End of US highway 101 |
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Summa
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Mileage: in 1989 AASHTO listed a figure of 1570 miles for US 101... however, that included the mileage of US 101's associated business routes. According to the state subtotals on AASHTO's 1989 spreadsheet, mainline US 101's actual end-to-end total at the time was 1519 miles. That closely matches our own 2020 measurement, which yielded 1520.4 miles. Want historic mileages? Our handy reference book includes the mileages that were published in all 13 of AASHO/AASHTO's historic route logs (spanning the years 1927 to 1989).
US 101 was an original 1926 route, and for its first four decades the total mileage was more like 1653 miles. During that time its south end was at the Mexico border in San Ysidro (now a part of San Diego, south of downtown): |
c. 1956, Gousha
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The segment between there and Los Angeles has since been decommissioned, but the old route is now recognized in some areas with historical signage:
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Karners, Jan. 2012
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In this photo, the perspective was looking north into the US from Mexico; the white line starting in the lower right corner and going diagonally left is the international boundary:
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c. 1955, California Highways and Public Works magazine
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At the time of that photo, US 101 began on the north (top) side of that line, veering off to the upper left corner - that was San Ysidro Boulevard. I-5 was built pretty much parallel to that, but just to the west (left). That area is served by a more modern border crossing, so the original one is closed, and now old US 101 ends at a turnaround just shy of the border:
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Karners, Jan. 2012
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That was the historic south end of US 101 for about 50 years, but in 1963, the designation was truncated to the East Los Angeles interchange; this interactive image shows the last reference on the mainline to US 101...
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...even though it could be argued that the designation continues ahead for another mile or so. This photo shows the first northbound mention of US 101...
Karners, Jan. 2012
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...and a little ways ahead it splits off on its own:
Field, Dec. 2001
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Geographically speaking, US 101's number is arguably the worst violation in the US highway system. The number "101" implies a branch of US 1 -- which is some 3000 miles to the east (more on the anomalies page). In addition to that, the use of a single highway number for a road that turns around and heads the opposite direction for a significant distance -- as US 101 does in the Olympic Peninsula -- makes directional signage decisions more difficult. Until the 1990s, Olympia-bound traffic was signed "North" along the entire route, while the opposite direction was signed "South"... even the segment that heads north from Olympia for nearly 100 miles. Of course that was perplexing to drivers, so now US 101 is signed "North" from Olympia to WA hwy. 20 at Discovery Bay, then "West" from there to WA 113 at Sappho, and then "South" through Aberdeen and into Oregon. But signage does not appear to be 100% consistent, and regardless, it is still a tricky situation.
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Following are photos of the "northern southern" terminus of US 101 in Washington. These first ones were taken approaching the south end, showing signage for I-5 as well as the physical gore:
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Long, June 2004
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Taylor, 2000
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That is where US 101 ends in Washington; the right fork goes to southbound I-5, and the left goes to northbound. For nearly two decades an "End" assembly was installed on the northbound ramp...
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Lindberg, July 2013
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Elbert, Feb. 2005
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Elbert, Feb. 2005
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...but unfortunately that was gone by 2024. These next shots are from I-5, showing the south beginning of US 101 as seen from both the southbound and northbound directions:
Long, June 2004 (unchanged as of 2019)
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Elbert, Feb. 2005
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Wray, Jul. 2019
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Those signs demonstrate how the "north" terminus of US 101 is actually another south terminus. Drivers taking that exit will soon encounter the first confirming marker:
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Elbert, Feb. 2005
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That interchange is actually in Tumwater city limits, but until 1958 the US 101 designation ended in Olympia proper:
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c. 1956, Gousha
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This photo was looking east on 4th Avenue at Capitol Way, and it is from the perspective of a driver at the historic end of US 101. Northbound US 99 traffic came in from the right and then turned straight ahead. In other words, the car has just passed the historic terminus of US 101 and is now on historic northbound US 99:
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Jensen, 2001
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Shortly after an earthquake in 1949, Olympia began using one-way streets. After that time, 4th and Capitol still marked the end of US 101, but the beginning moved one block north, to State Avenue and Capitol. This photo was taken looking west on State:
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c. 1951, attribution unknown, from WSDOT website
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At the time, that was southbound US 99 (which continued to the left on Capitol; control city says "Portland") and westbound US 410 (which continued straight ahead, towards "Aberdeen" and "Port Angeles"). Also ahead was the beginning of US 101. The service station in the foreground (NE corner of the intersection) has since been cleared out in favor of a parking lot, but the building across the street (NW corner) is still standing (as of 2023). This shot was looking north on Capitol:
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Jensen, 2001 (gone by 2008)
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(detail)
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Historically that was the perspective of a driver on nothbound US 99, which continued to the right (east on State). But to the left on State (west) was the beginning of US 101 (the control cities were "Aberdeen" and "Shelton").
Research and/or photo credits: David Barts; Mark Bozanich; Casey Cooper; Nathan Edgars; Chris Elbert; Andy Field; Jeff Jensen; Karin and Martin Karner; Eric Lindberg; Mark Long; Jeff Morrison; Dale Sanderson; Michael Summa; Stephen Taylor; Jessica Wray
Page originally created 2000;
last updated Jun. 28, 2024.
last updated Jun. 28, 2024.
