Site Navigation Arizona Colorado Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming     Interstate 80 - Reno Vicinity Interstate 80 west Posted within the Exit 20 diamond interchange with Sparks Boulevard is the one-mile overhead for Exit 19 (McCarran Boulevard). McCarran Boulevard loops around the central business districts of both Sparks and Reno, carrying Nevada 650 6.380 miles north of Interstate 80 to U.S. 395 and Nevada 651 6.228 miles from U.S. 395 back to Interstate 80 to the west. Photo taken 09/09/05. Upcoming exits sign listing the distances to the final three Sparks interchanges: McCarran Boulevard (Exit 19), Pyramid Way (Nevada 445 - Exit 18), and Rock Boulevard (Exit 17). Photo taken 09/09/05. The McCarran Boulevard partial-cloverleaf interchange doubles as the beginning of the Sparks Business Loop Interstate 80. The business loop parallels Interstate 80 west along Victorian Avenue to B Street and 4th Street in the city of Reno. Photo taken 09/09/05. The first overhead for junction Nevada 445 (Exit 19) lies ahead of the McCarran Boulevard (Nevada 650) off-ramp. Nevada 445, like Nevada 650, ends at Interstate 80. McCarran Boulevard continues south of the freeway one mile to Greg Street, 2.8 miles to Rock Boulevard, and 6.2 miles to Virginia Street (U.S. 395 Business). Photo taken 09/09/05. Westbound at the Exit 19 ramp departure for Business Loop Interstate 80 (Victorian Avenue) and McCarran Boulevard (Nevada 650 west). McCarran Boulevard comprises a busy surface arterial throughout the vicinity of the Interstate 80 interchange. Travel services and shopping centers lie along the busy corridor. Business Loop Interstate 80 parallels the freeway closely through to Exit 18 (Nevada 445). Photo taken 09/09/05. Interstate 80 westbound reassurance marker posted along the elevated stretch of freeway between Nevada 650 (McCarran Boulevard) and junction Nevada 445 (Exit 18). The high rise to the left is that of the 28-story Nugget casino. Photo taken 09/09/05. Exit 18 carries motorists to the northbound beginning of Nevada 445 (Pyramid Way). Nevada 445 ventures 41.574 miles north from Interstate 80 in Sparks to Sutcliffe along the shores of Pyramid Lake and ultimately the California state line. Nugget Avenue, an eastbound side frontage road, ties into the diamond interchange from the south. Photo taken 09/09/05. Rock Boulevard, a north-south surface arterial, intersects Interstate 80 at the Exit 17 diamond interchange. The roadway meanders three miles north from McCarran Boulevard along the backside of Reno-Tahoe International Airport to Greg Street, Glendale Avenue, and junction Interstate 80. Victorian Avenue and 4th Street (Business Loop Interstate 80) cross Interstate 80 in 0.75 miles at Exit 16. Photo taken 09/09/05. Exit 17 departs Interstate 80 westbound for Rock Boulevard. Rock Boulevard continues 0.9 north miles to Oddie Boulevard (Nevada 663) and 1.6 miles to its end at junction Nevada 650 (McCarran Boulevard). Photo taken 09/09/05. One half mile east of the Exit 16 diamond interchange with 4th Street (Business Loop Interstate 80) on Interstate 80 west. Business Loop Interstate 80 (Nevada 647) turns onto 4th Street from Victorian Avenue/B Street. The area of Victorian Avenue between 16th Street and Pyramid Way within the City of Sparks is known as Victorian Square. This area is popular for casinos, museums, parks, and annual festivals such as Hot August Nights. Photo taken 09/09/05. The downtown skyline of Reno rises in the foreground of the Sierra Nevada as Interstate 80 nears the Exit 16 off-ramp. The freeway leaves the city of Sparks for the city of Reno just west of the 4th Street underpass. Photo taken 09/09/05. Exit 16 leaves Interstate 80 ahead of the junction with Interstate 580 south & U.S. 395 (Exit 15). Prater Boulevard enters the scene from east Sparks and transitions to 4th Street at the Reno city line. Victorian Avenue (Business Loop Interstate 80 & Nevada 647) ends at 4th Street near its intersection with El Rancho Drive north and Kietzke Lane south. Photo taken 09/09/05. Travelers destined for Reno-Tahoe International Airport are advised to take Interstate 580 & U.S. 395 (Martin Luther King Jr. Highway) southbound to Exit 65. The north-south freeway directly serves the airport passenger terminal. Photo taken 09/09/05. A pair of lanes depart Interstate 80 westbound at the Exit 15 directional-cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 580 south & U.S. 395. U.S. 395 provides the main route between Carson City, Reno, and the northern suburbs. The federal highway continues as a freeway all the way to the California state line, and as an expressway from there to junction California 70. Interstate 580 presently entails 4.99 miles of the U.S. 395 freeway from Interstate 80 south to Nevada 667 (Del Monte Lane / Neil Road). Photo taken 09/09/05. An original set of guide signs remains in use at the Exit 15 ramp partitioning between Interstate 580 & U.S. 395 south to Carson City and U.S. 395 north to Susanville. U.S. 395 entails a full freeway from Interstate 80 south to junction Nevada 431 (Mt. Rose Highway) in south Reno. From there the highway follows a four-lane surface highway to Washoe Lake with construction of a freeway to the west. A short freeway continues the federal highway south along the western lake shore ahead of Carson City. In Carson City itself, construction is underway involving a freeway bypass of the Nevada capital city. U.S. 395 will relocate onto the new limited access highway upon completion by 2010. At that time Interstate 580 will emerge from obscurity and co-sign with U.S. 395 from Interstate 80 to Carson City. Photo taken 09/09/05. A centerline posted upcoming exits sign listing the next three Reno interchanges. Reno, known as the "Biggest Little City in the World", began as little more than a crossing of the Truckee River and railroad and mining town. The industrial town grew slowly until the turn of the 20th century when Reno gained interest as a "divorce destination", a place where unhappy couples could live briefly before having their nuptials undone legally. The residency requirement for divorces brought the town notoriety as the country's "sexiest town". Legal gambling and instant marriages arrived in the late 1920s to compliment Reno's growth and economy as a tourist destination. By the 1950s, Reno city planners witnessed the growth of Las Vegas and enacted a red line around the central business district to limit the gambling district expansion. This controlled growth through the 1970s, but in the 1980s, city planners decided to remove the boundary and allow a major casino boom and associated population increase. The increase of the Reno metropolitan area continues to this day. Photo taken 09/09/05. Wells Avenue arcs southwest from Oddie Boulevard (Nevada 663) to meet Interstate 80 at Exit 14. The surface roadway continues south 2.1 miles to its end at junction U.S. 395 Business (Virginia Street). Pictured here is the approach sign bridge for Exit 14 and the adjacent sound wall. Sound barriers in Reno feature a "Sierra Nevada" silhouette motif. Photo taken 09/09/05. Interstate 80 westbound at the Exit 14 diamond interchange with Wells Avenue. Wells Avenue transitions into Oddie Boulevard (Nevada 663) 0.7 miles to the north at the intersection with Sutro Street. Sutro Street passes underneath Interstate 80 ahead of Wells Avenue off-ramp. Photo taken 09/09/05. Virginia Street (U.S. 395 Business) intersects Interstate 80 at the Exit 13 split-diamond interchange. U.S. 395 Business (unsigned on Interstate 80 guide signs) follows all of Virginia Street (original U.S. 395) from south Reno (Exit 63) northward to Panther Valley (Exit 72). Keystone Avenue returns Business Loop Interstate 80 to Interstate 80 from 4th Street at Exit 12. Nevada 651 (McCarran Boulevard) meets Interstate 80 in three miles at Exit 10. Photo taken 09/09/05. Use U.S. 395 Business (Virginia Street) northbound from Exit 13 to the University of Nevada-Reno campus,and the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center. Photo taken 09/09/05. Valley Road passes over Interstate 80 ahead of the Exit 13 off-ramp onto 8th Street west for U.S. 395 Business (Virginia Street). The Reno central business district lies along Virginia Street south of the freeway at 4th Street (Business Loop Interstate 80 & Nevada 647). Photo taken 09/09/05. Interstate 80 maintains six overall lanes as it skims the northern reaches of downtown Reno. A two-lane off-ramp ascends from the freeway onto 8th Street westbound. 8th Street westbound and Maple Street eastbound carry motorists between U.S. 395 Business (Virginia Street) and the on and off-ramps for Interstate 80. Photo taken 09/09/05. Westbound at the Ralston Street over crossing ahead of the Keystone Avenue (Exit 12) two-lane off-ramp. Keystone Avenue meanders 1.2 miles north from California Avenue to Interstate 80 and 7th Street. The surface arterial carries Business Loop Interstate 80 from 4th Street northward. Photo taken 09/09/05. Exit 12 consists of a single point urban interchange (SPUI) between Interstate 80 and Keystone Avenue. Keystone Avenue continues 1.7 miles northwest to Nevada 651 (McCarran Boulevard). 4th Street (Business Loop Interstate 80 & Nevada 647) lies one quarter mile to the south. Photo taken 09/09/05. McCarran Boulevard returns to intersect Interstate 80 for a second time at Exit 10. The Reno-Sparks belt route carries Nevada 651 north of Exit 10 to U.S. 395. The arterial continues south 4.2 miles to meet Skyline Boulevard and 7.2 miles to junction U.S. 395 (Virginia Street). Photo taken 09/09/05. The final three Reno interchanges are Exit 10 (McCarran Boulevard west), Exit 9 (Robb Drive), and Exit 8 (4th Street). Photo taken 09/09/05. Drawing to within one half mile of the Exit 10 diamond interchange with McCarran Boulevard (Nevada 651 east) on Interstate 80. McCarran Boulevard does not provide a viable bypass route for through traffic due to its over development. Interstate 80 through the city remains the best route for long distance traffic. Photo taken 09/09/05. Westbound at the Exit 10 ramp departure to McCarran Boulevard (Nevada 651 north) west. McCarran Boulevard intersects Mae Anne Avenue and 7th Street within one mile of the freeway to the north. Nevada 647 (4th Street) crosses McCarran Boulevard 0.8 miles to the south. Photo taken 09/09/05. Robb Drive ties into Interstate 80 just one quarter mile west of the McCarran Boulevard interchange at Exit 9. Robb Drive spurs 3.2 miles north from the freeway into residential areas of west Reno. Photo taken 09/09/05. A partial-cloverleaf interchange facilitates the movements between Interstate 80 and Robb Drive at Exit 9. Robb Drive intersects Mae Anne Drive, an east-west surface arterial, in 1.3 miles. Photo taken 09/09/05. Mileage sign posted along Interstate 80 four miles east of Verdi. Truckee and Sacramento lie ahead within the Golden State. Photo taken 09/09/05. Nevada 647 (4th Street) merges onto Interstate 80 via the Exit 8 partial-diamond interchange. From there the freeway leaves Reno and enters the community of Mogul. Mogal represents a residential suburb west of the Reno city line and thus provides no traveler services. Photo taken 09/09/05. Exit 7 leaves Interstate 80 for the adjacent 4th Street. 4th Street ends at Silva Ranch and Mogul Roads. Silva Ranch Road parallels Interstate 80 west to Mogul Mountain Road and Mogul Park. Mogul Road meanwhile spurs southwest to a warehouse facility. Through trucks are discouraged from Exit 7 as there is no outlet to the west. Photo taken 09/09/05. A truck parking area resides along Interstate 80 westbound adjacent to Silva Ranch Road at Mogul. Photo taken 09/09/05. The last several off-ramps of Interstate 80 serve the community of Verdi near the California state line. Departing the freeway ahead is 4.3-mile long alignment of old U.S. 40. Photo taken 09/09/05. Old U.S. 40 carries the designation of Business Loop Interstate 80 between Exits 5 and 1. The loop cosigns with Nevada 425 for 3.359 miles between Exit 5 and 2 in Verdi. Photo taken 09/09/05. A partial "Y" interchange carries motorists from Interstate 80 west onto Business Loop Interstate 80 & Nevada 425 (3rd Street / old U.S. 40). Verdi itself lies north of Exit 3 at the intersection of 3rd Street and Bridge Street / Verdi Road. Photo taken 09/09/05. Boomtown Garson Road spurs south from Verdi Road to meet Interstate 80 at the Exit 4 partial-cloverleaf interchange. The interchange serves residential areas to the south. Photo taken 09/09/05. Verdi Road parallels the Union Pacific Railroad west to Bridge Street in the heart of Verdi. From there the road and railroad line curve southwest to cross paths with Interstate 80 at Exit 3. Photo taken 09/09/05. Exit 3 consists of a half-diamond interchange between Interstate 80 west and Verdi Road and Crystal Peak Road. Crystal Peak Road ties into the exit from Crystal Peak Park to the west. Quilici Ranch Road spurs south from Crystal Peak Road along the railroad line to Old Verdi Road. Photo taken 09/09/05. The final two off-ramps of Interstate 80 westbound in Nevada both tie into the adjacent Business Loop Interstate 80 (3rd Street / Gold Ranch Road). The former U.S. 40 alignment leaves Verdi and parallels the freeway along the westbound side. Photo taken 09/09/05. Interstate 80 crosses over the Truckee River at the southward turn toward the California state line. Ramps to and from Interstate 80 eastbound pass overhead in this scene. Photo taken 09/09/05. Exit 2 links Interstate 80 westbound with the adjacent Gold Ranch Road (Business Loop Interstate 80). The ramp ties into the business loop across from the Gold Ranch Casino. Photo taken 09/09/05. Exit 1 provides a slip ramp onto the adjacent Business Loop Interstate 80 ahead of its merge onto Interstate 80 westbound. Mahogany Canyon Road spurs splits from the on-ramp onto the adjacent hillside. Gold Ranch Road otherwise continues back north to Trelease Lane and Verdi. Photo taken 09/09/05. Views of the Interstate 80 approach and crossing of the California state line. The vistas along the four-lane freeway are second to none long the stretch of Interstate 80 between Fort Lee, New Jersey and San Francisco, California. The Sierra Nevada rises high above the freeway between Verdi and Floriston, California. Verdi Peak (el. 8,444 ft) lies just west of the town by the same name. Note the lack of trees along the east facing hills. The lack of vegetation is indicative of the rain shadow caused by the higher peaks to the west in California. The Truckee River and Union Pacific Railroad line continue to parallel Interstate 80 westward to Truckee, California. Milepost zero appropriately affixes to the California Welcome sign in the final scene. Photos taken 09/09/05. Interstate 80 west Eastbound Interstate 80 entering Verdi, Nevada from Farad, California. Note the change in pavement and the white California and Nevada mileposts near the welcome sign. The Truckee River, which hugs Interstate 80 between Truckee and Reno, cuts through this canyon. Photos taken 10/98 & 01/14/00. Eastbound Interstate 80 approaching Exit 12, Keystone Avenue. This is the west end of Business Loop I-80 through Reno and Sparks, which generally follows 4th Street through Reno and Victorian Way through Sparks along the former U.S. 40 alignment. For business loop routes in Nevada, usually only one advance sign has the business loop shield. This sign is located just before the actual exit, and its usefulness would be increased if the business loop were signed with an exit number. Of course, the best option would be to include the business loop shield on each advance sign. Photo taken 08/99. Approaching the Wells Avenue diamond interchange (Exit 14) on Interstate 80 eastbound. In addition to using the federal standard green mileposts on Interstates, Nevada also uses a county-based milepost system similar to the one used by California. The mileposts indicate the route number (Interstate 80, abbreviated IR 80), the county name (such as Washoe, abbreviated WA), and the mileage from the western or southern terminus (given to 100ths of a mile). Photo taken 08/99 Eastbound Interstate 80 at Junction U.S. 395 (Hidden Interstate 580). This marks the northern terminus of Interstate 580, which is unsigned along U.S. 395 from this point south to Del Monte Lane (hidden Nevada 667). The Interstate 80 overhead sign for Salt Lake City is a rarity; there are few if any overhead signs along Interstate 80 between here and the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. Photo taken 11/00. Page Updated October 12, 2005.