State Route 20 (SR 20), also known as the North Cascades Highway, is a

state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...

that traverses 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 ...

. It is the state's longest highway, traveling across the northern areas of Washington, from U.S. Route 101 (US 101) at

Discovery Bay Discovery Bay (DB) is a resort town on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It consists of mixed, primarily residential, development, in particular upmarket residential development and private and public recreational facilities, including garden houses, ...

on the

Olympic Peninsula The Olympic Peninsula is a large arm of land in western Washington that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle, and contains Olympic National Park. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a ...

to US 2 near the

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a U.S. state, 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 Monta ...

state border in Newport. The highway travels across

Whidbey Island Whidbey Island (historical spellings Whidby, Whitbey, or Whitby) is the largest of the islands composing Island County, Washington, in the United States, and the largest island in Washington State. (The other large island is Camano Island, ...

North Cascades National Park North Cascades National Park is an American national park in the state of Washington. At more than , it is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Complex. North Cascades National Par ...

, the Okanagan Highland, the Kettle River Range, and the

Selkirk Mountains The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle, eastern Washington, and southeastern British Columbia which are part of a larger grouping of mountains, the Columbia Mountains. They begin at Mica ...

. SR 20 connects several major north–south state highways, including

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 ...

(I-5) in Burlington, US 97 through the Okanogan– Omak area, SR 21 in

Republic A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...

, and US 395 from Kettle Falls to Colville. SR 20's path across the Cascades follows one of the oldest state roads in Washington, established in 1896 as a wagon route. The wagon road fell into disuse within a decade, and the state government postponed the construction of a new route across the North Cascades for several decades. The development of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project spurred boosters to lobby the state for a new route across

Washington Pass Washington Pass (el. 5477 ft./1669 m.) and Rainy Pass (el. 4875 ft./1486 m.) are two mountain passes on State Route 20 ( North Cascades Highway) in the North Cascades mountains of Washington state. Rainy Pass is about 4 miles to the ...

, which was opened in 1972. SR 20 originally ran from the

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

area to Okanogan. By 1973, SR 20 was extended over existing state highways in northern Washington, replacing SR 113 and portions of SR 525 and SR 536 near

Port Townsend Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition t ...

; SR 30 and SR 294 from

Tonasket Tonasket is a city in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,032 at the 2010 census. History Tonasket was officially incorporated on December 16, 1927. It is named after Chief Tonasket of the Okanogan people, a local ...

Tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living Felidae, cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily pr ...

; and part of SR 31 from Tiger to Newport. Although US 12 has a larger east–west extent, SR 20 is the longest highway in Washington at , only longer than US 12. The highway has been called "The Most Beautiful Mountain Highway in the State of Washington."

Route description

SR 20 begins at a wye junction with US 101 at the southwest end of

on the

, just north of the terminus of SR 104. The highway travels northerly through the rural Quimper Peninsula and follows the east shore of Discovery Bay before reaching a junction with SR 19 near Jefferson County International Airport. SR 20 turns north onto the highway and passes Fort Townsend State Park on the southern outskirts of

near Glen Cove. Within Port Townsend, the highway travels east through suburban areas as Sims Way and towards the historic downtown as Water Street. To the southwest of Port Townsend's

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from cer ...

, the route turns southeast into the city

ferry terminal A passenger terminal is a structure in a port which services passengers boarding and leaving water vessels such as ferries, cruise ships and ocean liners. Depending on the types of vessels serviced by the terminal, it may be named (for example) ...

. SR 20 continues onto the Port Townsend–Coupeville ferry which travels northeast across the Admiralty Inlet to the Keystone terminal on

. The ferry, operated by

Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a government agency that operates automobile and passenger ferry service in the U.S. state of Washington as part of the Washington State Department of Transportation. It runs ten routes serving 20 terminals loc ...

, takes approximately 30 minutes between terminals and runs year-round. From the Keystone ferry terminal, located adjacent to Fort Casey State Park, the highway travels east between the shore of Admiralty Bay and Crockett Lake, while making a short diversion to the north. SR 20 turns northwest at an intersection with SR 525, which terminates and is supplanted by SR 20. The highway, designated as part of the Cascade Loop and Whidbey Scenic Isle Way state scenic byways, passes the Naval Outlying Landing Field Coupeville and Rhododendron County Park before taking a turn west towards Coupeville and

Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve is a unit of the National Park Service on Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound, near Coupeville in Island County, Washington, United States. Description The Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve i ...

. SR 20 passes to the south of downtown Coupeville, with eastbound lanes traveling westward and vice versa, and wraps around the western shore of Penn Cove in a long 180-degree turn that passes

Fort Ebey State Park Fort Ebey State Park is a public recreation area occupying the site of former Fort Ebey on the west side of Whidbey Island, west of Coupeville in Island County, Washington, United States. The state park covers overlooking the Strait of Ju ...

. The highway continues northeast into Oak Harbor, where it travels around the downtown area and heads towards

Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI) is a naval air station of the United States Navy located on two pieces of land near Oak Harbor, on Whidbey Island, in Island County, Washington. The main portion of the base, Ault Field, is about ...

. SR 20 makes a wide turn around the base's runway and enters

Deception Pass State Park Deception Pass is a strait separating Whidbey Island from Fidalgo Island, in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Washington. It connects Skagit Bay, part of Puget Sound, with the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A pair of bridges known collectively a ...

. The highway leaves Whidbey Island on the

Deception Pass Bridge Deception Pass Bridge is the common name for two, two-lane bridges on Washington State Route 20 connecting Whidbey Island in Island County, to Fidalgo Island in Skagit County, in the U.S. state of Washington. It was a Washington State Highways pr ...

, crossing over Deception Pass, Pass Island, and Canoe Pass on its way to Fidalgo Island. SR 20 continues northeast, passing between Lake Campbell and Similk Bay, to Sharpes Corner, where it is joined by 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 ...

serving

Anacortes Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.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 ...

, traveling across the

Swinomish Reservation The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, also known as the Swinomish Tribe, is a federally recognized Tribe located on Puget Sound in Washington.Swinomish Channel to the

Skagit Valley The Skagit Valley lies in the northwestern corner of the state of Washington, United States. Its defining feature is the Skagit River, which snakes through local communities which include the seat of Skagit County, Mount Vernon, as well as Se ...

. The highway follows a branch of the

BNSF Railway 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 ...

, serving the Shell and

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

oil refineries on March's Point, along the south side of Padilla Bay. Near

Skagit Regional Airport Skagit Regional Airport is a public airport located three miles (5 km) west of the central business district of Burlington and northwest of Mount Vernon, both cities in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The airport is owned by t ...

, it intersects SR 536, which connects to

, and veers northeast along a four-lane expressway. SR 20 enters the city of Burlington, where it intersects I-5 and transitions into a city street and turns north onto Burlington Boulevard. The street crosses the BNSF Railway and turns east onto Avon Avenue, crossing the BNSF mainline and joining the North Cascades Highway. SR 20 continues northeast out of Burlington along a branch of the BNSF Railway and the

Skagit River The Skagit River ( ) is a river in southwestern British Columbia in Canada and northwestern Washington in the United States, approximately 150 mi (240 km) long. The river and its tributaries drain an area of 1.7 million acres (690,000& ...

into

Sedro-Woolley Sedro-Woolley is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area and had a population of 12,421 at the 2020 census. The city is home to North Casca ...

, where it becomes concurrent with SR 9 while bypassing the city's downtown. The highway travels east along the Skagit River, climbing uphill into 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, a ...

and passing the towns of Lyman and

Concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

, located below

Lake Shannon Lake Shannon is a long, narrow reservoir on the Baker River in Skagit County, Washington in the United States. Formed in the 1920s by the construction of an arch dam just above the town of Concrete, the lake is approximately long and averages ...

and Baker Lake. At Rockport, SR 20 intersects the eastern terminus of SR 530, which continues towards Darrington and Arlington. After passing Marblemount, the highway enters

and Whatcom County. It heads further northeast through Newhalem, a preserved

company town A company town is a place where practically all stores and housing are owned by the one company that is also the main employer. Company towns are often planned with a suite of amenities such as stores, houses of worship, schools, markets and re ...

for

Seattle City Light Seattle City Light is the public utility providing electricity to Seattle, Washington, in the United States, and parts of its metropolitan area, including all of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park and parts of unincorporated King County, Burien, N ...

, and the narrow Diablo Canyon to the

Diablo Dam Diablo Dam is one of three dams along the upper Skagit River in Whatcom County, Washington and part of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project that supplies Seattle with some of its power needs. The dam was built in Diablo Canyon, a gorge of solid ...

and Diablo Lake, a reservoir that is colored turquoise blue. The roadway makes a long

hairpin turn A hairpin turn (also hairpin bend or hairpin corner) is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn about 180° to continue on the road. It is named for its resemblance to a bent metal ha ...

around the southern arm of the lake, crossing it at a narrow point and passing a scenic viewpoint, and continues northeast to Ross Lake. From Ross Lake, SR 20 follows Ruby Creek and Canyon Creek, heading southeast out of the national park and back into Skagit County. The highway crosses Rainy Pass and briefly joins 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 ...

as it travels around Whistler Mountain, climbing up into Chelan County. SR 20 turns north and crosses

into Okanogan County, making a hairpin turn and beginning its descent into

Eastern Washington Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanf ...

. SR 20 travels northeast along Early Winters Creek and the base of Delancy Ridge towards Mazama, where it meets the

Methow River The Methow River ( ) is a tributary of the Columbia River in northern Washington in the United States. The river's watershed drains the eastern North Cascades, with a population of about 5,000 people. The Methow's watershed is characterized by ...

. The highway continues southeast along the north side of the river to Winthrop, an old-west-themed town where SR 20 forms the main street between two river crossings. SR 20 heads south through Twisp to a junction with SR 153, where it leaves the Methow River and turns northeast up Frazer Creek towards

Loup Loup Pass Loup Loup Pass (el. 4020 ft./1225 m.) is a mountain pass in the Cascades in the state of Washington. It is located east of the Methow Valley of Okanogan County Okanogan County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington al ...

and the Loup Loup Ski Bowl. The highway descends into the Okanogan Valley near Malott and continues northeast along the

Okanogan River The Okanogan River (known as the Okanagan River in Canada) is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 115 mi (185 km) long, in southern British Columbia and north central Washington. It drains a scenic plateau region called th ...

to the city of Okanogan. SR 20 takes a turn south over the Okanogan River to join US 97 and bypass the city, while the highway is superseded by SR 215. The concurrent SR 20 and US 97 continue along the east side of the river through the

Colville Indian Reservation The Colville Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in the northwest United States, in north central Washington, inhabited and managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, which is federally recognized. Established ...

, intersecting SR 155 in eastern Omak and SR 215 to the north of the another river crossing. The highway travels north through the farming community of Riverside to

, where SR 20 leaves US 97 and takes a turn east towards the

Okanogan Highlands The Okanagan Highland is an elevated hilly plateau area in British Columbia, Canada, and the U.S. state of Washington (where it is spelled Okanogan Highlands). Rounded mountains with elevations up to above sea level and deep, narrow valleys a ...

. It climbs Bonaparte Creek and crosses Wauconda Pass, near Mount Bonaparte and the ghost town of Wauconda, before beginning its descent into

. SR 20 enters Republic on 6th Street and turns south onto Clark Avenue, the town's main street, before coming to a junction with SR 21. The highway turns northeast onto the

Sherman Pass Scenic Byway Sherman most commonly refers to: *Sherman (name), a surname and given name (and list of persons with the name) ** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General * M4 Sherman, a tank Sherman may also refer to: Places United ...

, carrying the concurrent SR 20 and SR 21, and follows the

Sanpoil River The Sanpoil River (also spelled San Poil) is a tributary of the Columbia River, in the U.S. state of Washington. The river is named for the Sanpoil, the Interior Salish people who live along the river course. The name is from the Okanagan ter ...

. SR 21 leaves the byway at Sanpoil Lake, while SR 20 travels into the Kettle River Range along O'Brien Creek. The highway dips south into the Colville National Forest and climbs the ridge, crossing Sherman Pass in a series of hairpin turns. The pass, located above sea level, is the highest in the state. SR 20 descends along Sherman Creek towards

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake (also called Lake Roosevelt) is the reservoir created in 1941 by the impoundment of the Columbia River by the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state. It is named for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was president during the con ...

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 ...

, which it crosses on a highway concurrent with US 395. The two routes travel east through Kettle Falls, intersecting SR 25, and follow the Colville River upstream to the city of Colville. At Colville, SR 20 turns east away from US 395 and continues into the southern reaches of the

. The highway forms the northern boundary of the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge and follows the Little Pend Oreille River north through a series of glacial lakes. After entering Pend Oreille County, SR 20 makes a series of hairpin turns to descend into the Pend Oreille Valley. At an intersection with SR 31 in

, the highway turns south to follow the

Pend Oreille River The Pend Oreille River ( ) is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northern Idaho and northeastern Washington in the United States, as well as southeastern British Columbia in Canada. In its passage through British Columbi ...

, becoming part of 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 ...

and Pend Oreille Scenic Byway in the process. SR 20 continues south along the river, joined by the

Pend Oreille Valley Railroad The Pend Oreille Valley Railroad is a shortline railroad located in Usk, in northeast Washington. Route The POVA serves the communities of Usk, Dalkena, Newport, Oldtown, Priest River, Laclede and has trackage rights from Dover- Sandpoint v ...

, and intersects SR 211 at Usk. Approximately southeast of Usk, the highway terminates at US 2, just west of the Washington–

state line.

Names and designations

Portions of SR 20 are known as the North Cascades Highway (originally the North Cross State Highway), which is a designated Washington State Scenic Byway and a

National Forest Scenic Byway The National Forest Scenic Byways are roads that have been designated by the U.S. Forest Service as scenic byways. Many are also National Scenic Byways (NSB). The program was initiated in 1987. __TOC__ List The following roadways were listed by t ...

. The Sherman Pass Scenic Byway begins at

, and extends east across the mountainous Kettle River Range, Colville National Forest, and the

through Kettle Falls to Sherman Pass. The highway also forms most of the Washington segment of U.S. Bicycle Route 10, which travels between Anacortes and the

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

state border.

Annual closure

SR 20 is one of only five State Routes in Washington that have portions closed in the winter (the others being SR 410, SR 123, SR 504, and SR 165).

(elev. ) and nearby Rainy Pass (elev. ) annually receive up to of snow throughout the winter, and are prone to avalanches leaving over of snow on the road. , the median first open date was April 21. The median final closure date was November 24. During the drought of the winter of 1976/77, the highway was not closed.

History

What is known today as the North Cascades Highway was originally the corridor used by local Native American tribes as a trading route from

's Eastern Plateau country to the Pacific Coast for more than 8,000 years. After the

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California f ...

of 1849, white settlers started to arrive in the North Cascades looking for gold as well as fur-bearing animals. This far north, the settlers needed a clear route through some of the most rugged terrain in

Washington Territory The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

It wasn't until 1895, however, that funding to explore a possible route through the Cascade Range was appropriated. After one year of surveying possible routes in the Upper Skagit River region, the State Road Commission concluded in 1896 that the Skagit gorge was not a practical route. Instead, the commission settled upon the

Cascade Pass Cascade Pass (formerly also known as Skagit PassCascade River took out most of the work completed on the road and led

's first State Highway Commissioner to report in 1905 that almost all the money appropriated for the road had been wasted. After these unsuccessful attempts to build a northern cross-mountain highway, the state designated that a highway be built along the

from

Pateros Pateros, officially the Municipality of Pateros ( tgl, Bayan ng Pateros), is the lone municipality of Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 63,643 people. This municipality is famous for its duck-rai ...

to Hart's Pass, high above Eastern Washington's Methow Valley. This road was completed in 1909. By 1936, both of

projects,

Gorge Dam Gorge Dam is one of three dams along the upper Skagit River in Whatcom County, Washington and part of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project that supplies Seattle with some of its power needs. Construction on the original, wooden Gorge Dam began in ...

and

, had been completed and were attracting visitors and families to the area. In 1940, the first stage of the completion of

Ross Dam Ross Dam is a -high, -long concrete thin arch dam across the Skagit River, forming Ross Lake. The dam is in Washington state, while Ross Lake extends north to British Columbia, Canada. Both dam and reservoir are located in Ross Lake National ...

was reached. Because this influx of population and interest in the area once again demonstrated the need for a northern route over the high Cascades, highway promoters began to try to persuade other boosters to finally abandon the idea of the ill-fated Cascade Pass route and instead look to agreeing on a route across Rainy and

. In 1953, the North Cascades Highway Association was formed with politicians, lobbyists, and business owners from both sides of the North Cascades taking part. As these boosters pushed Olympia harder to move forward on the highway plan, more and more requests for huge sales of old-growth timber from along the highway corridor came in. These increasing timber requests were used to support the need for a highway. Finally, in 1958, the State of Washington appropriated funds to build a highway from the Seattle City Light company town of Diablo to Thunder Arm, a southern arm of Diablo Lake. Funds were also allotted to improve access roads on both sides of the North Cascades and construction on this section of the highway began in 1959. The corridor was designated as Primary State Highway 16 (PSH 16) in 1962, replacing several earlier designations that were shared with other highways. Over the next nine years, construction of the road continued along with the signing of the

bill by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. With this bill, the hope of using the highway as access for high-dollar timber sales was quashed. Nonetheless, businessmen and residents on both sides of the North Cascades were hopeful and supportive of the tourist dollars that would be seen with the opening of the "North-Cross Highway". Silver Star Mountain seen from the North Cascades Highway

Silver Star Mountain seen from the North Cascades Highway

Moreover, the Methow Valley town of

Winthrop, Washington Winthrop is a town in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. It is east of Mazama and north of Twisp. The population was 349 at the 2000 census, and it increased to 394 at the 2010 census. History Winthrop was incorporated on March 12, ...

, was in the process of transforming itself from a sleepy cow-town into a tourist town with a western-style theme, complete with false-front buildings and boardwalk sidewalks. Finally, in mid-1972, the more-than-a-century-old idea of connecting western Washington with eastern Washington by a northern highway route had come to fruition. Amidst fanfare, music provided by the Concrete High School Band, and ribbon cutting, Highway 20 was officially connected from western to eastern Washington via Washington Pass on September 2, 1972. Governor Dan Evans, a host of state dignitaries, and President Richard M. Nixon's brother Donald were in attendance for the opening and vehicle procession over the Cascade Mountains. The highway's construction came with conservation measures and upgrades to camping facilities in the then-new

to handle the expected traffic.

Associated routes

From 1964 until 1973, SR 20 was designated as SR 113 from

to Coupeville. The route had historically been the

branch of (PSH 9 PT) and a branch of (SSH 1D) in 1937, during the creation of the Primary and secondary highways. In 1964, these two highways became SR 113, as part of a new numbering system created 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 Sena ...

and the

Washington State Department of Transportation The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT or WashDOT, both ) is a governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of transportation infrastructure in the U.S. state of Washington. Established in 1905, it is ...

. When SR 20 was extended west from Fredonia in 1973, SR 113 was decommissioned. The Port Townsend– Keystone ferry wasn't technically part of SR 20 until 1994 when all of the

routes were added to the state highway system. Washington State Route 536 (1964) topo

From Coupeville to Sharpes Corner (just outside

Anacortes Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.SR 525, and prior to 1964 as SSH 1D. When the North Cascades Highway was completed, and the SR 20 designation extended Westward, the SR 525 designation was supplanted to Coupeville. From Mt. Vernon to the Anacortes Ferry Terminal, the modern SR 20 (and SR 20 Spur, west of Sharpes Corner) was designated SR 536, and prior to 1964 as the Anacortes Branch of PSH 1. When the North Cascades Highway was completed, and the SR 20 designation extended westward, the SR 536 designation was supplanted, and the SR 20 Spur designation created to keep the route to the ferry terminal within the highway system. From 1964 to 1973, the route from Colville to

was designated as SR 294, and the route from Tiger to Newport as SR 31.

Major intersections

Spur and business routes

SR 20 Spur

State Route 20 Spur (SR 20 Spur, also State Route 20 North and the Paul Luvera Sr. Memorial Highway) is a

of State Route 20 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 ...

. The highway travels north from SR 20 to the Anacortes Ferry Terminal, entirely within the city of

Anacortes Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.Skagit County, except the ferry portion, which travels within San Juan County. The roadway was established in 1937 as the western segment of the Anacortes branch of , which became in 1964 and renumbered to SR 20 Spur and SR 20 in 1973. In 1994, SR 20 was extended along the

San Juan Islands The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core ...

ferry, which serves

Lopez Island Lopez Island is the third largest of the San Juan Islands and an unincorporated town in San Juan County, Washington, United States. Lopez Island is in land area. The 2000 census population was 2,177, though the population swells in the summer, ...

, Shaw Island,

Orcas Island Orcas Island () is the largest of the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest, which are in the northwestern corner of San Juan County, Washington. History and naming of the island The name "Orcas" is a shortened form of ''Horcasitas,'' fro ...

and San Juan Island. Washington State Route 20 Spur

State Route 20 Spur (SR 20 Spur) begins at an intersection with State Route 20 southeast of downtown

Anacortes Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.Fidalgo Bay at the Sharpes Corner Roundabout. From the terminus, the roadway travels northwest and later west near the bay. The route turns northward at a round about, one block west of R Ave, to become Commercial Avenue heading toward downtown Anacortes. The street travels through downtown Anacortes before turning west to become 12th Street and later goes southwest along the waterfront as Oakes Avenue to an intersection with Sunset Avenue after passing

Anacortes Airport Anacortes Airport is a public use airport located two nautical miles (3.7 km) west of the central business district of Anacortes, a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. It is owned by the Port of Anacortes. It is included in ...

. At Sunset Avenue, SR 20 Spur becomes Ferry Terminal Road and curves north to the Anacortes Ferry Terminal in Ship Harbor. The roadway after the intersection with SR 20 had a daily average of 23,000 motorists in 2007. SR 20 Spur was established in 1937 as the

Anacortes Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

, using the current highway along with State Highway 20 and . The route intersected (SSH 1D, now SR 20) in Anacortes, (former ) in Fredonia and a SSH 1C branch (became , now SR 20). PSH 1 AN was later renumbered during the 1964 highway renumbering to SR 536, SSH 1D became SR 525 and PSH 16 became SR 20. When SR 20 was extended west to

from Fredonia in 1974, SR 536 was shortened and SR 20 Spur was created. The roadway ended at the Anacortes ferry terminal until 1994, when the route was routed onto the

ferry operated by

SR 20 Business

SR 20 Business was a bannered route through

Okanagan The Okanagan ( ), also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as the Okanagan Country, is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. It is par ...

and Omak that followed the former route of SR 20 and US 97, while SR 20 bypasses the cities along with US 97 along the East Bank of the Okanogan River. This route has been replaced with SR 215.

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Route description

Names and designations

Annual closure

History

Associated routes

Major intersections

Spur and business routes

SR 20 Spur

SR 20 Business

See also

References

External links