Interstate 215 (California)
Encyclopedia
Interstate 215 is a 54.5 miles (87.7 km) long north–south Interstate highway
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...

 in the Inland Empire
Inland Empire (California)
The Inland Empire is a region in Southern California. The region sits directly east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Inland Empire most commonly is used in reference to the U.S. Census Bureau's federally-defined Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area, which covers more than...

 region of Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...

. It is an auxiliary route of Interstate 15
Interstate 15 in California
In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 15 is a major north–south route through the San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego Counties, and it has a length of in the state. It is a major thoroughfare for traffic between Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as points beyond...

 (I-15), running from Murrieta
Murrieta, California
Murrieta has a Mediterranean climate or Dry-Summer Subtropical . Murrieta has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 263 sunshine days and 35 days with measurable precipitation annually....

 to northern San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...

. While I-215 connects the city centers of both Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...

 and San Bernardino, its parent I-15 runs to the west through Ontario
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...

.

Part of I-215 was originally built and signed as Interstate 15E, but this was later changed as almost all of the Interstates around the country with directional suffixes were eventually renumbered or eliminated, sans I-35E
Interstate 35E
Interstate 35E may refer to:*Interstate 35E , a long branch route serving Dallas, Texas*Interstate 35E , a long branch route serving St. Paul, Minnesota...

 and I-35W
Interstate 35W
Interstate 35W may refer to:*Interstate 35W , an Interstate Highway serving Fort Worth, Texas, and its suburbs*Interstate 35W , a Interstate Highway serving Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its suburbs...

 in Texas and Minnesota.

I-215 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System
California Freeway and Expressway System
The California Freeway and Expressway System is a system of existing or planned freeways and expressways in the U.S. state of California. It is defined by the Streets and Highways Code.-List of roads in the system:*State Route 1 *State Route 2...

 and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System
State Scenic Highway System (California)
The State Scenic Highway System is a list of highways, mainly state highways, that have been designated by the California Department of Transportation as scenic highways. The California State Legislature, primarily through Section 263 of the Streets and Highways Code, makes highways eligible for...

.

Route description

The southern terminus of Interstate 215 is at the junction of Interstate 15 in the city of Murrieta
Murrieta, California
Murrieta has a Mediterranean climate or Dry-Summer Subtropical . Murrieta has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 263 sunshine days and 35 days with measurable precipitation annually....

 in southern Riverside County
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...

.
It then runs north through Perris
Perris, California
Perris is a city in Riverside County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city population was 68,386, up from 36,189 at the 2000 census. The city is named in honor of Fred T. Perris, chief engineer of the California Southern Railroad...

 before joining State Route 60
California State Route 60
State Route 60 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs from Interstate 10 near the Los Angeles River in Los Angeles east to I-10 in Riverside County, with overlaps at State Route 57 and Interstate 215.-Route description:...

 in Moreno Valley
Moreno Valley, California
Moreno Valley is a city located in Riverside County, California.A relatively young city, its rapid growth in the 1980s and the first decade of the 21st century made it second-largest city in Riverside County by population, and one of the Inland Empire's population centers. As of the 2010 census,...

.

I-215 splits from SR 60 at State Route 91
California State Route 91
State Route 91 is a major east–west freeway located entirely within Southern California and serving several regions of the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area...

 in Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...

, where it then travels to San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...

 before terminating at I-15 near the small San Bernardino neighborhood of Devore.

This route is an alternative to I-15 for drivers traveling from, for example, Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, and San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...

, to the San Diego metropolitan area. This route offers more of a distance advantage since it is an alternative to Interstate 15
Interstate 15
Interstate 15 is the fourth-longest north–south Interstate Highway in the United States, traveling through the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Montana from San Diego to the Canadian border...

's alignment that is about 10 miles (16.1 km) to the west of, and roughly parallel to, I-215. However, the traffic and time "advantage" on I-215 is limited by three factors: the segment between the I-15 / I-215 "Devore junction" and San Bernardino only has two lanes in each direction (on the other hand, I-15 has four), it is co-signed with SR 60 between Riverside and Moreno Valley, and it has only two lanes in each direction between Perris and Murrieta.

I-215 is also used by local residents as the major north–south route for the urbanized portions of the San Bernardino-Riverside-Ontario Metropolitan Area. (I-15 serves a similar function in the western portion of the metropolitan area; the two are the only continuous north–south freeways in the area.)

Interstate 215 is named the Escondido Freeway
Escondido Freeway
The Escondido Freeway is a named freeway in Southern California. It refers to the following segments:*California State Route 15, from Interstate 5 southeast of Downtown San Diego and Interstate 8 in San Diego...

 from its southern terminus in Murrieta to SR 60 in Moreno Valley. From that point to SR 91, I-215 is co-signed with SR 60 where it inherits the Moreno Valley Freeway name. Between the SR 60/SR 91 interchange in Riverside to Interstate 10
Interstate 10 in California
Interstate 10 , the major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States, runs in the U.S. state of California east from Santa Monica, on the Pacific Ocean, through Los Angeles and San Bernardino to the border with Arizona...

 in San Bernardino, the highway is known as the Riverside Freeway. Between I-10 and State Route 210
Interstate 210 and State Route 210 (California)
Interstate 210 and State Route 210 together form a contiguous highway, called the Foothill Freeway, in the Greater Los Angeles area of the U.S. state of California. The western portion of the route is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, while the eastern portion is a state highway...

, I-215 is named the San Bernardino Freeway
San Bernardino Freeway
The San Bernardino Freeway, formerly known as the Ramona Freeway is a freeway in Los Angeles and Orange Counties in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It refers to the following two segments:...

. From SR 210 to its northern terminus, I-215 is named the Barstow Freeway.

On January 24, 1957, the State Highway Commission defined the Escondido Freeway as what is now Routes 15 and 215 from Route 805 to Route 91. Note that this entire segment was previously Route 395 when it was named. Since then, the definition was extended on Route 15 south to Route 8 by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 34, Chapter 67 in 1979. Meanwhile, the segment of Route 15 from the San Diego County Line to the I-15/I-215 interchange was named the Temecula Valley Freeway in 1990.

History

The highway (not an Interstate) that is currently Interstate 215 first opened in 1963 as part of U.S. Route 395. The "mileposts" in Riverside County reflect this, since they do not go to zero at the Interstate 15 interchange in Murrieta. In circa 1968 , U.S.395 was renumbered as I-15 (the original proposed route , as CA 71's proposed number was I-15W / CA 31 Hamner-Milliken ) .This segment of US 395 was again renumbered in 1972 as (Temporary)Interstate 15E. Next in 1982, this route was renumbered as I-215 north of SR 60, and as State Route 215 south of State Route 60
California State Route 60
State Route 60 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs from Interstate 10 near the Los Angeles River in Los Angeles east to I-10 in Riverside County, with overlaps at State Route 57 and Interstate 215.-Route description:...

. Once State Route 215 was upgraded by construction to Interstate Highway standards
Interstate Highway standards
Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in the publication A Policy on Design Standards - Interstate System...

, it became part of I-215 in 1994. Prior to its upgrade to Interstate Standards , there were traffic signals at CA 74 junction , as well as at Allesandro (in Moreno Valley); rail road crossing also intersected the expressway at CA 74 .

Future

A joint project between Caltrans and SANBAG of San Bernardino County is currently underway to widen I-215 from Orange Show Road to University Parkway adding one general use lane and one carpool lane in each direction. The 7.5-mile, $723 million project will include the reconstruction of all underpasses and overpasses within the project as well as flyover connectors between northbound I-215 to westbound SR-210 and eastbound SR-210 to southbound I-215. The project has four phases with the first two already complete. End of construction is expected in 2013.
Due to the fact that the I-215 designation was overlaid upon existing freeways between the southern junction with SR 60 and the city of San Bernardino, the SR 60/SR 91/I-215 interchange in the city of Riverside has been widely known for its confusing nature concerning the numbering of I-215. While SR 60 continues east-and-west through this interchange, and SR 91 coninues south (and formerly to the north, the number having now been removed), the I-215 designation continues away from this interchange on SR 60 East and the former northern portion of SR 91 (now solely numbered I-215). Travelers following I-215 in either direction need to "change freeways" at this interchange, instead of just following through lanes. The interchange was recently reconstructed to include some high-speed flyovers, one of which carries I-215 southbound traffic.

There is also a significant widening project being undertaken on the San Bernardino portion of I-215 which will add a travel lane in either direction between the I-10/I-215 interchange in southern San Bernardino and the SR 210/I-215 interchange in northern San Bernardino. Also, a connecting ramp for SR 210 east to I-215 south and I-215 north to SR 210 west will be built as part of the project. Construction is moving forward on the first phase, which will widen the freeway between Orange Show Road in San Bernardino up to 2nd Street and will also redo the access ramps for the Inland Center Drive, Mill Street, and Orange St. exits. Currently the Base Line Road and 5th Street
Foothill Boulevard (Southern California)
Foothill Boulevard is a major road in the city and county of Los Angeles, as well as an arterial road in the city and county of San Bernardino, stretching well over 60 miles in length, with some notable breaks along the route...

 exits are only accessible from the center lane on the southbound portion of the freeway through the city of San Bernardino. Construction work has also started on the next phase of the project. The 9th Street overpass of the freeway has been removed, as well has the Baseline Road exit on southbound 215. However, due to BNSF tracks running directly parallel to the west of I-215 from 3rd Street to beyond Mt. Vernon, the entire freeway through San Bernardino itself between 3rd St. and Highland looks like it will be moved eastward about 50 feet (15.2 m).

Exit list

Note: Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured in 1964, based on the alignment as it existed at that time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage. The numbers reset at county lines; the start and end postmiles in each county are given in the county column.

{| class=wikitable
!County
!Location
!Postmile

!Exit
Exit number
An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....



!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=30|Riverside
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...


RIV R9.00–45.33
|rowspan=4|Murrieta
Murrieta, California
Murrieta has a Mediterranean climate or Dry-Summer Subtropical . Murrieta has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 263 sunshine days and 35 days with measurable precipitation annually....


|bgcolor=#ffdddd|R9.00
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|Southbound exit and northbound entrance
|-
|R9.51
|1
|Murrieta Hot Springs Road
|
|-
|R10.65
|2
|Los Alamos Road
|
|-
|R12.51
|4
|Clinton Keith Road
|
|-
|
|R15.52
|7
|Scott Road
|
|-
|
|R18.52
|10
|Newport Road
|
|-
|Menifee
Menifee, California
Menifee is a relatively new city located in Southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The city is roughly in size. As of the 2010 census, Menifee has a population of about 77,519...


|R20.84
|12
|McCall Boulevard – Sun City
|
|-
|
|22.76
|14
|Ethanac Road
|
|-
|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|23.54
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|15
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|South end of SR 74 overlap
|-
|rowspan=6|Perris
Perris, California
Perris is a city in Riverside County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city population was 68,386, up from 36,189 at the 2000 census. The city is named in honor of Fred T. Perris, chief engineer of the California Southern Railroad...


|bgcolor=#ddffdd|26.31
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|17
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|North end of SR 74 overlap
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|27.23
|18
|D Street
|Southbound exit and northbound entrance
|-
|R27.89
|19
|Nuevo Road
|
|-
|R30.93
|22
|Ramona Expressway, Cajalco Expressway
|
|-
|R32.33
|23
|Harley Knox Boulevard
|Formerly Oleander Avenue
|-
|R34.17
|25
|Van Buren Boulevard – Riverside National Cemetery
Riverside National Cemetery
Riverside National Cemetery is a cemetery located in Riverside, California, dedicated to the interment of United States military personnel. The cemetery covers , making it the third-largest cemetery managed by the National Cemetery Administration...

, March Field Air Museum
March Field Air Museum
The March Field Air Museum is an aviation museum near Moreno Valley and Riverside, California, adjacent to March Air Reserve Base.-Origins:The museum was founded in 1979 as March Air Force Base Museum. Originally operated by the Air Force, the museum's operation was transferred to a nonprofit...


|
|-
|Moreno Valley
Moreno Valley, California
Moreno Valley is a city located in Riverside County, California.A relatively young city, its rapid growth in the 1980s and the first decade of the 21st century made it second-largest city in Riverside County by population, and one of the Inland Empire's population centers. As of the 2010 census,...


|R35.76
|27A
|Cactus Avenue – March JARB
March Joint Air Reserve Base
March Joint Air Reserve Base is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's 4th Air Force Headquarters and the 452d Air Mobility Wing , the largest air mobility wing of the 4th Air Force...

, Moreno Valley
Moreno Valley, California
Moreno Valley is a city located in Riverside County, California.A relatively young city, its rapid growth in the 1980s and the first decade of the 21st century made it second-largest city in Riverside County by population, and one of the Inland Empire's population centers. As of the 2010 census,...

, Arnold Heights
Arnold Heights, California
Arnold Heights is an unincorporated community in Riverside County, California. It lies at an elevation of 1558 feet . Arnold Heights is located southeast of Riverside....


|Signed as exits 27A (east) and 27B (west) southbound
|-
|
|R36.42
|27B
|Alessandro Boulevard
|Signed as exit 27C southbound
|-
|
|R37.44
|28
|Eucalyptus Avenue, Eastridge Avenue
|
|-
|rowspan=12|Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...


|bgcolor=#ddffdd|R38.34
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|29
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|South end of SR 60 overlap
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|R38.92
|30A
|Fair Isle Drive – Box Springs
Box Springs, California
Box Springs is an unincorporated community in Riverside County, California. It is located on SR 60 Pomona Freeway and the I-215 Freeway. Box Springs is located east-southeast of downtown Riverside....


|Inaccessible from I-215 northbound
|-
|39.48
|30B
|Watkins Drive, Central Avenue
|
|-bgcolor=#d3d3d3
|40.28
|31
|El Cerrito Drive
|Closed
|-
|40.98
|31
|Martin Luther King Boulevard
|
|-
|41.49
|32
|University Avenue (SR 60 Bus. west)
|
|-
|42.16
|33
|3rd Street, Blaine Street
|
|-bgcolor=#d3d3d3
|42.84
|34A
|Spruce Street
|Closed
|-
|43.27
|34B
|
|Left exit southbound; former US 91 west
|-bgcolor=#ddffdd
|43.27
|34A
|
|North end of SR 60 overlap
|-
|43.90
|35
|Columbia Avenue
|
|-
|45.01
|36
|Center Street – Highgrove
Highgrove, California
Highgrove is a census-designated place in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 3,988 at the 2010 census, up from 3,445 at the 2000 census...


|
|-
|rowspan=20|San Bernardino
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...


SBD 0.00–17.75
|Colton
Colton, California
Colton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The city is located in the Inland Empire region of the state and is approximately 57 miles east of Los Angeles. The population of Colton is 52,154 according to the 2010 census, up from 47,662 at the 2000 census.Colton is the...


|0.40
|37
|La Cadena Drive, Iowa Avenue – Colton
Colton, California
Colton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The city is located in the Inland Empire region of the state and is approximately 57 miles east of Los Angeles. The population of Colton is 52,154 according to the 2010 census, up from 47,662 at the 2000 census.Colton is the...


|
|-
|Grand Terrace
Grand Terrace, California
Grand Terrace is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 12,040 at the 2010 census, up from 11,626 at the 2000 census. Grand Terrace is located between the cities of Riverside and San Bernardino along the I-215 corridor...


|1.31
|38
|Barton Road
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Colton
Colton, California
Colton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The city is located in the Inland Empire region of the state and is approximately 57 miles east of Los Angeles. The population of Colton is 52,154 according to the 2010 census, up from 47,662 at the 2000 census.Colton is the...


|2.69
|39
|Mt. Vernon Avenue, Washington Street
|Mt. Vernon Avenue was old US 66
U.S. Route 66 in California
In the U.S. state of California, U.S. Route 66 is a former U.S. highway. All the portions were deleted by 1964 during the 1964 renumbering.-History:U.S...

/US 91/US 395
U.S. Route 395 in California
In the U.S. state of California, U.S. Route 395 is a route which traverses from Interstate 15 near the southern city limits of Hesperia, north to the Oregon state line in Modoc County near Goose Lake...


|-
|4.05
|40
|
|Signed as exits 40A (east) and 40B (west) northbound
|-
|rowspan=16|San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...


|5.03
|41
|Orange Show Road, Auto Plaza Drive
|
|-
|5.58
|42A
|Inland Center Drive – Colton
Colton, California
Colton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The city is located in the Inland Empire region of the state and is approximately 57 miles east of Los Angeles. The population of Colton is 52,154 according to the 2010 census, up from 47,662 at the 2000 census.Colton is the...


|
|-
|6.06
|42B
|Mill Street – SBD Airport
San Bernardino International Airport
San Bernardino International Airport is a public airport located two miles southeast of the central business district of San Bernardino, California, in San Bernardino County, California, USA. The airport covers and has one runway. It is currently a general aviation and cargo airport located on...


|
|-
|6.79
|43
|2nd Street, 3rd Street – San Bernardino Civic Center
|
|-
|7.18
|44A
| – San Bernardino Civic Center
|Signed as exit 44 southbound
|-
|8.08
|44B
|Base Line Street
|Signed as exit 45 southbound
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|8.60
|45A
|
|Northbound exit and southbound entrance
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|9.03
|45B
|Muscupiabe Drive
|Northbound exit only
|-
|9.36
|46A
|
Highland Avenue to SR 210 west
|Southbound exit is via exit 46B
|-
|9.72
|46B
|Mt. Vernon Avenue, 27th Street
|
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|10.05
|46C
|
|Southbound exit and northbound entrance; former SR 30
|-
|11.63
|48
|University Parkway
|Former SR 206 north
|-
|14.09
|50
|Palm Avenue, Kendall Drive
|Former SR 206 south
|-
|17.32
|54A
|Devore Road – Devore
Devore, California
Devore is a neighborhood in the city of San Bernardino, California. It is located near the northern junction of Interstate 15 and Interstate 215. The area is just outside the boundaries of the San Bernardino National Forest; nearby cities/town centers include Universitytown, Fontana, and Rialto...


|Signed as exit 54 southbound; former US 66
U.S. Route 66 in California
In the U.S. state of California, U.S. Route 66 is a former U.S. highway. All the portions were deleted by 1964 during the 1964 renumbering.-History:U.S...

 west
|-
|17.75
|54B
|
|Northbound exit and southbound entrance
|-
|17.75
|
|, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...


|Northbound exit and southbound entrance

External links

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