
Welcome to California, the Golden State. This page features roads and highways throughout the state of California, including Inter state routes, U.S. highways, state routes, county routes, business routes, and local streets and highways.
This page is sorted by route number and designation (see our list of routes below). In addition to following modern highways (typically in a south to north or west to east direction), pages here also cover historic routes, such as old U.S. highways that were largely decommissioned in 1964. Highways on this site are typically referred to as “Interstate xx, I-xx, U.S. xx, California xx, SR xx (State Route), or CR xx (County Route)”.
Highway Guides
City / Area Guides
Interstates
Interstate 5
Interstate 8
Interstate 10
Interstate 15
Interstate 40
Interstate 80
Interstate 105 – Century (Anderson) Freeway
Interstate 110 – Harbor Freeway and Pasdena Freeway
Interstate 205
Interstate 210 – Foothill Freeway
Interstate 215
Interstate 238
Interstate 280 – Father Junipero Serra Freeway
Interstate 305 – Capital City Freeway
Interstate 380 – Kopp Freeway
Interstate 405 – San Diego Freeway
Interstate 505
Interstate 580 – Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, Knox Freeway, MacArthur Freeway, Breed Freeway
Interstate 605 – San Gabriel River Freeway
Interstate 680
Interstate 710 – Long Beach Freeway
Interstate 780
Interstate 805 – Jabob Dekema Freeway
Interstate 880 – Nimitz Freeway
Interstate 980 – Shafter Freeway
Former Interstate 180 – San Rafael – Richmond
Former Interstate 480 – San Francisco
Former Interstate 880 – Sacramento
Business Loops
Former Business Loop I-5 – San Diego / Pacific Beach
Business Loop I-5 – Del Mar / Solana Beach
Business Loop I-5 – Woodland
Business Loop I-5 – Arbuckle
Business Loop I-5 – Williams / Maxwell
Business Loop I-5 – Willows / Orland
Business Loop I-5 – Red Bluff
Former Business Loop I-5 – Cottonwood
Business Loop I-5 – Dunsmuir
Business Loop I-5 – Weed
Business Loop I-5 – Yreka
Business Loop I-8
Business Loop I-8 – Winterhaven
Business Loop I-10 – Pomona / Ontario
Business Loop I-10 – Colton / Fontana
Business Loop I-10 – Indio / Coachella
Business Loop I-10 – Blythe
Business Loop I-15 – Escondido
Business Loop I-15 – Lake Elsinore
Business Loop I-15 – Norco
Business Loop I-15 – Victorville
Business Loop I-15 – Barstow
Business Loop I-40 – Needles
Business Loop I-80 – Sacramento
Business Loop I-205 – Tracy
U.S. Highways
State Routes 1-49
SR 1
SR 2 – Santa Monica Boulevard, Glendale Freeway, Angeles Crest Highway
SR 3
SR 4
SR 7
SR 9
SR 11 – Otay Mesa II Port of Entry
SR 12
SR 13 – Warren Freeway, Ashby Avenue
SR 14
SR 15
SR 16
SR 17
SR 18
SR 19 – Lakewood Boulevard, Rosemead Boulevard
SR 20
SR 20 Business
SR 22 – Garden Grove Freeway
SR 23
SR 24 – Rumford Freeway, Caldecott Tunnel
SR 25
SR 26
SR 27 – Topanga Canyon Road
SR 28 – North Lake Boulevard
SR 29
Former SR 30
SR 32
SR 33
SR 34
SR 35 – Skyline Drive
SR 36
SR 37
SR 38
SR 39
SR 41
Former SR 42 – Manchester Avenue, Firestone Boulevard
SR 43
SR 44
SR 45
SR 46
SR 47 – Vincent Thomas Bridge, Terminal Island Freeway, Alameda Street
SR 49 – Gold Country Highway
State Routes 51-99
- SR 51 – Capital City Freeway
- SR 52
- SR 53
- SR 54 – South Bay Freeway
- SR 54 Business in El Cajon
- SR 55 – Costa Mesa Freeway
- SR 56 – Ted Williams Freeway
- SR 57 – Orange Freeway
- SR 58
- SR 59
- SR 60 – Pomona Freeway and Moreno Valley Freeway
- SR 61 – Alameda Street
- SR 62
- SR 63
- SR 65
- SR 66
- SR 67
- SR 68 – Monterey-Salinas Highway
- SR 70
- SR 71 – Chino Hills Freeway
- SR 72 – Whittier Boulevard
- SR 73 – San Joaquin Hills Corridor
- SR 74
- SR 75
- SR 76
- SR 77
- SR 78
- SR 79
- SR 82 – El Camino Real
- SR 83 – Euclid Avenue
- SR 84
- SR 85 – Stevens Creek Freeway
- SR 86
- SR 87 – Guadalupe Parkway
- SR 88
- SR 89
- SR 90 – Marina Freeway, Yorba Linda (Richard M. Nixon) Freeway
- SR 91
- SR 92
- Proposed SR 93 – Richmond Parkway
- SR 94
- SR 96
- SR 98
- SR 99
State Routes 103-150
SR 103 – Terminal Island Freeway
SR 104
SR 107 and Los Angeles County Route N-7 – Hawthorne Boulevard
SR 108
SR 109
SR 110 – Pasadena Freeway (Arroyo Seco Parkway)
SR 111
- SR 112
- SR 113
- SR 114
- SR 115
- SR 116
- SR 118
- SR 119
- SR 120
- SR 121
- SR 123 – San Pablo Avenue (Old U.S. 40)
- SR 124
- SR 125
- SR 126
- SR 127
- SR 128
- SR 129
- SR 130 – Mount Hamilton Road
- SR 131 – Tiburon Boulevard
- SR 132
- SR 133 – Laguna Freeway
- SR 134 – Ventura Freeway
- SR 135
- SR 136
- SR 137
- SR 138
- SR 139
- SR 140
- SR 142 – Chino Hills Parkway and Carbon Canyon Road
- SR 144
- SR 145
- SR 146 – Access Roads to Pinnacles National Monument
- SR 147
- SR 149
- SR 150
State Routes 151-200
- SR 151 – Shasta Dam Boulevard
- SR 152
- SR 153 – Shortest Signed State Route in SR
- SR 154
- SR 155
- SR 156
- SR 158 – June Lake Loop
- SR 160
- SR 161
- SR 162
- SR 163 – Cabrillo Freeway
- SR 164 – Rosemead Boulevard
- SR 165
- SR 166
- SR 167 – Pole Line Road
- SR 168
- SR 169
- SR 170 – Hollywood Freeway
- SR 172
- SR 173
- SR 174
- SR 175 – Hopland Grade Road and Cobb Mountain Road
- SR 177 – Desert Center-Rice Road
- SR 178
- SR 180
- SR 182
- SR 183
- SR 184
- SR 185 – International Boulevard, 14th Street, Mission Boulevard
- SR 186 – Andrade Road
- SR 187 – Venice Boulevard
- SR 188 – Tecate Road
- SR 189 – Lakes Edge Road
- SR 190
- SR 191
- SR 192
- SR 193
- SR 195
- SR 197 – North Bank Road
- SR 198
- SR 200
State Routes 201-247
- SR 201
- SR 202 – Tehachapi Spur
- SR 203 – Main Street – Mammoth Lakes
- SR 204 – SR 99 Business – Union Avenue
- Former SR 209 – Rosecrans Street, Ca-on Avenue, Catalina Boulevard
- SR 210 – Foothill Freeway
- SR 211 – Fernbridge Drive
- SR 213 – Western Avenue
- SR 216
- SR 217 – Ward Memorial Boulevard
- SR 218 – Canyon Del Rey Road
- SR 219 – Kiernan Avenue
- SR 220 – Grand Island Road and Ferry
- SR 221 – Soscol Avenue
- SR 222 – Talmage Road
- SR 223 – Bear Mountain Road
- Former SR 225
- SR 227
- SR 229
- SR 230 – western approach to unconstructed Southern Crossing
- SR 232 – Vineyard Avenue
- SR 233 – Robertson Boulevard
- SR 236 – Big Basin Redwoods State Park Loop
- SR 237 – South Bay Freeway
- SR 238 – Mission Boulevard and Foothill Boulevard
- SR 239 – Byron Highway
- SR 241 – Foothill Transportation Corridor and Eastern Transportation Corridor
- SR 242
- SR 243 – Palms to Pines National Scenic Byway
- SR 244 – connector from Business Loop I-80 to Auburn Boulevard (Old U.S. 40)
- SR 245
- SR 246
- SR 247
State Routes 251-905
- SR 251 – Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
- Former SR 252 – El Toyon (Southcrest) Freeway
- SR 253 – Ukiah-Boonville Road
- SR 254 – Avenue of the Giants
- SR 255 – Samoa Boulevard
- SR 259 – connector from I-215 north to SR 210 east
- SR 260 – eastern approach to unconstructed Southern Crossing (including Webster and Posey Tubes under Inner Harbor between Oakland and Alameda)
- SR 261 – Eastern Transportation Corridor Connector to Jamboree Road
- SR 262 – Mission Boulevard
- SR 263
- SR 265 – Business Loop I-5 in Weed
- SR 266
- SR 267
- SR 269 – Lassen Avenue
- SR 270 – Bodie Road
- SR 271
- SR 273 – Former U.S. 99/Business Loop I-5 in Redding
- Former SR 274 – Balboa Avenue
- SR 275 – Tower Bridge Gateway and Capitol Mall
- SR 281 – Soda Bay Road
- SR 282 – Third and Fourth Streets (one-way couplet)
- SR 283 – Eel River Bridge
- SR 284
- SR 299
- SR 330 – City Creek Road
- SR 371 – Cahuilla Road
- SR 905 – Otay Mesa Freeway
County Routes
Plumas County Route A-14
Butte County Route B-2
Sonoma County Route C-1
Alpine County Route E-1
Yolo County Route E-8
Santa Clara County Route G-2
Monterey County Route G-11
Monterey County Route G-15
County Route Road J-1
Riverside County Route S-3
San Diego County Route S-1
County Route Road S-2
San Diego County Route S-3
San Diego County Route S-4
San Diego County Route S-6
San Diego County Route S-7
San Diego County Route S-8
San Diego County Route S-13
San Diego County Route S-14
County Route Road S-16
San Diego County Route S-17
Orange County Route S-18
Orange County Route S-19
County Route Road S-22
Imperial County Route S-24
Imperial County Route S-30
Imperial County Route S-31
Imperial County Route S-32
Imperial County Route S-33
Imperial County Route S-34
California Postmile System
Caltrans uses a post mile system to classify the state route system. Postmiles consist of white paddles with the following components:
- County – a two or three letter code
- Route Number
- Route Suffix – for qualified routes
- Postmile Prefix Code – for qualified routes
- Postmile Value – distance measured from the state of a route, or the point in which a route enters the county
- Postmile Suffix Code – for qualified routes
Route Suffixes are S for Supplemental and U for Unrelinquished. There are ten Postmile Prefixes referencing changes such as duplicate postmiles, realignments, spurs and overlaps. Postmile Suffixes cover instances where a major route separates along substantially different paths. The Caltrans Postmile Query Tool provides detailed information and a FAQ on postmiles
An example of Postmile Suffixes is Interstate 80, where it was relocated over I-880 around the north side of Sacramento in 1981. Postmiles on this section of I-80 are designated with the letter “M” for realignment of R mileage. All non-prefixed mileages used in California date from 1964. If a segment was realigned since 1964, the realigned portion uses the prefix “R” for first realignment. Postmile “equations” (AHD – ahead / BK – back) are used where the realigned portion leaves and rejoins the original alignment. If that first relocation is rerouted again, this second realignment uses the prefix “N” for realignment of M mileage.
Population Statistics
State Population | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
37,253,956 – 2010 U.S. Census | |||||
39,538,223 – 2020 U.S. Census | |||||
Metropolitan Populations | |||||
Los Angeles-Long Beach- Anaheim |
13,200,998 | San Francisco-Oakland- Berkeley |
4,749,008 | Riverside-San Bernardino- Ontario |
4,599,839 |
San Diego-Chula Vista- Carlsbad |
3,298,634 | Sacramento-Roseville- Folsom |
2,397,382 | San Jose-Sunnyvale- Santa Clara |
2,000,468 |
Fresno | 1,008,654 | Bakersfield | 909,235 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | 843,843 |
Top County Populations | |||||
Los Angeles | 10,014,009 | San Diego | 3,298,634 | Orange | 3,186,989 |
Riverside | 2,418,185 | San Bernardino | 2,181,654 | Santa Clara | 1,936,259 |
Alameda | 1,682,353 | Sacramento | 1,585,055 | Contra Costa | 1,165,927 |
Fresno | 1,008,654 | Kern County | 909,235 | San Francisco | 873,965 |
Top City Populations | |||||
Los Angeles | 3,970,219 | San Diego | 1,422,420 | San Jose | 1,013,616 |
San Francisco | 866,606 | Fresno | 530,267 | Sacramento | 512,838 |
Long Beach | 454,681 | Oakland | 424,891 | Bakersfield | 385,725 |
Anaheim | 353,676 | Santa Ana | 331,301 | Riverside | 330,786 |
Stockton | 312,716 | Irvine | 283,700 | Chula Vista | 272,979 |
Sources: 2020 U.S. Census Data (metro populations and counties), 2020 U.S. Census Estimate (cities) |
About California
- Capital:
Sacramento
- Nickname: Golden State
- If it were its own country, California would rank sixth among the world’ richest nations based on the value of goods and services the state produces (as of 2000).
- California decommissioned (eliminated) most of its U.S. routes starting in 1964: U.S. 40, U.S. 60, U.S. 66, U.S. 70, U.S. 80, U.S. 91, U.S. 99, U.S. 299, U.S. 399, and U.S. 466. Most of the decommissioned routes were no longer signed by no later than 1972. Other routes that were truncated or reduced in length include U.S. 6, U.S. 50, U.S. 101, and U.S. 395. Only U.S. 95, U.S. 97, and U.S. 199 were left alone after the actions of 1964.
- California 49, the Gold Chain (Mother Lode) Highway, is so numbered because gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada Mountain foothills in 1848, with a plethora of treasure seekers traversing the foothills in the Gold Rush of 1849.
- Area: 163,695.57 square miles or 411,049 square kilometers, 3rd largest
- Statehood: 31st state; admitted September 9, 1850
- Total Interstate Mileage: 2,455.74 miles
- Highest Point: Mount Whitney (west of Lone Pine partially in Sequoia National Park and Inyo National Forest in the Sierra Nevada) is 14,494 feet. This is the highest point in the 48 contiguous states.
- Lowest Point: Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park sits at an elevation of -282 feet below sea level. This is the lowest point in the 48 contiguous states.
- The Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range follow the spine of California south to north, while the Coast Range separates the Pacific Ocean from the Central Valley.
- The San Gabriel Mountains north of the Los Angeles Basin run east-west, unlike the north-south alignment of the state’ other mountain chains: Sierra Nevada, Coast Range, and Cascades.
- The Central Valley (formed by the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers) is the chief agricultural area of the state, followed by the irrigated Imperial Valley in the southern desert.
Photography contributed by Alex Nitzman, Andy Field, Brent Ivy, Jake Bear, Jeff Royston, Kevin Trinkle and many others. In addition, we extend our thanks to a variety of people who have contributed to this site or have joined us on our trips to tour the Golden State: Leland Bailey, Michael Ballard, Trevor Carrier, Russ Connelly, Casey Cooper, Justin Cozart, Daniel Faigin, Mark Furqueron, Martin Grahl, Steve Hanudel, Dominic Ielati, Cameron Kaiser, C.J. Moon, Scott Parker, Joe Rouse, Pete Sison, Jeff Waller, Joel Windmiller, Mark Yoshinaka, and many others for participating in taking trips with us and submitting photos from the state of California. A list of resources used to create this site are listed at the bottom of this page.
Sources
We use quite a few resources to construct this page, and we try to keep it up to date (but that is not always the case!). We use mainly official sites, but many of the AARoads contributors also have sites of their own that have proven helpful in providing reference material for this site. To complete the AARoads California Roads and Highways pages, we have utilized a variety of resources including:
- U.S. Census for population figures (mostly from the 2000 and 2010 data collection), geographical size, and demographic information
- League of California Cities – for incorporation dates of California cities
- Benchmark California Atlas – to confirm elevations and identify nearby geographical information near highways
- Rand McNally Atlas and Thomas Guides – to confirm exit numbers, exit configurations, and identify street names within urban areas
- Automobile Association of America – for still more map research, especially current and vintage maps issued by the Automobile Club of Southern California (ACSC) and California State Automobile Association (CSAA)
- California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Bridge Logs – these booklets help us to determine dates of highway construction and dates of highway realignment
- California Historic U.S. Highways – the web site compiled by Casey Cooper has a great deal of information about the old U.S. highways of California and offers scans of old pictures from vintage California Highways and Public Works (CHPW) magazines
- Southern California Regional Rocks and Roads – administered by Michael Ballard, this site has a great deal of historic highway information including pictures focusing primarily on old alignments in Southern California
- California Highways – this very detailed page administered by Daniel Faigin offers the latest information on state highway legislative routings and details the historical changes made to the routes through the years (including old map scans and links to construction projects)
- Floodgap Roadgap – this site, run by Cameron Kaiser, has very detailed information about several highways that run through the Golden State, especially U.S. 395 and U.S. 6 (I doubt anyone has put together as comprehensive a page on U.S. 395 as Cameron has done)
- Official state, county, city, regional planning agency, and chamber of commerce webpages help us to obtain unique facts about each region, county, city, or area.
- Wikipedia – if we cannot find specific information anywhere else, the on-line encyclopedia may have additional information
- Other resources include personal observations from hundreds of trips around the Golden State and newspaper articles that are individually cited mostly for ongoing construction projects and completion dates
A special thanks also to C.J. Moon for his assistance in providing historical chronologies for many of the Interstates and other numbered routes across the state of California. We try to cite any other sources used on individual pages where we can. If you should find any errors on the page (and we know they are out there), please do not hesitate to contact us.
Updated December 31, 2021.