Interstate 80 in Nevada

This article is about the section of Interstate 80 in Nevada. For the entire route, see Interstate 80.

Interstate 80 marker

Interstate 80

Red line spanning northern Nevada with a blue line spanning Southern Nevada.

Map of Nevada with I-80 in red
Route information
Maintained by NDOT
Length: 410.576 mi[1] (660.758 km)
Existed: June 29, 1956[2] – present
Major junctions
West end: I-80 at California state line
  I580 / US 395 in Reno

US 95 Alt. to US 50 Alt. in Fernley
US 95 in Trinity and Winnemucca

US 93 / US 93 Alt. in Wells

US 93 Alt. in West Wendover
East end: I-80 at Utah state line
Highway system
  • Highways in Nevada
US 50 Alt.SR 88

Interstate 80 (I-80) traverses the northern portion of the U.S. state of Nevada. The freeway serves the RenoSparks metropolitan area and also goes through the towns of Fernley, Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Carlin, Elko, Wells and West Wendover on its way through the state.

I-80 follows the historical routes of the California Trail, First Transcontinental Railroad and Feather River Route throughout portions of Nevada. Throughout the entire state, I-80 follows the historical routes of the Victory Highway, State Route 1 and U.S. Route 40 (US 40). The freeway corridor follows the paths of the Truckee and Humboldt Rivers. These rivers have been used as a transportation corridor since the California Gold Rush of the 1840s.

Route description

Truckee River

View east along I-80 just after entering Nevada from California. The First Transcontinental Railroad is visible on the lower right

I-80 enters Nevada in the canyon of the Truckee River, paralleling the California Trail and the First Transcontinental Railroad. Upon exiting the canyon, the freeway serves the Truckee Meadows, a name for the urban area consisting of Verdi, Reno and Sparks. The freeway passes north of Downtown Reno in a depressed alignment before intersecting Interstate 580 / U.S. Route 395. The interchange with US 395 is the busiest portion, averaging 122,000 vehicles per day in 2006.[3] The freeway passes through downtown Sparks via a viaduct over the casino floor of the Nugget Casino Resort. After leaving the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area the freeway resumes following the Truckee River in a canyon to Fernley and passes the Northern Nevada Veterans Cemetery to the north. Traffic volumes drop to 26,600 vehicles per day by Fernley and continue dropping to 8,400 by the time the freeway reaches the center of the state.[3] The freeway exits the Truckee River corridor near Wadsworth.[4]

Lahontan Valley/Forty Mile Desert

Dusk view of a freeway descending into a neon lit cityscape.
I-80 descending into Reno from the Sierra Nevada

Past Wadsworth, the freeway cuts across the Lahontan Valley. The Lahontan Valley is a barren desert, sometimes called the Forty Mile Desert, from the era of the California Trail. The name comes from the California Gold Rush where the emigrants who came into the Lahontan Valley via the Humboldt River. The travelers would have then to endure 40 miles (64 km) without usable water while crossing the valley, regardless of which of the two routes across the valley the travelers followed.[5] I-80 closely approximates the path of the emigrants between the Humboldt and Truckee Rivers.

A 6-lane freeway passing under a series of underpasses
I-80 in Downtown Reno

A marker stands at a rest area on the eastern edge of the valley, near the junction of I-80 and US 95, that honors travelers who suffered crossing the valley, thousands of whom abandoned possessions, animals and even loved ones in the desert. Per the marker, this portion was the most dreaded portion of the California Trail.[4][5][6]

Humboldt River

I-80 eastbound on the approach to Emigrant Pass

For the next 246 miles (396 km), I-80 follows the Humboldt River.[7][8] Along the way, the freeway passes through the towns of Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Carlin, Elko and Wells. At Winnemucca, I-80 is joined by the Feather River Route; I-80 runs parallel to this railroad until the Utah state line.[4]

View east along I-80 from an overpass approaching Carlin Canyon

The freeway is within visual distance of the river for most of this run. However, there are portions where the freeway bypasses bends by cutting across or tunneling under mountains along the canyon walls. Between Winnemucca and Battle Mountain, the freeway bypasses bends via side canyons and Golconda Summit, 5,159 feet (1,572 m).[4] The highway also bypasses Palisade Canyon (between Beowawe and Carlin) via Emigrant Pass 6,114 feet (1,864 m).[4] Just east of Carlin, I-80 passes through the Carlin Tunnel to bypass curves of the river in the Carlin Canyon (between the Carlin Tunnel and Elko).[9]

Eastern Nevada

gantry sign stating "Exit 410—US-93 Alt—West Wendover—Ely" as a freeway descends into a town with salt flats in the background.
Approaching West Wendover from west

After Wells, I-80 departs the Humboldt River, First Transcontinental Railroad and the California Trail.[4] From this point east, the freeway follows the routes of the Hastings Cutoff, Feather River Route, former US 40 and State Route 1. The freeway cuts across two mountain ranges before arriving at the Great Salt Lake Desert. The first is the Pequop Mountains via Pequop Summit, elevation 6,967 feet (2,124 m)—the highest point on Interstate 80 in Nevada—and the second is the Toano Range via Silver Zone Pass at 5,955 feet (1,815 m). After crossing these mountains the freeway arrives at West Wendover where the freeway enters both Utah and the Great Salt Lake Desert at the Bonneville Salt Flats.[4]

Overlaps

Portions of I-80 run concurrently with three U.S. Highways in Nevada:[8]

History

California Trail

State Route 1 shield
State Route 1 - The first designation for what is now I-80 across Nevada, from approx. 1929–1939

The general route of Interstate 80 was first used by California-bound travelers and was called the California Trail. From the Utah State line west to the Humboldt River, I-80 follows a modified routing of a lesser used branch of the trail called Hastings Cutoff. The cutoff rejoins the main route of the trail in the Humboldt River canyon. Through this portion of Nevada, the main route of the California Trail ran north of modern State Route 233.

From Elko west to Lovelock, I-80 faithfully follows the California Trail. West of Lovelock, in the middle of the Humboldt Sink, the California Trail again splits into two branches. These branches, the Carson River route and the Truckee River route, are named for the waterways that guide each branch up the Sierra Nevada mountains. I-80 follows the Truckee route, the Carson route is approximated by U.S. Route 95, U.S. Route 50, U.S. Route 395 and State Route 88 / California State Route 88.[4]

Transcontinental railroads

US 40 shield
Until 1975, the route of I-80 was designated U.S. Route 40.

The route of modern I-80 was also previously used for the construction of two transcontinental railroads. The First Transcontinental Railroad, completed in 1869, closely followed the main line of the California Trail and I-80 west of Wells. The Feather River Route was constructed in 1909 and generally follows the Hastings Cutoff through Eastern Nevada. It also runs parallel to I-80 in Nevada east of Winnemucca.[4]

Highways

The first paved road across this portion of Nevada was the Victory Highway, designated in Nevada as State Route 1. With the formation of the U.S. Highway system, this route was numbered U.S. Route 40. From the formation of the Interstate Highway System, the highway was gradually upgraded to Interstate Highway standards and signed as Interstate 80. In 1974, officials in Utah initiated meetings with officials in Nevada and California to truncate the route of U.S. Route 91. By that time, US 91 was mostly redundant with Interstate 15. Nevada officials agreed and further suggested that both US 91 and US 40 be truncated. Nevada officials recommended the changes occur in 1975, when the last Nevada piece of I-15 was expected to be completed.[10] The 1976 edition of the Official Highway map for Nevada was the first not showing the US 40 designation.[11] Even though the US Highway designation was removed, the freeway was not yet completed.[11] The last piece of I-80 in Nevada to be finished was the Lovelock bypass which started construction in 1981.[12] The 1982 Official Nevada Highway Map was the first to note I-80 as a contiguous freeway across the state. All of the business loops for I-80 in Nevada use the historical route of US 40.

Interstate 80 is also known in Nevada as the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and Purple Heart Trail.[11]

Exit list

CountyLocationmi[8]kmExitDestinationsNotes
WashoeVerdi0.00.0 I-80 west Sacramento, San FranciscoContinuation into California
1Verdi (I-80 Bus. east)Westbound exit and entrance
2.84.52Verdi (I-80 Bus. east to SR 425)No westbound entrance
3.25.13VerdiWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
Check StationEastbound exit and entrance
4.87.74Boomtown Garson Road
5.79.25East Verdi (I-80 Bus. west / SR 425 west)Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Mogul6Truck Parking, Scenic ViewNo cross freeway access
7.011.37Mogul
Reno7.712.48West 4th Street (SR 647 east)Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
9.214.89Robb Drive
10.717.210McCarran Boulevard West (SR 659)Former SR 651
12.520.112Keystone Avenue (to I-80 Bus. / SR 647)Former SR 657
13.321.413Sierra Street, Virginia Street (US 395 Bus.), Center Street – DowntownFormer SR 430 / SR 660 / US 395; serves Mackay Stadium, Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center, Reno Events Center and University of Nevada, Reno
14.122.714Wells AvenueServes Renown Regional Medical Center, VA Sierra Nevada Health and Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center
14.924.015 I580 south / US 395 Carson City, SusanvilleServes Reno–Tahoe International Airport and Reno-Sparks Convention Center; US 395 exit 68
Sparks15.424.816Prater Way, East 4th Street, Victorian Avenue (I-80 Bus. / SR 647 west)
16.125.917Rock Boulevard (SR 668)Serves Victorian Square; also signed for Nugget Avenue eastbound
16.827.018 SR 445 (Pyramid Way)Serves Victorian Square
17.628.319McCarran Boulevard East (SR 659), Victorian Avenue (I-80 Bus. west)Former SR 650
18.930.420Sparks BoulevardServes Sparks Marina
19.731.721Vista Boulevard, Greg StreetServes Northern Nevada Medical Center
Lockwood22.636.422Canyon Way – Lockwood
McCarran24.038.623Mustang Ranch Road, Frontage Road Mustang Ranch
Check Station, Frontage RoadWestbound exit only
Patrick27Scenic ViewEastbound exit and entrance
28.245.428Waltham Way (SR 655 south) – Patrick
Clark32Wunotoo Road, Clark Station Road – Tracy, Clark StationClosed and demolished
32.151.732USA Parkway (SR 439 south)Serves Frank A. Tracy Generating Station and Tahoe Reno Industrial Center; replaced former Tracy, Clark Station exit on January 21, 2008
Derby Dam36.959.436Derby Dam
Orchard39.062.838Orchard
Painted Rock40.264.740Painted Rock Road – Painted Rock
Wadsworth42Check Station, Wadsworth Rest AreaNo cross freeway access
44.070.843Main Street, Cantlon Drive (I-80 Bus. east / SR 427 east) – Wadsworth, Pyramid Lake
Storey
No major junctions
LyonFernley46.474.746
To US 95 Alt. south (I-80 Bus. / SR 427 / Main Street) West Fernley, Yerington, Las Vegas
48.978.748
US 95 Alt. south (I-80 Bus. west) to US 50 Alt. / Truck Inn Way East Fernley, Fallon, Ely, Las Vegas
West end of US 95 Alt. overlap
50Nevada Pacific BoulevardFormerly known as Nevada Pacific Parkway; opened on June 19, 2009
Churchill65.2104.965Nightingale Hot Springs
78.9127.078Jessup
Trinity83.3134.183 US 95 south (Veterans Memorial Highway) Fallon, Las VegasEast end of US 95 Alt. overlap; west end of US 95 overlap; serves Trinity Rest Area
PershingToulon93.5150.593Ragged Top Road, Frontage Road – ToulonServes Derby Field
Lovelock105.5169.8105Cornell Avenue, Frontage Road (I-80 Bus. east / SR 396 north / US 95 Bus. north) – LovelockEastbound exit and westbound entrance
106.4171.2106Main Street (SR 398 north) – Downtown LovelockServes Pershing General Hospital
107.2172.5107Cornell Avenue, Airport Road (I-80 Bus. west / SR 856) – East LovelockWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
112.9181.7112Coal Canyon Road (SR 396 south / US 95 Bus. south) – Coal CanyonServes Lovelock Correctional Center
Oreana120.2193.4119Unionville Road – Oreana, RochesterFormer SR 858 east
129.6208.6129Rye Patch Road (SR 401 west) Rye Patch Reservoir
Humboldt138.7223.2138Frontage Road – Humboldt
Imlay146.0235.0145Frontage Road – Imlay
Mill City150.3241.9149 SR 400 south (Unionville Road) / Tungsten Road, Frontage Road Mill City, Unionville
152.1244.8151Frontage Road, Dun Glen Road – Mill City, Dun GlenNo westbound entrance
Cosgrave158.7255.4158CosgraveCosgrave Rest Area
HumboldtRose Creek168.4271.0168Rose Creek Road – Rose Creek
Winnemucca173.4279.1173West Winnemucca Boulevard (I-80 Bus. east)Serves Winnemucca Municipal Airport
176.7284.4176 US 95 north (Veterans Memorial Highway / I-80 Bus.) Winnemucca, Downtown West, McDermitt, BoiseEast end of US 95 overlap
179.0288.1178 SR 289 Winnemucca, Downtown EastServes Humboldt General Hospital and Golden Valley Medical Center
180.8291.0180 SR 794 west (East Winnemucca Boulevard / I-80 Bus. west) / Pedroli Avenue
Button Point187.7302.1187Button PointButton Point Rest Area
Golconda194.5313.0194Morrison Avenue, Getchell Mine Road (SR 789 north) – Golconda, Midas
Golconda Summit200.5322.7200Golconda Summit
204.1328.5203Summit Road – Iron Point
205.6330.9205Pumpernickel Loop Road – Pumpernickel Valley
Stone House212.5342.0212Stone House Road – Stone HouseServes North Valmy Generating Station
Valmy217.2349.5216Marigold Mine Road – Valmy
222.7358.4222Mote Road – Mote
LanderBattle Mountain230.2370.5229 SR 304 east (I-80 Bus. east / Front Street) / Allen Road West Battle Mountain
231.7372.9231 SR 305 (Broad Street) Downtown Battle Mountain, AustinServes Battle Mountain General Hospital
233.6375.9233 SR 304 west (I-80 Bus. west / Front Street) / Hill Top Road East Battle MountainServes Battle Mountain Airport
Argenta244.7393.8244Argenta
EurekaDunphy254.5409.6254Dunphy
Beowawe258Beowawe Rest AreaNo cross freeway access
261.4420.7261 SR 306 south Beowawe, Crescent Valley, Austin
Emigrant Pass269.2433.2268Primeaux Canyon Road – Emigrant Pass
270Truck ParkingNo cross freeway access
271.6437.1271Frenchie Road Palisade
ElkoCarlin280.0450.6279 SR 221 east (I-80 Bus. east / Chestnut Street) / SR 278 south (Eureka–Carlin Road) West Carlin, Eureka
281.4452.9280 SR 766 (10th Street, Newmont Road) Central Carlin
282.7455.0282 SR 221 west (I-80 Bus. west / Chestnut Street) / Suzie Creek Way East Carlin
Hunter293.3472.0292Maggie Creek Ranch Road – Hunter
Elko299.2481.5298Elko West (I-80 Bus. east / SR 535 east / Idaho Street)
301.9485.9301 SR 225 (Mountain City Highway) Elko DowntownServes Elko Regional Airport and Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital
304.4489.9303Elko East (I-80 Bus. west / Idaho Street / Jennings Way)
OsinoCheck StationNo cross freeway access
311.5501.3310Idaho Street, Piute Road, Victory Boulevard – Osino
Ryndon315.5507.7314Scotts Road, Coal Mine Canyon Road – Ryndon, Devils GateCR 742
317.7511.33172nd Street, Old Devils Gate Road Elburz, Devils GateCR 745
Halleck322.2518.5321 SR 229 east (Halleck and Secret Pass Road) Halleck, Ruby Valley
River Ranch329.0529.5328River Ranch
Deeth334.5538.3333Deeth, Starr Valley (SR 230 east / Starr Valley Road)
Welcome344.4554.3343Welcome, Starr Valley (SR 230 west / Starr Valley Road)
Beverly Hills348.2560.4348Beverly Hills
Wells351.6565.8351West Wells (I-80 Bus. east / SR 223 east / SR 231 south / Humboldt Avenue)
352.5567.3352A US 93 (Great Basin Highway) East Wells, Ely, Las Vegas, Jackpot, Twin FallsWest end of US 93 Alt. overlap; signed as exit 352 eastbound
352BEast Wells (I-80 Bus. west / 6th Street)Westbound exit only
354Parking AreaEastbound exit and entrance
Moor360.7580.5360Moor
Independence Valley365.9588.9365Independence ValleyServes Wells Conservation Camp
Pequop Summit373.8601.6373Pequop SummitPequop Summit Rest Area
Pequop376.5605.9376Pequop Road – Pequop
Oasis379.4610.6378 SR 233 east (Montello Road) Oasis, Montello
388.1624.6387Shafter Road ShafterCR 789
399.2642.5398Pilot Road Pilot PeakCR 767
West Wendover407.2655.3407Ola
410.4660.5410
US 93 Alt. south (I-80 Bus. east / Wendover Boulevard) / Florence Way, Frontage Road West Wendover, Ely, Las Vegas
East end of US 93 Alt. overlap; serves West Wendover Welcome Center
410.7661.0 I-80 east Salt Lake City, CheyenneContinuation into Utah
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. State Maintained Highways of Nevada: Description and Maps – Quarterly Changes (April, May, June). Nevada Department of Transportation. July 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  2. Weingroff, Richard F. "Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956: Creating the Interstate System". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved May 11, 2008.
  3. 1 2 "2006 Annual Traffic Report" (PDF). Nevada Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 11, 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Nevada Road and Recreation Atlas (Map). 1:250000. Benchmark Maps. 2003. p. 47. ISBN 0-929591-81-X.
  5. 1 2 "Forty Mile Desert: Nevada Historical Marker 26". Nevada State Historic Preservation Office. 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  6. Brock, Dick. "Photos and transcription of markers along the Forty Mile Desert, placed by the Oregon/California Trails Association". Trails West Inc. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  7. Using distance between Lovelock and Wells
  8. 1 2 3 2015–2016 Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Nevada Department of Transportation. 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  9. Turner, Dan. "Carlin Canyon, Elko County, Nevada". Elko Rose Garden Association. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  10. "Highway Resolution route 91". Utah Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 8, 2008.
  11. 1 2 3 "Historical Maps". Nevada Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  12. "NDOT News Spring 2006" (PDF). Nevada Department of Transportation. 2006. Retrieved January 26, 2013.

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