DRAFT
O R E
G O N
Crescent City
Major Highways
Yreka
Much of the present highway system duplicates ancient
American Indian trails. However, their foot-friendly trade routes
stayed close to water, and followed a straight line up one side
Alturas
395
299
Redding
5
Susanville
Red Bluff
of a mountain pass and then down the other side. For the
highways and motor vehicles that followed, some changes
N E V
A D A
Eureka
were necessary.
For example, to protect them from floods and farm the rich soils,
the two major highways in the Central Valley are located away
from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. Likewise, roads
across the Sierra Nevada often follow along ridge tops because
the inner canyons below are too steep and narrow for cars.
101
Chico
Interstate Highways in California are built and maintained by
the federal government. They stretch across multiple states
and always keep the same highway number. For example,
99
20
1
Interstate 80 runs 2,899 miles between San Francisco and
New Jersey. The state government builds and maintains the
Yuba City
California State Highways. The state highway numbers often
80
change when the road extends into a neighboring state.
Santa Rosa
Odd numbers designate highways that run in a north and
50
Sacramento
south direction. Even numbers designate highways that run
395
in an east and west direction. The highways in California carry
some of the highest traffic volume in the world.
Oakland
San Francisco
Stockton
San Jose
Modesto
Merced
Yosemite
Santa Cruz
Bishop
Salinas
5
Fresno
1
101
395
N
E
V
99
A
D
A
Ridgecrest
San Luis Obispo
Bakersfield
58
Barstow
15
Lancaster
Santa Barbara
Ventura
40
Pasadena
Los Angeles
San Bernardino
Riverside
Interstate
10
State Highway
Oceanside
0
50
100
Escondido
Miles
San Diego
0
100
A R
I Z
O N
A
Palm Springs
Santa Ana
200 Kilometers
8
El Centro
California Geographic Alliance ©2010
The sources and credits for this map are listed at http://humboldt.edu/cga/atlas-sources-credits. Note that this map is an 11x14 page, and not meant for 8.5x11 printing or use.
Ukiah
33