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State Route 11 (Washington)
Encyclopedia
State Route 11 is a 21.28 miles (34.25 km) long state highway
that serves Skagit
and Whatcom
counties in the U.S. state
of Washington. SR 11, known as Chuckanut Drive, begins at an interchange with Interstate 5
(I-5) north of Burlington
and continues northwest through several small towns and the Chuckanut Mountains
to the Fairhaven district
of Bellingham
, where the highway turns east and ends again at I-5.
A segment of what is now SR 11 was originally added to the state highway system in 1895 as a Blanchard – Whatcom County line road. The highway became State Road 6 in 1905 and was named Waterfront Road in 1907. The road was incorporated into the Pacific Highway in 1913 and U.S. Route 99 (US 99) in 1926. After an inland bypass
was designated by the state to become US 99 in 1931, Chuckanut Drive became U.S. Route 99 Alternate. During the 1964 highway renumbering, the road became SR 11. In 1987, SR 11 was realigned through Bellingham, shifting its northern terminus south to Fairhaven.
north of Burlington
. From the interchange, the highway travels northwest through farmland, closely paralleling a BNSF Railway
route from Mount Vernon
to Bellingham
, also used by the Amtrak Cascades
service. The road turns north to intersect Bow Hill Road, formerly SR 237
until 1991, east of Edison
. SR 11 continues north to Blanchard, where it begins to traverse a narrow strip of land between the Chuckanut Mountains
and Samish Bay. Midway between Blanchard and the Skagit
–Whatcom
county line, the highway travels through a hairpin turn
at Oyster Creek.
In Whatcom County, SR 11 travels generally northward through part of the oldest state park
in Washington, the 2683 acres (10.9 km²) Larrabee State Park
. Just past the park, the route travels through the Chuckanut Bay Community, situated on a small, fairly level peninsula separating Samish and Chuckanut bays. The steep mountainsides return north of the community, however, as SR 11 follows Chuckanut Bay to the southern outskirts of Bellingham. Here, the highway briefly parallels Bellingham Bay
as it leaves the rural mountains for the city's densely populated Fairhaven district
.
The route initially heads northwest through Fairhaven, passing the district's middle school and park before becoming 12th Street and crossing over the Interurban Trail. Two blocks north of the trail, SR 11 turns to travel east on Old Fairhaven Parkway, a wide two-lane highway with a center left-turn lane. The route continues past residential and commercial areas for about 1 miles (1.6 km) to a diamond interchange
with I-5. While SR 11 ends here, Old Fairhaven Parkway continues east as Connelly Avenue.
systems in Washington since 1895, when a road from Blanchard to Whatcom County
became a state-maintained roadway. The road became State Road 6 in 1905 and was named Waterfront Road in 1907. A survey of a north–south highway from Blaine
to Vancouver
was approved in 1909, and the highway was built as the Pacific Highway in 1913. In Skagit County
, the Pacific Highway utilized the pre-existing State Road 6. The Pacific Highway became State Road 1 in a 1923 restructuring of the highway system, at which time State Road 6 was completely replaced. When the U.S. route system was formed in 1926, the Pacific Highway became US 99
. In 1931, an inland bypass
via Lake Samish
was added to State Road 1 and US 99. The former route of US 99 on Chuckanut Drive became US 99 Alternate.
US 99 became Primary State Highway 1 (PSH 1) in 1937 and US 99 Alternate became the Chuckanut Drive branch of the main highway, running from Burlington to downtown Bellingham
. A 1964 renumbering
introduced a new system of sign routes that was scheduled to go into effect in 1970. As originally planned, the Chuckanut Drive branch of PSH 1—already US 99 Alternate—would be co-signed as SR 11. In 1967, Secondary State Highway 1F (SSH 1F) was established, connecting US 99 Alternate to US 99 via Fairhaven
. During the same year, I-5
replaced US 99, leading to the removal of the US 99 Alternate designation from what would become SR 11. In 1970, the SR 11 designation went into effect, running from Burlington to Downtown Bellingham.
SR 11 originally continued northeast through Downtown Bellingham to a terminus at a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-5 just northeast of the downtown district. From Old Fairhaven Parkway, the route continued north on 12th Street in Fairhaven before turning northeast on Boulevard Street. The street split into a pair of one-way streets
, Forest Street and State Street, south of downtown. Forest Street merged into State Street in downtown Bellingham, and State Street subsequently merged into Iowa Street soon after. From here, Iowa Street carried SR 11 east for three blocks to a junction with I-5. In 1987, the northernmost portion of SR 11 was realigned to follow the route of former SSH 1F, then known as Old Fairhaven Parkway.
|-
!County
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=2|Skagit
|Burlington
|0.00
|, Vancouver, BC
|Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
|
|6.88
|West Bow Hill Road
|Former SR 237
|-
|Whatcom
|Bellingham
|21.28
|, Vancouver, BC
|Diamond interchange
State highways in Washington
In the U.S. state of Washington, the Washington State Department of Transportation maintains a network of over 7000 miles of state highways, including all Interstate and U.S. Highways that pass through the state. The system comprises 8.5% of the state's public road mileage, but carries over half...
that serves Skagit
Skagit County, Washington
Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Skagit Indian tribe. As of 2010, the population was 116,901. It is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and Whatcom
Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water." As of 2010, the population was 201,140. The county seat is at Bellingham, which is also the county's largest city...
counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington. SR 11, known as Chuckanut Drive, begins at an interchange with Interstate 5
Interstate 5 in Washington
Interstate 5 in Washington is a highway in the U.S. state of Washington that extends from its border with Oregon to its border with Canada...
(I-5) north of Burlington
Burlington, Washington
Burlington is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population is 8,388 as recorded by the 2010 census. It is included in the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and continues northwest through several small towns and the Chuckanut Mountains
Chuckanut Mountains
The Chuckanut Mountains , or Chuckanuts, are located on the northern Washington state coast of Puget Sound, just south of Bellingham, Washington. Being a part of the Cascade Range, they are the only place where the Cascades come west down to meet the sea...
to the Fairhaven district
Fairhaven, Washington
Fairhaven, Washington was founded in the late 1880s and is now part of the City of Bellingham, Washington, USA. It is on the south side of Bellingham, and borders Bellingham Bay on the west and Western Washington University on the northeast...
of Bellingham
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
, where the highway turns east and ends again at I-5.
A segment of what is now SR 11 was originally added to the state highway system in 1895 as a Blanchard – Whatcom County line road. The highway became State Road 6 in 1905 and was named Waterfront Road in 1907. The road was incorporated into the Pacific Highway in 1913 and U.S. Route 99 (US 99) in 1926. After an inland bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
was designated by the state to become US 99 in 1931, Chuckanut Drive became U.S. Route 99 Alternate. During the 1964 highway renumbering, the road became SR 11. In 1987, SR 11 was realigned through Bellingham, shifting its northern terminus south to Fairhaven.
Route description
SR 11, named Chuckanut Drive for its whole route, begins at a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-5Interstate 5 in Washington
Interstate 5 in Washington is a highway in the U.S. state of Washington that extends from its border with Oregon to its border with Canada...
north of Burlington
Burlington, Washington
Burlington is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population is 8,388 as recorded by the 2010 census. It is included in the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. From the interchange, the highway travels northwest through farmland, closely paralleling a BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
route from Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, Washington
Mount Vernon is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,743 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the county seat of Skagit County...
to Bellingham
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
, also used by the Amtrak Cascades
Amtrak Cascades
The Amtrak Cascades is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in partnership with the states of Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and the province of British Columbia in Canada...
service. The road turns north to intersect Bow Hill Road, formerly SR 237
Washington State Route 237
State Route 237 was a Washington state highway that ran from in Fredonia, through Edison and ending at east of Edison. The roadway was established in 1937 as and was renumbered to SR 537 in 1964 and SR 237 in 1975...
until 1991, east of Edison
Edison, Washington
Edison is a census-designated place in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 133 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. SR 11 continues north to Blanchard, where it begins to traverse a narrow strip of land between the Chuckanut Mountains
Chuckanut Mountains
The Chuckanut Mountains , or Chuckanuts, are located on the northern Washington state coast of Puget Sound, just south of Bellingham, Washington. Being a part of the Cascade Range, they are the only place where the Cascades come west down to meet the sea...
and Samish Bay. Midway between Blanchard and the Skagit
Skagit County, Washington
Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Skagit Indian tribe. As of 2010, the population was 116,901. It is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
–Whatcom
Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water." As of 2010, the population was 201,140. The county seat is at Bellingham, which is also the county's largest city...
county line, the highway travels through a hairpin turn
Hairpin turn
A hairpin turn , named for its resemblance to a hairpin/bobby pin, is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn almost 180° to continue on the road. Such turns in ramps and trails may be called switchbacks in American English, by analogy...
at Oyster Creek.
In Whatcom County, SR 11 travels generally northward through part of the oldest state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in Washington, the 2683 acres (10.9 km²) Larrabee State Park
Larrabee State Park
Larrabee State Park is a state park in Washington, located six miles south of the city of Bellingham. It was the first state park to be created in Washington.- History :...
. Just past the park, the route travels through the Chuckanut Bay Community, situated on a small, fairly level peninsula separating Samish and Chuckanut bays. The steep mountainsides return north of the community, however, as SR 11 follows Chuckanut Bay to the southern outskirts of Bellingham. Here, the highway briefly parallels Bellingham Bay
Bellingham Bay
Bellingham Bay is a bay located on the northern Pacific coast of Washington state in the United States. It is separated from the Strait of Georgia on the west by the Lummi Peninsula, Portage Island, and Lummi Island. It is bordered on the east by Bellingham, Washington, to the south-east by the...
as it leaves the rural mountains for the city's densely populated Fairhaven district
Fairhaven, Washington
Fairhaven, Washington was founded in the late 1880s and is now part of the City of Bellingham, Washington, USA. It is on the south side of Bellingham, and borders Bellingham Bay on the west and Western Washington University on the northeast...
.
The route initially heads northwest through Fairhaven, passing the district's middle school and park before becoming 12th Street and crossing over the Interurban Trail. Two blocks north of the trail, SR 11 turns to travel east on Old Fairhaven Parkway, a wide two-lane highway with a center left-turn lane. The route continues past residential and commercial areas for about 1 miles (1.6 km) to a diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
with I-5. While SR 11 ends here, Old Fairhaven Parkway continues east as Connelly Avenue.
History
Parts of modern SR 11 have been part of the state highwayState highways in Washington
In the U.S. state of Washington, the Washington State Department of Transportation maintains a network of over 7000 miles of state highways, including all Interstate and U.S. Highways that pass through the state. The system comprises 8.5% of the state's public road mileage, but carries over half...
systems in Washington since 1895, when a road from Blanchard to Whatcom County
Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water." As of 2010, the population was 201,140. The county seat is at Bellingham, which is also the county's largest city...
became a state-maintained roadway. The road became State Road 6 in 1905 and was named Waterfront Road in 1907. A survey of a north–south highway from Blaine
Blaine, Washington
Blaine is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The city's northern boundary is the Canadian border. Blaine is the shared home of the Peace Arch international monument...
to Vancouver
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
was approved in 1909, and the highway was built as the Pacific Highway in 1913. In Skagit County
Skagit County, Washington
Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Skagit Indian tribe. As of 2010, the population was 116,901. It is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, the Pacific Highway utilized the pre-existing State Road 6. The Pacific Highway became State Road 1 in a 1923 restructuring of the highway system, at which time State Road 6 was completely replaced. When the U.S. route system was formed in 1926, the Pacific Highway became US 99
U.S. Route 99
U.S. Route 99 was the main north–south highway on the West Coast of the United States until 1964, running from Calexico, California, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Blaine, Washington, on the U.S.-Canada border. It was a route of the United States Numbered Highways, assigned in 1926 and existing...
. In 1931, an inland bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
via Lake Samish
Lake Samish
Lake Samish is a lake south of Bellingham, Washington.Visible to the West of Interstate 5 when travelling between Alger and Bellingham, Lake Samish is heavily used for recreation in the summer months by local residents. The lake shoreline is heavily developed and homesites cover almost the entire...
was added to State Road 1 and US 99. The former route of US 99 on Chuckanut Drive became US 99 Alternate.
US 99 became Primary State Highway 1 (PSH 1) in 1937 and US 99 Alternate became the Chuckanut Drive branch of the main highway, running from Burlington to downtown Bellingham
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
. A 1964 renumbering
1964 state highway renumbering (Washington)
In 1963, a law was passed authorizing a new numbering for sign routes. In 1970 the legislative definitions were changed to use the sign route numbers but renamed state routes...
introduced a new system of sign routes that was scheduled to go into effect in 1970. As originally planned, the Chuckanut Drive branch of PSH 1—already US 99 Alternate—would be co-signed as SR 11. In 1967, Secondary State Highway 1F (SSH 1F) was established, connecting US 99 Alternate to US 99 via Fairhaven
Fairhaven, Washington
Fairhaven, Washington was founded in the late 1880s and is now part of the City of Bellingham, Washington, USA. It is on the south side of Bellingham, and borders Bellingham Bay on the west and Western Washington University on the northeast...
. During the same year, I-5
Interstate 5 in Washington
Interstate 5 in Washington is a highway in the U.S. state of Washington that extends from its border with Oregon to its border with Canada...
replaced US 99, leading to the removal of the US 99 Alternate designation from what would become SR 11. In 1970, the SR 11 designation went into effect, running from Burlington to Downtown Bellingham.
SR 11 originally continued northeast through Downtown Bellingham to a terminus at a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-5 just northeast of the downtown district. From Old Fairhaven Parkway, the route continued north on 12th Street in Fairhaven before turning northeast on Boulevard Street. The street split into a pair of one-way streets
One-way traffic
One-way traffic is traffic that moves in a single direction. A one-way street is a street either facilitating only one-way traffic, or designed to direct vehicles to move in one direction.-General signs:...
, Forest Street and State Street, south of downtown. Forest Street merged into State Street in downtown Bellingham, and State Street subsequently merged into Iowa Street soon after. From here, Iowa Street carried SR 11 east for three blocks to a junction with I-5. In 1987, the northernmost portion of SR 11 was realigned to follow the route of former SSH 1F, then known as Old Fairhaven Parkway.
Major intersections
{| class=wikitable|-
!County
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=2|Skagit
Skagit County, Washington
Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Skagit Indian tribe. As of 2010, the population was 116,901. It is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
|Burlington
Burlington, Washington
Burlington is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population is 8,388 as recorded by the 2010 census. It is included in the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
|0.00
|, Vancouver, BC
|Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
|
|6.88
|West Bow Hill Road
|Former SR 237
Washington State Route 237
State Route 237 was a Washington state highway that ran from in Fredonia, through Edison and ending at east of Edison. The roadway was established in 1937 as and was renumbered to SR 537 in 1964 and SR 237 in 1975...
|-
|Whatcom
Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water." As of 2010, the population was 201,140. The county seat is at Bellingham, which is also the county's largest city...
|Bellingham
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
|21.28
|, Vancouver, BC
|Diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...