California State Route 198
Encyclopedia
State Route 198 is an east–west state highway that connects the California Central Coast to the mid-Central Valley at Visalia
, although the most-traveled portion is in the Central Valley itself.
This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System
and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System
.
in the Salinas River Valley
. Leaving Route 101, SR 198 passes through the Priest Valley, climbs the Coast Range
as a two-lane road, and crosses over an unnamed pass; it then descends along Warthan Canyon to the town of Coalinga, where it joins with SR 33
.
Portions of the highway between U.S. Route 101 and Coalinga
contain several switchback
turns making freight hauling difficult through this part of the Coast Range. Freight haulers are advised to use SR 46
to the south instead.
On both sides of Coalinga the road passes through the enormous Coalinga Oil Field
, which was the largest-producing field in California in the first decade of the 20th century. Production continues there, as is evident from the number of nodding donkeys a traveler sees in this vicinity. After going through Coalinga, the road becomes flatter.
SR 198 then intersects Interstate 5 in Fresno County
before becoming a freeway west of Lemoore
. The landscape become a bit less rural as it goes through Hanford
, where it quickly reverts to a two-lane road at the intersection with SR 43
until entering Tulare County
and the freeway-to-freeway interchange with SR 99
as it enters Visalia
, the largest city it will intersect. It will remain a freeway until east of Visalia
, where the road starts to climb the Sierra Nevada and it ends at Sequoia National Park
. This is the main route from both the Los Angeles
and San Francisco Bay
areas to Sequoia National Park.
Ground was broken on November 19, 2009 on a project that will widen the two-lane, 10-mile section of SR 198 between SR 43 and SR 99 into a four-lane expressway. It is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2012. The project will cost $91.4 million.
west to Hanford
, connecting the two county seat
s with the central north–south highway (Route 4, now State Route 99
). As part of the 1916 bond issue, the route was extended west from Hanford through Coalinga
to the coast trunk highway (Route 2, now U.S. 101) near San Lucas
, and assigned it the Route 10 designation. The third bond issue, passed in 1919, included a further extension east from Visalia to Sequoia National Park
. The entire length of Route 10 was marked as Sign Route 198 in 1934, and this number was adopted legislatively in the 1964 renumbering. The portion east of Interstate 5 near Coalinga was added to the California Freeway and Expressway System
in 1959, and parts of it have been built as such.
{| class=wikitable
!County
!Location
!Postmile
!Exit
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=3|Monterey
MON R0.00-25.79
|rowspan=2|San Lucas
|R0.00
|
|Lockwood-San Lucas Road, Bunte Road
|Continuation beyond US 101
|-
|R0.11
|
|
|Interchange
|-
|
|14.00
|
|
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Fresno
FRE 0.00-42.73
|rowspan=2|Coalinga
|22.37
|
|Polk Street – Stratford
, Taft
|
|-bgcolor=#ddffdd
|22.65
15.71Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along SR 33
rather than SR 198.
|
|
|West end of SR 33 overlap
|-
|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|24.32
22.66
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|East end of SR 33 overlap
|-
|
|26.81
|
|
|Interchange
|-
|
|34.66
|
|
|
|-
|rowspan=18|Kings
KIN 0.00-28.33
|
|3.01
|
|Lemoore NAS
|
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|West end of freeway
|-
|
|4.99
|73
|Stratford
, Avenal
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Lemoore
|R8.90
|77
|
|
|-
|colspan=4 align=center|Short gap in freeway
|-
|R10.56
|79
|18th Avenue, Lemoore Avenue – Central Lemoore
|
|-
|
|R12.11
|81
|Houston Avenue, D Street – Lemoore
|
|-
|
|R14.77
|83
|14th Avenue – Armona
|
|-
|
|R15.75
|84
|Hanford-Armona Road, 13th Avenue – Armona
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Hanford
|R16.91
|85
|12th Avenue
|
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|R17.91
|86
|11th Avenue – Hanford
|Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|R18.3
|87A
|Redington Street – Central Hanford
|Westbound exit and entrance
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|R18.51
|87
|Douty Street – Central Hanford
|No westbound exit
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|R18.96
|87B
|10th Avenue
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|Short gap in freeway
|-
|
|R20.98
|89
|
|
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|East end of freeway
|-
|
|23.32
|
|6th Avenue – Kingsburg
|
|-
|rowspan=18|Tulare
TUL 0.00-44.16
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|West end of freeway
|-
|
|R3.83
|101
|
|Signed as exits 101A (south) and 101B (north) westbound
|-
|rowspan=8|Visalia
|R4.80
|102
|Plaza Drive
|
|-
|5.76
|103
|Shirk Road
|
|-
|6.76
|104
|Akers Street
|
|-
|7.76
|105A
|Demaree Street
|
|-bgcolor=#ddffdd
|R8.75
|105B
|
|West end of SR 63 overlap
|-bgcolor=#ddffdd
|R9.97
|107A
|
|East end of SR 63 overlap
|-
|R10.73
|107B
|Ben Maddox Way – Woodlake
|
|-
|R11.72
|108
|
|
|-
|
|R13.74
|110
|Road 156 – Ivanhoe
|
|-
|
|R14.65
|111
|Farmersville Boulevard – Farmersville
|
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|East end of freeway
|-
|
|R18.76
|
|
|
|-
|
|R19.76
|
|
|
|-
|
|27.96
|
|
|
|-
|
|44.16
|colspan=3 align=center|Sequoia National Park
boundary
Visalia, California
Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles...
, although the most-traveled portion is in the Central Valley itself.
This route 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 road begins at a remote interchange with U.S. Route 101 south of King CityKing City, California
King City is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. King City is located on the Salinas River southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of 335 feet . It lies along U.S. Route 101 in the Salinas Valley of the Central Coast of California. King City is a member of the Association of...
in the Salinas River Valley
Salinas Valley
The Salinas Valley lies south of San Francisco, California.The word "salina" is spanish for salt marsh, salt lake or salt pan.-Geography:The Salinas Valley runs approximately south-east from Salinas towards King City. The valley lends its name to the geologic province in which it's located, the...
. Leaving Route 101, SR 198 passes through the Priest Valley, climbs the Coast Range
Pacific Coast Ranges
The Pacific Coast Ranges and the Pacific Mountain System are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico...
as a two-lane road, and crosses over an unnamed pass; it then descends along Warthan Canyon to the town of Coalinga, where it joins with SR 33
California State Route 33
State Route 33 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California. SR 33 replaced part of U.S. Route 399 in 1964 during the "great renumbering" of routes. In the unincorporated sections of Kern County it is known as the West Side Highway...
.
Portions of the highway between U.S. Route 101 and Coalinga
Coalinga, California
Coalinga is a city in Fresno County, California. The population was 13,380 at the 2010 census, up from 11,668 at the 2000 census. It is the site of both Pleasant Valley State Prison and Coalinga State Hospital. Coalinga is located southwest of Fresno, at an elevation of 673 feet .-Early...
contain several switchback
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...
turns making freight hauling difficult through this part of the Coast Range. Freight haulers are advised to use SR 46
California State Route 46
State Route 46 is an east–west state highway in the U.S. state of California. It is a major crossing of the Coast Ranges, connecting SR 1 on the Central Coast near Cambria and US 101 in Paso Robles with SR 99 at Famoso in the San Joaquin Valley. East of Paso Robles, where it carried U.S...
to the south instead.
On both sides of Coalinga the road passes through the enormous Coalinga Oil Field
Coalinga Oil Field
The Coalinga Oil Field is a large oil field in western Fresno County, California, in the United States. It surrounds the town of Coalinga, about half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, to the west of Interstate 5, at the foot of the Diablo Range...
, which was the largest-producing field in California in the first decade of the 20th century. Production continues there, as is evident from the number of nodding donkeys a traveler sees in this vicinity. After going through Coalinga, the road becomes flatter.
SR 198 then intersects Interstate 5 in Fresno County
Fresno County, California
Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county...
before becoming a freeway west of Lemoore
Lemoore, California
Lemoore is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 230 feet . It is part of the Hanford–Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. The landscape become a bit less rural as it goes through Hanford
Hanford, California
Hanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran, California Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities...
, where it quickly reverts to a two-lane road at the intersection with SR 43
California State Route 43
State Route 43 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. State of California, routed along the southern San Joaquin Valley connecting the towns of Shafter, Wasco, Hanford, and Selma, running roughly parallel to SR 99...
until entering Tulare County
Tulare County, California
Tulare County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Fresno. Sequoia National Park is located in the county, as are part of Kings Canyon National Park, in its northeast corner , and part of Mount Whitney, on its eastern border...
and the freeway-to-freeway interchange with SR 99
California State Route 99
California State Route 99 , commonly known as Highway 99 or, simply, as 99 , is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, stretching almost the entire length of the Central Valley...
as it enters Visalia
Visalia
-California:* Visalia, California* Downtown Visalia* Greater Visalia Area** Tulare County, California* Visalia Municipal Airport-Fictional Places:* Visalia, California , a fictional version of Visalia where parts of Season 2 of 24 was set....
, the largest city it will intersect. It will remain a freeway until east of Visalia
Visalia, California
Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles...
, where the road starts to climb the Sierra Nevada and it ends at Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California, in the United States. It was established on September 25, 1890. The park spans . Encompassing a vertical relief of nearly , the park contains among its natural resources the highest point in the...
. This is the main route from both the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
areas to Sequoia National Park.
Ground was broken on November 19, 2009 on a project that will widen the two-lane, 10-mile section of SR 198 between SR 43 and SR 99 into a four-lane expressway. It is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2012. The project will cost $91.4 million.
History
All of SR 198 was added to the state highway system in the three bond issues floated to pay for the construction of the system. The first bond issue, approved by the state's voters in 1910, included the road from VisaliaVisalia, California
Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles...
west to Hanford
Hanford, California
Hanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran, California Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities...
, connecting the two county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
s with the central north–south highway (Route 4, now State Route 99
California State Route 99
California State Route 99 , commonly known as Highway 99 or, simply, as 99 , is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, stretching almost the entire length of the Central Valley...
). As part of the 1916 bond issue, the route was extended west from Hanford through Coalinga
Coalinga, California
Coalinga is a city in Fresno County, California. The population was 13,380 at the 2010 census, up from 11,668 at the 2000 census. It is the site of both Pleasant Valley State Prison and Coalinga State Hospital. Coalinga is located southwest of Fresno, at an elevation of 673 feet .-Early...
to the coast trunk highway (Route 2, now U.S. 101) near San Lucas
San Lucas, California
San Lucas is a census-designated place in Monterey County, California, United States. San Lucas is located on the Salinas River southeast of King City, at an elevation of 410 feet...
, and assigned it the Route 10 designation. The third bond issue, passed in 1919, included a further extension east from Visalia to Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California, in the United States. It was established on September 25, 1890. The park spans . Encompassing a vertical relief of nearly , the park contains among its natural resources the highest point in the...
. The entire length of Route 10 was marked as Sign Route 198 in 1934, and this number was adopted legislatively in the 1964 renumbering. The portion east of Interstate 5 near Coalinga was added to 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...
in 1959, and parts of it have been built as such.
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.
{| 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=3|Monterey
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
MON R0.00-25.79
|rowspan=2|San Lucas
San Lucas, California
San Lucas is a census-designated place in Monterey County, California, United States. San Lucas is located on the Salinas River southeast of King City, at an elevation of 410 feet...
|R0.00
|
|Lockwood-San Lucas Road, Bunte Road
|Continuation beyond US 101
|-
|R0.11
|
|
|Interchange
|-
|
|14.00
|
|
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Fresno
Fresno County, California
Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county...
FRE 0.00-42.73
|rowspan=2|Coalinga
Coalinga, California
Coalinga is a city in Fresno County, California. The population was 13,380 at the 2010 census, up from 11,668 at the 2000 census. It is the site of both Pleasant Valley State Prison and Coalinga State Hospital. Coalinga is located southwest of Fresno, at an elevation of 673 feet .-Early...
|22.37
|
|Polk Street – Stratford
Stratford, California
Stratford is a census-designated place in Kings County, California, United States. Stratford is located southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 203 feet . It is part of the Hanford–Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Taft
Taft, California
Taft is a city in the foothills at the extreme southwestern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California. Taft is located west-southwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 955 feet . The population was 9,327 at the 2010 census...
|
|-bgcolor=#ddffdd
|22.65
15.71Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along SR 33
California State Route 33
State Route 33 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California. SR 33 replaced part of U.S. Route 399 in 1964 during the "great renumbering" of routes. In the unincorporated sections of Kern County it is known as the West Side Highway...
rather than SR 198.
|
|
|West end of SR 33 overlap
|-
|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|24.32
22.66
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|East end of SR 33 overlap
|-
|
|26.81
|
|
|Interchange
|-
|
|34.66
|
|
|
|-
|rowspan=18|Kings
Kings County, California
Kings County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is located in a rich agricultural region. Kings County is also home to NAS Lemoore, which is the U.S. Navy's newest and largest master jet air station. The county seat is Hanford...
KIN 0.00-28.33
|
|3.01
|
|Lemoore NAS
Naval Air Station Lemoore
Naval Air Station Lemoore or NAS Lemoore is a United States Navy base, located in Kings County and Fresno County, California. Lemoore Station, California, a census-designated place, is located inside the base's borders....
|
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|West end of freeway
|-
|
|4.99
|73
|Stratford
Stratford, California
Stratford is a census-designated place in Kings County, California, United States. Stratford is located southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 203 feet . It is part of the Hanford–Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Avenal
Avenal, California
Avenal is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Avenal is located southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 807 feet . It is part of the Hanford–Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Kings County. In area, it is the largest city in Kings County...
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Lemoore
Lemoore, California
Lemoore is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 230 feet . It is part of the Hanford–Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area...
|R8.90
|77
|
|
|-
|colspan=4 align=center|Short gap in freeway
|-
|R10.56
|79
|18th Avenue, Lemoore Avenue – Central Lemoore
|
|-
|
|R12.11
|81
|Houston Avenue, D Street – Lemoore
Lemoore, California
Lemoore is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 230 feet . It is part of the Hanford–Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area...
|
|-
|
|R14.77
|83
|14th Avenue – Armona
Armona, California
Armona is a census-designated place in Kings County, California, United States. Armona is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 239 feet . It is part of the Hanford–Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,156 at the 2010 census...
|
|-
|
|R15.75
|84
|Hanford-Armona Road, 13th Avenue – Armona
Armona, California
Armona is a census-designated place in Kings County, California, United States. Armona is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 239 feet . It is part of the Hanford–Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,156 at the 2010 census...
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Hanford
Hanford, California
Hanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran, California Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities...
|R16.91
|85
|12th Avenue
|
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|R17.91
|86
|11th Avenue – Hanford
Hanford, California
Hanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran, California Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities...
|Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|R18.3
|87A
|Redington Street – Central Hanford
|Westbound exit and entrance
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|R18.51
|87
|Douty Street – Central Hanford
|No westbound exit
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|R18.96
|87B
|10th Avenue
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|Short gap in freeway
|-
|
|R20.98
|89
|
|
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|East end of freeway
|-
|
|23.32
|
|6th Avenue – Kingsburg
Kingsburg, California
Kingsburg is a city in Fresno County, California. Kingsburg is located southeast of Selma at an elevation of 302 feet , on the banks of the Kings River. The city is half an hour away from Fresno, and two hours away from the California Central Coast and Sierra Nevada Mountain Range...
|
|-
|rowspan=18|Tulare
Tulare County, California
Tulare County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Fresno. Sequoia National Park is located in the county, as are part of Kings Canyon National Park, in its northeast corner , and part of Mount Whitney, on its eastern border...
TUL 0.00-44.16
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|West end of freeway
|-
|
|R3.83
|101
|
|Signed as exits 101A (south) and 101B (north) westbound
|-
|rowspan=8|Visalia
Visalia, California
Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles...
|R4.80
|102
|Plaza Drive
|
|-
|5.76
|103
|Shirk Road
|
|-
|6.76
|104
|Akers Street
|
|-
|7.76
|105A
|Demaree Street
|
|-bgcolor=#ddffdd
|R8.75
|105B
|
|West end of SR 63 overlap
|-bgcolor=#ddffdd
|R9.97
|107A
|
|East end of SR 63 overlap
|-
|R10.73
|107B
|Ben Maddox Way – Woodlake
Woodlake, California
Woodlake is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 7,279 at the 2010 census, up from 6,651 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Woodlake is located at ....
|
|-
|R11.72
|108
|
|
|-
|
|R13.74
|110
|Road 156 – Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe, California
Ivanhoe is a census-designated place in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 4,495 at the 2010 census, up from 4,474 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ivanhoe is located at ....
|
|-
|
|R14.65
|111
|Farmersville Boulevard – Farmersville
Farmersville, California
Farmersville is a suburb of Visalia, in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 10,588 at the 2010 census, up from 8,737 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Farmersville is located at ....
|
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|East end of freeway
|-
|
|R18.76
|
|
|
|-
|
|R19.76
|
|
|
|-
|
|27.96
|
|
|
|-
|
|44.16
|colspan=3 align=center|Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California, in the United States. It was established on September 25, 1890. The park spans . Encompassing a vertical relief of nearly , the park contains among its natural resources the highest point in the...
boundary