State Route 79
Defined by S&HC § 379, maintained by Caltrans
Length:	96.24 mi[1] (154.88 km)
South end:	I-8 near Descanso
Major junctions:	SR 78 near Julian I-15 in Temecula SR 74 in Hemet
North end:	I-10 in Beaumont
State highways in California (list - pre-1964) < SR 78 I-80 > History - Unconstructed - Deleted - Freeway - Scenic

State Route 79 is a highway that goes from Interstate 10 in Riverside County to Interstate 8 in San Diego County. Image File history File links California_79. ... Caltrans logo The soaring ramps in the stack interchanges favored by Caltrans often provide stunning views. ... Image File history File links California_State_Route_79. ... “Miles” redirects here. ... “km” redirects here. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Interstate 8 (abbreviated I-8) is an Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States. ... Descanso is a small unincorporated town east of San Diego, California of about 2,000 residents. ... Image File history File links California_78. ... State Route 78 runs from Oceanside to Blythe. ... Julian community limit Julian is an unincorporated community in San Diego County, California, in the United States. ... Image File history File links I-15_(CA). ... Interstate 15 (abbreviated I-15) is the fourth longest north-south transcontinental interstate highway in the United States, traveling through the states of Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California. ... Temecula is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. ... Image File history File links California_74. ... JUNCTION POSTMILE I-5 OC 0. ... Hemet is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. ... Image File history File links I-10_(CA). ... Interstate 10, the major east-west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States, runs east from Santa Monica, California, on the Pacific Ocean, through Los Angeles and San Bernardino to the border with Arizona. ... A postcard of an early Beaumont luxury hotel sitting within local plantlife typical of the area . ... Example State Route signage. ... Image File history File links California_78. ... State Route 78 runs from Oceanside to Blythe. ... Interstate 80, a major east-west route of the Interstate Highway System, has its western terminus in San Francisco, California, United States. ... Image File history File links I-80_(CA). ... Main article: State highways in California The state highway system in the U.S. state of California dates back to 1896, when the state took over maintenance of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road. ... Below is a list and summary of the entirely unconstructed state highways in California as outlined by the legislature in and after 1964. ... Below is a list and summary of some of the deleted state highways (i. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: California Streets and Highways Code Section 250-257 The California Freeway and Expressway System is a system of existing or planned freeways and expressways in the U.S. state of California. ... The following highways are designated, in whole or part, by the State of California as State Scenic Highways: // State Scenic Highways Entire route The following routes have their entire length designed as a scenic highway: California State Route 28 California State Route 35 California State Route 38 - In San Bernardino... Interstate 10, the major east-west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States, runs east from Santa Monica, California, on the Pacific Ocean, through Los Angeles and San Bernardino to the border with Arizona. ... Riverside County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of California, stretching from Orange County to the Colorado River, which is the border with Arizona. ... Interstate 8 (abbreviated I-8) is an Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States. ... San Diego County is a county located on the Pacific Ocean in the far southwest of the U.S. state of California, United States along its border with Mexico. ...

This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System^[2] and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System^[3]. Wikisource has original text related to this article: California Streets and Highways Code Section 250-257 The California Freeway and Expressway System is a system of existing or planned freeways and expressways in the U.S. state of California. ... The following highways are designated, in whole or part, by the State of California as State Scenic Highways: // State Scenic Highways Entire route The following routes have their entire length designed as a scenic highway: California State Route 28 California State Route 35 California State Route 38 - In San Bernardino...

Route description

Route 79 begins near Beaumont at Interstate 10. It begins by traveling south over a range of hills (Lambs Canyon) to San Jacinto and Hemet. In Hemet, SR 79 overlaps State Route 74, following it westward for a few miles (which are also posted with a city street name, Florida Avenue). A postcard of an early Beaumont luxury hotel sitting within local plantlife typical of the area . ... Interstate 10, the major east-west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States, runs east from Santa Monica, California, on the Pacific Ocean, through Los Angeles and San Bernardino to the border with Arizona. ... Mount San Jacinto is a nearby mountain in California. ... Hemet is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. ... JUNCTION POSTMILE I-5 OC 0. ...

It should be noted that although it is not the official (and posted) route through San Jacinto and Hemet, most local drivers^{[citation needed]} disregard the signs at the SR 79 / Ramona Expressway / Sanderson Road intersection and proceed south on Sanderson Road (that is, straight across the intersection from southbound SR 79), which is a more direct route south and intersects with SR 79 again along the concurrent South SR 79 / West SR 74 / Florida Avenue in Hemet, requiring no turns.

West of Hemet, SR 79 turns south again on Winchester Road, passing through the village of Winchester before passing by the new reservoir at Diamond Valley Lake. It then enters Murrietta and Temecula, where it meets Interstate 15 in the northern part of downtown. Between SR 74 and I-15, it is consistently named Winchester Road. Winchester is a census-designated place located in Riverside County, California. ... Westward view of Murrieta/Temecula. ... Temecula is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. ... Interstate 15 (abbreviated I-15) is the fourth longest north-south transcontinental interstate highway in the United States, traveling through the states of Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California. ...

It overlaps Interstate 15 for a few miles through downtown Temecula. The ramps connecting SR 79 to I-15 are the first and third ramps (in either direction) of the three located between the I-15/I-215 junction and the Riverside/San Diego county line (these are also the only three exits on I-15 which serve Temecula). In both cases, to enter SR 79 from I-15, one must turn east (although SR 79 is signed as a north-south highway). The southern exit from I-15 is posted with the street name Temecula Parkway, which was renamed in September 2007 in the City of Temecula. Interstate 215 (California) highlighted in red Interstate 215 (abbreviated I-215) in California is a 54. ...

SR 79 then goes east through Anza and meets State Route 371. Then it crosses into San Diego County, passing through Warner Springs and meeting the eastern terminus of State Route 76 near Lake Henshaw. For the Japanese singer, see Anza ÅŒyama. ... JUNCTION POSTMILE CA-79 RIV 56. ... State Route 76 is a 53 mile highway through northern San Diego County, California; the western eight miles are alternatively known as the San Luis Rey Mission Expressway. State Route 76 begins at Interstate 5 in Oceanside, California. ...

It then overlaps State Route 78 between Santa Ysabel and Julian, a distance of about eight miles (13 km). At Santa Ysabel, SR 79 comes to a T intersection into the east-west SR 78. At Julian, both routes turn at an intersection in the northern portion of downtown, while they separate at a T intersection just south of town (which requires a turn to SR 79). State Route 78 runs from Oceanside to Blythe. ... Santa Ysabel is a town in California, in the east half of San Diego County. ... Julian community limit Julian is an unincorporated community in San Diego County, California, in the United States. ...

Then SR 79 goes through Cuyamaca and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park on its way south. This portion of the route is very serpentine, as it was constructed to follow the contours of the land by moving laterally, rather than up-and-down or via cuts. There are very sharp turns, in two cases hairpin turns posted at 15 mph. (For those who are prone to carsickness, this section can be avoided by taking San Diego County Road S1, the scenic "Sunrise Highway". Although this route is somewhat less serpentine, it does climb up and down the nearby Mount Laguna, is sometimes impassable in winter months due to snow and snow-related tourists, and intersects with Interstate 8 about twelve miles (19 km) further east.) Cuyamaca is a region of eastern San Diego County. ... Interstate 8 (abbreviated I-8) is an Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States. ...

After traversing the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, SR 79 meets Historic U.S. 80 (now signed here as a regular road named Old Highway 80) in the town of Descanso, at a T intersection. This intersection is very clearly marked, indicating that one must turn south on Old Highway 80 and follow it to Interstate 8. SR 79 signage was added on this section of Old Highway 80 after 1996; previous to that date, the only signage was at the exit from Interstate 8 directing traffic northward on Old Highway 80. Descanso is a small unincorporated town east of San Diego, California of about 2,000 residents. ... Interstate 8 (abbreviated I-8) is an Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States. ...

At Interstate 8, SR 79 is Exit 40, and intersects with the interstate about 40 miles (64 km) from its western terminus (and approximately 35 miles (56 km) east of the city of San Diego).

Along nearly all of its length, the portion of Highway 79 south of the Interstate 15 concurrency in Temecula is a simple country road, with two lanes of traffic and no divider (the portion within the Temecula city limits is a heavily travelled city street, often four to six lanes). The portion north of Temecula (to Beaumont) varies between a two-lane country road (notably near Winchester) and a four-lane city street (in Temecula, Murrietta, Hemet, San Jacinto, and Beaumont, with a four-lane divided highway between the Ramona Expressway (at the northwest corner of San Jacinto) and the southern edge of Beaumont. (The highway section only has two access points; a signalled T intersection for a county landfill facility, and a set of highway ramps for Gilman Springs Road just north of the Ramona Expressway intersection.) Interstate 15 (abbreviated I-15) is the fourth longest north-south transcontinental interstate highway in the United States, traveling through the states of Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California. ... Temecula is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. ... A postcard of an early Beaumont luxury hotel sitting within local plantlife typical of the area . ... Westward view of Murrieta/Temecula. ... Hemet is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. ... Mount San Jacinto is a nearby mountain in California. ...

History

Originally SR 79 was routed on what is now Old Town Front Street through Downtown Temecula. However, it was originally routed on another road (besides Winchester Road). SR 79 was also closed during the Cedar Fire, and the towns of Cuyamaca and Julian were devastated. Fire damage is still evident from the highway. Smoke from the fires drift toward Arizona and Nevada after the wind shifted on October 29 Southbound on Interstate 5 near Pacific Beach on the first morning of the fire. ... Cuyamaca is a region of eastern San Diego County. ... Julian community limit Julian is an unincorporated community in San Diego County, California, in the United States. ...

Other names

• Firefighter Steven Rucker Memorial Highway: From Route 78 in Santa Ysabel to Engineers Road in Cuyumaca.^[4]

The section between those concurrent with SR 74 and Interstate 15 (in the cities of Temecula, Murrietta, Winchester, and Hemet) is posted as Winchester Road. JUNCTION POSTMILE I-5 OC 0. ... Interstate 15 (abbreviated I-15) is the fourth longest north-south transcontinental interstate highway in the United States, traveling through the states of Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California. ...

Major intersections

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.

County	Location	Postmile [5][6][7]	Destinations	Notes
San Diego		0.00	I-8 – El Centro, San Diego	Interchange
			SR 78
Riverside	Temecula		I-15 south (Temecula Valley Freeway) – San Diego	South end of I-15 overlap; interchange
		See I-15 (exits 58-61)
			I-15 north (Temecula Valley Freeway) – Riverside	North end of I-15 overlap; interchange
	Hemet		SR 74
	Beaumont		I-10 – Palm Springs, San Bernardino	Interchange

A milemarker on the National Road giving distances from many places Milestones redirects here. ... A milemarker on the National Road giving distances from many places Milestones redirects here. ... San Diego redirects here. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Interstate 8 (abbreviated I-8) is an Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States. ... El Centro is the county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. ... San Diego redirects here. ... Image File history File links California_78. ... State Route 78 runs from Oceanside to Blythe. ... Riverside County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of California, stretching from Orange County to the Colorado River, which is the border with Arizona. ... Temecula is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. ... Image File history File links I-15_(CA). ... Interstate 15 (abbreviated I-15) is the fourth longest north-south transcontinental interstate highway in the United States, traveling through the states of Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California. ... Interstate 15; the Mojave Freeway segment is highlighted in light blue, the Ontario Freeway segment is in red, the Corona Freeway segment is in purple, the Temecula Valley Freeway segment is in green, and the Escondido Freeway segment is in orange. ... San Diego redirects here. ... Interstate 15 (abbreviated I-15) that runs north-south 287. ... Image File history File links I-15_(CA). ... Interstate 15 (abbreviated I-15) is the fourth longest north-south transcontinental interstate highway in the United States, traveling through the states of Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California. ... Interstate 15; the Mojave Freeway segment is highlighted in light blue, the Ontario Freeway segment is in red, the Corona Freeway segment is in purple, the Temecula Valley Freeway segment is in green, and the Escondido Freeway segment is in orange. ... Nickname: Location in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Riverside Government  - Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge Area  - Total 78. ... Hemet is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. ... Image File history File links California_74. ... JUNCTION POSTMILE I-5 OC 0. ... A postcard of an early Beaumont luxury hotel sitting within local plantlife typical of the area . ... Image File history File links I-10_(CA). ... Interstate 10, the major east-west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States, runs east from Santa Monica, California, on the Pacific Ocean, through Los Angeles and San Bernardino to the border with Arizona. ... Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California approximately 110 miles (177 km) east of Los Angeles and 140 miles (225 km) northeast of San Diego. ... San Bernardino is the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. ...

References

Caltrans logo The soaring ramps in the stack interchanges favored by Caltrans often provide stunning views. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Caltrans logo The soaring ramps in the stack interchanges favored by Caltrans often provide stunning views. ... Caltrans logo The soaring ramps in the stack interchanges favored by Caltrans often provide stunning views. ... Caltrans logo The soaring ramps in the stack interchanges favored by Caltrans often provide stunning views. ...

External links

• California @ WestCoastRoads.com - State Route 79
• Caltrans: Route 79 highway conditions
• California Highways: SR 79