California State Route 243
Encyclopedia
State Route 243 or the Banning-Idyllwild Panoramic Highway, is a 30-mile (50 kilometer) two-lane highway
that runs from Banning, California
(in the north) to Idyllwild, California (in the south) in Riverside County, California
, USA
. In 2007, it was named the Esperanza Firefighters Memorial Highway in honor of five firefighters who died while fighting the Esperanza Fire
on .
State Route 243 is mainly a connector between Interstate 10 and State Route 74
. However, along its route it provides access for many truck trails that run through San Bernardino National Forest
. These truck trails provide access to smaller towns such as Pine Cove.
two-lane segment until Banning and the terminus at Interstate 10. This route is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System
and is classified as a Scenic Highway in California.
SR 243 begins at SR 74 in the San Bernardino National Forest
as Idyllwild Road and traverses north along a winding road through the community of Idyllwild. The road makes a left turn at the intersection with Circle Drive and continues as Idyllwild Road through Pine Cove. SR 243 continues through the forest through Twin Pines and the Morongo Indian Reservation before making a few switchbacks en route to the city of Banning
. The highway continues as San Gorgonio Avenue before making a left onto Lincoln Street and a right onto 8th Street before terminating at I-10.
The entire route is in Riverside County
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Postmile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Mountain Center
|0.00
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Banning
|29.66
|
|Interchange
|-
|29.66
|8th Street
|Continuation beyond I-10
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
that runs from Banning, California
Banning, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Banning had a population of 29,603. The population density was 1,281.6 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Banning was 19,164 White, 2,165 African American, 641 Native American, 1,549 Asian, 39 Pacific Islander, 4,604 from other...
(in the north) to Idyllwild, California (in the south) in Riverside County, California
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 2007, it was named the Esperanza Firefighters Memorial Highway in honor of five firefighters who died while fighting the Esperanza Fire
Esperanza Fire
The Esperanza Fire was a wind-driven, arson-caused wildfire that was started in a river wash near Cabazon, California, west of Palm Springs, California. By Sunday, October 29, 2006, it had burned over 61 square miles and was 85% contained...
on .
State Route 243 is mainly a connector between Interstate 10 and State Route 74
California State Route 74
State Route 74 , a part of the Pines to Palms Scenic Byway, is a mostly scenic highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs from Palm Desert in Riverside County westward to San Juan Capistrano in Orange County.-Route description:...
. However, along its route it provides access for many truck trails that run through San Bernardino National Forest
San Bernardino National Forest
San Bernardino National Forest is a federally-managed forest covering more than 800,000 acres . There are two main divisions which are the San Bernardino Mountains on the easternmost of the Transverse Range, and the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains on the northernmost of the Peninsular...
. These truck trails provide access to smaller towns such as Pine Cove.
Route description
The route is generally considered to be a minor artery, with the heaviest traffic near the Idyllwild segment of the highway. The rest of the highway is mostly a ruralRural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
two-lane segment until Banning and the terminus at Interstate 10. This route 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...
and is classified as a Scenic Highway in California.
SR 243 begins at SR 74 in the San Bernardino National Forest
San Bernardino National Forest
San Bernardino National Forest is a federally-managed forest covering more than 800,000 acres . There are two main divisions which are the San Bernardino Mountains on the easternmost of the Transverse Range, and the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains on the northernmost of the Peninsular...
as Idyllwild Road and traverses north along a winding road through the community of Idyllwild. The road makes a left turn at the intersection with Circle Drive and continues as Idyllwild Road through Pine Cove. SR 243 continues through the forest through Twin Pines and the Morongo Indian Reservation before making a few switchbacks en route to the city of Banning
Banning, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Banning had a population of 29,603. The population density was 1,281.6 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Banning was 19,164 White, 2,165 African American, 641 Native American, 1,549 Asian, 39 Pacific Islander, 4,604 from other...
. The highway continues as San Gorgonio Avenue before making a left onto Lincoln Street and a right onto 8th Street before terminating at I-10.
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 entire route is in Riverside County
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Postmile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Mountain Center
Mountain Center, California
Mountain Center is a census-designated place in west central Riverside County, California. It lies along State Route 74 in the southern division of San Bernardino National Forest, just north of Lake Hemet. Mountain Center lies midway between Hemet and Palm Desert, and it is southeast of the city...
|0.00
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Banning
Banning, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Banning had a population of 29,603. The population density was 1,281.6 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Banning was 19,164 White, 2,165 African American, 641 Native American, 1,549 Asian, 39 Pacific Islander, 4,604 from other...
|29.66
|
|Interchange
|-
|29.66
|8th Street
|Continuation beyond I-10