, was opened in November 2011 to coincide with the opening of the northernmost of the future freeway.
Corridor development
In the early 2000s, Washington State Department of Transportation, WSDOT began planning a series of 56 projects to improve the US 2 corridor between Snohomish and Skykomish, where the highway is two lanes wide and has been the site of over 2,600 collisions between 1999 and 2007 that caused 47 fatalities.
A study, conducted by WSDOT in 2007,
divided the corridor into four segments, each with a specialized development plan. The study suggested the expansion of the limited-access highway from Snohomish to the western city limits of Monroe to four lanes,
including an interchange at Bickford Avenue that was later completed in September 2013. A wider median with rumble strips was added to some sections of US 2 between Snohomish and Monroe in 2019.
WSDOT plans to move US 2 onto a northern bypass of Monroe, which would avoid the business district and intersect
SR 522 with a roundabout.
From Monroe to
Gold Bar
A gold bar, also called gold bullion or gold ingot, is a quantity of refined metallic gold of any shape that is made by a bar producer meeting standard conditions of manufacture, labeling, and record keeping. Larger gold bars that are produced ...
, US 2 would be expanded to a four-lane highway, with a roundabout connecting the highway to the city of Gold Bar,
and become a two-lane highway with wider shoulder lanes to Skykomish.
Seasonal traffic congestion in the Sultan area, which causes backups that overflow onto side streets, have inspired proposals to build an additional bypass, a two-street one-way pair, couplet, or a freeway along the Stevens Pass corridor.
In addition to the freeway expansion, WSDOT is considering a total replacement of the westbound Hewitt Avenue Trestle that would cost between $750 million to $1 billion. One of the options in the early feasibility study conducted in 2017 included a vehicle toll, which sparked public outcry on social media. The study also lists an increased gas tax, federal grants, and public-private partnerships as potential revenue sources for the project.
Major intersections
References
External links
*
US 2 at Highways of Washington State
{{DEFAULTSORT:U.S. Route 002
U.S. Highways in Washington (state), 002
Washington State Scenic and Recreational Highways, 002
Transportation in Snohomish County, Washington
Transportation in King County, Washington
Transportation in Chelan County, Washington
Transportation in Douglas County, Washington
Transportation in Grant County, Washington
Transportation in Lincoln County, Washington
Transportation in Spokane County, Washington
Transportation in Pend Oreille County, Washington
U.S. Route 2, Washington