I80

Interstate 80 (I-80) is a major transcontinental highway in the United States. It runs roughly 2,900 miles, from its western terminus in San Francisco, California, to its eastern terminus in Teaneck, New Jersey, near the New York City area. It is one of the longest interstate highways and serves as a primary cross-country corridor for freight and long-distance travel.

Route and geography: The route passes through eleven states: California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. It connects a sequence of urban centers including the San Francisco Bay Area, Reno, Salt Lake City, Omaha, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and the New York metropolitan region. The highway traverses varied landscapes, from the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin in the west, through the Rocky Mountain foothills and high plains, to the Great Lakes basin and the Appalachian region in the east.

History: I-80 was designated in 1956 as part of the federal Interstate Highway System. Construction occurred in stages through the 1960s to the 1980s, creating a continuous east–west artery that replaced numerous older routes and improved cross-country mobility.

Significance: As a major interstate corridor, I-80 supports interstate commerce and long-distance travel across multiple time zones. Travel conditions can vary with weather, especially in the mountain regions during winter, and maintenance and traffic patterns reflect its role as a backbone of the national highway network.