Site Navigation Arizona Colorado Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming     Interstate 80 - Utah to Wells Interstate 80 West Interstate 80 crosses the Nevada County and enters Elko County. Founded on March 5, 1869, Elko County represents the fourth largest county in the United States. Photo taken 09/08/05. Neutered Interstate 80 westbound reassurance shield, the first of many found within the Silver State. Photo taken 09/08/05. Use Exit 410 into Wendover for the Nevada tourist information center and rest area. The services found along Wendover Boulevard (Business Loop Interstate 80) are the last encountered along Interstate 80 until Wells, a distance of 58 miles. Photo taken 09/08/05. Exit 410 represents the east end of the Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate merge. U.S. 93 Alternate departs the freeway with Business Loop Interstate 80 east into West Wendover. The Business loop travels into Wendover, Utah via Wendover Boulevard. U.S. 93 Alternate stems southward 118 miles to Ely. Photo taken 09/08/05. Descending from Interstate 80 west on the Exit 410 off-ramp. A Business Loop Interstate 80 east & U.S. 93 Alternate southbound shield direct motorists onto the connector between the diamond interchange and Wendover Boulevard. Photo taken 09/08/05. Continuing west of Wendover along the Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate overlap. The two share pavement through to Wells (Exit 352). Photo taken 09/08/05. Interstate 80 westbound mileage sign and a reminder of the lack of services. Motorists may double back to West Wendover via Exit 407 for gas, food, lodging. Photo taken 09/08/05. Interstate 80 draws closer to the Toana Range west of Wendover. To the south is the western extant of the Bonneville Salt Flats and the northern reaches of the Goshute Mountains. Photos taken 09/08/05. Old U.S. 40 (Wendover Boulevard) ties into Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate three miles west of West Wendover at Ola (Exit 407). Photo taken 09/08/05. The Exit 407 diamond interchange simply serves the western end of Wendover Boulevard well beyond the outskirts of West Wendover. A pair of frontage roads travel alongside Interstate 80 within the vicinity of the desert junction. Photo taken 09/08/05. Interstate 80 west & U.S. 93 Alternate north progress toward the Toano Range between Wendover and Oasis. The freeway enters Pacific Time Zone outside of West Wendover. The time zone originally skirted the Utah and Nevada state line. However for Wendover and West Wendover to be on the same time zone, officials successfully petitioned to have the time zone relocated west into Nevada in 1999. Photos taken 09/08/05. Pilot Peak (el. 10,716) dominates the northern horizon along Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate between West Wendover and the Toano Range. Photo taken 09/08/05. Pilot Road travels 15 miles northward from Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate at Exit 398 to Pilot Peak Mountain. Photo taken 09/08/05. "Bridges may be icy" sign posted on Interstate 80 west & U.S. 93 Alternate north. These types of signs are common in Northern Nevada and are used in place of the standard "Bridges Ice Before Roadway" signs found throughout the rest of the United States. The Nevada style signs list a stretch of road with at least two or more bridges. Photo taken 09/08/05. Interstate 80 west & U.S. 93 Alternate northbound at the Exit 398 diamond interchange with Pilot Road. Pilot Road begins at the interchange and travels 30 miles north to Nevada 233 near Montello. Photo taken 09/08/05. Northward facing views of Pilot Peak again and a salt flat nestled in between mountains of the Toano Range. Photos taken 09/08/05. Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate rise to an elevation of 5,940 feet through Silver Zone Pass. The climb across the Toano Range may require snow chains in inclement winter weather. A small advisory sign indicates whether or not chains are needed for the pass after Exit 398. Photos taken 09/08/05. Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate leave Silver Zone Pass and approach the settlement of Shafter (Exit 387). The freeway leaves the Toano Range behind for the Goshute Valley. Photos taken 09/08/05. Shafter Road and other ranch roads tie into Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate at the Exit 387 diamond interchange. Shafter itself lies 8.4 miles to the southwest at the crossroads of the Union Pacific and Nevada Northern Railroad lines. Photo taken 09/08/05. The wide open Goshute Valley as seen from Interstate 80 west & U.S. 93 Alternate northbound. The Pequop Mountains rise along the western frontier. Photos taken 09/08/05. Nevada 233 begins its eastward journey toward Montello from the Exit 378 diamond interchange with Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate at Oasis. The state highway ends at Utah 30 and the state line after 34.145 miles. Photo taken 09/08/05. Westbound at the Exit 378 ramp departure for Nevada 233 (Montello Road) on Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate. Nevada 233 reaches Montello in 19 miles. Local roads, including an eastbound side frontage road, tie into Exit 378 from the south. Photo taken 09/08/05. Leaving the community of Oasis on Interstate 80 west & U.S. 93 Alternate. The freeway begins another climb toward Pequop Summit (el. 6,967). Photo taken 09/08/05. Ranch roads tie into Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate at Exit 376. The aforementioned frontage road from Oasis also travels westward to Pequop nearby. Photo taken 09/08/05. A partial-cloverleaf interchange joins Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate with Pequop Road and others at Pequop. Photo taken 09/08/05. Continuing the ascent across the Pequop Mountains between Pequop and Summit (Exit 373). Photos taken 09/08/05. Exit 373 serves nothing more than a rest area at the Summit of the Pequop Mountains. The next such facility lies 114 miles away between Exits 271 and 261. Photos taken 09/08/05. Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate westbound travelers encounter several twists and turns on the descent from Pequop Summit into Independence Valley. The Wood Hills rise to the southwest of the freeway. Photos taken 09/08/05. The Independence Valley exit of Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate serves nothing more than a local prison. Adjacent frontage roads meet the freeway here (Exit 365). Photo taken 09/08/05. Westbound at the Exit 365 diamond interchange in Independence Valley. A frontage road continues along Interstate 80 westward to Exit 360. Photo taken 09/08/05. The first westbound Interstate 80 Nevada shield resides just beyond the Exit 365 on-ramp at Independence Valley. Note the omission of U.S. 93 Alternate. U.S. 93A disappears from most shield assemblies as the freeway draws closer to Wells. Photo taken 09/08/05. Exit 360 serves ranch areas near the vicinity of Moor Summit on Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate. Photo taken 09/08/05. Westbound at Moor and the Exit 360 off-ramp. Moor Road and other local and frontage roads fan outwards from the junction within the Wood Hills. None of these are recommended for through travelers. Photo taken 09/08/05. Looking northward from Moor Summit at more of the Wood Hills. The Union Pacific Railroad line parallels Interstate 80 closely from Moor westward to Winnemucca and Lovelock. Photo taken 09/08/05. Approaching the town of Wells on Interstate 80 west & U.S. 93 Alternate northbound. Wells began its life as an outpost along the Central Pacific Railroad in 1869. The town name is derived from the Humboldt Wells, small ponds of water and wetlands used to replenish 1800s travelers and wagon trains. Photo taken 09/08/05. U.S. 93 reclaims U.S. 93 Alternate at Exit 352A of Interstate 80 westbound. U.S. 93 (Great Basin Highway) enters the scene from Lages Station 78 miles to the southeast. The federal highway skirts along the eastern outskirts of Wells. Photo taken 09/08/05. One mile east of the Exit 352B off-ramp for Business Loop Interstate 80 (Sixth Street) west to U.S. 93 (Great Basin Highway) north on Interstate 80 west & U.S. 93 Alternate north. U.S. 93 serves Harriet Field to the northeast. Photo taken 09/08/05. The one-half mile guide sign for the Exit 352B off-ramp to Business Loop Interstate 80 westbound. Exit 352B consists of a westbound only ramp onto the adjacent 6th Street (old U.S. 40). 6th Street (Business Loop Interstate 80) proceeds westward to the intersection with U.S. 93 and Nevada 223. Nevada 223 follows 6th Street for 1.989 miles between the Great Basin Highway to the West Wells interchange of Interstate 80 (Exit 351). Photo taken 09/08/05. Exit 352 recreation and Business Loop Interstate 80 signs posted along Interstate 80 west. Use U.S. 93 south to U.S. 6 & 50 east for Baker and Great Basin National Park. The park entrance via Nevada 488 lies 199 miles to the southeast. The Emigrant Trail Center takes a look at life along during the 1800s along the California Trail in Wells. Photo taken 09/08/05. Traffic bound for Business Loop Interstate 80 (Sixth Street) west, U.S. 93 (Great Basin Highway) north, and east Wells depart Interstate 80 westbound at Exit 352B. Old U.S. 40 follows Sixth Street through Wells to Beverly Hills (Exit 348). Photo taken 09/08/05. U.S. 93 (Great Basin Highway) meets Interstate 80 & U.S. 93 Alternate directly at the Exit 352A diamond interchange. U.S. 93 provides the main route between Wells and Ely 137 miles to the south. Photo taken 09/08/05. A small guide sign touts the connections of U.S. 93 to Ely, Twin Falls, Idaho and Great Basin National Park. The federal highway continues north 69 miles to the Gem State line at Jackpot. From there U.S. 93 continues another 46 miles to Twin Falls alongside U.S. 30. Photo taken 09/08/05. U.S. 93 Alternate draws to a close at the Exit 352A off-ramp to U.S. 93 (Great Basin Highway) from Interstate 80 west. The alternate route is completely unsigned at the diamond interchange however. Photo taken 09/08/05. Page Updated September 30, 2005.