165-593: Interstate 5 ( I-5 ) in the U.S. state of Oregon is a major Interstate Highway that traverses the state from north to south. It travels to the west of the Cascade Mountains , connecting Portland to Salem , Eugene , Medford , and other major cities in the Willamette Valley and across the northern Siskiyou Mountains . The highway runs 308 miles (496 km) from the California state line near Ashland to
330-465: A divided highway carrying OR 99E Business , at an interchange that straddles the 45th parallel (marked with a sign in the median). I-5 continues northeast from the interchange, passing the Keizer Station complex and the minor-league Volcanoes Stadium before leaving the suburban fringes of Keizer. The freeway continues north along OR 99E and the former Oregon Electric Railway , passing
495-486: A tectonic plate that poses a continued threat of volcanic activity and earthquakes in the region. The most recent major activity was the 1700 Cascadia earthquake . Washington 's Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980 , an event visible from northern Oregon and affecting some areas there. The Columbia River, which forms much of Oregon's northern border, also played a major role in the region's geological evolution, as well as its economic and cultural development. The Columbia
660-565: A "g". Another possible source is the Spanish word oregano , which refers to a plant that grows in the southern part of the region. It is also possible that the area around the Columbia River was named after a stream in Spain called "Arroyo del Oregón", located in the province of Ciudad Real . Another early use of the name, spelled Ouragon , was by Major Robert Rogers in a 1765 petition to
825-468: A Caliph) on their way to Guerrero, Mexico where they played a future role in the wars of independence . Sebastián Vizcaíno explored and mapped the coast of California in 1602 for New Spain , putting ashore in Monterey . Despite the on-the-ground explorations of California in the 16th century, Rodríguez's idea of California as an island persisted. Such depictions appeared on many European maps well into
990-459: A Spanish navigator." The name most likely derived from the mythical island of California in the fictional story of Queen Calafia , as recorded in a 1510 work The Adventures of Esplandián by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo . Queen Calafia's kingdom was said to be a remote land rich in gold and pearls, inhabited by beautiful Black women who wore gold armor and lived like Amazons , as well as griffins and other strange beasts. Abbreviations of
1155-575: A commodity until the 1849 California Gold Rush . From the 1820s, trappers and settlers from the United States and Canada began to arrive in Northern California. These new arrivals used the Siskiyou Trail , California Trail , Oregon Trail and Old Spanish Trail to cross the rugged mountains and harsh deserts in and surrounding California. The early government of the newly independent Mexico
1320-581: A formal complaint. The final section of Interstate 5 was dedicated on October 22, 1966, at the Cow Creek rest area. At the time, the freeway had 114 interchanges and 467 bridge structures; it cost an estimated $ 298 million to construct. The Salem–Portland section of I-5 was widened to six lanes in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Beginning in 1976, the State Highway Division (now ODOT) experimented with asphalt recycling from construction projects on
1485-560: A free state, the "loitering or orphaned Indians", were de facto enslaved by their new Anglo-American masters under the 1850 Act for the Government and Protection of Indians . One of these de facto slave auctions was approved by the Los Angeles City Council and occurred for nearly twenty years. There were many massacres in which hundreds of indigenous people were killed by settlers for their land. Between 1850 and 1860,
1650-478: A meandering course along Barbur Boulevard (part of OR 99W) across several hilltops. In the South Burlingame neighborhood, the freeway begins a fishhook-shaped turn through the " Terwilliger curves ", a notoriously dangerous section of I-5 that changes directions five times in one mile (1.6 km). The area averaged about 100 collisions and crashes per year between 1995 and 2005. I-5 continues north from
1815-624: A modest home which in the 1960s cost $ 25,000 would cost half a million dollars or more in urban areas by 2005. More people commuted longer hours to afford a home in more rural areas while earning larger salaries in the urban areas. Speculators bought houses, expecting to make a huge profit in months, then rolling it over by buying more properties. Mortgage companies were compliant, as people assumed prices would keep rising. The bubble burst in 2007–8 as prices began to crash. Hundreds of billions in property values vanished and foreclosures soared, as financial institutions and investors were badly hurt. In
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#17330856371401980-419: A multi-use trail for cyclists and pedestrians, and a MAX Light Rail extension into Vancouver. The bridge replacement is expected to cost up to $ 2.45 billion, while the entire program—including reconstruction of several interchanges and transit improvements—is estimated to cost $ 5.5 billion to $ 7.5 billion and would begin construction in 2025. In 2017, ODOT began planning an expansion of I-5 through
2145-634: A national highway system in 1926. The Oregon section was divided between Junction City and Portland into US 99W and US 99E , with the latter taking the original route of the Pacific Highway. It was completed on December 1, 1961, with direct connections to Harbor Drive in Downtown Portland. The first modern rest area in Oregon was opened in 1962 between Eugene and Albany; within four years, eight more sets were completed. The first section of
2310-463: A part of Mexico. In 1846, the total settler population of the western part of the old Alta California had been estimated to be no more than 8,000, plus about 100,000 Native Americans, down from about 300,000 before Hispanic settlement in 1769. In 1848, only one week before the official American annexation of the area, gold was discovered in California, this being an event which was to forever alter both
2475-510: A probate government was proposed. Doctor Ira Babcock of Jason Lee 's Methodist Mission was elected supreme judge. Babcock chaired two meetings in 1842 at Champoeg , (halfway between Lee's mission and Oregon City ), to discuss wolves and other animals of contemporary concern. These meetings were precursors to an all-citizen meeting in 1843, which instituted a provisional government headed by an executive committee made up of David Hill , Alanson Beers , and Joseph Gale . This government
2640-609: A railroad in 1851 from St. Helens, through the Cornelius pass and across Washington County to the city of Lafayette, which was at the time the big town of the Willamette Valley. In December 1844, Oregon passed its first black exclusion law , which prohibited African Americans from entering the territory while simultaneously prohibiting slavery . Slave owners who brought their slaves with them were given three years before they were forced to free them. Any African Americans in
2805-515: A refuge from disputes over slavery, Oregon had a "whites only" clause in its original state Constitution. At the outbreak of the American Civil War , regular U.S. troops were withdrawn and sent east to aid the Union . Volunteer cavalry recruited in California were sent north to Oregon to keep peace and protect the populace. The First Oregon Cavalry served until June 1865. Beginning in the 1880s,
2970-628: A seven-acre (2.8 ha) solar power array with 7,000 panels. North of the interchange, I-5 crosses the Willamette River on the Boone Bridge and enters the city of Wilsonville , at the edge of the Portland metropolitan area. The highway bisects downtown Wilsonville and its adjacent suburban neighborhoods, continuing north along the WES Commuter Rail line into Tualatin . On the south side of
3135-661: A short break in 1862 when legislative sessions were held in San Francisco due to flooding in Sacramento . Once the state's Constitutional Convention had finalized its state constitution, it applied to the U.S. Congress for admission to statehood . On September 9, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 , California became a free state and September 9 a state holiday . During the American Civil War (1861–1865), California sent gold shipments eastward to Washington in support of
3300-596: A state Constitutional Convention was first held in Monterey. Among the first tasks of the convention was a decision on a location for the new state capital. The first full legislative sessions were held in San Jose (1850–1851). Subsequent locations included Vallejo (1852–1853), and nearby Benicia (1853–1854); these locations eventually proved to be inadequate as well. The capital has been located in Sacramento since 1854 with only
3465-537: A água , Oregon. Yet another account, endorsed as the "most plausible explanation" in the book Oregon Geographic Names , was advanced by George R. Stewart in a 1944 article in American Speech . According to Stewart, the name came from an engraver's error in a French map published in the early 18th century, on which the Ouisiconsink (Wisconsin) River was spelled " Ouaricon-sint ", broken on two lines with
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#17330856371403630-600: Is Sacramento . The state's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast and metropolitan areas in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east, and from the redwood and Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. Two-thirds of the nation's earthquake risk lies in California. The Central Valley , a fertile agricultural area, dominates the state's center. The large size of
3795-472: Is evidence supporting inhabitants in the region at least 15,000 years ago. By 8000 BC, there were settlements throughout the state, with populations concentrated along the lower Columbia River, in the western valleys, and around coastal estuaries. During the prehistoric period , the Willamette Valley region was flooded after the collapse of glacial dams from then Lake Missoula , located in what would later become Montana . These massive floods occurred during
3960-456: Is in this region of the state. Typical of a western state, Oregon is home to a unique and diverse array of wildlife. Roughly 60 percent of the state is covered in forest, while the areas west of the Cascades are more densely populated by forest, making up around 80 percent of the landscape. Some 60 percent of Oregon's forests are within federal land. Oregon is the top timber producer of
4125-532: Is near Durham between junctions with I-205 and OR 217 , carrying an average of 164,000 vehicles daily in 2017. The least-traveled section of I-5 is located near Ashland and carries only around 16,600 vehicles daily. I-5 enters Oregon at the California state line in southern Jackson County . The highway travels northeast along a ridge in the Siskiyou Mountains , with a maximum grade of 6 percent, to Siskiyou Summit ; at 4,310 feet (1,310 m), it
4290-754: Is now Oregon's Pacific coast in the early to mid-16th century. As early as 1564, the Spanish began sending vessels northeast from the Philippines , riding the Kuroshio Current in a sweeping circular route across the northern part of the Pacific. In 1592, Juan de Fuca undertook detailed mapping and studies of ocean currents in the Pacific Northwest, including the Oregon coast as well as the strait now bearing his name. The Lewis and Clark Expedition traversed Oregon in
4455-466: Is now allowed in Oregon, gas stations are not required to offer it and many currently do not. New Jersey is the only state remaining where self serve gas stations are not allowed. Oregon is 295 miles (475 km) north to south at longest distance, and 395 miles (636 km) east to west. With an area of 98,381 square miles (254,810 km ), Oregon is slightly larger than the United Kingdom . It
4620-474: Is officially designated under Oregon's named route system as the Pacific Highway No. 1, a name shared with Oregon Route 99 (OR 99) and its split routes north of Junction City . OR 99 runs concurrent to I-5 through most of southern Oregon, splitting from the freeway to serve city centers and use other alternate routes, while OR 99W and OR 99E serve corridors on opposite sides of
4785-706: Is one of North America's largest rivers, and one of two rivers to cut through the Cascades (the Klamath River in southern Oregon is the other). About 15,000 years ago, the Columbia repeatedly flooded much of Oregon during the Missoula Floods ; the modern fertility of the Willamette Valley is largely the result. Plentiful salmon made parts of the river, such as Celilo Falls , hubs of economic activity for thousands of years. Today, Oregon's landscape varies from rain forest in
4950-477: Is probable some still move into eastern Oregon from Idaho. Oregon is home to what is considered the largest single organism in the world, an Armillaria solidipes fungus beneath the Malheur National Forest of eastern Oregon. Oregon has several National Park System sites , including Crater Lake National Park in the southern part of the Cascades, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument east of
5115-454: Is rounded down phonetically, from Ouve água —Oragua, Or-a-gon, Oregon—given probably by the same Portuguese navigator that named the Farallones after his first officer, and it literally, in a large way, means cascades: "Hear the waters." You should steam up the Columbia and hear and feel the waters falling out of the clouds of Mount Hood to understand entirely the full meaning of the name Ouve
Interstate 5 in Oregon - Misplaced Pages Continue
5280-522: Is the highest point on all of I-5 and one of the highest points on the Interstate system. The mountainous, 11-mile (18 km) section of the freeway runs along Siskiyou Pass and includes several runaway truck ramps and chain-up areas due to its heavy use by trucks and its foggy and snowy conditions in winter. North of the summit, the freeway intersects the Old Siskiyou Highway ( OR 273 ) and
5445-517: Is the home of Hollywood , the oldest and one of the largest film industries in the world, profoundly influencing global entertainment. The San Francisco Bay and the Greater Los Angeles areas are seen as the centers of the global technology and U.S. film industries, respectively. The Spaniards gave the name Las Californias to the peninsula of Baja California (in modern-day Mexico). As Spanish explorers and settlers moved north and inland,
5610-519: Is the ninth largest state in the U.S. Oregon's highest point is the summit of Mount Hood, at 11,249 feet (3,429 m), and its lowest point is the sea level of the Pacific Ocean along the Oregon Coast. Oregon's mean elevation is 3,300 feet (1,006 m). Crater Lake National Park , the state's only national park, is the site of the deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,943 feet (592 m). Oregon claims
5775-586: Is the only Interstate to traverse the state from north to south. The highway connects several of the state's largest metropolitan areas, which lie in the Rogue and Willamette valleys, and passes through counties with approximately 81 percent of Oregon's population. As a component of the Interstate Highway System, I-5 is also designated as an important highway under the National Highway System . It
5940-484: Is the state's highest point. Oregon's only national park, Crater Lake National Park , comprises the caldera surrounding Crater Lake , the deepest lake in the U.S. The state is also home to the single largest organism in the world, Armillaria ostoyae , a fungus that runs beneath 2,200 acres (8.9 km ) of the Malheur National Forest . Oregon's economy has historically been powered by various forms of agriculture, fishing, logging, and hydroelectric power. Oregon
6105-600: Is the third-most populous city in Oregon, with 175,535 residents. Portland , with 652,503, ranks as the 26th among U.S. cities. The Portland metropolitan area , which includes neighboring counties in Washington, is the 25th largest metro area in the nation, with a population of 2,512,859. Oregon is also one of the most geographically diverse states in the U.S., marked by volcanoes, abundant bodies of water, dense evergreen and mixed forests, as well as high deserts and semi-arid shrublands . At 11,249 feet (3,429 m), Mount Hood
6270-593: Is the top lumber producer of the contiguous U.S. , with the lumber industry dominating the state's economy during the 20th century. Technology is another one of Oregon's major economic forces, beginning in the 1970s with the establishment of the Silicon Forest and the expansion of Tektronix and Intel . Sportswear company Nike, Inc. , headquartered in Beaverton , is the state's largest public corporation with an annual revenue of $ 46.7 billion. The origin of
6435-544: The -sint below, so there appeared to be a river flowing to the west named " Ouaricon ". According to the Oregon Tourism Commission , present-day Oregonians / ˌ ɒr ɪ ˈ ɡ oʊ n i ə n z / pronounce the state's name as "or-uh-gun, never or-ee-gone". After being drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2002, former Oregon Ducks quarterback Joey Harrington distributed "Orygun" stickers to members of
6600-500: The Battle of Providencia near Los Angeles, he convinced each side that they had no reason to be fighting each other. As a result of Marsh's actions, they abandoned the fight, Micheltorena was defeated, and California-born Pio Pico was returned to the governorship. This paved the way to California's ultimate acquisition by the United States. In 1846, a group of American settlers in and around Sonoma rebelled against Mexican rule during
6765-631: The Bear Flag Revolt . Afterward, rebels raised the Bear Flag (featuring a bear, a star, a red stripe and the words "California Republic") at Sonoma. The Republic's only president was William B. Ide , who played a pivotal role during the Bear Flag Revolt. This revolt by American settlers served as a prelude to the later American military invasion of California and was closely coordinated with nearby American military commanders. The California Republic
Interstate 5 in Oregon - Misplaced Pages Continue
6930-781: The Broadway Bridge , which carries the Portland Streetcar's loop lines. Between the Boise and Eliot neighborhoods, the freeway intersects the terminating I-405 a short distance from the Fremont Bridge , which carries US 30 west into the Pearl District after it splits from I-5. The interchange, located between the Legacy Emanuel Medical Center and Albina railyard , has a set of three stub ramps that were built for
7095-695: The California Master Plan for Higher Education in 1960 to develop an efficient system of public education. Meanwhile, attracted to the mild Mediterranean climate, cheap land, and the state's variety of geography, filmmakers established the studio system in Hollywood in the 1920s. California manufactured 9% of US armaments produced during World War II , ranking third behind New York and Michigan . California easily ranked first in production of military ships at drydock facilities in San Diego, Los Angeles, and
7260-748: The Columbia Plateau , the High Desert , and the Blue Mountains . Oregon lies in two time zones . Most of Malheur County is in the Mountain Time Zone , while the rest of the state lies in the Pacific Time Zone . Western Oregon's mountainous regions, home to three of the most prominent mountain peaks of the U.S. including Mount Hood, were formed by the volcanic activity of the Juan de Fuca Plate ,
7425-632: The D River as the shortest river in the world, though the state of Montana makes the same claim of its Roe River . Oregon is also home to Mill Ends Park (in Portland), the smallest park in the world at 452 square inches (0.29 m ). Oregon is split into eight geographical regions. In Western Oregon : Oregon Coast (west of the Coast Range ), the Willamette Valley, Rogue Valley , Cascade Range and Klamath Mountains ; and in Central and Eastern Oregon :
7590-554: The Graham Affair , which was resolved in part with the intercession of Royal Navy officials. One of the largest ranchers in California was John Marsh . After failing to obtain justice against squatters on his land from the Mexican courts, he determined that California should become part of the United States. Marsh conducted a letter-writing campaign espousing the California climate, the soil, and other reasons to settle there, as well as
7755-660: The Hawthorne Bridge and under the Morrison Bridge , intersecting the latter to provide direct access to Downtown Portland. After passing under the Burnside Bridge , I-5 intersects the western terminus of I-84 , Oregon's lone east–west freeway and the main route through the Columbia River Gorge . After the interchange, US 30 joins I-5 in a short concurrency while the freeway travels around major landmarks in
7920-541: The Indigenous people of California had not yet developed a natural immunity. Under its new American administration, California's first governor Peter Hardeman Burnett instituted policies that have been described as a state-sanctioned policy of elimination of California's indigenous people. Burnett announced in 1851 in his Second Annual Message to the Legislature: "That a war of extermination will continue to be waged between
8085-887: The Kingdom of Great Britain . The term referred to the then-mythical River of the West (the Columbia River). By 1778, the spelling had shifted to Oregon . Rogers wrote: ... from the Great Lakes towards the Head of the Mississippi, and from thence to the River called by the Indians Ouragon ... One suggestion is that this name comes from the French word ouragan ("windstorm" or "hurricane"), which
8250-427: The Lewis and Clark and Astor Expeditions. Few stayed permanently such as Étienne Lussier, often referred to as the first "European" farmer in the state of Oregon. Evidence of the French Canadian presence can be found in numerous names of French origin such as Malheur Lake , the Malheur , Grande Ronde , and Deschutes Rivers , and the city of La Grande . Furthermore, many of the early pioneers first came out West with
8415-430: The Marquam Bridge in Portland, was opened in October 1966 and the whole highway was dedicated later that month. The freeway remains parallel or concurrent to Oregon Route 99 (OR 99) and its spur routes, running along former segments of US 99 that were bypassed by I-5, from Ashland to Portland. Under Oregon's named route system , all of I-5 is designated as Pacific Highway No. 1 . The Salem–Portland section
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#17330856371408580-450: The North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company before heading South of the Columbia for better farmland as the fur trade declined. French Prairie by the Willamette River and French Settlement by the Umpqua River are known as early mixed ancestry settlements. The Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled through northern Oregon also in search of the Northwest Passage . They built their winter fort in 1805–1806 at Fort Clatsop , near
8745-411: The Pacific Crest Trail before it travels out of the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest . The highway descends from the mountains into the Rogue Valley and intersects the south end of OR 99 west of Emigrant Lake , adjacent to a railroad underpass. I-5 follows OR 99 and passes a rest area and welcome center before entering the city of Ashland . The freeway crosses OR 66 west of
8910-453: The Portland Aerial Tram and Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge . The freeway passes under the Ross Island Bridge (part of US 26 ) and reaches the southern terminus of I-405 , which it intersects in a large Y interchange situated over the light rail tracks of the MAX Orange Line and the Portland Streetcar . From the interchange, I-405 passes through the western part of Downtown Portland and Harbor Drive continues into downtown along
9075-431: The Portland Expo Center (where the MAX Yellow Line terminates) and St. Johns . The freeway continues north onto Hayden Island , where a single exit serves the entire island, and crosses over the Columbia River on the Interstate Bridge into Vancouver, Washington . The Interstate Bridge carries a daily average of 132,000 vehicles and consists of two bridges that lift vertically for river traffic. I-5 roughly follows
9240-407: The Powerland Heritage Park and Oregon Electric Railway Museum near Brooks . At the Woodburn Premium Outlets mall west of Woodburn , I-5 intersects the dual termini of OR 214 and OR 219 , which provide access to Silverton and Newberg , respectively. It reaches a junction with OR 551 north of Aurora State Airport and adjacent to the French Prairie rest area, which includes
9405-453: The Presidio of San Diego , the first religious and military settlements founded by the Spanish in California. By the end of the expedition in 1770, they would establish the Presidio of Monterey and Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo on Monterey Bay. After the Portolà expedition, Spanish missionaries led by Father-President Serra set out to establish 21 Spanish missions of California along El Camino Real ("The Royal Road") and along
9570-443: The Rogue Valley Mall , providing access to Crater Lake and Mount McLoughlin northeast of the valley. The freeway continues northwest, passing Rogue Valley International–Medford Airport and the suburb of Central Point before turning west to follow the Rogue River . I-5 follows the Rogue River downstream through a narrow valley, where OR 99 and a railroad cross over and under the freeway several times, and passes Valley of
9735-454: The Rose Quarter to address congestion and safety issues on a 1.8-mile (2.9 km) section between I-84 and I-405. The agency's proposal—the addition of an auxiliary lane for merging and weaving traffic, as well as a freeway lid —would cost $ 450 million and was approved by the state legislature that year. The project attracted opposition and protests as it went through several years of environmental review and design revisions, during which
9900-410: The Rose Quarter , including the Oregon Convention Center , the Moda Center , and the Veterans Memorial Coliseum . At Northeast Holladay Street, the highway passes directly over the MAX Light Rail platforms of the Rose Quarter Transit Center just east of the Steel Bridge , which carries four MAX lines and OR 99W into Downtown Portland. I-5 veers northwest and briefly into a sunken section near
10065-447: The Route 66 . From 1900 to 1965, the population grew from fewer than one million to the greatest in the Union. In 1940, the Census Bureau reported California's population as 6% Hispanic, 2.4% Asian, and 90% non-Hispanic white. To meet the population's needs, engineering feats like the California and Los Angeles Aqueducts ; the Oroville and Shasta Dams ; and the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges were built. The state government adopted
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#173308563714010230-405: The Siskiyou Trail , an early trading route used by indigenous Oregonians and early trappers between the Willamette Valley and California. The trail was re-purposed as a settler's route in 1846, following the creation of the Applegate Trail by the territorial government. It was later incorporated into the early roads of the Willamette Valley, but remained secondary to waterborne transportation along
10395-419: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (February 2, 1848) that ended the war, the westernmost portion of the annexed Mexican territory of Alta California soon became the American state of California, and the remainder of the old territory was then subdivided into the new American Territories of Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Utah . The even more lightly populated and arid lower region of old Baja California remained as
10560-463: The University of Oregon campus, and continues north to Junction City , where it splits into OR 99W and OR 99E . The freeway then travels over the Whilamut Passage Bridge , a pair of concrete arch bridges that span 1,985 feet (605 m) across the Willamette River west of downtown Springfield. On the north side of the river near the Gateway Mall , it intersects I-105 , providing freeway access to downtown Eugene, and OR 126 . At
10725-517: The Washington state line in northern Portland, forming the central part of Interstate 5's route between Mexico and Canada. I-5 was designated in 1957 and replaced U.S. Route 99 (US 99) for most of its length, itself preceded by the Pacific Highway and various wagon roads . The freeway incorporated early bypasses and expressways built for US 99 in the 1950s, including a new freeway route from Portland to Salem, and additional bypasses were built using federal funds. The last segment of I-5, on
10890-425: The Willamette River . The state legislature also designated I-5 as the Purple Heart Trail and Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway in 2015. I-5 is maintained by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), who conduct an annual survey of traffic volume that is expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic (AADT), a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. The highway's busiest section
11055-425: The Willamette Town Center shopping mall and the Oregon State Fairgrounds , the freeway intersects the south end of OR 213 , a local highway that parallels I-5 to the east towards the Portland area . OR 99E splits from I-5 at an interchange with Portland Road, located west of the Chemeketa Community College campus in Hayesville . The freeway continues northwest into Keizer and intersects Salem Parkway,
11220-489: The coast of California were the members of a Spanish maritime expedition led by Portuguese captain Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542. Cabrillo was commissioned by Antonio de Mendoza , the Viceroy of New Spain , to lead an expedition up the Pacific coast in search of trade opportunities; they entered San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542, and reached at least as far north as San Miguel Island . Privateer and explorer Francis Drake explored and claimed an undefined portion of
11385-432: The forced relocation of the native population to Indian reservations in Oregon . The first Oregon proposition for a railroad in Oregon was made in 1850 by H. M. Knighton, the original owner of the townsite of St. Helens . Knighton asserted that this would fulfill his township's belief that it should be the supreme metropolitan seaport in that area upon the Columbia River, as opposed to Portland. He suggested building
11550-465: The last glacial period and filled the valley with 300 to 400 feet (91 to 122 m) of water. By the 16th century, Oregon was home to many Native American groups, including the Chinook , Coquille (Ko-Kwell), Bannock , Kalapuya , Klamath , Klickitat , Molala , Nez Perce , Shasta , Takelma , Umatilla , and Umpqua . The first Europeans to visit Oregon were Spanish explorers led by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo , who sighted southern Oregon off
11715-513: The 18th century. The Portolá expedition of 1769–70 was a pivotal event in the Spanish colonization of California, resulting in the establishment of numerous missions, presidios , and pueblos . The military and civil contingent of the expedition was led by Gaspar de Portolá , who traveled over land from Sonora into California, while the religious component was headed by Junípero Serra , who came by sea from Baja California . In 1769, Portolá and Serra established Mission San Diego de Alcalá and
11880-482: The 1992 Rodney King riots. California was the hub of the Black Panther Party , known for arming African Americans to defend against racial injustice. Mexican, Filipino, and other migrant farm workers rallied in the state around Cesar Chavez for better pay in the 1960s and 70s. During the 20th century, two great disasters happened: the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and 1928 St. Francis Dam flood remain
12045-403: The 21st century, droughts and frequent wildfires attributed to climate change have occurred. From 2011 to 2017, a persistent drought was the worst in its recorded history. The 2018 wildfire season was the state's deadliest and most destructive. One of the first confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States occurred in California on January 26, 2020. A state of emergency was declared in
12210-690: The Cabin Creek canyon, but splits off again to serve the Pass Creek valley while I-5 remains in the Pleasant Valley. The two highways are rejoined at Anlauf and continue northeast along Pass Creek towards Cottage Grove in Lane County . The freeway runs through the eastern outskirts of Cottage Grove and continues north along the Coast Fork Willamette River into the Willamette Valley , trading
12375-513: The California coast in 1579, landing north of the future city of San Francisco . The first Asians to set foot on what would be the United States occurred in 1587, when Filipino sailors arrived in Spanish ships at Morro Bay . Coincidentally the descendants of the Muslim Caliph Hasan ibn Ali in formerly Islamic Manila and had converted, then mixed Christianity with Islam, upon Spanish conquest, transited through California (Named after
12540-522: The California coast, 16 sites of which having been chosen during the Portolá expedition. Numerous major cities in California grew out of missions, including San Francisco ( Mission San Francisco de Asís ), San Diego ( Mission San Diego de Alcalá ), Ventura ( Mission San Buenaventura ), or Santa Barbara ( Mission Santa Barbara ), among others. Juan Bautista de Anza led a similarly important expedition throughout California in 1775–76, which would extend deeper into
12705-529: The California government in 2022. These groups were also diverse in their political organization, with bands, tribes, villages, and, on the resource-rich coasts, large chiefdoms , such as the Chumash , Pomo and Salinan . Trade, intermarriage, craft specialists, and military alliances fostered social and economic relationships between many groups. Although nations would sometimes war, most armed conflicts were between groups of men for vengeance . Acquiring territory
12870-443: The California state government paid around 1.5 million dollars (some 250,000 of which was reimbursed by the federal government) to hire militias with the stated purpose of protecting settlers, however these militias perpetrated numerous massacres of indigenous people. Indigenous people were also forcibly moved to reservations and rancherias, which were often small and isolated and without enough natural resources or funding from
13035-572: The Cascades, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park on the north coast, and Oregon Caves National Monument near the south coast. Other areas that were considered for potential national park status in the 20th century include the southern Oregon Coast, Mount Hood, and Hells Canyon to the east. California California is a state in the Western United States , lying on the American Pacific Coast . It borders Oregon to
13200-536: The Coast Range to barren desert in the southeast, which still meets the technical definition of a frontier . Oregon's geographical center is further west than any of the other 48 contiguous states (although the westernmost point of the lower 48 states is in Washington). Central Oregon 's geographical features range from high desert and volcanic rock formations resulting from lava beds . The Oregon Badlands Wilderness
13365-711: The East Bank Freeway in Portland, running 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from the Morrison Bridge to Shaver and Failing streets, opened to traffic on January 7, 1964. The Marquam Bridge , which connected the completed portions of I-5 to the East Bank Freeway, opened to southbound traffic on October 4, 1966, and northbound traffic two weeks later. Its design was criticized by the public and the Portland Art Commission, who described it as "so gross, so lacking in grace, so utterly inconsistent with any concept of aesthetics" in
13530-580: The Hudson's Bay Company, reversed the Hudson's Bay Company's long-standing policy of discouraging settlement because it interfered with the lucrative fur trade. He directed that some 200 Red River Colony settlers be relocated to HBC farms near Fort Vancouver, (the James Sinclair expedition), in an attempt to hold Columbia District. Starting in 1842–1843, the Oregon Trail brought many new American settlers to
13695-761: The I-5 corridor to repave local roads. The Albany–Salem section was renamed the Atomic Veterans Memorial Highway by the Oregon Legislative Assembly in August 2017. In 2022, ODOT completed an emergency onramp at Mountain Avenue in Ashland to aid in evacuations in the event of a wildfire. The gravel ramp is controlled by a locked gate and was approved for construction following the 2020 Almeda fire , which started in
13860-540: The Oregon Country. Oregon's boundaries were disputed for a time, contributing to tensions between the U.K. and the U.S., but the border was defined peacefully in the 1846 Oregon Treaty . The border between the U.S. and British North America was set at the 49th parallel . The Oregon Territory was officially organized on August 13, 1848. Settlement increased with the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 and
14025-660: The Pacific Northwest was particularly affected by the 1973 oil crisis , with Oregon suffering a substantial shortage. In 1972, the Oregon Beverage Container Act of 1971, popularly called the Bottle Bill, became the first law of its kind in the United States. The Bottle Bill system in Oregon was created to control litter. In practice, the system promotes recycling, not reusing, and the collected containers are generally destroyed and made into new containers. Ten states currently have similar laws. In 1994, Oregon became
14190-760: The Pacific coast in 1543. Sailing from Central America on the Golden Hind in 1579 in search of the Strait of Anian during his circumnavigation of the Earth , the English explorer and privateer Sir Francis Drake briefly anchored at South Cove, Cape Arago , just south of Coos Bay , before sailing for what is now California. Martín de Aguilar , continuing separately from Sebastián Vizcaíno 's scouting of California, reached as far north as Cape Blanco and possibly to Coos Bay in 1603. Exploration continued routinely in 1774, starting with
14355-669: The Rogue State Park . It also passes the Oregon Vortex , a popular roadside attraction near Gold Hill . At the west end of the valley in Josephine County , the freeway reaches Grants Pass and intersects U.S. Route 199 (US 199), which connects to Crescent City, California , on the Pacific Coast. The freeway continues along the northeast edge of Grants Pass and becomes concurrent with OR 99 at an interchange north of
14520-609: The San Francisco Bay Area. Due to the hiring opportunities California offered during the conflict, the population multiplied from the immigration it received due to the work in its war factories, military bases, and training facilities. After World War II, California's economy expanded due to strong aerospace and defense industries, whose size decreased following the end of the Cold War . Stanford University began encouraging faculty and graduates to stay instead of leaving
14685-647: The Terwilliger curves through South Portland , running uphill from OR 43 on the western bank of the Willamette River and downhill from Barbur Boulevard (now carrying OR 10 and OR 99W). The freeway dives northeasterly towards the South Waterfront district to avoid Marquam Hill , home of the Oregon Health & Science University campus. The lanes of OR 43 are split between Hood and Macadam avenues on west and east sides of I-5 as it crosses under
14850-490: The U.S. Army. In the 20th century, thousands of Japanese people migrated to California. The state in 1913 passed the Alien Land Act , excluding Asian immigrants from owning land. During World War II, Japanese Americans in California were interned in concentration camps; in 2020, California apologized. Migration to California accelerated during the early 20th century with the completion of transcontinental highways like
15015-454: The Union . However, due to the existence of a large contingent of pro-South sympathizers within the state, the state was not able to muster any full military regiments to send eastwards to officially serve in the Union war effort. Still, several smaller military units within the Union army, such as the "California 100 Company" , were unofficially associated with the state of California due to a majority of their members being from California. At
15180-731: The United States. It is a part of the Western U.S. , with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington , while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho . The 42° north parallel delineates the southern boundary with California and Nevada . The western boundary is formed by the Pacific Ocean . Oregon has been home to many indigenous nations for thousands of years. The first European traders, explorers, and settlers began exploring what
15345-407: The West, although the periodic fluctuations in the U.S. building industry have hurt the state's economy on multiple occasions. Portland, in particular, experienced a population boom between 1900 and 1930, tripling in size; the arrival of World War II also provided the northwest region of the state with an industrial boom, where Liberty ships and aircraft carriers were constructed. During the 1970s,
15510-470: The Willamette River waterfront. I-5 continues northeast over the Willamette River on the double-decked Marquam Bridge , with its northbound lanes on the upper deck and southbound lanes carried on the lower deck. The bridge is the busiest crossing in Oregon, with over 140,000 daily vehicles traveling across it, and runs parallel to the Tilikum Crossing transit bridge and Ross Island Bridge. The east end of
15675-542: The abundance of fur-bearing animals in the area. Also in 1811, New Yorker John Jacob Astor financed the establishment of Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River as a western outpost to his Pacific Fur Company ; this was the first permanent European settlement in Oregon. In the War of 1812 , the British gained control of all Pacific Fur Company posts. The Treaty of 1818 established joint British and American occupancy of
15840-479: The area and destroyed 2,500 homes. The states of Oregon and Washington began planning of a replacement for the twin spans of the Interstate Bridge in the late 1990s to address regional congestion and disruptions due to the lift span. The Columbia River Crossing program was established in 2004 to design a replacement, which was to be 17 lanes wide over Hayden Island and cost up to $ 3.5 billion. The program
16005-454: The best land in the state, were secularized by 1834 and became the property of the Mexican government. The governor granted many square leagues of land to others with political influence. These huge ranchos or cattle ranches emerged as the dominant institutions of Mexican California. The ranchos developed under ownership by Californios (Hispanics native of California) who traded cowhides and tallow with Boston merchants. Beef did not become
16170-464: The best route to follow, which became known as "Marsh's route". His letters were read, reread, passed around, and printed in newspapers throughout the country, and started the first wagon trains rolling to California. After ushering in the period of organized emigration to California, Marsh became involved in a military battle between the much-hated Mexican general, Manuel Micheltorena and the California governor he had replaced, Juan Bautista Alvarado. At
16335-517: The bridge, adjacent to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry , has a southbound stub ramp that was built to serve the cancelled Mount Hood Freeway . I-5 descends from the bridge and runs north along the Willamette River, following the eastern bank of the river and the Eastbank Esplanade bicycle and pedestrian trail a few blocks west of OR 99E. The freeway crosses over the east end of
16500-564: The cancelled Rose City Freeway and were re-purposed to serve the hospital. Through most of North Portland , I-5 runs in a trench that is crossed by several local streets and pedestrian overpasses, connecting Interstate Avenue to the west and Albina Avenue to the east. Interstate Avenue, a part of OR 99W, also carries the MAX Yellow Line through the Overlook , Arbor Lodge , and Kenton neighborhoods. At an interchange with Going Street,
16665-471: The city government later returned to the project, which was expected to begin construction in 2025. By June 2023, the estimated cost had risen to $ 1.9 billion and ODOT delayed work on the project for an indefinite period of time. Oregon Oregon ( / ˈ ɒr ɪ ɡ ən , - ɡ ɒ n / ORR -ih-ghən , -gon ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of
16830-489: The city's municipal airport and follows Bear Creek around the north side of downtown Ashland. I-5 and OR 99 run parallel each other on opposite sides of Bear Creek through Talent and Phoenix to Medford , at the center of the Rogue Valley and its winery region . The freeway runs through downtown Medford on a 3,229-foot (984 m) elevated viaduct with no exits to the city center. It then intersects OR 62 at
16995-575: The city, I-5 intersects the south end of I-205 , a bypass of Portland serving Oregon City and eastern Portland. The freeway crosses over the Tualatin River into Durham , where it passes the Bridgeport Village shopping center, before entering Tigard and an intersection with OR 217 , a major freeway that connects to Beaverton . I-5 then enters Multnomah County and the city of Portland, where it travels around Mount Sylvania and through
17160-684: The city. I-5 splits from the Rogue River and continues north along a zig-zag course across several passes and valleys in the Southern Oregon Coast Range . At Wolf Creek , it passes a historic inn and tavern that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The freeway crosses into Douglas County near Stage Road Pass east of Glendale and turns northeast to follow the Cow Creek valley before resuming its northern course through
17325-584: The conquest include the Battle of San Pasqual and the Battle of Dominguez Rancho in Southern California, as well as the Battle of Olómpali and the Battle of Santa Clara in Northern California. After a series of defensive battles in the south, the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed by the Californios on January 13, 1847, securing a censure and establishing de facto American control in California. Following
17490-535: The deadliest in U.S. history. Although air pollution has been reduced, health problems associated with pollution continue. Brown haze known as " smog " has been substantially abated after federal and state restrictions on automobile exhaust. An energy crisis in 2001 led to rolling blackouts , soaring power rates, and the importation of electricity from neighboring states. Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Company came under heavy criticism. Housing prices in urban areas continued to increase;
17655-579: The early 1800s, and the first permanent European settlements in Oregon were established by fur trappers and traders. In 1843, an autonomous government was formed in the Oregon Country , and the Oregon Territory was created in 1848. Oregon became the 33rd state of the U.S. on February 14, 1859. Today, with 4.2 million people over 98,000 square miles (250,000 km ), Oregon is the ninth largest and 27th most populous U.S. state. The capital, Salem ,
17820-520: The estimated cost grew to $ 715 million by 2020. In June 2020, several elected officials from the city and county governments announced that they would not support the proposal, following a local nonprofit advocacy group from the Albina neighborhood that did the same. A new design with larger freeway lids and potential for development, estimated to cost $ 1.25 billion, was adopted by ODOT in September 2021;
17985-467: The expedition of the frigate Santiago by Juan José Pérez Hernández , and the coast of Oregon became a valuable trade route to Asia. In 1778, British captain James Cook also explored the coast. French Canadians , Scots , Métis , and other continental natives (e.g. Iroquois ) trappers arrived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, soon to be followed by Catholic clergy. Some traveled as members of
18150-493: The first U.S. state to legalize physician-assisted suicide through the Oregon Death with Dignity Act . A measure to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Oregon was approved on November 4, 2014, making Oregon only the second state at the time to have legalized gay marriage , physician-assisted suicide, and recreational marijuana. Self service gasoline was banned in Oregon from 1951 until August 2023. Although self-serve
18315-557: The freeway runs along the west bank of the South Umpqua River opposite from the city's downtown and passes through several residential neighborhoods near the regional airport . At Harvard Avenue, I-5 begins a concurrency with OR 138 that continues for 12 miles (19 km) to Sutherlin , running parallel to OR 99 as the highways cross the North Umpqua River . OR 99 rejoins I-5 between Oakland and Yoncalla in
18480-543: The freeway turns northwest and crosses over the Columbia Slough , reaching Delta Park on the site of the former city of Vanport . The area also includes the Portland International Raceway and Portland Meadows horse racing track, along with several sports fields. At the north end of Delta Park, I-5 intersects the north end of OR 99E and the east end of OR 120 , a short local route connecting to
18645-701: The freeway's northbound lanes gain the city's lone high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane, which runs for 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to the north end of Delta Park . I-5 continues north and passes Peninsula Park and the Cascade campus of the Portland Community College in the Piedmont neighborhood before reaching an interchange with Lombard Street, which carries the US ;30 Bypass . From the Lombard Street interchange,
18810-618: The government to adequately sustain the populations living on them. As a result, settler colonialism was a calamity for indigenous people. Several scholars and Native American activists, including Benjamin Madley and Ed Castillo , have described the actions of the California government as a genocide , as well as the 40th governor of California Gavin Newsom . Benjamin Madley estimates that from 1846 to 1873, between 9,492 and 16,092 indigenous people were killed, including between 1,680 and 3,741 killed by
18975-420: The growth of railroads expanded the state's lumber , wheat , and other agricultural markets, and the rapid growth of its cities. Due to the abundance of timber and waterway access via the Willamette River, Portland became a major force in the lumber industry of the Pacific Northwest , and quickly became the state's largest city. It would earn the nickname "Stumptown", and would later become recognized as one of
19140-456: The highest output of any U.S. state, and is led by its dairy , almonds , and grapes . With the busiest port in the country ( Los Angeles ), California plays a pivotal role in the global supply chain, hauling in about 40% of goods imported to the US. Notable contributions to popular culture , ranging from entertainment , sports , music , and fashion , have their origins in California. California
19305-420: The highway, breaking ground on a link between Siskiyou Summit and Medford on November 28, 1913. These early sections were built using compacted dirt, which turned into mud in inclement weather and rendered them impassible. The state government enacted its own revenue sources for highway construction at the end of the decade, including the first state gas tax to be levied in the United States. The Pacific Highway
19470-410: The indigenous peoples developed complex forms of ecosystem management, including forest gardening to ensure the regular availability of food and medicinal plants . This was a form of sustainable agriculture . To mitigate destructive large wildfires from ravaging the natural environment, indigenous peoples developed a practice of controlled burning . This practice was recognized for its benefits by
19635-556: The interior and north of California. The Anza expedition selected numerous sites for missions, presidios, and pueblos, which subsequently would be established by settlers. Gabriel Moraga , a member of the expedition, would also christen many of California's prominent rivers with their names in 1775–1776, such as the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin River . After the expedition, Gabriel's son, José Joaquín Moraga , would found
19800-469: The largest dam removal and river restoration project in US history was announced for the Klamath River , as a win for California tribes. Covering an area of 163,696 sq mi (423,970 km ), California is the third-largest state in the United States in area, after Alaska and Texas . California is one of the most geographically diverse states in the union and is often geographically bisected into two regions, Southern California , comprising
19965-489: The lower 48 states. Moose have not always inhabited the state but came to Oregon in the 1960s; the Wallowa Valley herd numbered about 60 as of 2013 . Gray wolves were extirpated from Oregon around 1930 but have since found their way back; most reside in northeast Oregon, with two packs living in the south-central part. Although their existence in Oregon is unconfirmed, reports of grizzly bears still turn up, and it
20130-589: The media as a reminder of how to pronounce the name of his home state. The stickers are sold by the University of Oregon Bookstore . While there is considerable evidence that Paleo-Indians inhabited the region, the oldest evidence of habitation in Oregon was found at Fort Rock Cave and the Paisley Caves in Lake County . Archaeologist Luther Cressman dated material from Fort Rock to 13,200 years ago, and there
20295-788: The middle of the state lies the California Central Valley , bounded by the Sierra Nevada in the east, the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the Cascade Range to the north and by the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. The Central Valley is California's productive agricultural heartland. Divided in two by the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta , the northern portion, the Sacramento Valley serves as
20460-470: The most dangerous port cities in the United States due to racketeering and illegal activities at the turn of the 20th century. In 1902, Oregon introduced direct legislation by the state's citizens through initiatives and referendums , known as the Oregon System . On May 5, 1945, six civilians were killed by a Japanese balloon bomb that exploded on Gearhart Mountain near Bly . They remained
20625-502: The mountainous terrain of southern Oregon for rolling hills and farms. At Goshen , I-5 intersects OR 58 and passes the Lane Community College campus before entering Eugene . I-5 continues north into Eugene, running along the city's eastern border with Springfield , and intersects OR 225 at Coryell Pass. OR 99 then splits from the freeway travels west along OR 126 Business into downtown Eugene, serving
20790-721: The mountains. After descending from Canyon Creek Pass and following Canyon Creek, I-5 reaches Canyonville and passes the Seven Feathers Casino Resort . The freeway follows the South Umpqua River through Myrtle Creek and the Cow Creek Reservation , with OR 99 splitting to serve Winston . I-5 intersects OR 42 east of Winston in Green and continues north into the outskirts of Roseburg . Within Roseburg,
20955-466: The mouth of the Columbia River, staying at the encampment from December until March. British explorer David Thompson also conducted overland exploration. In 1811, while working for the North West Company, Thompson became the first European to navigate the entire Columbia River. Stopping on the way, at the junction of the Snake River, he posted a claim to the region for Great Britain and the North West Company. Upon returning to Montreal , he publicized
21120-415: The name was removed from state records following the discovery of his membership in the Ku Klux Klan . Early proposals by engineers put the southern section of I-5 further east through Klamath Falls and the flatter Klamath Basin , but the Siskiyou Pass route was favored by local politicians. Most of the highway in the Pacific Northwest was incorporated into U.S. Route 99 (US 99), created as part of
21285-430: The north end of Eugene, intersects Beltline Road in a partial cloverleaf interchange with direct ramps to the western freeway, which carries OR 569 around Eugene. The freeway leaves Eugene after crossing the McKenzie River at Armitage Park south of Coburg . I-5 continues north along OR 99E through rural Linn County , intersecting OR 228 near Brownsville and OR 34 west of Lebanon , before
21450-417: The north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With nearly 39 million residents across an area of 163,696 square miles (423,970 km ), it is the most populous U.S. state, the third-largest by area, and most populated subnational entity in North America . Prior to European colonization , California
21615-400: The only people on American soil whose deaths were attributed to an enemy balloon bomb explosion during World War II . The bombing site is now located in the Mitchell Recreation Area . Industrial expansion began in earnest following the 1933–1937 construction of the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. Hydroelectric power , food, and lumber provided by Oregon helped fuel the development of
21780-414: The population of San Francisco increased from 500 to 150,000. The seat of government for California under Spanish and later Mexican rule had been located in Monterey from 1777 until 1845. Pio Pico, the last Mexican governor of Alta California, had briefly moved the capital to Los Angeles in 1845. The United States consulate had also been located in Monterey, under consul Thomas O. Larkin . In 1849,
21945-535: The pueblo of San Jose in 1777, making it the first civilian-established city in California. During this same period, sailors from the Russian Empire explored along the northern coast of California. In 1812, the Russian-American Company established a trading post and small fortification at Fort Ross on the North Coast . Fort Ross was primarily used to supply Russia's Alaskan colonies with food supplies. The settlement did not meet much success, failing to attract settlers or establish long term trade viability, and
22110-416: The races until the Indian race becomes extinct must be expected. While we cannot anticipate the result with but painful regret, the inevitable destiny of the race is beyond the power and wisdom of man to avert." As in other American states, indigenous peoples were forcibly removed from their lands by American settlers , like miners, ranchers, and farmers. Although California had entered the American union as
22275-410: The region after the law was passed were forced to leave, and those who did not comply were arrested and beaten. They received no less than twenty and no more than thirty-nine stripes across the back if they still did not leave. This process could be repeated every six months. Slavery played a major part in Oregon's history and even influenced its path to statehood. The territory's request for statehood
22440-403: The region known as California , or Las Californias , grew. Eventually it included lands north of the peninsula, Alta California , part of which became the present-day U.S. state of California. A 2017 state legislative document states, "Numerous theories exist as to the origin and meaning of the word 'California, ' " and that all anyone knows is the name was added to a map by 1541 "presumably by
22605-519: The region west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. By the 1820s and 1830s, the Hudson's Bay Company dominated the Pacific Northwest from its Columbia District headquarters at Fort Vancouver (built in 1825 by the district's chief factor, John McLoughlin , across the Columbia from present-day Portland ). In 1841, the expert trapper and entrepreneur Ewing Young died leaving considerable wealth and no apparent heir, and no system to probate his estate. A meeting followed Young's funeral, at which
22770-415: The river and railroads built in the late 19th century. The rising popularity of automobiles at the turn of the century spurred the construction of new highways and the formation of automobile clubs and good roads associations. The Pacific Highway Association was formed in 1910 to bolster an ongoing campaign to build a highway along the West Coast, from Tijuana to Vancouver , British Columbia. The highway
22935-438: The southern outskirts of Salem . The freeway travels around McNary Field and intersects OR 22 at Mission Street, near the Corban University campus southeast of downtown Salem. I-5 and OR 99E continue north through suburban Salem, passing the Oregon State Penitentiary and Oregon State Hospital campus, which is located two miles (3.2 km) east of the Oregon State Capitol and Willamette University . Between
23100-543: The state as part of the Gold Rush or to seek work. Even though the Chinese proved indispensable in building the transcontinental railroad from California to Utah, perceived job competition with the Chinese led to anti-Chinese riots in the state, and eventually the US ended migration from China partially as a response to pressure from California with the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act . Under earlier Spanish and Mexican rule, California's original native population had precipitously declined, above all, from Eurasian diseases to which
23265-410: The state on March 4, 2020, and remained in effect until Governor Gavin Newsom ended it in February 2023. A mandatory statewide stay-at-home order was issued on March 19, 2020, which was ended in January 2021. Cultural and language revitalization efforts among indigenous Californians have progressed among tribes as of 2022. Some land returns to indigenous stewardship have occurred. In 2022,
23430-430: The state results in climates that vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north to arid desert in the interior, as well as snowy alpine in the mountains . Droughts and wildfires are an ongoing issue. California's economy is the largest of any U.S. state, with a $ 4.0 trillion gross state product as of 2024 . It is the largest sub-national economy in the world. California's agricultural industry has
23595-515: The state's demographics and its finances. Soon afterward, a massive influx of immigration into the area resulted, as prospectors and miners arrived by the thousands. The population burgeoned with United States citizens, Europeans, Middle Easterns, Chinese and other immigrants during the great California gold rush . By the time of California's application for statehood in 1850, the settler population of California had multiplied to 100,000. By 1854, more than 300,000 settlers had come. Between 1847 and 1870,
23760-522: The state's name include CA, Cal., Calif., Califas , and US-CA . California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America . Historians generally agree that there were at least 300,000 people living in California prior to European colonization. The Indigenous peoples of California included more than 70 distinct ethnic groups , inhabiting environments ranging from mountains and deserts to islands and redwood forests. Living in these diverse geographic areas,
23925-421: The state's name is uncertain. The earliest geographical designation "orejón" (meaning "big ear") comes from the Spanish historical chronicle Relación de la Alta y Baja California (1598), written by Rodrigo Montezuma of New Spain ; here it refers to the region of the Columbia River as it was encountered by the first Spanish scouts. The " j " in the Spanish phrase " El Orejón " was eventually corrupted into
24090-560: The state, and develop a high-tech region, now known as Silicon Valley . As a result of this, California is a world center of the entertainment and music industries, of technology, engineering, and the aerospace industry, and as the US center of agricultural production. Just before the Dot Com Bust , California had the fifth-largest economy in the world. In the mid and late twentieth century, race-related incidents occurred. Tensions between police and African Americans, combined with unemployment and poverty in inner cities, led to riots, such as
24255-449: The ten southernmost counties, and Northern California , comprising the 48 northernmost counties. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east and northeast, Arizona to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the south (with which it makes up part of The Californias region of North America , alongside Baja California Sur ). In
24420-407: The time of California's admission into the Union, travel between California and the rest of the continental United States had been a time-consuming and dangerous feat. Nineteen years later, and seven years after it was greenlighted by President Lincoln, the first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869. California was then reachable from the eastern States in a week's time. Much of the state
24585-448: The transition from Spanish colonial rule to independent Mexican rule. In 1821, the Mexican War of Independence gave the Mexican Empire (which included California) independence from Spain. For the next 25 years, Alta California remained a remote, sparsely populated, northwestern administrative district of the newly independent country of Mexico, which shortly after independence became a republic. The missions , which controlled most of
24750-414: The two highways reach Albany . The freeway skirts the east side of the city, where it intersects US 20 , and begins a concurrency with OR 99E. I-5 and OR 99E then intersect the south and north ends of OR 164 near Millersburg and the Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge . The freeway continues northeast and passes the Enchanted Forest amusement park and several wineries before reaching
24915-496: Was abandoned by 1841. During the War of Mexican Independence , Alta California was largely unaffected and uninvolved in the revolution, though many Californios supported independence from Spain , which many believed had neglected California and limited its development. Spain's trade monopoly on California had limited local trade prospects. Following Mexican independence, California ports were freely able to trade with foreign merchants. Governor Pablo Vicente de Solá presided over
25080-444: Was applied to the River of the West based on Native American tales of powerful Chinook winds on the lower Columbia River, or perhaps from first-hand French experience with the Chinook winds of the Great Plains . At the time, the River of the West was thought to rise in western Minnesota and flow west through the Great Plains. Another suggestion comes from Joaquin Miller , who wrote in Sunset magazine in 1904: The name, Oregon,
25245-429: Was cancelled in 2013 due to opposition within the Washington state legislature; $ 200 million had been spent during planning, which included federal funds that would need to be reimbursed unless a new proposal was submitted. A new program, named the Interstate Bridge Replacement, began in 2019 and is expected to publish an environmental impact statement in 2023. The updated design would include an eight-lane toll bridge,
25410-491: Was completed in 1922 and was the first highway to be completely paved from border to border within a state west of the Mississippi River . The Oregon state legislature authorized the construction of controlled-access "throughways" (now called freeways) in 1947 and the Pacific Highway was designated as a future corridor the following year. A six-cent gas tax increase was approved by the legislature in 1949 and would be used to improve sections of US 99 to freeway standards. It
25575-410: Was delayed several times, as members of Congress argued among themselves whether the territory should be admitted as a "free" or "slave" state. Eventually politicians from the South agreed to allow Oregon to enter as a "free" state, in exchange for opening slavery to the Southwestern U.S. Oregon was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1859, though no one in Oregon knew it until March 15. Founded as
25740-417: Was extremely well suited to fruit cultivation and agriculture in general. Vast expanses of wheat, other cereal crops, vegetable crops, cotton, and nut and fruit trees were grown (including oranges in Southern California), and the foundation was laid for the state's prodigious agricultural production in the Central Valley and elsewhere. In the nineteenth century, a large number of migrants from China traveled to
25905-607: Was highly unstable, and in a reflection of this, from 1831 onwards, California also experienced a series of armed disputes, both internal and with the central Mexican government. During this tumultuous political period Juan Bautista Alvarado was able to secure the governorship during 1836–1842. The military action which first brought Alvarado to power had momentarily declared California to be an independent state, and had been aided by Anglo-American residents of California, including Isaac Graham . In 1840, one hundred of those residents who did not have passports were arrested, leading to
26070-418: Was incorporated into a state highway plan adopted by the Oregon State Highway Commission in 1914, a year after the state legislature had established the commission and a state highway department . The first sections of the 345-mile (555 km) Pacific Highway were initially built by counties through bond issues and other revenue streams. Jackson County was the first to begin construction on its section of
26235-429: Was later augmented by federal funding under the Interstate Highways program. The State Highway Commission studied and approved the routing of I-5 around several cities in the late 1950s, including an elevated bypass of Medford. Although not generally referred as such, the portion of I-5 south of Portland near Tigard to Salem was formerly named the Robert Hugh Baldock Freeway after a former Oregon highway engineer. In 2022,
26400-448: Was named the Baldock Freeway until 2022. The freeway also has three signed auxiliary routes that function as spurs and bypasses of major cities: I-105 in Eugene, I-205 in eastern Portland, I-405 in downtown Portland . Two additional auxiliary routes were planned in the early years of the Interstate system, but were shelved after local opposition . Interstate 5 is the second-longest freeway in Oregon, at 308 miles (496 km), and
26565-714: Was not usually the purpose of these small-scale battles. Men and women generally had different roles in society. Women were often responsible for weaving, harvesting, processing, and preparing food, while men for hunting and other forms of physical labor. Most societies also had roles for people whom the Spanish referred to as joyas , who they saw as "men who dressed as women". Joyas were responsible for death , burial , and mourning rituals , and they performed women's social roles. Indigenous societies had terms such as two-spirit to refer to them. The Chumash referred to them as 'aqi. The early Spanish settlers detested and sought to eliminate them. The first Europeans to explore
26730-541: Was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America . European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization by the Spanish Empire . The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its successful war for independence , but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War . The California gold rush started in 1848 and led to social and demographic changes, including depopulation of Indigenous tribes. The western portion of Alta California
26895-434: Was short-lived; the same year marked the outbreak of the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). Commodore John D. Sloat of the United States Navy sailed into Monterey Bay in 1846 and began the U.S. military invasion of California , with Northern California capitulating in less than a month to the United States forces. In Southern California, Californios continued to resist American forces. Notable military engagements of
27060-438: Was the first acting public government of the Oregon Country before annexation by the government of the United States. It was succeeded by a Second Executive Committee, made up of Peter G. Stewart , Osborne Russell , and William J. Bailey , and this committee was itself succeeded by George Abernethy , who was the first and only Governor of Oregon under the provisional government. Also in 1841, Sir George Simpson , governor of
27225-399: Was then organized and admitted as the 31st state in 1850 , as a free state , following the Compromise of 1850 . The Greater Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas are the nation's second- and fifth-most populous urban regions , with 19 million and 10 million residents respectively. Los Angeles is the state's most populous city and the nation's second-most ; California's capital
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