U.S. Route 26 in Oregon

Section of U.S. Highway in Oregon, United States

"OR 2" redirects here. The term may also refer to Oregon's 2nd congressional district.

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 26 in Oregon. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 26.

U.S. Highway 26

US 26 highlighted in red

Route information
Maintained by ODOT
Length| 471.56 mi (758.90 km)
Major junctions
West end|  US 101 near Seaside
Major intersections|  OR 217 in Beaverton

I-405 in Portland
I-5 in Portland
I-205 in Portland
US 97 in Madras
OR 126 in Prineville
US 395 in John Day

US 20 in Vale
East end|  US 20 / US 26 at the Idaho state line
Location
Country| United States
State| Oregon
Counties| Clatsop, Tillamook, Columbia, Washington, Multnomah, Clackamas, Wasco, Jefferson, Crook, Wheeler, Grant, Baker, Malheur
Highway system

* United States Numbered Highway System

* List
* Special
* Divided

* Oregon Highways

* Interstate
* US
* State
* Named
* Scenic

| ←  OR 22| | →  OR 27

|
|

U.S. Route 26 (US 26) is a major cross-state United States Numbered Highway with its western terminus in the U.S. state of Oregon, connecting US 101 on the Oregon Coast near Seaside with the Idaho state line east of Nyssa. Local highway names include the Sunset Highway No. 47, Mount Hood Highway No. 26, and John Day Highway No. 5 before continuing into Idaho and beyond.

## Route description

[edit]

Start of US 26 in Oregon near Seaside Quartz Creek Bridge in Clatsop County, 1944

The western terminus of the highway (and of US 26) is at an interchange with US 101 between Seaside and Cannon Beach. The highway heads east from there through the Oregon Coast Range, providing access to Saddle Mountain and passing through the valleys of the Necanicum and Nehalem rivers. It then crosses over the Oregon Coast Range, where it passes through the Dennis L. Edwards Tunnel, descending into the Tualatin Valley, into the community of Banks.[1]

East of Banks, the highway merges with Oregon Route 6 (OR 6) and becomes a freeway, which passes through the high-tech regions of Washington County. The freeway enters the Portland metropolitan area in the northeast corner of Hillsboro, then passes through the northern part of the city of Beaverton and the communities of Cedar Hills and Cedar Mill near the intersection with the northern terminus of OR 217. Also at this point, MAX Light Rail is adjacent on the north side of the highway for nearly two miles (3.2 km) until it submerges into the Robertson Tunnel.

The highway enters the Portland city limits near the Sylvan-Highlands neighborhood, where it is also joined by OR 8; east of here, the highway descends a steep grade through a canyon which penetrates Portland's Tualatin Mountains; this stretch of the Sunset is coincident with Canyon Road. The highway skirts the southern edge of Portland's Washington Park, providing access to the Oregon Zoo and other attractions. At the bottom of the grade, the highway passes through the Vista Ridge Tunnels into Downtown Portland. Immediately east of the tunnel is an interchange with Interstate 405 (I-405); this interchange is the end of the Sunset Highway.

The Sunset Highway between the Sylvan-Highlands exit and the western portal of the Vista Ridge Tunnels

In Portland, the route overlaps I-405 (Stadium Freeway No. 61) for a short distance before exiting onto city streets, including Arthur Street, to reach the Ross Island Bridge. US 26 leaves the bridge, which is at the beginning of the Mount Hood Highway No. 26, and follows Powell Boulevard, a surface street, to Gresham.

An expressway begins near Gresham and carries US 26 southeast to near Sandy. From Sandy to near Government Camp and Bennett Pass, where US 26 intersects OR 35, it closely follows the historic Barlow Road through the Mount Hood Corridor, and is part of the Mount Hood Scenic Byway. The Mount Hood Highway branches off to the north along OR 35, and the Warm Springs Highway No. 53 carries US 26 southeast through Wapinitia Pass (where it crosses the Pacific Crest Trail), Blue Box Pass, the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, and Agency Plains to Madras. After a short overlap with US 97 (The Dalles-California Highway No. 4), the short Madras-Prineville Highway No. 360 continues southeast to a junction with OR 126 in Prineville.

At that junction, US 26 picks up the Ochoco Highway No. 41, which also follows OR 126 west to US 97 in Redmond. The Ochoco Highway ends at OR 19 near Dayville, from which US 26 follows the John Day Highway No. 5 through John Day to US 20 in Vale. The remainder of US 26 in Oregon overlaps US 20 on the Central Oregon Highway No. 7 to the Idaho state line.

## History

[edit]

Picture Gorge in eastern Oregon, with US 26 at left and the John Day River at right

An ancient trail passed through the section of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation as part of an extensive Indian trade network linking peoples of the northern Great Basin and Columbia Plateau to those living west of the Cascade Range. Obsidian, bear grass, and slaves were transported over these trails to major trading locations along the Columbia River in exchange for dried salmon, smelt, sturgeon, and decorative sea shells. The long established route was later used by Peter Skene Ogden's fur trapping expeditions in 1825 and 1826. Fur trader Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth was here in the 1830s. Captain John C. Frémont followed this route on his 1843 explorations for the U.S. and Lieutenant Henry Larcom Abbot headed a Pacific Railroad survey party along it in 1855.[2]

The Sunset Highway portion was under construction by January 1933.[3] Both the Works Progress Administration[4] and Civilian Conservation Corps participated in the construction during the Great Depression.[3] Portions of highway officially opened to the public on September 19, 1941. In 1949, the highway was completed.

The highway was originally named the Wolf Creek Highway after a nearby creek of the same name. The Oregon State Highway Commission renamed it the Sunset Highway at their January 17, 1946, meeting by a unanimous vote. The name is drawn from both the nickname and insignia of the 41st Infantry Division, which was largely drawn from Oregon,[5] and because the highway leads towards the setting sun.[6] The highway was rededicated in honor of the 41st Infantry Division in 1995.[7]

In the 1960s, Powell Boulevard in Portland was proposed as the corridor of the Mount Hood Freeway, which would have replaced US 26\. It was cancelled in 1974 following a protests and local opposition. A few ramp stubs from I-5 on the Marquam Bridge were built to prepare for the new freeway and remained in place until the 2010s.[8][9] The state and county government later considered moving US 26 to Division Street between I-205 and Gresham to improve freeway access.[10] The cancelled freeway included plans to bypass Sandy, which were later revived in the 2000s and 2010s to address congestion issues in the area.[11]

US 26 formerly terminated at a junction with US 30 in Astoria, sharing an alignment with US 101 north of Cannon Beach. The highway was truncated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in 2005 following a request from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).[12] Prior to 2005, US 26 ran through Downtown Portland on the one-way couplet of Market and Clay streets, which carried the Sunset Highway to its end at Naito Parkway (Pacific Highway West No. 1W), turning south there to reach the Ross Island Bridge.[citation needed]

In 2020, US 26 was designated POW/MIA Memorial Highway by the state legislature following a request from the Bend Heroes Foundation and Oregon Veterans Motorcycle Association.[13]

## Major intersections

[edit]

Milepoints are as reported by ODOT and do not necessarily reflect current mileage. Z indicates overlapping mileage due to construction longer than established route, and – indicates negative mileage behind established beginning point.[15] Segments that are locally maintained may be omitted. For routes traversing multiple named state highways, each milepoint is preceded by the corresponding state highway number.

County| Location| Milepoint[14]| Exit| Destinations| Notes

|
|
|
|
|

Clatsop| Cannon Beach Junction| 47 -0.10| |  US 101 – Seaside, Astoria, Cannon Beach, Tillamook| Interchange; Western terminus
Necanicum Junction| 47 9.42| |  OR 53 – Wheeler, Tillamook|
Jewell Junction| 47 21.78| |
OR 103 north – Mist, Jewell| Interchange
Tillamook
| No major junctions
Washington
| No major junctions
Columbia
| No major junctions
Washington| ​| 47 40.91| Dennis L. Edwards Tunnel
Staleys Junction| 47 45.51| |
OR 47 north – Vernonia, Clatskanie| West end of OR 47 overlap
Davies Junction| 47 49.47| |
OR 47 south – Banks, Forest Grove| Interchange; east end of OR 47 overlap
Tillamook Junction| 47 53.33| |  OR 6 – Banks, Tillamook| Interchange; no westbound entrance
​| 47 53.62| West end of freeway
​| 47 55.19| 55| Dersham Road – Mountaindale|
North Plains| 47 57.16| 57| Glencoe Road – North Plains|
​| 47 58.74| 59| Jackson School Road|
Hillsboro| 47 61.06| 61| Helvetia Road, Brookwood Parkway[16]|
47 62.46| 62| Cornelius Pass Road – Cornelius Pass, West Union| Signed as exits 62A (south) and 62B (north) westbound
47 64.29| 64| 185th Avenue – PCC-Rock Creek|
Beaverton| 47 65.67–
64.91| 65| Bethany Boulevard, Cornell Road|
47 67.14| 67| Murray Boulevard|
47 68.34| 68| Cedar Hills Boulevard – Beaverton|
47 69.19| 69A|

OR 217 south to I-5 south – Beaverton, Tigard, Salem|
47 69.21| 69B| Park Way, Barnes Road|
47 70.83| 71A|  OR 8 (Canyon Road)| Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Multnomah| Portland| 47 71.30| 71B| Sylvan| Signed as exit 71 eastbound
47 72.18| 72| Oregon Zoo, World Forestry Center|
47 73.39| 73| Jefferson Street – Providence Park| Eastbound exit and westbound entrance, formerly signed as Canyon Road
47 73.53| Vista Ridge Tunnels
47 73.75| 74| Market Street – Portland City Center| Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
47 74.05

* * *

61 1.41| |

I-405 north to I-5 north / US 30 – St. Helens, Seattle| West end of I-405 overlap, exit 1D
61 1.39| | 12th Avenue| Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
61 1.29

* * *

(city street)| |

I-405 south to I-5 south / I-84 east / US 30 – The Dalles, Salem, Portland Airport| East end of I-405 overlap, exit 1C; eastbound exit & westbound entrance
​| East end of freeway
​| | Broadway Drive – Council Crest| No access from US 26 west
​| | 6th Avenue, Terwilliger Boulevard – Portland City Center, Keller Auditorium, Oregon Health & Science University, University and V.A. Hospitals|
(city street)

* * *

26 0.01| | Naito Parkway (Pacific Highway West north)| Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
26 0.18| |
OR 10 west (Barbur Boulevard)| Interchange
26 0.45| |

OR 43 south (Macadam Avenue) to I-5 south – Lake Oswego, Salem| Interchange
26 0.76| Ross Island Bridge over the Willamette River
26 1.01| |  OR 99E – Milwaukie, Oregon City| Interchange; eastbound exit to OR 99E north is via 17th Avenue south
26 1.60| | 17th Avenue south| Interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
26 1.76| | 17th Avenue north| Westbound exit only
26 5.04| |  OR 213 (82nd Avenue)|
26 5.74| |  I-205 / Division Street – Seattle, Salem| I-205 exit 19.
Gresham| 26 14.18| |
To I-84 / Burnside Road, Powell Valley Road|
Clackamas| ​| 26 19.54| |  OR 212 – Boring, Oregon City| Interchange
Sandy| 26 24.40| |  OR 211 – Estacada, Molalla|
​| 26 54.23| | Timberline Lodge National Historic Landmark (OR 173)|
​| 26 57.45

* * *

53 57.45| |
OR 35 north – Hood River| Interchange
Wasco| ​| 53 71.27| |  OR 216 – Bear Springs Ranger Station, Maupin, The Dalles|
Jefferson| Madras| 53 117.71

* * *

4 92.08| |
US 97 north – The Dalles, Biggs| West end of US 97 overlap
4 92.46| | D Street (OR 361) – Metolius, The Cove Palisades State Park|
​| 4 97.29

* * *

360 0.09| |
US 97 south – Redmond, Bend| East end of US 97 overlap
Crook| Prineville| 360 26.28

* * *

41 18.16| |
OR 126 west – Redmond, Bend|
41 18.75| |  OR 27 – Bowman Dam|
41 19.75| | Prineville Reservoir, Paulina (OR 380)|
Wheeler| Mitchell| 41 65.94| |  OR 207 – Spray, Service Creek, Fossil|
Grant| ​| 41 98.36

* * *

5 124.17| |
OR 19 north – Kimberly, Spray|
Mount Vernon| 5 154.03| |
US 395 north – Long Creek, Pendleton| West end of US 395 overlap
John Day| 5 162.29| |
US 395 south – Canyon City, Burns| East end of US 395 overlap
Austin Junction| 5 190.67| |  OR 7 – Sumpter, Baker City|
Baker| ​| 5 210.54| |  OR 245 – Hereford, Baker City|
Malheur| ​| 5 223.22| Eldorado Pass
Vale| 5 278.21

* * *

7 246.39| |
US 20 west – Vale City Center, Burns, Adrian| West end of US 20 overlap
Cairo Junction| 7 258.20| |

OR 201 north to I-84 – Ontario| West end of OR 201 overlap
Nyssa| 7 265.97| |
OR 201 south – Adrian, Lake Owyhee| East end of OR 201 overlap
​| 7 266.82| Idaho state line

US 20 east / US 26 east continue into Idaho
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

* Concurrency terminus
* Incomplete access

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

|

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The Oregon Trail". Road Trip USA. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
2. ^ "Oregon History sign, Indian Trails, located at 44.863983°,-121.311867°". Retrieved October 9, 2014.
3. ^ a b Alexander, Paul. Highways, roads played vital role. The Hillsboro Argus, October 19, 1976.
4. ^ Robbins, William G. (2002). "Subtopic : Oregon in Depression and War, 1925-1945: The Most Visible of Relief Agencies". The Oregon History Project. Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved August 29, 2008.
5. ^ Tucker, Kathy (2002). "Workmen Battle Mud, Wolf Creek Highway". The Oregon History Project. Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved August 29, 2008.
6. ^ "Minutes". Oregon State Highway Commission: 12846. January 17, 1946.
7. ^ "Oregon's Sunste Hwy. rededicated to Army's 41st Infantry Division". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. September 24, 1995. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
8. ^ Killen, John (January 15, 2015). "Throwback Thursday: Portland freeway system has roots in Eisenhower vision". The Oregonian. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
9. ^ "The Death of the Mt. Hood Freeway and the Birth of MAX Light Rail". TriMet Blog. TriMet. December 10, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
10. ^ McCowan, Karen (December 30, 1980). "I-205 stretch to open, relieve heavy traffic in Lents district". The Oregonian. p. ME4.
11. ^ Allen, Brittany (June 20, 2019). "Will Sandy jump on U.S. 26 bypass bandwagon?". Sandy Post. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
12. ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (May 6, 2005). "Report of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. p. 4\. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
13. ^ Mitchell, Steven (September 16, 2020). "POW/MIA Highway 26 sign dedication ceremony Friday". Blue Mountain Eagle. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
14. ^ Oregon Department of Transportation, Public Road Inventory Archived February 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine (primarily the Digital Video Log), accessed March 2008
15. ^ Road Inventory and Classification Services (July 2017). "Straightline Chart Legend" (PDF). Oregon Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
16. ^ "U.S. 26: Brookwood Parkway/Helvetia Interchange Project". Oregon Department of Transportation. Oregon.gov. 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.

## External links

[edit]

KML file (edit • help)

Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 26 in Oregon

KML is not from Wikidata

* Oregon: End of the Trail

U.S. Route 26

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