State Route 445 is a 42 miles (67.6 km) state highway

State highway

State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...

 in Washoe County

Washoe County, Nevada

Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...

, Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

. The route follows Pyramid Way, a major thoroughfare in the city of Sparks

Sparks, Nevada

Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States, located east of Reno, Nevada. The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau population count was 90,264. Sparks is often referred to as half of a twin city .-Geography and Climate:...

, and connects the Reno

Reno, Nevada

Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...

 metropolitan area

Metropolitan area

The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...

 to Pyramid Lake . The route is designated a Nevada Scenic Byway

Nevada Scenic Byways

In 1983, a system of scenic byways was established in the U.S. state of Nevada. Currently there are 19 designated state scenic byways. Some of these overlap the three National Scenic Byways that have been designated in Nevada.-Federally designated scenic byways:...

.

Route description

SR 445 begins at the intersection of Nugget Avenue and Pyramid Way in Sparks. From there, it passes under Interstate 80 directly to the north and skirts the eastern edge of Victorian Square in downtown Sparks as it continues heading almost due north. After about 2 miles (3.2 km), the road curves slightly to the northeast to serve as the primary link to the rapidly-expanding northern valleys of Sparks, including Spanish Springs

Spanish Springs, Nevada

Spanish Springs is a census-designated place in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. It is located in the northeastern part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 15,064 at the 2010 Census.-History:...

.

Once outside of urban Sparks, SR 445 transitions to Pyramid Lake Highway, more commonly referred to by law enforcement and residents as Pyramid Highway. The rural highway is four lanes for a seven mile stretch passing through Spanish Springs. The road narrows to two lanes entering the more sparsely populated Palamino Valley north to Pyramid Lake. As the road turns more sharply northeast, it enters the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation

Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation

The Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation is a United States reservation in northwestern Nevada ~approximately northeast of Reno, in Washoe, Storey, and Lyon Counties. It lies almost entirely in Washoe County , with but tiny amounts of land in the other two counties . It is governed by the Pyramid Lake...

. Shortly thereafter, the road curves northwest as it intersects State Route 446, following the western shore of Pyramid Lake. The highway passes through Sutcliffe

Sutcliffe, Nevada

Sutcliffe is a census-designated place in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The population was 281 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Sutcliffe is located at ....

 and then comes to an end at Warrior Point Park Road, north of the town.

History

The first two miles (3 km) of State Route 445 in Sparks was originally designated State Route 32, with the remainder of the route comprising most of former State Route 33. SR 445 was crafted from these routes in the Nevada highway renumbering that took place in the late 1970s.

12.5 miles (20.1 km) of the route (the entirety of the route within the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation) became a Nevada Scenic Byway on June 27, 1996. The same stretch was designated a National Scenic Byway

National Scenic Byway

A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for its archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and/or scenic qualities. The program was established by Congress in 1991 to preserve and protect the nation's scenic but often...

 on July 15 of that same year.

Major intersections

The entire route lies within Washoe County

Washoe County, Nevada

Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...

.

Location	Mile	Destinations	Notes
Sparks Sparks, Nevada Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States, located east of Reno, Nevada. The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau population count was 90,264. Sparks is often referred to as half of a twin city .-Geography and Climate:...		Nugget Avenue
		, Sacramento Sacramento, California Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
	3.02	Oddie Boulevard (SR 663)
	3.89	N. McCarran Boulevard (SR 659)
Sutcliffe Sutcliffe, Nevada Sutcliffe is a census-designated place in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The population was 281 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Sutcliffe is located at ....
		Warrior Point Park Road