Interstate 86 (west)
Encyclopedia
Interstate 86 is an intrastate Interstate Highway, located entirely within the state of Idaho
. It runs 63 miles (101.4 kilometers) from an intersection with Interstate 84 located approximately 7 miles (11.3 kilometers) east of Declo
in rural Cassia County
, to an intersection with Interstate 15 at Pocatello
. Interstate 86 connects the major eastern Idaho cities of Pocatello
and Twin Falls
with the state's Magic Valley
region.
Interstate 86 was originally numbered as Interstate 15W in the 1970s however AASHTO decided it was better to have duplicate numbers in different parts of the country instead of having suffixes. (See also Interstate 86 (east)
.) There was also an Interstate 15E in California
at the time.
Besides being somewhat short, the area Interstate 86 passes through is very desolate. Pocatello and American Falls
are the only incorporated settlements located on the highway. Between American Falls and Pocatello I-86 passes through a portion of Fort Hall Indian Reservation
.
and U.S. Route 30
in rural Cassia County; it becomes concurrent
with US 30 at this interchange, and remains so for much of its route. The highway runs east through a rural and largely undeveloped section of Cassia County; it has no exits in its first fourteen miles. After this section, I-86 crosses the Raft River
and reaches an exit with Yale Road in the community of Raft River
. The highway continues east into Power County
, running to the south of the Snake River
. It reaches its next exit, at Barkdull Road in Coldwater, around milepost 21. I-86 heads northeast along the river to an exit at Massacre Rocks State Park
. The highway continees northeast to meet Rock Creek Road in Neeley
. Past Neeley, I-86 reaches an interchange with Idaho State Highway 37, which runs south to Rockland
, and Interstate 86 Business, a business loop serving American Falls
. I-86 bypasses American Falls to the southeast, meeting its business loop and Idaho State Highway 39
east of the city near American Falls Airport. The highway runs south of the American Falls Reservoir to its next exit at Ramsey Road near Seagull Bay. Past this exit, the route enters the Fort Hall Indian Reservation
. After passing another exit at Rainbow Road near the eastern edge of the reservoir, I-86 heads eastward toward Pocatello
. It serves exits at Arbon Valley
and the Pocatello Air Terminal before leaving the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. US 30 leaves I-86 at the next exit to the southeast, while 1-86 continues eastward across the Portneuf River
. The highway crosses into Bannock County
and enters the city of Chubbuck
, where it intersects U.S. Route 91
. I-86 briefly passes through Pocatello without an interchange in the city and terminates at Interstate 15
outside the Pocatello city limits.
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. It runs 63 miles (101.4 kilometers) from an intersection with Interstate 84 located approximately 7 miles (11.3 kilometers) east of Declo
Declo, Idaho
Declo is a city in Cassia County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Burley, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 343 at the 2010 census. The world's largest potato processing company was founded in 1923 near Declo by a 14-year-old entrepreneur named J.R. Simplot. The...
in rural Cassia County
Cassia County, Idaho
Cassia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 22,952. The county seat and largest city is Burley.-History:...
, to an intersection with Interstate 15 at Pocatello
Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock...
. Interstate 86 connects the major eastern Idaho cities of Pocatello
Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock...
and Twin Falls
Twin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls is the county seat and largest city of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The population was 44,125 at the 2010 censusTwin Falls is the largest city of Idaho's Magic Valley region...
with the state's Magic Valley
Magic Valley
The Magic Valley is a region in south-central Idaho consisting of Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka and Twin Falls Counties. It is particularly associated with the agricultural region in the Snake River Plain located in the area...
region.
Interstate 86 was originally numbered as Interstate 15W in the 1970s however AASHTO decided it was better to have duplicate numbers in different parts of the country instead of having suffixes. (See also Interstate 86 (east)
Interstate 86 (east)
Interstate 86 is an Interstate Highway that extends for through northwestern Pennsylvania and southern New York in the United States...
.) There was also an Interstate 15E in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
at the time.
Besides being somewhat short, the area Interstate 86 passes through is very desolate. Pocatello and American Falls
American Falls, Idaho
American Falls is a city in and the county seat of Power County, Idaho, United States. The population was 4,111 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pocatello, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
are the only incorporated settlements located on the highway. Between American Falls and Pocatello I-86 passes through a portion of Fort Hall Indian Reservation
Fort Hall Indian Reservation
The Fort Hall Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation of the federally recognized Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in the U.S. state of Idaho. It is located in southeastern Idaho on the Snake River Plain north of Pocatello, and comprises 814.874 sq mi of land area in four counties: Bingham, Power,...
.
Route description
I-86 begins at an interchange with Interstate 84Interstate 84 (west)
Interstate 84 is an Interstate Highway in the Western United States that runs from Portland, Oregon, to a junction with Interstate 80 near Echo, Utah. The highway originally served as a fork of I-80 to serve the Pacific Northwest, and was originally numbered Interstate 80N.The highway serves and...
and U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 is an east–west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. It is the third longest U.S. route, after U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 6. The western end of the highway is at Astoria, Oregon; the...
in rural Cassia County; it becomes concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with US 30 at this interchange, and remains so for much of its route. The highway runs east through a rural and largely undeveloped section of Cassia County; it has no exits in its first fourteen miles. After this section, I-86 crosses the Raft River
Raft River
The Raft River is a tributary of the Snake River located in northern Utah and southern Idaho in the United States. It is part of the Columbia River Basin.-Course:...
and reaches an exit with Yale Road in the community of Raft River
Raft River, Idaho
Raft River is an unincorporated community in Cassia County, Idaho, United States. Raft River is located near the mouth of the Raft River at the Snake River. The community is served by Interstate 86....
. The highway continues east into Power County
Power County, Idaho
Power County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 7,538 ....
, running to the south of the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
. It reaches its next exit, at Barkdull Road in Coldwater, around milepost 21. I-86 heads northeast along the river to an exit at Massacre Rocks State Park
Massacre Rocks State Park
Massacre Rocks State Park is a state park of Idaho, USA, featuring the Massacre Rocks, a famous spot along the Oregon Trail and California Trail during the middle 19th century...
. The highway continees northeast to meet Rock Creek Road in Neeley
Neeley, Idaho
Neeley is an unincorporated community in Power County, Idaho, United States. Neeley is located near Interstate 86 southwest of American Falls....
. Past Neeley, I-86 reaches an interchange with Idaho State Highway 37, which runs south to Rockland
Rockland, Idaho
Rockland is a city in Power County, Idaho, United States. The population was 316 at the 2000 census. It is part of the 'Pocatello, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, and Interstate 86 Business, a business loop serving American Falls
American Falls, Idaho
American Falls is a city in and the county seat of Power County, Idaho, United States. The population was 4,111 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pocatello, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. I-86 bypasses American Falls to the southeast, meeting its business loop and Idaho State Highway 39
Idaho State Highway 39
Idaho State Highway 39 is a state highway located in Power and Bingham counties in Idaho. SH 39 is long and runs from its southern terminus at Interstate 86 in American Falls to its northern terminus at U.S. Route 26 in Blackfoot. Between the two cities, it passes through the city of Aberdeen and...
east of the city near American Falls Airport. The highway runs south of the American Falls Reservoir to its next exit at Ramsey Road near Seagull Bay. Past this exit, the route enters the Fort Hall Indian Reservation
Fort Hall Indian Reservation
The Fort Hall Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation of the federally recognized Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in the U.S. state of Idaho. It is located in southeastern Idaho on the Snake River Plain north of Pocatello, and comprises 814.874 sq mi of land area in four counties: Bingham, Power,...
. After passing another exit at Rainbow Road near the eastern edge of the reservoir, I-86 heads eastward toward Pocatello
Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock...
. It serves exits at Arbon Valley
Arbon Valley, Idaho
Arbon Valley is a census-designated place in Power County, Idaho, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 599. It lies within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, just west of the city of Pocatello...
and the Pocatello Air Terminal before leaving the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. US 30 leaves I-86 at the next exit to the southeast, while 1-86 continues eastward across the Portneuf River
Portneuf River (Idaho)
The Portneuf River is a tributary of the Snake River in southeastern Idaho in the United States. It drains a ranching and farming valley in the mountains southeast of the Snake River Plain...
. The highway crosses into Bannock County
Bannock County, Idaho
Bannock County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It was established in 1893 and named after the local Bannock tribe. It is part of the Pocatello, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Bannock and Power counties. As of the 2000 Census...
and enters the city of Chubbuck
Chubbuck, Idaho
Chubbuck is a city in Bannock County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Pocatello, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,700 at the 2000 census...
, where it intersects U.S. Route 91
U.S. Route 91
U.S. Route 91 is a north–south United States highway. The highway currently serves as a connection between the Cache Valley area of Utah and Idaho to the Salt Lake and Idaho Falls population centers. Prior the mid-1970s, U.S. 91 was an international commerce route from Long Beach, California...
. I-86 briefly passes through Pocatello without an interchange in the city and terminates at 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...
outside the Pocatello city limits.
Exit list
| County | Location | Mile | # 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cassia Cassia County, Idaho Cassia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 22,952. The county seat and largest city is Burley.-History:... |
0.000 | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |||
| 0.000 | 1 | – Ogden Ogden, Utah Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a... |
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| 14.807 | 15 | Raft River Raft River, Idaho Raft River is an unincorporated community in Cassia County, Idaho, United States. Raft River is located near the mouth of the Raft River at the Snake River. The community is served by Interstate 86.... Area |
|||
| Power Power County, Idaho Power County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 7,538 .... |
20.590 | 21 | Coldwater Area | ||
| 28.100 | 28 | Massacre Rocks State Park Massacre Rocks State Park Massacre Rocks State Park is a state park of Idaho, USA, featuring the Massacre Rocks, a famous spot along the Oregon Trail and California Trail during the middle 19th century... |
|||
| 32.620 | 33 | Neeley Neeley, Idaho Neeley is an unincorporated community in Power County, Idaho, United States. Neeley is located near Interstate 86 southwest of American Falls.... Area |
|||
| 36.123 | 36 | ||||
| 40.110 | 40 | ||||
| 44.327 | 44 | Seagull Bay | |||
| 49.152 | 49 | Rainbow Road | |||
| 52.491 | 52 | Arbon Valley Arbon Valley, Idaho Arbon Valley is a census-designated place in Power County, Idaho, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 599. It lies within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, just west of the city of Pocatello... |
|||
| 55.551 | 56 | Pocatello Air Terminal | |||
| 58.087 | 58 | East end of US-30 overlap | |||
| Bannock Bannock County, Idaho Bannock County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It was established in 1893 and named after the local Bannock tribe. It is part of the Pocatello, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Bannock and Power counties. As of the 2000 Census... |
Chubbuck Chubbuck, Idaho Chubbuck is a city in Bannock County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Pocatello, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,700 at the 2000 census... |
61.268 | 61 | ||
| 62.526 | 63 | – Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197... , Blackfoot Blackfoot, Idaho Blackfoot is a city in Bingham County, Idaho, United States. The population was 10,419 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Bingham County. Blackfoot is self-designated the "Potato Capital of the World", because it claims to have the largest potato industry in the world... , Idaho Falls Idaho Falls, Idaho Idaho Falls is a city in and the county seat of Bonneville County, Idaho, United States, and the largest city in Eastern Idaho. As of the 2010 census, the population of Idaho Falls was 56,813, with a metro population of 130,374.... |
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; signed as exits 63A (south) and 63B (north) |
External links
- Idaho Highway Index Page (photos of I-86)