Interstate 80 in Nevada

Interstate 80
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
	I‑580 / 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
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Highways in Nevada Interstate U.S. State pre-1976 Scenic ← 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, 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

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.

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

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]

• US 95 Alt, which runs concurrently with I-80 between Fernley and Trinity Junction near Lovelock.
• US 95, which runs concurrently with I-80 between Trinity Junction and Winnemucca.
• US 93 Alt, which runs concurrently with I-80 between the towns of Wells and West Wendover.

History

California Trail

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

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

County	Location	mi[8]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Washoe	Verdi	0.0	0.0	—	I-80 west – Sacramento, San Francisco	Continuation into California
				1	Verdi (I-80 Bus. east)	Westbound exit and entrance
		2.8	4.5	2	Verdi (I-80 Bus. east to SR 425)	No westbound entrance
		3.2	5.1	3	Verdi	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
				—	Check Station	Eastbound exit and entrance
		4.8	7.7	4	Boomtown Garson Road
		5.7	9.2	5	East Verdi (I-80 Bus. west / SR 425 west)	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	Mogul			6	Truck Parking, Scenic View	No cross freeway access
		7.0	11.3	7	Mogul
	Reno	7.7	12.4	8	West 4th Street (SR 647 east)	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		9.2	14.8	9	Robb Drive
		10.7	17.2	10	McCarran Boulevard West (SR 659)	Former SR 651
		12.5	20.1	12	Keystone Avenue (to I-80 Bus. / SR 647)	Former SR 657
		13.3	21.4	13	Sierra Street, Virginia Street (US 395 Bus.), Center Street – Downtown	Former SR 430 / SR 660 / US 395; serves Mackay Stadium, Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center, Reno Events Center and University of Nevada, Reno
		14.1	22.7	14	Wells Avenue	Serves Renown Regional Medical Center, VA Sierra Nevada Health and Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center
		14.9	24.0	15	I‑580 south / US 395 – Carson City, Susanville	Serves Reno–Tahoe International Airport and Reno-Sparks Convention Center; US 395 exit 68
	Sparks	15.4	24.8	16	Prater Way, East 4th Street, Victorian Avenue (I-80 Bus. / SR 647 west)
		16.1	25.9	17	Rock Boulevard (SR 668)	Serves Victorian Square; also signed for Nugget Avenue eastbound
		16.8	27.0	18	SR 445 (Pyramid Way)	Serves Victorian Square
		17.6	28.3	19	McCarran Boulevard East (SR 659), Victorian Avenue (I-80 Bus. west)	Former SR 650
		18.9	30.4	20	Sparks Boulevard	Serves Sparks Marina
		19.7	31.7	21	Vista Boulevard, Greg Street	Serves Northern Nevada Medical Center
	Lockwood	22.6	36.4	22	Canyon Way – Lockwood
	McCarran	24.0	38.6	23	Mustang Ranch Road, Frontage Road – Mustang Ranch
				—	Check Station, Frontage Road	Westbound exit only
	Patrick			27	Scenic View	Eastbound exit and entrance
		28.2	45.4	28	Waltham Way (SR 655 south) – Patrick
	Clark			32	Wunotoo Road, Clark Station Road – Tracy, Clark Station	Closed and demolished
		32.1	51.7	32	USA 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 Dam	36.9	59.4	36	Derby Dam
	Orchard	39.0	62.8	38	Orchard
	Painted Rock	40.2	64.7	40	Painted Rock Road – Painted Rock
	Wadsworth			42	Check Station, Wadsworth Rest Area	No cross freeway access
		44.0	70.8	43	Main Street, Cantlon Drive (I-80 Bus. east / SR 427 east) – Wadsworth, Pyramid Lake
Storey	No major junctions
Lyon	Fernley	46.4	74.7	46	To US 95 Alt. south (I-80 Bus. / SR 427 / Main Street) – West Fernley, Yerington, Las Vegas
		48.9	78.7	48	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
				50	Nevada Pacific Boulevard	Formerly known as Nevada Pacific Parkway; opened on June 19, 2009
Churchill	​	65.2	104.9	65	Nightingale Hot Springs
	​	78.9	127.0	78	Jessup
	Trinity	83.3	134.1	83	US 95 south (Veterans Memorial Highway) – Fallon, Las Vegas	East end of US 95 Alt. overlap; west end of US 95 overlap; serves Trinity Rest Area
Pershing	Toulon	93.5	150.5	93	Ragged Top Road, Frontage Road – Toulon	Serves Derby Field
	Lovelock	105.5	169.8	105	Cornell Avenue, Frontage Road (I-80 Bus. east / SR 396 north / US 95 Bus. north) – Lovelock	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		106.4	171.2	106	Main Street (SR 398 north) – Downtown Lovelock	Serves Pershing General Hospital
		107.2	172.5	107	Cornell Avenue, Airport Road (I-80 Bus. west / SR 856) – East Lovelock	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		112.9	181.7	112	Coal Canyon Road (SR 396 south / US 95 Bus. south) – Coal Canyon	Serves Lovelock Correctional Center
	Oreana	120.2	193.4	119	Unionville Road – Oreana, Rochester	Former SR 858 east
	​	129.6	208.6	129	Rye Patch Road (SR 401 west) – Rye Patch Reservoir
	Humboldt	138.7	223.2	138	Frontage Road – Humboldt
	Imlay	146.0	235.0	145	Frontage Road – Imlay
	Mill City	150.3	241.9	149	SR 400 south (Unionville Road) / Tungsten Road, Frontage Road – Mill City, Unionville
		152.1	244.8	151	Frontage Road, Dun Glen Road – Mill City, Dun Glen	No westbound entrance
	Cosgrave	158.7	255.4	158	Cosgrave	Cosgrave Rest Area
Humboldt	Rose Creek	168.4	271.0	168	Rose Creek Road – Rose Creek
	Winnemucca	173.4	279.1	173	West Winnemucca Boulevard (I-80 Bus. east)	Serves Winnemucca Municipal Airport
		176.7	284.4	176	US 95 north (Veterans Memorial Highway / I-80 Bus.) – Winnemucca, Downtown West, McDermitt, Boise	East end of US 95 overlap
		179.0	288.1	178	SR 289 – Winnemucca, Downtown East	Serves Humboldt General Hospital and Golden Valley Medical Center
		180.8	291.0	180	SR 794 west (East Winnemucca Boulevard / I-80 Bus. west) / Pedroli Avenue
	Button Point	187.7	302.1	187	Button Point	Button Point Rest Area
	Golconda	194.5	313.0	194	Morrison Avenue, Getchell Mine Road (SR 789 north) – Golconda, Midas
	Golconda Summit	200.5	322.7	200	Golconda Summit
	​	204.1	328.5	203	Summit Road – Iron Point
	​	205.6	330.9	205	Pumpernickel Loop Road – Pumpernickel Valley
	Stone House	212.5	342.0	212	Stone House Road – Stone House	Serves North Valmy Generating Station
	Valmy	217.2	349.5	216	Marigold Mine Road – Valmy
	​	222.7	358.4	222	Mote Road – Mote
Lander	Battle Mountain	230.2	370.5	229	SR 304 east (I-80 Bus. east / Front Street) / Allen Road – West Battle Mountain
		231.7	372.9	231	SR 305 (Broad Street) – Downtown Battle Mountain, Austin	Serves Battle Mountain General Hospital
		233.6	375.9	233	SR 304 west (I-80 Bus. west / Front Street) / Hill Top Road – East Battle Mountain	Serves Battle Mountain Airport
	Argenta	244.7	393.8	244	Argenta
Eureka	Dunphy	254.5	409.6	254	Dunphy
	Beowawe			258	Beowawe Rest Area	No cross freeway access
		261.4	420.7	261	SR 306 south – Beowawe, Crescent Valley, Austin
	Emigrant Pass	269.2	433.2	268	Primeaux Canyon Road – Emigrant Pass
				270	Truck Parking	No cross freeway access
		271.6	437.1	271	Frenchie Road – Palisade
Elko	Carlin	280.0	450.6	279	SR 221 east (I-80 Bus. east / Chestnut Street) / SR 278 south (Eureka–Carlin Road) – West Carlin, Eureka
		281.4	452.9	280	SR 766 (10th Street, Newmont Road) – Central Carlin
		282.7	455.0	282	SR 221 west (I-80 Bus. west / Chestnut Street) / Suzie Creek Way – East Carlin
	Hunter	293.3	472.0	292	Maggie Creek Ranch Road – Hunter
	Elko	299.2	481.5	298	Elko West (I-80 Bus. east / SR 535 east / Idaho Street)
		301.9	485.9	301	SR 225 (Mountain City Highway) – Elko Downtown	Serves Elko Regional Airport and Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital
		304.4	489.9	303	Elko East (I-80 Bus. west / Idaho Street / Jennings Way)
	Osino			—	Check Station	No cross freeway access
		311.5	501.3	310	Idaho Street, Piute Road, Victory Boulevard – Osino
	Ryndon	315.5	507.7	314	Scotts Road, Coal Mine Canyon Road – Ryndon, Devils Gate	CR 742
		317.7	511.3	317	2nd Street, Old Devils Gate Road – Elburz, Devils Gate	CR 745
	Halleck	322.2	518.5	321	SR 229 east (Halleck and Secret Pass Road) – Halleck, Ruby Valley
	River Ranch	329.0	529.5	328	River Ranch
	Deeth	334.5	538.3	333	Deeth, Starr Valley (SR 230 east / Starr Valley Road)
	Welcome	344.4	554.3	343	Welcome, Starr Valley (SR 230 west / Starr Valley Road)
	Beverly Hills	348.2	560.4	348	Beverly Hills
	Wells	351.6	565.8	351	West Wells (I-80 Bus. east / SR 223 east / SR 231 south / Humboldt Avenue)
		352.5	567.3	352A	US 93 (Great Basin Highway) – East Wells, Ely, Las Vegas, Jackpot, Twin Falls	West end of US 93 Alt. overlap; signed as exit 352 eastbound
				352B	East Wells (I-80 Bus. west / 6th Street)	Westbound exit only
				354	Parking Area	Eastbound exit and entrance
	Moor	360.7	580.5	360	Moor
	Independence Valley	365.9	588.9	365	Independence Valley	Serves Wells Conservation Camp
	Pequop Summit	373.8	601.6	373	Pequop Summit	Pequop Summit Rest Area
	Pequop	376.5	605.9	376	Pequop Road – Pequop
	Oasis	379.4	610.6	378	SR 233 east (Montello Road) – Oasis, Montello
	​	388.1	624.6	387	Shafter Road – Shafter	CR 789
	​	399.2	642.5	398	Pilot Road – Pilot Peak	CR 767
	West Wendover	407.2	655.3	407	Ola
		410.4	660.5	410	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
		410.7	661.0	—	I-80 east – Salt Lake City, Cheyenne	Continuation into Utah
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

See also

• Nevada portal
• U.S. Roads portal

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. "2006 Annual Traffic Report" (PDF). Nevada Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 11, 2008.
4. Nevada Road and Recreation Atlas (Map). 1:250000. Benchmark Maps. 2003. p. 47. ISBN 0-929591-81-X.
5. "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. 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. "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.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

• Interstate 80 @ AARoads