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Interstate 10 Westbound - Pinal County
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Interstate 10 leaves Pima County and enters Pinal
County as the freeway approaches the next exit along
westbound, which is Exit 232, Pinal Air Park Road,
one mile. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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An Army National Guard station and aviation training
site is located at Pinal Air Park. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Pinal Air Park can be seen to the southwest of
the freeway, and it is readily visible with its
many large planes, including some commercial jets.
These jets are parked at the Pinal Air Park. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Exit 232, Pinal Air
Park Road. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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This unnumbered exit serves the nearby APS Power
plant. The power plant is a gas-powered peak plant
used primarily during summer. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Mileage sign along westbound Interstate 10 for
Red Rock, the city of Casa Grande, and the city
of Phoenix. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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The next exit along westbound Interstate 10 is
Exit 226, Red Rock, one mile. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 approaching Exit 226,
Red Rock. Picacho Peak is visible to the west of
the freeway in the distance ahead; the freeway passes
between Picacho Peak and the Picacho Mountains situated
to the northeast. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Exit 226, Red Rock. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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This mileage sign along westbound Interstate 10
indicates the distance to the next exit (Picacho
Peak Road/Picacho Peak State Park), the city of
Casa Grande, and the control city of Phoenix. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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View of Picacho Peak as seen from westbound Interstate 10. Interstate 10 now ascends to Picacho Pass (elevation 1,800 feet) at this exit before descending into Eloy and Casa Grande, the first cities west of Picacho. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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The next exit along westbound Interstate 10 is Exit 219, Picacho Peak Road/Picacho
Peak State Park, one mile. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 approaching Exit 219, Picacho Peak Road/Picacho Peak
State Park, one-quarter mile. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Exit 219, Picacho Peak Road/Picacho Peak State
Park. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Exit 219 connects to Picacho Peak State Park, which is located southwest of the freeway, while the services (gas station and Dairy Queen) are located to the northeast of the interchange. Since this is the only exit featuring services in either direction, this Dairy Queen and gas station is very busy. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Mileage sign along westbound Interstate 10 for the town of Picacho, the city of Eloy, and the city of Phoenix. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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The next exit along westbound Interstate 10 is
Exit 212, the town of Picacho. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Now past Picacho Pass and Picacho Peak, we now
reach the town of Picacho (Exit 212) along westbound. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Exit 212, Picacho. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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The next exit along westbound Interstate 10 is Exit 211, Junction Arizona 87 north, one mile. The space on the first sign represents the former location of a west Arizona 84 shield. Arizona 84 was decommissioned from its concurrent stretch with Arizona 87 and from Jimmie Kerr Boulevard in 1997, so this sign no longer reflects the presence of Arizona 84. Today, Arizona 84 only exists west of Casa Grande. First photo taken 03/28/04. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Use exit 211 to reach Casa Grande Ruins National
Monument. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Arizona 87 is a major corridor, originating here southeast of Eloy then continuing due north through La Palma and Coolidge, then turning northwest toward the Phoenix metropolitan area. Although not entering the city of Phoenix, Arizona 87 passes through the cities of Chandler, Gilbert, and Mesa before turning northeast along the Beeline Highway through Tonto and Coconino National Forests toward Payson, Winslow, and the Hopi Indian Reservation. Arizona 87 reaches its northern terminus at Arizona 264 in Second Mesa. First photo taken 03/28/04. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Exit 211, Junction Arizona 87 north to Coolidge and Florence. Coolidge and La Palma are located along northbound Arizona 87, while Florence is reached via Arizona 87 north to Arizona 287 east to Arizona 79 (former U.S. 80-89). First photo taken 03/28/04. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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The next exit along westbound Interstate 10 is Exit 208, which serves Sunshine Boulevard en route to Eloy. This sign was replaced with the current advance signage for Eloy. First photo taken 03/28/04. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Now entering Eloy, westbound Interstate 10 enters another region that is growing rapidly. Pinal County is often mentioned as the next development frontier as explosive growth from both Phoenix and Tucson continues to drive their urban limits further into the desert. The first Eloy exit is Sunshine Blvd, 3/4 mile. First photo taken 03/28/04. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Advance signage for Exit 208, Sunshine Boulevard, 1/2 mile. First photo taken 03/28/04. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Exit 208, Sunshine Boulevard. First photo taken 03/28/04. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Mileage sign along westbound Interstate 10 for the next exit, Exit 203, Toltec Road; the city of Casa Grande; and the city of Phoenix. First photo taken 03/28/04. Second photo taken 12/31/69. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 approaches Exit 203, Toltec Road, one mile. First photo taken 03/28/04. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Toltec Road features a few motorist services, including fast food and gas. Interstate 10 between Tucson and Phoenix is dubbed "Arizona's Autobahn" due to its relatively high traffic counts, so services and towns are a bit more frequent along this stretch than in other rural areas of Arizona. First photo taken 03/28/04. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Exit 203, Toltec Road. First photo taken 03/28/04. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Mileage sign along westbound Interstate 10 for Exit 200, Junction Interstate 8; Casa Grande; and Phoenix. First photo taken 03/28/04. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Now entering the outskirts of Casa Grande, Interstate 10 approaches Interstate 8 in two miles. While Interstate 10 heads northwest toward Phoenix and Flagstaff via Interstate 17, Interstate 8 heads west toward Gila Bend, Yuma, El Centro, and San Diego. In addition, taking Interstate 8 and Arizona 85 is recommended as a bypass of metropolitan Phoenix for through traffic to Los Angeles and San Bernardino. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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The next exit along westbound is Exit 200, Sunland Gin Road, one mile. This exit features full services and is the last exit before Interstate 10 meets Interstate 8. For travelers continuing west on Interstate 8 in Arizona, this exit is among the few to host services aside from the Gila Bend business loop and the exits around Yuma. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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The western terminus of Interstate 8 is at Exit 199. This photo shows the signage in place along westbound Interstate 10 as it approaches Exit 200, Sunland Gin Road/Arizona City, just prior to the Westbound Interstate 8 junction near Casa Grande. Note the alternate route sign that advises motorists to Los Angeles to consider using Interstate 8 west to Arizona 85 at Gila Bend and Arizona 85 north to near Buckeye to rejoin Interstate 10. This routing will be more viable once Arizona 85 is widened to expressway standards. Between 2003 and 2004, the two signs on the left were replaced, and the Sunland Gin exit sign was left in place. The newer signs incorporate an Interstate 10 shield as part of the bypass explanation and label Interstate 8 as "Phoenix Bypass Route." Note that neither Los Angeles nor Southern California are mentioned on the bypass signs. First photo taken 01/01/03. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Exit 200, Sunland Gin Road/Arizona City. These signs were changed between 2003 and 2004; the new signs feature the state name within the Interstate shield and no button copy. The next two exits are Exit 199, Junction Westbound Interstate 8, and Exit 198, Jimmie Kerr Boulevard/Casa Grande. Note that the advance sign for former Arizona 84/Jimmie Kerr Boulevard was removed from this sign assembly; the Interstate 8/Phoenix bypass sign was relocated from the gore point signage to this sign bridge, which is easier to digest this far away from the exit. First photo taken 01/01/03. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Although the sign is partially cut off in this picture, westbound Interstate 10 enters the city of Casa Grande, which has a 2000 population of 25,224 people. Sitting at the crossroads of Interstates 8 and 10, Casa Grande is poised to reap the rewards of being midway between Tucson and Phoenix. Agricultural Pinal County may see its value increase as growth extends south from Phoenix and northwest from Tucson. The county seat of Pinal County is Florence, which is removed from the freeway system, so Casa Grande may stand to benefit from growth more than Florence as a result. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Junction Westbound Interstate 8 in Casa Grande. This marks the eastern terminus of Interstate 8. Interstate 10 continues northeast into metropolitan Phoenix, while Interstate 8 crosses the desert en route to Yuma, El Centro, and ultimately San Diego. Interstate 10 continues west toward Casa Grande, and the first Casa Grande exit is Exit 198, Jimmie Kerr Boulevard (former Arizona 84). Note that Arizona 84 was still signed as recently as 2003 even though the route was decommissioned in 1998. Also note that the Interstate 8 overhead sign was replaced and the bypass signage was removed, and a brief mention of Interstate 8 as a bypass of Phoenix was added to that new sign. First photo taken 01/01/03. Second photo taken 08/19/07. |
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As the overhead ramp carries traffic from westbound Interstate 10 and Sunland Gin Road to westbound Interstate 8, westbound Interstate 10 approaches its next two exits which connect to Casa Grande: Exit 198, Jimmie Kerr Boulevard and Exit 194, Junction Business Loop I-10 and Arizona 287. The business loop returns to Interstate 10 at Exit 185. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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The next exit along westbound Interstate 10 is Exit 198, Jimmie Kerr Boulevard. This used to be Arizona 84, but it was decommissioned in 1997. Today, Arizona 84 remains as the highway between Interstate 8 west of Stanfield and Arizona 187-387 in Casa Grande. Arizona 84 used to be a much longer route, covering Interstate 8 from Gila Bend to the remnant section and Interstate 10 from Casa Grande east to Tucson. In effect, Arizona 84 acted as a bypass around the Phoenix metropolitan area, while U.S. 80 went through the city. Photo taken 08/19/07. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Exit 198, Jimmie Kerr Boulevard. Although not marked as a state route on these signs, this was signed as part of Arizona 84 at one time, as seen in the previous photobox from January 2003. Arizona 84 was decommissioned west of Casa Grande in 1997. First photo taken 08/19/07. Second photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Interstate 10 stays east of Casa Grande, and the business loop into Casa Grande is approximately 13 miles long as a result. Arizona 287, Arizona 387, and Arizona 84 all end in downtown Casa Grande. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Use Arizona 287 east to reach Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 approaching Exit 194,
Junction Westbound Business Loop I-10 and Arizona
287, one-quarter mile. These routes led west into
Casa Grande, where they meet Arizona 84 and Arizona
387. Business Loop I-10 returns to Interstate 10
via Arizona 387 at Exit 185. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Exit 194, Junction
Westbound Business Loop I-10 and Arizona 287 into
Casa Grande. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Mileage sign along westbound Interstate 10 after
Exit 194. The next exit is for Exit 190/McCartney
Road; however, it is not listed on this sign. Arizona
187/387, a rest area, and Phoenix are listed as
destinations. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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The next exit is Exit 190, McCartney Road, one
mile. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Exit 190, McCartney
Road. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Mileage sign along westbound for the next two exits (Exit 185/Junction Business Loop I-10 and Arizona 187-387 and Exit 182/Rest Area) as well as the control city of Phoenix, which is still 44 miles away ... but the suburban sprawl that welcomes visitors into Phoenix is less than 25 miles away! Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 approaching Exit 185,
Eastbound Business Loop I-10, Arizona 187, and Arizona
387, two miles. The business loop signage is omitted
from this series of signs. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 approaching Exit 185, Business Loop I-10 and Arizona 187 and 387, one mile. For more on the numbering of Arizona 187 and 387 as well as nearby attractions, see Eastbound Interstate 10. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 approaching Exit 185,
Arizona 187 and 387 and Business Loop I-10, one-quarter
mile. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Exit 185, Junction
Arizona 187, Arizona 387, and Business Loop I-10.
Arizona 187 leads northeast to Sacaton, and Arizona
387 leads east to Coolidge and south to Casa Grande
(along with Business Loop I-10 east). Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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The next exit along westbound Interstate 10 is
Exit 182, Rest Area, one mile. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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A tall saguaro cactus trumpets the approaching
full service rest area along westbound. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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This rest area, located almost midway between
Exits 185 and 175, provides restroom facilities
for motorists along westbound Interstate 10. It
is the only rest area between Tucson and Phoenix,
and it is much closer to Phoenix. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Mileage sign along westbound Interstate 10 for
Arizona 587, six miles. Photo taken 05/23/03. |
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The next exit along westbound Interstate 10 is
Exit 175, Junction Arizona 587 north to Arizona
87, Chandler and Gilbert (and Sun Lakes/Sacaton),
one mile. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 approaching Exit 175,
Junction Northbound Arizona 587 to Chandler and
Gilbert, one mile. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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While Arizona 587 leads north to meet Arizona
87 near Sun Lakes, Casa Blanca Road leads west to
Bapchule and east to Sacaton. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 at Exit 175, Junction
Arizona 587 north, which connects to Arizona 87
en route to Chandler. This is an unusual connection
from northwestbound Interstate 10 to northbound
Arizona 587, with a cloverleaf-style offramp. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Mileage sign along westbound Interstate 10 after
Exit 175. The destinations listed are for Chandler,
Junction U.S. 60, and downtown Phoenix. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Interstate 10 passes over the wide yet nearly
dry Gila River just north of Exit 175. This bridge
is narrow in both directions (limited or no shoulders)
but is relatively short. During flood events during
the monsoon season, this river may fill with massive
amounts of water cascading northwest through the
Gila River Indian Reservation. The Gila River merges
with the Salt River (Rio Salado) southwest of downtown
Phoenix, and the Gila River turns southwest toward
Gila Bend and Yuma, where it joins the Colorado
River. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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The next exit along westbound Interstate 10 is
Exit 167, two miles. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Westbound Interstate 10 approaching Exit 167,
Riggs Road, one mile. Interstate 10 enters Maricopa
County just prior to reaching the Riggs Road interchange. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
Photo Credits:
2003-01-01 by AARoads. 2003-05-23 by AARoads. 2004-03-28 by AARoads. 2007-08-19 by Kevin Trinkle.
Connect with:
Interstate 8
U.S. Highway 60
Arizona 87 - Beeline Highway
Page Updated 04-24-2004. |
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