State Route 26 (SR 26) is a
state highway in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, running from
State Route 99 in
Stockton in
San Joaquin County
San Joaquin County (; Spanish: ''San Joaquín'', meaning " St. Joachim"), officially the County of San Joaquin, is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 779,233. The county seat is Stockton.
San ...
to
State Route 88 near
Pioneer
Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land.
In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and de ...
in
Amador County. The highway is routed to serve
Mokelumne Hill
Mokelumne Hill (''Mokelumne'', Miwok for "People of the Fish Net") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 646 at the 2010 census, down from 774 at the 2000 census. It is commonly referr ...
and
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
in
Calaveras County
Calaveras County (), officially the County of Calaveras, is a county in both the Gold Country and High Sierra regions of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 45,292. The county seat is San Andreas. Angels C ...
.
Route description
The route begins at an interchange with
SR 99 in eastern
Stockton. SR 26 then exits Stockton after crossing a canal and heads eastward. After crossing
Jack Tone Road, the direction of the highway turns slightly more northeasterly. The road then briefly enters the city of
Linden, before intersecting
Escalon-Bellota Road. Following another intersection with
Jenny Lind Road, the route enters the city of
Rancho Calaveras. It turns slightly more northeastward as it passes through the area. The highway passes by the New Hogan Lake before entering
Valley Springs. Here, the route makes an abrupt right turn onto
SR 12. The route
run concurrent and turn back northeastward as they exit Valley Springs. Shortly after exiting the city limit, SR 26 veers away from SR 12 and heads north. East of
Paloma, the roadway meets Paloma Road and again turns northeastward. At
Mokelumne Hill
Mokelumne Hill (''Mokelumne'', Miwok for "People of the Fish Net") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 646 at the 2010 census, down from 774 at the 2000 census. It is commonly referr ...
, the route intersects
SR 49, taking a slightly more winded path. SR 26 enters and exits the city of
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
before making an extremely long
hairpin turn. Heading westward, the route enters
Amador County to its terminus at
SR 88.
SR 26 is part of the
California Freeway and Expressway System
The California Freeway and Expressway System is a system of existing or planned freeways and expressways in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses both State highways and federal highways in California. It is defined by Article 2 (comme ...
,
and in the Stockton city limits is part of the
National Highway System,
a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program ...
.
The segment between the community of
Mokelumne Hill
Mokelumne Hill (''Mokelumne'', Miwok for "People of the Fish Net") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 646 at the 2010 census, down from 774 at the 2000 census. It is commonly referr ...
and
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
is named the
Stephen P. Teale Highway, after the state senator. The bridge crossing the Middle Fork of the
Mokelumne River
The Mokelumne River ( or ; ''Mokelumne'', Miwok for "People of the Fish Net") is a -long river in northern California in the United States. The river flows west from a rugged portion of the central Sierra Nevada into the Central Valley and ul ...
, near West Point, is named the Tom Taylor Bridge, after a Calaveras County Supervisor.
History
CA 26 was formerly known as California State Route 8 in 1934–1964. It bears no relation to
the pre-1964 highway in Southern California that today is
Interstate 10.
Major intersections
See also
*
References
External links
{{commonscat
Caltrans: Route 26 highway conditions
State Route 026
State Route 026
State Route 026
026