U.S. Route 97 (US 97) in the U.S. state of
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
is a major north–south
United States highway
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 ...
which runs from the
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
border, south of
Klamath Falls
Klamath Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The city was originally called ''Linkville'' when George Nurse founded the town in 1867. It was named after the Link River, on whose falls the city was ...
, to the
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 ...
border on 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 ...
, between
Biggs Junction, Oregon
Biggs Junction is an unincorporated community in Sherman County, Oregon, United States. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Biggs Junction as a census-designated place (CDP). The census definition of the area ma ...
and
Maryhill, Washington
Maryhill is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Klickitat County, Washington, United States. The population was 58 at the 2010 census, down from 98 at the 2000 census.
History
Maryhill is named after the wife and d ...
. Other than the northernmost stretch (which is known as the Sherman Highway), US 97 (along with
US 197) is known as The Dalles-California Highway. In May 2009, Oregon Senate passed a bill to rename US 97 as "World War II Veterans Historic Highway".
With the exception of
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 Califor ...
(I-5), US 97 is the most important north–south highway corridor in the state. It serves two major population centers (Klamath Falls and Bend), and is the main corridor east of the
Cascade Mountains
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, ...
. While much of the highway remains in two-lane undivided configuration, significant sections have been upgraded to
expressway
Expressway may refer to:
* Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic.
* Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road.
*Expressway, the fictional s ...
or
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 ...
status.
Route description
The run of US 97 in
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
(running from south to north) starts at the border between Oregon and
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, south of the city of Klamath Falls. The highway starts out as a two-lane road, running through the arid
Klamath River
The Klamath River (Karuk: ''Ishkêesh'', Klamath: ''Koke'', Yurok: ''Hehlkeek 'We-Roy'') flows through Oregon and northern California in the United States, emptying into the Pacific Ocean. By average discharge, the Klamath is the second larges ...
basin. Approaching the city of Klamath Falls, 97 becomes a
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
just south of the junction with
OR 140 and
OR 66. The freeway then runs along the western edge of the downtown region, ending at an interchange with
Oregon Route 39
Oregon Route 39 is an Oregon state highway that runs between the city of Klamath Falls in Southern Oregon, and the California border between Merrill, Oregon, and Tulelake, California.
Route description
Oregon Route 39 begins at an interchange wi ...
near the
Oregon Institute of Technology
The Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech) is a public polytechnic university in Oregon with a residential campus in Klamath Falls, Oregon, an urban campus in Wilsonville, Oregon, and additional locations in Salem and Seattle. Oregon Tec ...
. Within Klamath Falls is a
business route
A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...
, which runs through downtown via Main Street/Klamath Avenue and Esplanade Avenue, then which turns back to the US 97 mainline via the East Side Bypass (this latter segment co-signed with OR 39). This section of Highway 97 has been identified as an important alternative to I-5 for traffic in the
Medford area in the event of a major earthquake in the region. Various proposals have also identified US 97 as a potential freeway corridor.
Highway 97, once again primarily a two-lane road, continues north along the eastern shore of
Upper Klamath Lake
Upper Klamath Lake (sometimes called Klamath Lake) ( Klamath: ?ews, "lake" ) is a large, shallow freshwater lake east of the Cascade Range in south-central Oregon in the United States. The largest body of fresh water by surface area in Oregon, it ...
. In the town of
Chiloquin
Chiloquin ( ) ( Klamath: mbosaksawaas, "flint place" ) is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Chiloquin was the pioneer version of a Klamath family name ''Chaloquin'', which was the name of a Klamath chief who was alive at the time ...
is an intersection with
Oregon Route 62
Oregon Route 62 is an Oregon state highway that runs between the city of Medford, and U.S. Route 97 between Chiloquin and Klamath Falls. The highway approaches Crater Lake National Park from the south, and is known as the Crater Lake Highway. W ...
, which provides access to
Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park is an American national park located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake is the fifth-oldest national park in the United States and the only national park in Oregon. The park encompasses the caldera of ...
from the southeast; further north is an interchange with
Oregon Route 138
Oregon Route 138 is an Oregon state highway that runs between the city of Elkton and a junction with U.S. Route 97 at Diamond Lake Junction. The highway has several distinct stretches, and is the main east–west highway through Roseburg, ...
which provides access to the park from the northeast. Continuing north, near the town of
Chemult is an interchange with
Oregon Route 58
Oregon Route 58 (OR 58), also known as the Willamette Highway No. 18 (see Oregon highways and routes), is a state highway in the U.S. state of Oregon. The route, signed east–west, runs in a southeast–northwest direction, connecting U.S. R ...
, which heads northwest to
Eugene and the
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley ( ) is a long valley in Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley and is surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Cascade Range to the east, ...
.
In
La Pine is a junction with
Oregon Route 31; this city marks the start of the
Deschutes River Deschutes River may refer to:
*Deschutes River (Oregon)
The Deschutes River in central Oregon is a major tributary of the Columbia River. The river provides much of the drainage on the eastern side of the Cascade Range in Oregon, gathering many ...
recreation area; (
Crane Prairie Reservoir
Crane Prairie Reservoir is a man-made lake located about southwest of Bend in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. The reservoir is named for the cranes that thrive in its habitat and for the upper Deschutes River prairie that once covered t ...
, the river's source, is located due west of La Pine). North of La Pine, the highway becomes an
expressway
Expressway may refer to:
* Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic.
* Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road.
*Expressway, the fictional s ...
as it passes by the resort community of
Sunriver and heads towards the city of
Bend. It travels through the city on the Bend Parkway, an expressway with right-in, right-out access and full interchanges. US 97 crosses over US 20 twice in northern Bend and continues northeast from the city.
North of Bend, the highway continues as an expressway until it reaches the city of
Redmond. US 97 bypasses the downtown area with a speed limit on the northern section of this parkway. In Redmond is a short concurrency with
Oregon Route 126
Oregon OR 126 (OR 126) is a state highway that connects coastal, western, and central parts of the U.S. state of Oregon. A short freeway section of OR 126 in Eugene and Springfield is concurrent with Interstate 105 (I-105).
Route ...
. Continuing north out of Redmond, one enters a high desert region marked by numerous deep river gorges, including the
Crooked River gorge (which 97 passes over near the
Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint
The Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint is a state park on the Crooked River in Oregon, United States. It is on the border of Deschutes and Jefferson counties.
History
The facility is named in honor of Peter Skene Ogden who first enter ...
and rest area). Towns along the route include Terrebonne, which provides access to
Smith Rock State Park
Smith Rock State Park is a state park located in central Oregon's High Desert near the communities of Redmond and Terrebonne. The day-use area of the park is open daily from dawn to dusk. The park also has a camping area as well that accommodat ...
, a climbing mecca, and
Culver
Culver may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
*Culver Down, Isle of Wight
United States
*Culver, Indiana, a town in northern Indiana
* Culver, Kansas, a city in north-central Kansas
* Culver, Kentucky, an unincorporated community
* Culver, Misso ...
. North of Culver, the highway enters the agricultural community of
Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
.
South of Madras is an intersection with
U.S. Route 26
U.S. Route 26 (US 26) is an east–west United States highway that runs from Seaside, Oregon to Ogallala, Nebraska. When the U.S. highway system was first defined, it was limited to Nebraska and Wyoming; by the 1950s, it continued into Idaho and ...
headed eastbound; the two routes share an alignment through the city. On the northern edge of town, 97 forks off to the right, heading northeast; and 26 continues northwest towards
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
. The importance of 97 as a transportation corridor diminishes north of Madras, as most traffic continues to Portland.
South of the community of
Shaniko, US 97 forks off its only spur route,
U.S. Route 197
U.S. Route 197 (US 197) is a north–south United States Highway, of which all but 2.76 miles of its 69.93 miles (4.44 of 112.54 km) are within the state of Oregon. The highway starts in rural Wasco County in Central Ore ...
which continues heading parallel to the Deschutes River towards
Tygh Valley 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 ...
. Route 97 takes a more easterly course, passing through the high desert region of the Columbia Plateau. Towns along the route include
Grass Valley
A grass valley (also vega and valle) is a meadow located within a forested and relatively small drainage basin such as a headwater. Grass valleys are common in North America, where they are created and maintained principally by the work of b ...
and
Wasco Wasco is the name of four places in the United States:
Places United States
* Wasco, California, a city in California
** Wasco State Prison, located in Wasco, California
* Wasco, Illinois, a former hamlet (unincorporated town) in Illinois, now pa ...
. Just south of Biggs Junction, the highway descends from the plateau into 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 sta ...
. In Biggs is an interchange with
Interstate 84 and
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 ...
; immediately north of the interchange is the
Biggs Rapids-Sam Hill Bridge 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 ...
. The river serves as the state line between Oregon and
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 ...
. Work on US 97 near Biggs in 1966 led to the discovery of the
Biggs jasper
Biggs jasper is a variety of the mineral jasper. It is a "picture jasper" – a jasper that exhibits particular patterns and colors – and is used as an opaque gemstone. It exhibits intricate, shell- or layer-like patterns in shades of brown ran ...
, a sought-after gemstone.
Highways comprised
US 97 comprises the following highways (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 ...
), from south to north:
* Part of The Dalles-California Highway No. 4; and
* The Sherman Highway No. 42.
It was also designated as the World War II Veterans Historic Highway in 2009, primarily because it connected several training facilities used by the military during the war.
US 97 Business in
Klamath Falls
Klamath Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The city was originally called ''Linkville'' when George Nurse founded the town in 1867. It was named after the Link River, on whose falls the city was ...
, from south to north, comprises:
* Part of the
Klamath Falls-Lakeview Highway
Oregon Route 140 (OR 140) is a state highway in southern Oregon, United States. It is the longest state highway in Oregon, running from the community of White City, Oregon (just north of Medford), through Klamath Falls and on to Lakeview. It ...
No. 20 concurrent with
Oregon Route 39
Oregon Route 39 is an Oregon state highway that runs between the city of Klamath Falls in Southern Oregon, and the California border between Merrill, Oregon, and Tulelake, California.
Route description
Oregon Route 39 begins at an interchange wi ...
;
* The
Esplanade Spur, concurrent with Oregon Route 39; and
* Part of the
Klamath Falls-Malin Highway
Oregon Route 39 is an Oregon state highway that runs between the city of Klamath Falls in Southern Oregon, and the California border between Merrill, Oregon, and Tulelake, California.
Route description
Oregon Route 39 begins at an interchange ...
No. 50.
US 97 Business in
Bend runs from its intersection with the main highway at East 1st Street north of Bend, south on East 1st Street, Deschutes Place, and Wall Street to Newport Avenue, concurrent with
U.S. 20 Business, then continues south on a Wall Street-Bond Street couplet and east on Franklin Avenue until it rejoins the main highway at East 3rd Street.
History
US 97 was established in 1926 as part of the initial
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 ...
approved by the
American Association of State Highway Officials
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction throughout the United St ...
(now AASHTO). It gained an auxiliary route, US 197, that was created on October 21, 1951.
The Bend section of US 97 was moved to the Bend Parkway in November 2001, replacing a parallel alignment on 3rd Street that now carries a signed
business route
A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...
. It was one of several options studied to address increased through traffic in Bend, including full
bypasses
Bypass may refer to:
* Bypass (road), a road that avoids a built-up area (not to be confused with passing lane)
* Flood bypass of a river
Science and technology Medicine
* Bypass surgery, a class of surgeries including for example:
** Heart bypas ...
and a
one-way couplet
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 ...
on various streets.
The AASHTO formally approved the relocation of US 97 onto the Bend Parkway in 2010, along with the creation of US 97 Business.
The expressway was extended towards Sunriver with the construction of additional interchanges and a four-lane highway that opened through the Newberry National Volcanic Monument in 2011. The parkway has a signed speed limit of , narrow shoulders that serve as
bicycle lane
Bike lanes (US) or cycle lanes (UK) are types of bikeways (cycleways) with lanes on the roadway for cyclists only. In the United Kingdom, an on-road cycle-lane can be firmly restricted to cycles (marked with a solid white line, entry by motor v ...
s, pedestrian crossings, and several
right-in, right-out and signalized intersections. These features are planned to be replaced with full grade separation in response to high collision rates on the Bend Parkway.
Similar upgrades are possible at the northern boundary of Bend, dependent upon funding availability and state approval. The busiest part of US 97 is in Bend, with an average of 42,000 cars a day. This is also the busiest section of road in Oregon east of the Cascade Mountains.
A bypass of downtown Redmond was opened in April 2008 at a cost of $90 million, moving US 97 to the east side of downtown Redmond. Plans for other bypasses in La Pine and Madras, as well as four-laning the entire highway in Oregon, have been proposed but not funded by the state government.
In 2013, the cost of upgrading all of US 97 to a four-lane highway with limited access was estimated to be $10 billion.
A planned realignment of US 97 near La Pine was scrapped during construction in the late 2010s due to unstable soil conditions. A four-lane overpass at Wickiup Junction would replace the last remaining at-grade railroad crossing on US 97 and was approved by ODOT in 2014 with $17 million in funding. Construction began in March 2016 and was delayed for several months during the installation of steel beams for the overpass in August, which fell while being lifted into place.
Work was halted in May 2017 after the overpass and embankments had sunk over the winter months by as much as . A geotechnical survey found that the overpass site was over a layer of unstable soil created by a lake formed 10,000 years
before present
Before Present (BP) years, or "years before present", is a time scale used mainly in archaeology, geology and other scientific disciplines to specify when events occurred relative to the origin of practical radiocarbon dating in the 1950s. Becaus ...
by a volcanic eruption that dammed the Deschutes River. The layer also had the uncompressed remains of
diatoms
A diatom (New Latin, Neo-Latin ''diatoma''), "a cutting through, a severance", from el, διάτομος, diátomos, "cut in half, divided equally" from el, διατέμνω, diatémno, "to cut in twain". is any member of a large group com ...
, which would prevent a reliable estimation of how the soils would settle. The Oregon Transportation Commission shut down the project in October 2017 and redirected $3 million of the unspent funds to other safety improvements for US 97 in La Pine.
ODOT contractors removed the overpass's steel girders in late 2018, leaving the embankments and retaining walls in place.
Major intersections
Mileposts are measured from north to south. They do not reflect actual mileage due to realignments.
Related routes
Klamath Falls business route
Bend business route
US 97 Business in Bend follows the former alignment of US 97 on 3rd Street, which was replaced by the opening of the Bend Parkway in 2001. It is partially concurrent with US 20.
Redmond business route
US 97 Business in Redmond follows the former alignment on US 97 on a pair of one-way streets in downtown Redmond. It was replaced by the opening of an eastern bypass in 2008.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:U.S. Route 97 In Oregon
Oregon
97
Transportation in Deschutes County, Oregon
Transportation in Klamath County, Oregon
Transportation in Wasco County, Oregon
Transportation in Jefferson County, Oregon
Transportation in Sherman County, Oregon