View source for State highways in Oregon

{{short description|Highway system of Oregon in the United States}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Primary sources|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox state highway system
|shields={{Infobox road/shieldmain/USA|state=OR|type=I|route=84}}{{Infobox road/shieldmain/USA|state=OR|type=US|route=30}}{{Infobox road/shieldmain/USA|state=OR|type=OR|route=140}}
|caption=Standard route signage in Oregon
|map=
|map_notes=
|formed=
|length_mi=
|length_ref=
|interstate=Interstate nn (I-nn)
|us=U.S. Route nn (US nn)
|statehwy=Oregon Route nn (OR nn)
|label1=Named highways
|field1=xx Highway No. nn
|notes=
|links=OR
}}

The '''state highway system''' of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Oregon]] is a network of [[highway]]s that are owned and maintained by the Highway Division of the [[Oregon Department of Transportation]] (ODOT).

==Highways and routes==
{{see also|List of named state highways in Oregon|List of numbered state routes in Oregon}}
The state highway system consists of about {{convert|8000|mi}} of [[state highway]]s, that is, roadways owned and maintained by ODOT.  When minor connections and [[frontage road]]s are removed, that number drops to approximately {{convert|7400|mi}} or around 9% of the total road mileage in the state.  Oregon's portion of the [[Interstate Highway System]] totals {{convert|729.57|mi}}.<ref name=mileage>[[Oregon Department of Transportation]], [www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Data/Documents/OMR_2006.pdf 2006 Oregon Mileage Report], July 2007</ref> Transfers of highways between the state and county or local maintenance require the approval of the [[Oregon Transportation Commission]] (OTC), a five-member governor-appointed authority that meets monthly.<ref>[[Oregon Department of Transportation]], [http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Get-Involved/Pages/OTC_Main.aspx Oregon Transportation Commission], accessed September 2007</ref> These transfers often result in discontinuous highways, where a local government maintains part or all of a main road within its boundaries.<ref name=transfers>[[Oregon Department of Transportation]], [https://digital.osl.state.or.us/islandora/object/osl%3A9571/datastream/OBJ/view Transferring Roads: Handbook for Making Jurisdictional Transfers], accessed September 2007</ref>

Two separate numbering systems are used: '''routes''' (e.g. [[Interstate 84 in Oregon|Interstate 84]], [[U.S. Route 26 in Oregon|U.S. Route 26]], and [[Oregon Route 140]]) are those used by the general public, and their shields are posted on [[Direction, position, or indication sign|guide signs]] and maps.  These comprise the [[Interstate Highway System|Interstate Highways]], [[United States Numbered Highways|U.S. Highways]], and Oregon state routes (e.g. [[Oregon Route 201|OR 201]]).  '''Highways''', on the other hand, are used internally by ODOT; they are named and numbered (e.g. [[Interstate 5 in Oregon|Pacific Highway No. 1]], [[Oregon Route 58|Willamette Highway No. 18]]).  The two systems, while largely overlapping, are not congruent.  Many ''routes'' are signed on streets which are maintained by counties and cities, and thus are not part of the state ''highway'' system at all, e.g. [[Oregon Route 8|OR 8]], whose eastern- and westernmost portions, [[Canyon Road]] and Gales Creek Road, are not actually state highways.  On the other hand, some state ''highways'' are not signed as ''routes'' at all; the [[Beaverton–Tualatin Highway No. 141]] has an official route designation ([[Oregon Route 141|OR 141]]), but remains entirely unsigned.  Signed routes may comprise several highways; for instance, [[Oregon Route 47|OR 47]] is overlaid on the [[Mist–Clatskanie Highway No. 110]], [[Nehalem Highway No. 102]], and [[Tualatin Valley Highway No. 29]].  Likewise, highways may consist of several routes; Tualatin Valley Highway No. 29 comprises parts of [[Oregon Route 8|OR 8]] and [[Oregon Route 47|OR 47]].  Every highway is fully state-maintained, and every route is at least partially state-maintained.<ref name=mileage/><ref name=descriptions/>

The OTC designates the paths of these routes as they follow state highways and local roads;<ref name=descriptions>[[Oregon Department of Transportation]], [http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Engineering/TRSDocs/HWY-Route-Descriptions.pdf Descriptions of US and OR Routes], July 2007</ref> any U.S. Route or Interstate numbers must also be approved by the [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] (AASHTO). Route signs are maintained by the same agency as the roads they are posted along. If a local government maintains a numbered route, it signs an agreement with the state to keep the signs posted, thus keeping a continuous route for the benefit of travelers.

==History==
[[File:Oregon State Highways 1918.jpg|thumb|1918 state highway map]]
The initial primary state highway system was designated in 1917,<ref name=transfers/> initially consisting of 36 named and numbered highways,<ref>[[Oregon State Highway Commission]], [ftp://ftp.odot.state.or.us/ROW_Eng/HistoryHighwaysOregon/statehwypropsed1917_0001.tif Proposed State Highway System]{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, November 27, 1917</ref> including some designated earlier that year by the [[Oregon State Legislature]] and others added to the network by the [[Oregon State Highway Commission]], the predecessor to the OTC.<ref name=HSHO>[[Oregon Department of Transportation]], [http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/ETA/Documents_Geometronics/ROW-Eng_State-Highway-History.pdf History of State Highways in Oregon], January 2007</ref> The first signed routes were the [[U.S. Route]]s, in 1926.{{Citation needed|date=September 2007}} It was not until 1932 that Oregon Routes were numbered by the OTC and marked by the [[Oregon State Highway Department]];<ref>[[Oregon Department of Transportation]], [http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/asset_mgmt/AssetMgmtTermsAndDefinitions.shtml ODOT Approved Terms & Definitions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070624002627/http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/asset_mgmt/AssetMgmtTermsAndDefinitions.shtml |date=2007-06-24 }}, accessed September 2007</ref> every primary state highway that was not already part of a U.S. Route received a route number at that time.{{Citation needed|date=September 2007}} Starting in late 1931, the state took over maintenance of many county "market roads", which became secondary state highways with three-digit numbers;<ref name=HSHO/> some of these were assigned route numbers in 1935, but many others remained unsigned.{{Citation needed|date=September 2007}}

[[File:OR 50 1948.svg|thumb|1940s-style sign for [[Oregon Route 50]], incorporating the [[Seal of Oregon]]]]

The primary, two-digit route numbers were laid out in a grid system, similar to the [[Interstate Highway System]]. Odd-numbered routes were north–south and increased in number bearing west, ranging from [[Oregon Route 3|OR 3]] in [[Wallowa County]] to [[Oregon Route 53|OR 53]] in [[Clatsop County|Clatsop]] and [[Tillamook County|Tillamook]] counties. Even-numbered routes were east–west and increased in number bearing south, ranging from [[Oregon Route 6|OR 6]] in [[Tillamook County|Tillamook]] and [[Washington County, Oregon|Washington]] counties to [[Oregon Route 70|OR 70]] in [[Klamath County, Oregon|Klamath County]]. East–west highways in eastern Oregon were given route numbers between [[Oregon Route 74|OR 74]] and [[Oregon Route 86|OR 86]], again increasing in number to the south. Despite this pattern, the internally used highway numbers for primary highways remained ad-hoc. A few route numbers were added after the 1930s, and broke these patterns for continuity reasons: [[Oregon Route 99|OR 99]], [[Oregon Route 126|OR 126]], [[Oregon Route 138|OR 138]], and [[Oregon Route 140|OR 140]].

Secondary route numbers, three digits starting with 2, were laid out to generally increase bearing west. They ranged from [[Oregon Route 201|OR 201]] in [[Malheur County]] to [[Oregon Route 240|OR 240]] in [[Yamhill County]]. The internally used highway numbers for secondary highways were also three digit numbers, but were designated by county, from No. 10X in [[Clatsop County]], No. 11X in [[Columbia County, Oregon|Columbia County]], No. 12X in [[Multnomah County]], etc., until No. 45X in [[Malheur County]]. In 2002 and 2003, ODOT decided to assign route numbers to most of the previously unsigned secondary highways. Typically, these new route numbers were identical to the old highway numbers, and range from [[Oregon Route 103|OR 103]] to [[Oregon Route 454|OR 454]]. In cases where the highway number was already in use by a different route, the first digit of the new route number was changed to 5 (e.g. Cape Arago Hwy No. 240, designated [[Oregon Route 540|OR 540]] in 2003). Most of these new route numbers are unsigned as of 2015.

Two state highways lack route numbers: [[Century Drive Highway|Century Drive Hwy No. 372]] and Midland Hwy No. 420.<ref name=transfers/>

==Cancelled or demolished highways==
The following highways were constructed and/or planned, and then subsequently demolished or cancelled. In some cases, the cancellation resulted from [[Freeway and expressway revolts|freeway revolts]].
*[[File:I-80N.svg|x20px]][[File:US 26.svg|x20px]] [[Mount Hood Freeway]] (Approaches built, project cancelled in 1974)
*[[Rose City Freeway]] (Project cancelled in 1974)
*[[File:US 99W.svg|x20px]] [[Harbor Drive]] (Built in 1950, demolished in 1974)
*[[File:OR 126.svg|x20px]] [[Roosevelt Freeway (Oregon)|Roosevelt Freeway]] (Project cancelled in 1978)
*[[File:OR 126.svg|x20px]] [[West Eugene Parkway]] (Project cancelled in 2006)
*[[File:I-305.svg|x20px]] [[Interstate 305 (Oregon)|Interstate 305]] (Partially built as an [[Limited-access road|expressway]] in 1986)
*[[File:I-505.svg|x20px]] [[Interstate 505 (Oregon)|Interstate 505]] (Partially built, main segment cancelled in 1979)
*[[File:OR 501.svg|x20px]] [[Oregon Route 501|Alsea-Deadwood Highway]] (OR 501)  (Partially built, never finished, partial route still in use; complete route cancelled 1936).

==See also==
*{{portal-inline|Oregon}}
*{{portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.odot.state.or.us/ Oregon Department of Transportation]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050204013248/http://www.ylekot.com/orehwys/highways.html Oregon Highways] (history of most highways)
*[https://www.angelfire.com/or3/oroads/roads/ ORoads: Roads & Highways] (detailed history of some highways)

{{US state highways}}

[[Category:State highways in Oregon| ]]
[[Category:State routes in Oregon| ]]