Interstate 5 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Route information | ||||
Maintained by ODOT | ||||
Length: | 308.14 mi (495.90 km) | |||
Existed: | August 14, 1957 – present | |||
History: | Completed in 1967 | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end: | I-5 at California state line | |||
US 199 in Grants Pass I-105 / OR 126 in Eugene OR 569 in Springfield US 20 in Albany OR 22 in Salem I-205 in Tualatin I-405 in Portland I-84 / US 30 in Portland I-405 in Portland |
||||
North end: | I‑5 at Washington state line | |||
Highway system | ||||
|
In the U.S. state of Oregon, Interstate 5 traverses the state from north to south, passing through the major cities of Portland, Salem, Eugene, and Medford.
Beginning with the section about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the California border, the highway runs from 4,310 feet (1,310 m) Siskiyou Summit, the highest point on I-5, through Oregon's southern mountains and towns such as Ashland, Medford, and Grants Pass. Past Roseburg, the mountains turn into hills, and as it reaches Eugene, the road enters the Willamette River Valley. At Eugene the highway intersects with the short Interstate 105. The interstate then heads almost due north, skirting near Albany and Corvallis, and passes through Salem. There were plans to build a spur into Salem, called Interstate 305.
In Salem, placed in the median near mile marker 260, are signs noting where I-5 crosses the 45th parallel. It bears the words "45th Parallel - Half Way Between the Equator and North Pole".