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California State Route 99
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California State Route 99
State Route 99 (SR 99) is a major north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, stretching almost the entire length of the Central Valley. From its southern end at Interstate 5 (I-5) near Wheeler Ridge to its northern end at SR 36 near Red Bluff, SR 99 goes through the densely populated eastern parts of the valley. Cities served include Bakersfield, Delano, Tulare, Visalia, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Turlock, Modesto, Manteca, Stockton, Sacramento, Yuba City, and Chico.
The highway is a remnant of the former Mexico to Canada U.S. Route 99 (US 99), which was decommissioned in 1972 after being functionally replaced by I-5 for long-distance traffic. The entire segment from Wheeler Ridge to Sacramento has been upgraded as of January 2016 to a freeway at least four lanes wide, and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) plans to further upgrade the segment to a minimum width of six lanes and also bring it into compliance with Interstate Highway standards as a parallel route to I-5 for Los Angeles–Sacramento traffic. North of Sacramento, the road ranges from a rural two-lane road to a four-lane freeway, with much of it following the route formerly designated as US 99E.
A 2024 study conducted by a Dallas law firm looked at federal data over a five-year span between 2018 and 2022, concluding that SR 99 is the most dangerous highway in California, with 445 deaths (an average of 89 per year) over that five-year period.
SR 99 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System, and except for a small portion north of SR 20 is part of the National Highway System, a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.
From its southern terminus at I-5 in Wheeler Ridge (Wheeler Ridge Interchange) to Sacramento, SR 99 is designated as the Golden State Highway. It passes through the major cities of the San Joaquin Valley, including Bakersfield, Delano, Tulare, Visalia, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Modesto, and Stockton. The entirety of this segment is now built to freeway standards with complete access control, although some older portions are not yet in compliance with Interstate Highway standards. The freeway sections connect and serve the agriculture and industry of the California Central Valley, connecting agricultural production with processing and packing businesses. Most of the freeway also parallels the Union Pacific's Fresno Subdivision.
The portion of the highway between Fresno and Madera has also been designated the 100th Infantry Battalion Memorial Highway, honoring the U.S. Army unit that was composed almost entirely with American soldiers of Japanese ancestry when it fought during World War II. Approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Fresno in this segment, a palm tree and a pine tree (replaced with a cedar after storm damage in 2005) were planted in the median to mark the transition between Southern California (the palm) and Northern California (the pine), reputedly in the 1920s. The trees are to be removed in 2025 as part of widening the segment to six lanes, to be replaced by 15 pines and 15 palms to the west of the highway.
The portion between Salida and Manteca is designated the 442nd Regimental Combat Team Memorial Highway, honoring the US Army infantry regiment that, like the 100th Infantry Battalion, was also composed almost entirely of American soldiers of Japanese ancestry during World War II.
In Sacramento, SR 99 joins with I-80 Business as part of the Capital City Freeway, then runs concurrently with I-5. Caltrans route logs for SR 99 do not recognize these concurrencies and lists the route as having two segments. However, the highway is often shown with the concurrencies on maps, as a contiguous highway. Signage exists at the two Sacramento interchanges to direct traffic from one segment to the other.
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California State Route 99
State Route 99 (SR 99) is a major north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, stretching almost the entire length of the Central Valley. From its southern end at Interstate 5 (I-5) near Wheeler Ridge to its northern end at SR 36 near Red Bluff, SR 99 goes through the densely populated eastern parts of the valley. Cities served include Bakersfield, Delano, Tulare, Visalia, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Turlock, Modesto, Manteca, Stockton, Sacramento, Yuba City, and Chico.
The highway is a remnant of the former Mexico to Canada U.S. Route 99 (US 99), which was decommissioned in 1972 after being functionally replaced by I-5 for long-distance traffic. The entire segment from Wheeler Ridge to Sacramento has been upgraded as of January 2016 to a freeway at least four lanes wide, and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) plans to further upgrade the segment to a minimum width of six lanes and also bring it into compliance with Interstate Highway standards as a parallel route to I-5 for Los Angeles–Sacramento traffic. North of Sacramento, the road ranges from a rural two-lane road to a four-lane freeway, with much of it following the route formerly designated as US 99E.
A 2024 study conducted by a Dallas law firm looked at federal data over a five-year span between 2018 and 2022, concluding that SR 99 is the most dangerous highway in California, with 445 deaths (an average of 89 per year) over that five-year period.
SR 99 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System, and except for a small portion north of SR 20 is part of the National Highway System, a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.
From its southern terminus at I-5 in Wheeler Ridge (Wheeler Ridge Interchange) to Sacramento, SR 99 is designated as the Golden State Highway. It passes through the major cities of the San Joaquin Valley, including Bakersfield, Delano, Tulare, Visalia, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Modesto, and Stockton. The entirety of this segment is now built to freeway standards with complete access control, although some older portions are not yet in compliance with Interstate Highway standards. The freeway sections connect and serve the agriculture and industry of the California Central Valley, connecting agricultural production with processing and packing businesses. Most of the freeway also parallels the Union Pacific's Fresno Subdivision.
The portion of the highway between Fresno and Madera has also been designated the 100th Infantry Battalion Memorial Highway, honoring the U.S. Army unit that was composed almost entirely with American soldiers of Japanese ancestry when it fought during World War II. Approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Fresno in this segment, a palm tree and a pine tree (replaced with a cedar after storm damage in 2005) were planted in the median to mark the transition between Southern California (the palm) and Northern California (the pine), reputedly in the 1920s. The trees are to be removed in 2025 as part of widening the segment to six lanes, to be replaced by 15 pines and 15 palms to the west of the highway.
The portion between Salida and Manteca is designated the 442nd Regimental Combat Team Memorial Highway, honoring the US Army infantry regiment that, like the 100th Infantry Battalion, was also composed almost entirely of American soldiers of Japanese ancestry during World War II.
In Sacramento, SR 99 joins with I-80 Business as part of the Capital City Freeway, then runs concurrently with I-5. Caltrans route logs for SR 99 do not recognize these concurrencies and lists the route as having two segments. However, the highway is often shown with the concurrencies on maps, as a contiguous highway. Signage exists at the two Sacramento interchanges to direct traffic from one segment to the other.
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