U.S. Route 395

U.S. Route 395 is a scenic highway that starts in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia, runs along the east side of the Sierra Nevada in the Owens Valley, winds through Carson City, Reno, back into California, crosses through the Modoc Plateau, and into eastern Oregon, into eastern Washington, through Spokane, ending at the Canadian border. Much of the Washington segment is cosigned with Interstate 82, Interstate 182, Interstate 90, or U.S. Highway 2. It is also known as Interstate 580 between Reno and Carson City, though this designation is not yet reflected in roadside signs.

Major cities

Route description

California

US-395 begins in Hesperia, California at the junction with Interstate 15. It intersects California State Highway 18 near Adelanto, California. Then, it intersects California State Highway 58 at a small town known as Kramer Junction, California. The highway continues along the Sierra Nevada towards Bishop, California, where it meets State Route 168. Going through the town of Bishop, US 395 meets U.S. Highway 6.

Points of interest along the highway include:

The Sierra Nevada to the west of the highway, including
- Owens Valley
- Mount Whitney
- Manzanar National Historical Site
- Mammoth Mountain, which has a ski resort.
- Mount Dana
Lone Pine and the Alabama Hills, filming location for many Westerns.
The Long Valley Caldera, a volcanic caldera that the road runs through.
The Mono and Inyo Craters, a chain of geologically recent volcanic craters.
Mono Lake, one of the oldest lakes in North America, home to many migratory birds.

The highway exits California to serve the Reno, Nevada metropolitan area but then returns. This northern piece also follows the Sierra Nevada. It passes through the towns of Susanville and Alturas Points of interest along this portion include:

State law

Legal Definition of Route 395: California Streets and Highways Code, Chapter 2, Article 3, Section 610

Nevada

U.S. 395 in Nevada is a major highway, the majority of which is now or is scheduled to be upgraded to Interstate Highway standards. Portions are also designated as Interstate 580 but is not signed as such. The highways follows the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada from state line to state line.

U.S. 395 Enters Nevada at Topaz Lake then decends to Carson Valley where it becomes the main streets of Gardnerville, Minden and Carson City. In Reno the highways is designated the Martin Luther King, Jr. Freeway. The highway returns to California just north of reno at Bordertown. Points of interest along the highway include:

Topaz Lake
Jobs Peak (in California, but only viewable from the highway in Nevada)
Carson River
Carson Valley
Eagle Valley, the valley where Carson City resides.
Washoe Valley
Washoe Lake
Slide Mountain
Mount Rose
White Lake, a dry lake just east of the freeway.

Termini

As of 2004, the highway's northern terminus is in Ferry County, Washington at the Canadian border, where it continues as British Columbia provincial highway 395. Its southern terminus is in Hesperia, California at an intersection with Interstate 15.

US Highway 395 once extended to downtown San Diego. This part of the highway is now the alignments of Interstate 15 from Hesperia to Devore and Interstate 215 from Devore to Temecula where it meets Interstate 15 again. From Temecula the old route follows Interstate 15 again to east of Fallbrook where the original US 395 still exists as a frontage road. "Old US 395" can be followed from north of California State Highway 76 through Escondido where it meets Interstate 15 again. Finally, California State Highway 163, the old routing of US 395, splits off Interstate 15 at the south end of Miramar and follows the Cabrillo Freeway into downtown San Diego.

States traversed

The highway passes through the following states, from north to south:

Image gallery

Image:US395 victorville.jpg|U.S. 395 near Victorville, California Image:US395 near lone pine ca.jpg|Southbound U.S. 395, somewhere between Big Pine, CA and Independence, CA Image:US395 north of mono lake.jpg|U.S. 395 as it squeezes between Mono Lake and the Sierra Nevada. Image:US395SouthofCarsonCity.jpg|U.S. 395 south of US 50 junction near Carson City, Nevada Image:Blue_Star_Memorial_Highway.jpg|Dedicatory road sign along U.S. 395 just north of Mono Lake.

Related US routes

Sources and external links

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