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64-632: U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 ( US 50 ) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system , stretching 3,019 miles (4,859 km) from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California , to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland , on the Atlantic Ocean. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended (by way of Stockton ,

128-588: A four-lane divided highway across the Western Plain to Sedalia where it continues as a two-lane road until reaching California, MO about 20 miles west of Jefferson City . The road continues as a four-lane divided highway into Jefferson City where it joins US 63 just south of the Missouri River Bridge. It continues 12 miles east of Jefferson City to the Osage River where US 63 splits off to

192-850: A gap in US ;50 between Ely, Nevada and Thistle, Utah . Finally, rather than ending US 50 at Wadsworth, where the Lincoln and Victory Highways merged, it was sent over the Lincoln Highway's Pioneer Branch, past the south side of Lake Tahoe , to Sacramento, California . The gap in Utah was soon bypassed by taking US 50 to the north, crossing the Great Salt Lake Desert with U.S. Route 40 to Salt Lake City , and using long portions of U.S. Route 93 in Nevada and U.S. Route 89 in Utah . U.S. Route 6

256-482: A high-speed road to Ocean City. Signs at each end give the length as 3,073 miles (4,946 km), but the current distance is slightly less due to realignments since that figure was calculated. US 50 passes through a total of 12 states; California , Nevada, Utah , Colorado , Kansas , Missouri , Illinois , Indiana , Ohio , West Virginia, Virginia , and Maryland, as well as the District of Columbia . US 50

320-446: A major freeway at its junction with Interstate 80 in West Sacramento and continues into Sacramento . The portion of US 50 west of and including its interchange with California's State Highway 99 in Sacramento is also designated, but not signed as, Interstate 305. The signage along this portion of the highway indicates Business Loop I-80 and a portion of the way (2 miles/3.33 km) as California State Highway 99. From Sacramento,

384-506: A milestone in the history of highway construction in the United States. It was also noted at the dedication that this was only 50 miles (80 km) south of Promontory Summit , where another first in a transcontinental artery was completed—the golden spike of the US's first transcontinental railroad . John McPhee described the geology revealed by the building of I-80 in a series of books on

448-619: A pattern of odd numbers for north–south routes and even numbers for east–west routes, hence the designation of "50" for this route. In the preliminary report, approved by the Joint Board on Interstate Highways in late 1925, US 50 ran from Wadsworth, Nevada to Annapolis, Maryland , passing through Pueblo, Colorado ; Kansas City, Missouri ; Tipton, Missouri ; St. Louis, Missouri ; Cincinnati, Ohio , and Washington, D.C. The route did not directly replace any auto trail , instead combining portions of many into one continuous route. It followed

512-707: A transportation corridor since the California Gold Rush of the 1840s. The Interstate also follows the historical routes of the California Trail , first transcontinental railroad , and Feather River Route throughout portions of the state. I-80 in Nevada closely follows, and at many points directly overlaps, the original route of the Victory Highway , State Route 1 (SR 1), and US 40 . After crossing Utah 's western border in Wendover , I-80 crosses

576-735: Is also designated, but not signed as, Interstate 595 , and U.S. Route 301 joins from the south at Bowie . The freeway continues beyond Annapolis as the Blue Star Memorial Highway which crosses the Chesapeake Bay on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and continues to Queenstown . There the Blue Star Memorial Highway continues northeast as US 301, while US 50 turns south, passing through Easton to Cambridge , and then east through Salisbury to Ocean City on

640-589: Is the Interstate Highway that most closely approximates the route of the historic Lincoln Highway , the first road across the United States. The highway roughly traces other historically significant travel routes in the Western United States : the Oregon Trail across Wyoming and Nebraska , the California Trail across most of Nevada and California , the first transcontinental airmail route, and

704-403: The 1964 renumbering , replaced by Interstate 580 , but remained on maps and signs for several more years. US 50 was extended east from Annapolis to Ocean City, Maryland in 1949, three years prior to the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in 1952; this extension replaced Maryland Route 404 between Annapolis and Wye Mills and U.S. Route 213 between Wye Mills and Ocean City. Prior to

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768-643: The Altamont Pass , and the Bay Bridge ) to San Francisco , near the Pacific Ocean. The Interstates were constructed later and are mostly separate from this route. It generally serves a corridor south of I-70 and I-80 and north of I-64 and I-40 . The route runs through mostly rural desert and mountains in the western United States , with the section through Nevada known as " The Loneliest Road in America ". In

832-772: The Borman Expressway from the Illinois state line to Lake Station, Indiana , then with I-90 on the Indiana Toll Road from Lake Station to the Ohio state line. Between La Porte and the Toledo metropolitan area , I-80/I-90 is located within 10 miles (16 km) of the Michigan state line but does not enter that state. From the State Road ;9 (SR 9) and I-80/I-90 interchange,

896-737: The Kaskaskia River , Salem , Flora and Lawrenceville to the Wabash River along a corridor between Interstates 64 and 70 . US 50 enters Indiana at the Wabash River, bypassing Vincennes and Washington and passing through Bedford , Seymour , and Versailles . It meets the Ohio River at Aurora , and soon crosses into Ohio , running through downtown Cincinnati via Fort Washington Way ( Interstate 71 ). The route crosses southern Ohio via Hillsboro , Chillicothe , and Athens , joining

960-568: The Midwest , US 50 heads through mostly rural areas of farms as well as a few large cities including Kansas City, Missouri ; St. Louis, Missouri ; and Cincinnati, Ohio . The route continues into the eastern United States, where it passes through the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia before heading through Washington, D.C. From there, US 50 continues through Maryland as

1024-589: The New York metropolitan area . The highway was designated in 1956 as one of the original routes of the Interstate Highway System ; its final segment was opened in 1986. The second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States after I-90 , it runs through many major cities, including Oakland , Sacramento , Reno , Salt Lake City , Omaha , Des Moines , and Toledo and passes within 10 miles (16 km) of Chicago , Cleveland , and New York City . I-80

1088-775: The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the PTC signed a 50-year lease agreement, which would allow the PTC to maintain and, eventually, toll I-80. However, the application for a toll was rejected by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). I-80 does not enter New York City . Once the I-95 / New Jersey Turnpike was extended in 1971 from its former terminus at US 46 in Ridgefield to I-80 in Teaneck ,

1152-572: The Sierra Nevada mountains. Winter temperatures range from the upper twenties to mid-fifties. Summers are dry and hot, with long stretches that reach triple digits. The average annual precipitation is around 30 inches (760 mm). Many dams were built in the Sierra Nevada to hold water. People in California depend on the water that comes from the Sierra Nevada mountains. California State Route 49

1216-635: The Arkansas River to Dodge City where US 50 splits from US 400 and takes a more northerly course. US 50 continues to traverse the farmlands and small towns of the Great Plains mostly as a straight two-lane road until Emporia where it joins Interstate 35 and splits onto Interstate 435 to bypass the center of the Kansas City Area . In Missouri , US 50 leaves I-435 for Interstate 470 splitting at Lee's Summit . US 50 runs as

1280-586: The Border Fault, it pussyfoots along on morainal till that levelled up the fingers of the foldbelt hills. It does a similar dance with glacial debris in parts of Pennsylvania. It needs no assistance on the craton. It climbs a ramp to the Rockies and a fault-block staircase up the front of the Sierra. It is geologically shrewd. It was the route of animal migrations, and of human history that followed. It avoids melodrama, avoids

1344-574: The Grand Canyons, the Jackson Holes, the geologic operas of the country, but it would surely be a sound experience of the big picture, of the history, the construction, the components of the continent. Gold Country When gold was first discovered in 1848, many people came from all over the world to find gold. The migration into California also brought diseases and violence. There were 500 mining camps of which 300 are still undocumented. There

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1408-614: The Indiana Toll Road and immediately becomes the Ohio Turnpike. The two Interstates cross rural northwest Ohio and run just south of the Toledo metropolitan area . In Rossford , the turnpike intersects I-75 in an area known as the Crossroads of America. This intersection is one of the largest intersections of three Interstate Highways in the United States. In Elyria Township , just west of Cleveland , I-90 splits from I-80, leaving

1472-877: The Interstates split and I-80 continues east. On the west edge of the Iowa City metropolitan area , it intersects I-380 , a segment of the Avenue of the Saints . Northwest of the Quad Cities in Walcott is Iowa 80 , the world's largest truckstop. I-80 passes along the northern edge of Davenport and Bettendorf and leaves Iowa via the Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River into Illinois. The majority of

1536-663: The Mississippi River, 2,250 feet (690 m), although other Interstate Highways east of the Mississippi, including I-26 in North Carolina and Tennessee, reach higher elevations. In 2007, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), combined with state legislature Act No. 44, initiated plans to enact a tolling system on the entire span of I-80 throughout the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. On October 15, 2007,

1600-574: The Nevada desert which are called Basin and Range . East of Carson City , the road enters the heart of the Great Basin , passing by few communities and minimal services, giving it the name " Loneliest Road in America " until reaching Utah . In Utah, US 50 also passes through desolate, remote areas with few inhabitants. After crossing the Confusion Range via Kings Canyon and the House Range ,

1664-565: The border with Wyoming , near Evanston . The route of the Utah section of I-80 is defined in Utah Code Annotated § 72-4-113(10). In Wyoming , I-80 reaches its maximum elevation of 8,640 feet (2,630 m) above sea level at Sherman Summit , near Buford , which, at 8,000 feet (2,400 m), is the highest community on I-80. Farther west in Wyoming, the Interstate passes through

1728-469: The bridge opening, US 50 used a ferry across the Chesapeake Bay between Sandy Point and Matapeake and followed present-day Maryland Route 8 between Matapeake and Stevensville before continuing east. Interstate 80 Interstate 80 ( I-80 ) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from San Francisco, California , to Teaneck, New Jersey , in

1792-480: The desolate Bonneville Salt Flats west of the Great Salt Lake . The longest stretch between exits on an Interstate Highway is located between Wendover and Knolls , with 37.4 miles (60.2 km) between those exits. This portion of I-80, crossing the Great Salt Lake Desert , is extremely flat and straight, dotted with large warning signs about driver fatigue and drowsiness. East of the salt flats, I-80 passes

1856-634: The dry Red Desert and over the Continental Divide . In a way, the highway crosses the Divide twice, since two ridges of the Rocky Mountains split in Wyoming, forming the endorheic Great Divide Basin , from which surface water cannot drain but can only evaporate. I-80 enters Nebraska west of Bushnell . The western portion of I-80 in Nebraska runs very close to the state of Colorado , without entering

1920-494: The easternmost portions of this region, closer to the Sierra Nevada summits, which formed 100 million years ago. It consists of ancient sea floor and portions of islands which were added onto the western edge of North America during the late Paleozoic , about 275 million years ago. The western sections of the Mother Lode are significantly younger, from the mid- Mesozoic about 150 million years ago, and also consist of material that

1984-536: The formation of the continent of North America , books that were published between 1981 and 1993 and collected in a one-volume edition in 1998 Annals of the Former World which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1999. In "Basin and Range" (1981), he described how the idea emerged in a conversation with Princeton geologist Kenneth S. Deffeyes : What about Interstate 80, I asked him. It goes the distance. How would it be? "Absorbing," he said. And he mused aloud: After 80 crosses

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2048-528: The four-lane divided Corridor D ( State Route 32 ) west of Athens. It meets the Ohio River around Belpre , and crosses the newer Blennerhassett Island Bridge (previously crossing the Parkersburg-Belpre Bridge ) into greater Parkersburg, West Virginia . The portion of US 50 from Parkersburg, West Virginia to Winchester, Virginia follows the historic Northwestern Turnpike , which crosses

2112-470: The four-lane divided Ocean Gateway . US 50 ends near the Atlantic Ocean shore at Baltimore Avenue ( Maryland Route 378 northbound); its westbound beginning is one block to the west, at Philadelphia Avenue ( Maryland Route 528 southbound). Before the creation of the Interstate Highway System after World War II , US 50 was a major east–west route. Numbered highways in the United States follow

2176-454: The group has unsuccessfully pushed for an extension of Interstate 70 west along US 50 to California . The north–south split in Kansas was eliminated in the late 1950s, with the south route—which was to be US 250—becoming part of US 50, and most of US 50N becoming part of a new U.S. Route 56 . Another split was located between Athens, Ohio and Ellenboro, West Virginia from

2240-460: The high ridges of the Sierra Nevada foothills. This part of California has a Mediterranean climate like much of Italy and Spain , making wine grapes and vineyards one of the region's primary crops and industry. Over 100 wineries are found throughout the Gold Country. Winters are cool and wet with occasional snowfall, especially in the higher elevations of the eastern reaches up the slopes of

2304-665: The highway heads eastward as the William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. Memorial Highway, continuing as a freeway to the Gold Country foothills, then following the American River up the Sierra Nevada as a conventional highway, until cresting the Sierras at Echo Summit and descending to Lake Tahoe , where the highway enters Nevada . In Nevada, the highway crosses a series of north–south running mountain ranges that break up

2368-563: The highway runs through farmland, yet roughly a third of Iowa's population live along the I-80 corridor. In Illinois , I-80 runs from the Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge across the Mississippi River south to an intersection with I-74 . It then runs east across north-central Illinois just north of the Illinois River to Joliet . I-80 continues east through the southern suburbs of Chicago and joins I-94 just before entering Indiana. In Indiana , I-80 runs concurrently with another Interstate Highway for its entire length. It runs with I-94 on

2432-505: The historic Northwestern Turnpike across West Virginia , and portions of other historic roads. Major auto trails followed, including the Midland Trail in part of Indiana , Illinois , Missouri , and parts of Utah and Colorado . The National Old Trails Road ( Old Santa Fe Trail ) was designated in Kansas and eastern Colorado, and the Lincoln Highway was constructed in Nevada . In most states that had numbered their state highways , US 50 followed only one or two numbers across

2496-422: The late 1920s to the mid-1930s, when US 50 went back to its original southern route; that U.S. Route 50N is now Ohio State Route 550 and part of West Virginia Route 16 . At its west end, US 50 was extended south from Sacramento along U.S. Route 99 to Stockton and west to the San Francisco Bay Area , replacing U.S. Route 48 , by the early 1930s. US 50 was officially cut back to Sacramento in

2560-404: The north side of the National Mall and south of the White House . After turning north on 6th Street Northwest, it exits the city to the northeast on New York Avenue . Upon crossing into Maryland , it passes the south end of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and becomes the John Hanson Highway , a freeway to Annapolis . The portion of this highway east of the Capital Beltway ( I-95 / I-495 )

2624-504: The north) and Pittsburgh (about 55 miles (89 km) to the south). Further east, I-99 connects with State College and Altoona . A spur from I-80 ( I-180 ) runs to Williamsport . Upon entering the Pocono Mountains region, I-80 meets I-81 , connecting Syracuse, New York , and Harrisburg , and I-476 which connects with Scranton , Wilkes-Barre , Allentown , and Philadelphia . Another spur ( I-380 ) runs to Scranton. In Clearfield County , I-80 reaches its highest elevation east of

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2688-414: The population centers of Council Bluffs , Des Moines, and the Quad Cities . It enters the state at the Missouri River in Council Bluffs and heads east through the southern Iowa drift plain . In the Des Moines metropolitan area , I-80 meets up with I-35 and the two routes bypass Downtown Des Moines together while I-235 proceeds straight through the metro and rejoins both on the far side. In Ankeny ,

2752-447: The rare species Santa Cruz tarplant in the right-of-way . In Nevada , I-80 traverses the northern portion of the state. The freeway serves the Reno metropolitan area , and it also goes through the towns of Fernley , Lovelock , Winnemucca , Battle Mountain , Elko , Wells , and West Wendover on its way through the state. The Nevada portion of I-80 follows the paths of the Truckee and Humboldt rivers, which have been used as

2816-448: The road climbs to its highest elevation of 11,312 feet (3,448 m) over the Rocky Mountains and in Monarch Pass where it crosses the Continental Divide . After descending from the Rockies, US 50 passes by Royal Gorge near Cañon City and serves Pueblo . The route then joins U.S. Route 400 in Granada and follows the Arkansas River into Kansas . Upon entering Kansas, US 50, concurrent with US 400, runs along

2880-405: The road does not vary from an ideally straight line by more than a few yards. After Lincoln, I-80 turns northeast toward Omaha . It then crosses the Missouri River in Omaha to enter the state of Iowa . Part of I-80 in Nebraska is marked as a Blue Star Memorial Highway . I-80 is the longest Interstate Highway in Iowa . It extends from west to east across the central portion of the state through

2944-440: The road traverses the north shore of the endorheic Sevier Lake . In Holden , US 50 shortly overlaps Interstate 15 to cross the Pavant Range . The road begins a much longer overlap with Interstate 70 in Salina crossing the Wasatch Plateau and San Rafael Swell into Colorado . US 50 leaves I-70 upon entering the state and heads southeast through Grand Junction and into the southern part of Colorado. Once there,

3008-436: The route crosses the Blue Ridge Mountain east of Winchester, and it follows the old Little River Turnpike from Aldie to Fairfax City and the newer Arlington Boulevard to Rosslyn , where it crosses the Washington, D.C. line on the west shore of the Potomac River and joins Interstate 66 on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge . Within the District, US 50 immediately exits the freeway onto Constitution Avenue along

3072-592: The route north via Salt Lake City before rerouting it to US 6 in the 1950s. US 50 was extended west from Sacramento to San Francisco in the 1930s, replacing US 48 ; this was reversed in 1964 when I-580 replaced much of the route between the two cities. In addition, US 50 was extended east from Annapolis to Ocean City prior in 1949, replacing a portion of US 213 . US 50 had two split configurations into US 50N and US 50S, one in Kansas and another in Ohio and West Virginia; both of these instances have been removed. US 50 begins as

3136-459: The route of the first transcontinental railroad , except for the vicinity of the Great Salt Lake . From near Chicago east to near Youngstown, Ohio , I-80 is a toll road , containing most of both the Indiana Toll Road and the Ohio Turnpike . I-80 runs concurrently with I-90 from near Portage, Indiana , to Elyria, Ohio . In Pennsylvania , I-80 is known as the Keystone Shortway , a non-tolled freeway that crosses rural north-central portions of

3200-506: The section from Teaneck to Fort Lee was resigned as I-95, and it is the latter roadway that enters New York City via the George Washington Bridge . I-80's designated end (as per signage and New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) documents) is four miles (6.4 km) short of New York City in Teaneck, before the Degraw Avenue overpass. There, signs designate the end of I-80 and the beginning of I-95/New Jersey Turnpike northbound. One section of I-80 running from Netcong to Denville

3264-403: The sign marking the Indiana–Michigan state line is visible. I-80/I-90 passes through the South Bend–Mishawaka metropolitan area , passing the University of Notre Dame and the University Park Mall , intersecting with the St. Joseph Valley Parkway . At another point in northern Indiana, I-80/I-90 comes within about 200 yards (180 m) of the Michigan border. In Ohio , I-80/I-90 enters from

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3328-555: The south. It then continues as a two-lane road as it traverses the northern sections of the Ozark Highlands east to Union where it begins an overlap with Interstate 44 which goes through Pacific . The routes separate in Sunset Hills where US 50 migrates southeast bypassing St Louis by joining Interstate 255 to cross Mississippi River into Illinois . In that state, US 50 switches to Interstate 64 before splitting onto its own alignment in eastern O'Fallon . It heads east through Trenton , Breese , Carlyle crossing

3392-446: The southern edge of Great Salt Lake and continues on through Salt Lake City , where it merges with I-15 for three miles (5 km) before entering the Wasatch Range east of the city. It ascends Parleys Canyon and passes within a few miles of Park City as it follows a route through the mountains toward the junction with the eastern terminus of the western section of I-84 . From the junction it continues up Echo Canyon and on toward

3456-429: The southern tip of Garrett County, Maryland . From Parkersburg to Interstate 79 east of Clarksburg , US 50 has been upgraded as part of the four-lane divided Corridor D . US 50 is a curving two-lane mountain road, east of Clarksburg through Grafton , a bit of Maryland, and Romney to Winchester. This portion of the road is so curvy that locals claim "you can meet yourself coming." The land flattens out after

3520-416: The state on the way to New Jersey and New York City. I-80 begins at an interchange with US Route 101 (US 101) in San Francisco and then crosses the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge into Oakland . It then heads northeast through Vallejo , Sacramento , and the Sierra Nevada before crossing into Nevada . A portion of the route through Pinole involved the experimental transplantation of

3584-523: The state. One major controversy related to the preliminary route of US 50. The through route had been assigned to the Old Santa Fe Trail , while the spur U.S. Route 250 followed the competing New Santa Fe Trail to the south. As a compromise, the Joint Board on Interstate Highways approved a split configuration— U.S. Route 50N and U.S. Route 50S —in January. Another problem was in western Utah, where no improved road existed for US 50 to use. The final numbering plan, approved in November 1926, left

3648-486: The state. It runs from the Ohio state line near Sharon to the Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge over the Delaware River and is called the "Z.H. Confair Memorial Highway". It traverses the extreme northern section of Greater Pittsburgh . I-80 serves as the western terminus for I-376 which connects it to Pittsburgh International Airport and on to Downtown Pittsburgh and suburban Pittsburgh. I-80 intersects I-79 , which connects with Erie (about 75 miles (121 km) to

3712-478: The state. The intersection of I-76 and I-80 is visible from the Colorado–Nebraska state line. From its intersection with I-76 to Grand Island , I-80 lies in the valley of the South Platte River and the Platte River . The longest straight stretch of Interstate anywhere in the Interstate Highway System is the approximately 72 miles (116 km) of I-80 occurring between exit 318 in the Grand Island area and milemarker 390 near Lincoln . Along this length,

3776-408: The turnpike and running northeast as a freeway. I-80 runs east-southeast through the southern suburbs of Cleveland. Just northwest of Youngstown , the Ohio Turnpike continues southeast as I-76 , while I-80 exits the turnpike and runs east to the north of Youngstown, entering Pennsylvania south of Sharon, Pennsylvania . In Pennsylvania , I-80 is the main east–west freeway through the central part of

3840-457: Was $ 400 million in gold mined between 1849 and 1855. In 1942 most of the mines shut down due to World War II . The transportation in Gold Country grew rapidly due to the Gold Rush. The first railroad in California ran through Gold Country. There were 250 different stage coach companies formed by 1860. The Gold Country lies on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada , reaching down to the Sacramento Valley . The oldest geology can be found along

3904-401: Was constructed in 1958. I-80 was included in the original plan for the Interstate Highway System as approved in 1956. The highway was built in segments, with the final piece of I-80 completed in 1986 on the western edge of Salt Lake City . This piece was coincidentally dedicated close to the 30th birthday of the Interstate Highway System, which was noted at the dedication and considered to be

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3968-418: Was created in 1926 as part of the original U.S. Highway system. The original route planned in 1925 ran from Wadsworth, Nevada , east to Annapolis, Maryland , along several auto trails including the Lincoln Highway , Midland Trail , and the National Old Trails Road . The final 1926 plan had US 50 running from Sacramento, California , east to Annapolis with a gap in west Utah that was bridged by running

4032-403: Was marked along the direct, but still partially unimproved, route in 1937; it was finally paved in 1952, and US 50 was moved to it within a few years. Another straightening was made in 1976, when US 50 in central Utah was moved south onto the new extension of Interstate 70 at the request of the National Highway 50 Federation, a group dedicated to promoting US 50. Among other things,

4096-399: Was solidified on the ocean floor to the continental edge. Massive intrusions of granite forced their way into these formations. After ten miles of overlying material was eroded over the last 70 million years, these intrusions became visible throughout the Sierra Nevada. Over the last 50 million years, rivers and volcanoes deposited materials; these built up in thick layers found atop many of

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