CALIFORNIA STATE ROUTE 99

'State Route 99', referred to in California as 'Highway 99' or simply '99', is a long north-south state highway that traverses California's Central Valley from the north near Red Bluff to the south near Bakersfield.

Contents

Route description

History

Control Cities

Exit list

State law

References

External links

Route description

The majority of its length is built to freeway standards, though it is at times a two-lane rural highway or a four lane divided highway. The freeway portions connect and serve the numerous small cities, and large urban centers as well, that mostly support the agriculture and industry of the Central Valley. These segments provide a fast medium distance haulage route connecting agricultural production with related processing and packing businesses.
Traveling southbound from Stockton, Route 99 passes through the cities of the San Joaquin Valley, while I-5 is relegated to less densely populated areas. Route 99 continues through Modesto, Ceres, Turlock, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Visalia, Tulare and Bakersfield. A few miles south of the Tehachapi Mountains or north of Grapevine Hill, the road made famous by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen in their song, "Hot Rod Lincoln," Route 99 meets I-5 again and ends in Wheeler Ridge.

History

Route 99 was originally part of U.S. Route 99 which was decommissioned in California by 1968 after the completion of Interstate 5. Since the remnant did not cross state lines, it was not allowed to keep its federal highway status. Many of the older highway signs in the southbound lanes still display a control city of Los Angeles, even though CA-99 no longer runs through that city. CalTrans also patched the US-99 shield with the CA-99 shield in many of the highway signs. The most prominent example is the Atwater exit in either direction, on which one can clearly see the old US shield outline underneath the newer spade. Other, better-covered, examples are in Tulare (J Street exit) and Merced, where one has to look carefully to note the square green patch.
From the north, Route 99 runs generally parallel to, and to the east of, Interstate 5. CA-99 begins at the intersection of CA-36 east of Red Bluff, and serves as a two-lane highway, running through Butte and Sutter counties, with the exceptions of portions in Yuba City and Chico serving as freeways to the state capital, Sacramento. Before Sacramento, CA-99 is promoted to a freeway and meets I-5 briefly before diverging from it again. The two freeways run somewhat close to one another for about 90 miles, but after passing through Stockton, they begin to diverge more and more.
Groundbreaking to widen Route 99 between Selma and Kingsburg from four to six lanes occurred on December 21 2005. Completion for this is expected by early 2008. Eventually Route 99 will be widened from four to six lanes from Kingsburg to Goshen beginning in 2010. A couple of years later this will be extended southward from Goshen to Tulare starting in 2012. An expressway stretch north of Madera will be converted to freeway status pending a final review. The long term goal is to upgrade Route 99 into a six lane (three in each direction) highway from one end to the other.
A 1958 Caltrans state map shows US 99 running from Calexico, California, to the Oregon state line. It meets the Oregon state line at the location of present-day Interstate 5.
Highway 99 is commonly called "The Main Street of California."
The 5-mile segment of Route 99 south of its intersection with Route 70 in Sutter County is named the Bernie Richter Memorial Highway.
The portion of State Highway Route 99 consisting of the four-lane expressway between the Edgar Slough south of Chico (Bridge No. 12128) and the Pentz Road overcrossing (Postmile 24.2) is officially designated as the "Ray E. Johnson" Expressway.
==Future upgrade to Interstate 7 or Interstate 9==
Recently, it has been recommended that Route 99 be upgraded to Interstate Highway standards between its southern terminus and Stockton (or Sacramento), which would require upgrading some substandard sections and eliminating the last at-grade intersections. Caltrans has recommended Interstate 9 as the designation of the route, although Interstate 7 is a possibility, given the route's proximity to Interstate 5.

Control Cities

'Northbound'

★ Red Bluff or Redding - from the Chico city limits northward

★ Chico - from Interstate 5 in Sacramento to the Chico city limits.

★ Yuba City - Interstate 5 in Sacramento to Yuba City.

★ Sacramento - from I-5 to the Sacramento city limits

★ Bakersfield - from I-5 to Union Avenue south of Bakersfield

★ Fresno - from the Bakersfield city limits to the Fresno city limits
'Southbound'

★ Chico - from Red Bluff to Chico

★ Sacramento from Chico to Interstate 5 near Sacramento

★ Fresno - from U.S. Route 50/Business 80 to Route 180

★ Los Angeles - from Route 180 to I-5

Exit list

County	Location	Mile	#	Destinations	Notes
End ; traffic defaulted onto SOUTH - Los Angeles
Kern		2.74	3	CA-166 - Maricopa, Taft, Santa Maria
		4.04	4	Mettler	Southbound only
		5.34	5	Copus Road, David Road
		7.29	7	Sandrini Road
		9.30	9	Herring Road
		10.93	11	Union Avenue - Greenfield	Northbound only
		13.42	13	Bear Mountain Boulevard - Arvin
		15.43	15	Houghton Road - Weed Patch
		17.50	18	CA-119 - Taft, Lamont
	Bakersfield	19.54	20	Panama Lane
		21.08	21	White Lane
		22.60	23	Ming Avenue
		23.53	24	EAST - Tehachapi, Mojave/Stockdale Hwy, Brundage Ln
				Begin / concurrency
		24.60	25	California Avenue - Civic Center
		25.65	26A	WEST Rosedale Highway - Downtown	Exit 26 southbound
				End / concurrency
		25.87	26B	Buck Owens Boulevard	Northbound only
		26.78	27	Airport Drive - Oildale	Northbound only
		27.01		Bakersfield - Golden State Avenue	Southbound only
		27.87	28	Olive Drive
		28.56	29	Norris Road - Oildale	Southbound only
		29.90	30	NORTH - Porterville, Sequoia Park	Northbound only
		30.53	31	7th Standard Road
		36.52	37	Lerdo Highway - Shafter
		39.12	39	Merced Avenue
		41.16	41	Kimberlina Road
		44.31	44	CA-46 - Wasco, Paso Robles
		47.37	47	Whisler Road
	McFarland	49.30	49	Sherwood Avenue - McFarland
		50.41	50	Perkins Avenue, Elmo Highway - McFarland
	Delano	52.45	52	Pond Road - Lake Woollomes
		54.48	54	Delano - Woollomes Avenue
		55.10	55	First Avenue	Northbound only
		55.62	56A	CA-155 - Central Delano, Glennville, Alta Sierra	Exit 56 northbound
		56.32	56B	Central Delano	Southbound only
		56.54	57	Cecil Avenue
		57.58	58	County Line Road
Tulare		2.05	60	Avenue 16	Southbound only
		3.06	61	Avenue 24
		6.15	64	Earlimart - Avenue 48
		7.17	65A	Ducor, Alpaugh, Avenue 56	Exit 65 northbound
		7.40	65B	Alpaugh	Southbound exit only
		8.94	67	Avenue 72, Avenue 76
		10.29	68	Avenue 80, Avenue 76	Southbound only
		12.30	70A	Pixley, Terra Bella
		12.80	70B	Court Street
		12.95	70C	Pixley	Southbound exit only
		13.30	71	Road 124	Northbound only
		15.37	73	Avenue 120
		18.44	76	CA-190 - Tipton, Porterville, Springville
		19.46	77	Avenue 152 - Tipton
		23.49	81	Avenue 184
	Tulare	25.43	83	Avenue 200
		27.60	85	Paige Avenue
		28.61	86	Bardsley Avenue
		29.58	87	CA-137 - Central Tulare, Visalia, Tulare Avenue
		30.58	88	Hillman Street, Prosperity Avenue, Blackstone Street
		31.85	89	Cartmill Avenue, Oaks Street
		32.40	90	Oaks Street	Northbound only
		33.22	91	Tulare - J Street	Southbound only
		33.94	92	Avenue 260, Avenue 264
		36.41	94	Avenue 280, Caldwell Avenue
	Visalia	38.72	96	EAST - Visalia, Sequoia Park	Northbound only
		38.97	97	WEST - Hanford, Lemoore	Northbound only
				CA 198 - Visalia, Sequoia Park/Hanford, Lemoore	Southbound only
		40.03	98A	Goshen, Avenue 304
		40.79	98B	Betty Drive, Elder Street
		48.12	106A	Traver	Northbound exit only
		48.71	106B	Merritt Drive	Exit 106 southbound
		51.81	109	Avenue 384	Rest Area
		53.82	111	Mendocino Avenue
Fresno	Kingsburg	0.95	112	Conejo Avenue - Kingsburg
		2.06	114	Bethel Avenue, Kamm Avenue
		3.74	115	Mountain View Avenue / Caruthers, Dinuba
	Selma	5.32	117	Second Street
		6.43	118	Floral Avenue, Highland Avenue	Northbound
				SOUTH - Hanford, Corcoran	Southbound
	Fowler	9.16	121	Manning Avenue
		11.10	123A	Merced Street	Exit 123 northbound
		11.84	123B	Adams Avenue	Southbound only
		12.40	124	Clovis Avenue
		14.51	126	American Avenue	Southbound only
	Fresno	15.49	127	Chestnut Avenue	Northbound only
		15.86		Central Avenue	Southbound only
		16.93	128	Cedar Avenue, North Avenue	Northbound only
		17.26	129	Cedar Avenue	Southbound only
		18.54	130	Jensen Avenue - TO SOUTH
		19.50	131	NORTH - Yosemite	Northbound
		19.52		SOUTH - Lemoore, Paso Robles	Southbound
		20.19	132A	Ventura Street, Kings Canyon Avenue
		20.74	132B	Fresno Street - Civic Center
		21.01	133A	Stanislaus Street	Southbound only
		21.73	133B	CA 180 - Mendota, Kings Canyon	Exit 133 northbound
		22.74	134	Belmont Avenue
		23.30	135A	Olive Avenue	Exit 135 southbound
		23.90	135B	McKinley Avenue	Northbound only
		24.42	136A	Clinton Avenue / Golden State Boulevard	Exit 136 northbound
		24.73	136B	Princeton Avenue	Southbound only
		25.08	137A	Shields Avenue	Southbound only
		25.90	137B	Dakota Avenue	Southbound only
		26.22	138A	North Golden State Boulevard	Northbound only
		26.55	138B	Ashlan Avenue	Exit 138 southbound
		28.10	140	Shaw Avenue
		30.48	142	Herndon Avenue / Grantland Avenue
		30.99	143	Herndon	Southbound only
Madera		0.99	144	Avenue 7
		3.56	147	Avenue 9 / Road 30 1/2
		7.46	151	Avenue 12 / Road 29
	Madera	9.74	153A	Madera - Gateway Drive	Northbound only
		10.28	153B	Madera Avenue - Yosemite, Kerman, Firebaugh	Exit 153 southbound
		11.01	154	Fourth Street	Northbound
		11.17		Central Madera	Southbound
		12.13	155	Cleveland Avenue
		12.75	156	Avenue 16 / Madera - Gateway Drive
		14.22	157	Avenue 17
		16.33	159	Avenue 18½ / Road 23
		18.68	162	Avenue 20 / Avenue 20½
		19.51	End Freeway; Begin expressway segment
		22.27	End expressway segment; Begin Freeway
		22.73	166	WEST - Los Banos, Gilroy	Left exit NB; no NB entrance
		23.77	167	Avenue 24
		24.32	168	Avenue 24½
	Chowchilla	26.58	170	Robertson Boulevard - Chowchilla
		28.17	171	Le Grand - Road 15
		29.27	End Freeway; Begin expressway segment
Merced		12.72	End expressway segment; Begin Freeway
	Merced	12.96	185A	Mission Avenue, Castle Highway
		13.09	186A	Childs Avenue, Motel Drive
		13.86	186B	EAST - Mariposa, Yosemite
				Begin / concurrency
		14.08	186C	16th Street	Northbound exit only
		14.42	187A	G Street	Northbound only
		14.68	187B	Martin Luther King, Jr. Way - Downtown	Northbound
				SOUTH Martin Luther King, Jr. Way - Los Banos	Southbound
				Begin / / concurrency
		15.42 15.77	188	NORTH WEST - V Street, R Street
				End / / concurrency
	16.54	189	16th Street	Southbound only
		18.51	191	Franklin Road	Northbound only
		20.52	193	Buhach Road - Castle Airport	Southbound left exit
	Atwater	21.61	194	Atwater	Northbound only
		22.76	195	Applegate Road - Winton
		23.46	196	Atwater	Southbound only
		24.19	End Freeway; Begin expressway segment
		28.75	End expressway segment; Begin Freeway
	Livingston	29.00	201	Hammatt Avenue
		30.38	203	Winton Parkway
		31.93	204	Collier Road
		33.40	206	South Avenue
		34.43	207	Shanks Road - Delhi
		35.56	208	Bradbury Road
36.34		209	Golden State Boulevard	Northbound only
Stanislaus	Turlock	1.64	211	Central Turlock / Los Banos - Lander Avenue
		3.45	213	Patterson - West Main Street - Central Turlock
		4.54	214	Fulkerth Road
		5.64	215	Monte Vista Avenue
		6.74	217	Taylor Road
		7.81	218	Keyes Road - Keyes
		10.16	220	Mitchell Road
	Ceres	11.40	221	Ceres	Northbound only
		11.91	222	Ceres - Whitmore Avenue
		13.26	223A	Hatch Road East	Northbound
				Hatch Road - South 9th Street	Exit 223 Southbound
		13.37	223B	Hatch Road West	Northbound only
		13.90	223C	South 9th Street	Northbound only
		14.47	225A	Crows Landing Road
	Modesto	15.10	225B	Tuolumne Boulevard / B Street
		15.75	226A	CA-108 CA-132 - Vernalis, Central Modesto	Exit 226 northbound
		15.85		Central Modesto	Southbound
		16.13	226B	CA-108 Maze Boulevard	Southbound only
		16.82	227	Kansas Avenue
		18.52	229	Carpenter Road, Briggsmore Avenue
		20.22	230	Beckwith Road, Standiford Avenue
		21.74	232	Pelandale Avenue
		22.57	233	Broadway, Kiernan Avenue - Salida
		24.27	234	Hammett Road
San Joaquin	Ripon	0.89	236	Ripon
		1.71	237A	Milgeo Avenue	Northbound only
		2.34	237B	Jack Tone Road	Exit 237 southbound
		4.89	240	Austin Road
	Manteca	5.82	241	WEST - Manteca, San Francisco
				Begin / concurrency
		6.66	242	EAST - Sonora / Yosemite Avenue
				End / concurrency
		8.83	244A	Manteca	Southbound only
		9.13	244B	Lathrop Road	Exit 244 northbound
		11.47	246	French Camp Road
		12.71	248	Frontage Road	Southbound
		12.99		Frontage Road	Northbound
	Stockton	14.57	250	Arch Road
		15.65	251	Clark Drive	Northbound only
		16.20	252A	Escalon - Mariposa Road
		16.70	252B	EAST - Farmington Road
		18.02	253	Charter Way	Southbound
		18.15		Main Street	Northbound
		18.57	254A	WEST TO - Downtown Stockton, San Francisco
		19.28	254B	Fremont Street - Linden	Split into East/West
		20.33	255	Waterloo Road - Jackson	Split into East/West NB
		20.88	256	Cherokee Road
		21.67	257A	Wilson Way - Downtown Stockton	Southbound only
		21.91	257B	Frontage Road	Exit 257 northbound
		22.92	258	Hammer Lane
		24.03	259	Morada Lane
		25.42	260	Eight Mile Road
		27.50	262	Armstrong Road
	Lodi	28.48	263	Harney Lane
		29.00	264A	Lodi	Northbound only
		29.49	264B	WEST - Fairfield, Kettleman Lane	Exit 264 southbound
				Begin / concurrency
		30.98	266	EAST - Central Lodi, San Andreas
				End / concurrency
		31.58	267A	Turner Road
		31.72	267B	Frontage Road
		32.57	268	Woodbridge Road
		33.57	269	Acampo Road
		34.58	270	Peltier Road
		35.60	271	Jahant Road
		36.67	272	Collier Road
		37.83	273	Liberty Road
Sacramento	Galt	0.19	274A	Crystal Way, Boessow Road / Fairway Drive
		0.79	274B	Central Galt
		1.57	275A	Elm Avenue - Simmerhorn Road
		1.87	275B	Ayers Lane / Pringle Avenue
		2.64	276	Walnut Avenue
		3.52	277	EAST - Jackson
		4.37	278	Mingo Avenue / Frontage Road
		6.01	280	Arno Road
		7.36	281	Dillard Road
		8.79	283	Eschinger Road	Southbound only
	Elk Grove	10.07	284	Grant Line Road
		12.76	286	Elk Grove Boulevard
		13.66	287	Laguna Boulevard, Bond Road
		14.87	288	Sheldon Road
	Sacramento	15.80	289	Calvine Road, Cosumnes River Boulevard
		17.24	291A	Stockton Boulevard / Mack Road EAST	Exit 291 northbound
		17.66	291B	Mack Road WEST	Southbound only
		19.61	293A	Florin Road EAST
			293B	Florin Road WEST
		20.86	294A	47th Avenue EAST
			294B	47th Avenue WEST
		21.57	295	Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Fruitridge Road EAST	Northbound only
		21.94	296A	Fruitridge Road EAST	Southbound only
			296B	Fruitridge Road WEST
		23.13	297	12th Avenue
		24.03	298A	WEST U.S. 50 - San Francisco, South Lake Tahoe	EAST - Reno left exit
				Begin / / concurrency
		24.19	298B	Broadway	Northbound only
		''25.06''		16th Street	exit 5
		''25.55''		Downtown - 10th Street	exit 4B
		''26.16''		Interstate 5 - Los Angeles / Redding	exit 4A/ exit 518
				End / / concurrency
				Begin / concurrency
		''26.82''		Q Street	exit 519A
		''27.40''		J Street	exit 519B
		''28.37''		Richards Boulevard	exit 520
		''28.79''		Garden Highway	exit 521A
		''29.69''		West El Camino Avenue	exit 521B
		''30.42''		- Interstate 80 - San Francisco, Reno	exit 522
		''31.76''		Arena Boulevard	exit 524
		''32.74''		Del Paso Boulevard	exit 525A
		''33.11''		NORTH - Woodland, Redding
				End / concurrency
		33.36	307	Elkhorn Boulevard
		34.02	End Freeway; Begin expressway segment
		36.86 0.00
Sutter		4.85	End expressway segment; Begin freeway
		5.81	316	Howsley Road
Sutter	Yuba City
				Queens Avenue

County	Location	Mile	#	Destinations	Notes
★ ★ discontinuity ★ ★
Butte	Chico	30.60	383	Skyway, East Park Avenue - Paradise, Magalia, Stirling City
		31.50	384	East 20th Street
		32.38 - 32.45	385	CA-32 WEST East Eighth Street - Orland / CA-32 EAST East Ninth Street (Deer Creek Highway) - Chester.	Caltrans Park and Ride
		32.28	386	East First Avenue
		34.25	387A	Mangrove Avenue, Cohasset Road, Chico Municipal Airport
		34.93	387B	East Avenue
		36.31	389	Eaton Road

State law

'Legal Definition of Route 99:' California Streets and Highways Code, Chapter 2, Article 3, Section 399

References

1. January 1, 2006 California Log of Bridges on State Highways
2. California Highways: State Route 99

External links

★ Caltrans: Route 99 highway conditions

★ Cal-Nexus: Route 99 North

★ Cal-NExUS: Route 99 South

★ California Highways: Route 99

★ AAroads: Proposed Interstate 9 Information

★ Western Exit Guide - California 99

★ July 24, 2005, San Francisco Chronicle article on Interstate upgrade