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Interstate 80 in Nevada

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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
Length410.576 mi[1] (660.758 km)
ExistedJune 29, 1956[2]–present
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end I-80 at California state line
Major intersections I-580 / US 395 in Reno



 US 95 Alt. to US 50 Alt. in Fernley
US 95 near Lovelock
US 95 in Winnemucca
US 93 in Wells

 US 93 Alt. in West Wendover
East end I-80 at Utah state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNevada
Highway system
  • Nevada State Highway System
←
US 50 Alt.		→ SR 88

Interstate 80 (I-80) traverses the northern portion of the U.S. state of Nevada. The freeway serves the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area, and also goes through the towns of Fernley, Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, 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 intersection 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 John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort. After leaving the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area the freeway resumes following the Truckee River in a canyon to Fernley. 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 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 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

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.

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

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

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]

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

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 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 complete.[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 complete.[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
Washoe​0.00.0—
 I-80 west – Sacramento		Continuation into California
Verdi1Verdi (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
4.87.74Boomtown Garson Road
5.79.25East Verdi (I-80 Bus. west, SR 425)Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Mogul7.011.37Mogul
​7.712.48West 4th Street (SR 647)Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Reno9.214.89Robb Drive
10.717.210McCarran Boulevard West (SR 659)
12.520.112Keystone Avenue (to I-80 Bus.)
13.321.413Virginia Street (US 395 Bus.) – Downtownserves University of Nevada, Reno
14.122.714Wells Avenueserves Reno Livestock-Events Center
14.924.015
 I-580 south / US 395 – Carson City, Susanville		US 395 exit 68
Sparks15.424.816Victorian Avenue, East 4th Street (SR 647)
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, to I-80 Bus. west)
18.930.420Sparks Boulevardserves Sparks Marina
19.731.721Vista Boulevard, Greg Street
​22.636.422Lockwood
​24.038.623Mustang
​28.245.428Patrick
​32.151.732USA Parkway (SR 439)serves Tahoe Reno Industrial Center; replaced former Tracy, Clark Station exit as of January 21, 2008
​36.959.436Derby Dam
​39.062.838Orchard
​40.264.740Painted Rock
Wadsworth44.070.843Wadsworth, Pyramid Lake (I-80 Bus. east, SR 427)
Storey
 No major junctions
LyonFernley46.474.746


 To US 95 Alt. south (I-80 Bus., SR 427) – West Fernley
48.978.748



 US 95 Alt. south (I-80 Bus. west) to US 50 Alt. – East Fernley		West end of US 95 Alt. overlap
​50Nevada Pacific Parkway
Churchill​65.2104.965Nightingale Hot Springs
​78.9127.078Jessup
​83.3134.183
 US 95 south – Fallon, Las Vegas		East end of US 95 Alt. overlap; west end of US 95 overlap
Pershing​93.5150.593Toulon
Lovelock105.5169.8105Lovelock (I-80 Bus. east / SR 396)Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
106.4171.2106Downtown Lovelock (SR 398)
​107.2172.5107East Lovelock (I-80 Bus. west / SR 856)Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
​112.9181.7112Coal Canyon (SR 396)
​120.2193.4119Oreana, Rochester (SR 858)
​129.6208.6129Rye Patch Dam (SR 401)
​138.7223.2138Humboldt
​146.0235.0145Imlay
​150.3241.9149 SR 400 – Mill City, Unionville
​152.1244.8151Mill City, Dun GlenWestbound entrance is via exit 149
​158.7255.4158Cosgrave
Humboldt​168.4271.0168Rose Creek
​173.4279.1173West Winnemucca Boulevard (I-80 Bus. east)
Winnemucca176.7284.4176
 US 95 north (I-80 Bus.) – Winnemucca, Downtown West		East end of US 95 overlap
179.0288.1178 SR 289 – Winnemucca, Downtown East
​180.8291.0180 SR 794 (East Winnemucca Boulevard, I-80 Bus. west)
​187.7302.1187Button Point
​194.5313.0194Golconda, Midas (SR 789)
​200.5322.7200Golconda Summit
​204.1328.5203Iron Point
​205.6330.9205Pumpernickel Valley
​212.5342.0212Stone House
​217.2349.5216Valmy
​222.7358.4222Mote
LanderBattle Mountain230.2370.5229 SR 304 (I-80 Bus. east) – West Battle Mountain
231.7372.9231 SR 305 – Downtown Battle Mountain
233.6375.9233 SR 304 (I-80 Bus. west) – East Battle Mountain
​244.7393.8244Argenta
Eureka​254.5409.6254Dunphy
Module:Jctint/USA warning: Unused argument(s): state
​261.4420.7261 SR 306 – Beowawe, Crescent Valley
​269.2433.2268Emigrant
​271.6437.1271Palisade
ElkoCarlin280.0450.6279 SR 278 (I-80 Bus. east / SR 221) – West Carlin, Eureka
281.4452.9280 SR 766 – Central Carlin
282.7455.0282 SR 221 (I-80 Bus. west) – East Carlin
​293.3472.0292Hunter
Elko299.2481.5298Elko West (I-80 Bus. east / SR 535)
301.9485.9301 SR 225 – Elko Downtown
304.4489.9303Elko East (I-80 Bus. west)
​311.5501.3310Osino
​315.5507.7314Ryndon, Devils GateCR 742
​317.7511.3317ElburzCR 745
​322.2518.5321 SR 229 – Halleck, Ruby Valley
​329.0529.5328River Ranch
​334.5538.3333Deeth, Starr Valley (SR 230)
​344.4554.3343Welcome, Starr Valley (SR 230)
​348.2560.4348Beverly Hills
Wells351.6565.8351West Wells (I-80 Bus. east / SR 223 / SR 231)
352.5567.3352A US 93 – East WellsWest end of US 93 Alt. overlap; signed as exit 352 eastbound
352BEast Wells (I-80 Bus. west)Westbound exit only
​360.7580.5360Moor
​365.9588.9365Independence Valley
​373.8601.6373Summit
​376.5605.9376Pequop
​379.4610.6378 SR 233 – Oasis, Montello
​388.1624.6387ShafterCR 789
​399.2642.5398Pilot PeakCR 767
West Wendover407.2655.3407Ola
410.4660.5410

 US 93 Alt. south (I-80 Bus. east) – West Wendover, Ely		East end of US 93 Alt. overlap
410.7661.0—
 I-80 east – Salt Lake City		Continuation 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. ^ a b "2006 Annual Traffic Report" (PDF). Nevada Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 11, 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Nevada Road and Recreation Atlas (Map). 1:250000. Benchmark Maps. 2003. p. 47. ISBN 0-929591-81-X.
  5. ^ a b "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. ^ a b c 2013–2014 Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Nevada Department of Transportation. 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  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. ^ a b c "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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Interstate 80
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California 		Nevada Next state:
Utah

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