Interstate 15 in Nevada
Encyclopedia
In the U.S. State
of Nevada
, Interstate 15 begins in Primm
, continues through Las Vegas
and it crosses the border with Arizona in Mesquite
. The freeway runs entirely in Clark County
. Many motorists use Interstate 15 to visit Las Vegas, as it is the only primary Interstate Highway in the city. The highway was built along the corridor of the older U.S. Route 91
and Arrowhead Trail, eventually replacing both of these designations.
leave the mountainous Mojave Desert
and begin a long descent through Ivanpah Valley
and Ivanpah Dry Lake
. Interstate 15 crosses the Nevada
state line at the first exit, Primm
.
Once Interstate 15 leaves Primm, the route travels north through the desert with few services. The highway then enters the Las Vegas urban area upon passing the State Route 146
(Saint Rose Parkway) interchange. Quickly thereafter, the interstate meets Interstate 215
, or the Southern Beltway Interchange, which provides access to Henderson
and McCarran International Airport
. Originally, this interchange was termed Son of Spaghetti Bowl by the Las Vegas Review-Journal when the interchange was built.
Interstate 15 travels along the west side of the Las Vegas Strip
corridor and just west of downtown Las Vegas just before its junction with Interstate 515 and U.S. Route 95
(the "Spaghetti Bowl
" interchange). Then the interstate enters North Las Vegas
and continues to run roughly parallel to Las Vegas Boulevard
(old US 91) as it leaves the Las Vegas urban limits near the northern junction with the Clark County 215
beltway.
Once Interstate 15 leaves North Las Vegas, the freeway travels northeast and crosses the Muddy River
at Glendale
and then climbs up onto the Mormon Mesa. At Mesquite
, the freeway then crosses the Arizona
state line and cuts through the extreme northwestern corner of Arizona through the Virgin River Gorge
before entering Utah
.
travel through southern Nevada was established by 1914 along the Arrowhead Trail, a road connecting Los Angeles
and Salt Lake City. In 1919, the Nevada Legislature amended its newly-adopted highway law to add State Route 6, which was described as "Commencing at the Arizona line near Mesquite and running southwesterly over what is now known as the Arrow Head [sic] trail through Las Vegas to Jean, Nevada." Two years later, the route was revised to pass through Las Vegas and head "via Jean or Goodsprings to a junction with the California state highway system."
U.S. Route 91
was later proposed as part of the original 1925 U.S. Highway System plan. As originally proposed, US 91 would have followed SR 6 southwest from Mesquite to downtown Las Vegas, where it would then turn southeast along State Route 5 to California via Searchlight
. The revised 1926 plan had proposed US 91 follow SR 6 through Las Vegas and Jean to the California state line. Nevada's 1927 official highway map reflects the routing of the final 1926 plan; however, a few maps from the era indicate the original proposal.
US 91/SR 6 began at Primm and followed the Los Angeles Highway towards Las Vegas. Within the city limits, it ran along Fifth Street (now Las Vegas Boulevard
) through downtown and into North Las Vegas. Exiting the Las Vegas area to the north, US 91 became the Salt Lake Highway as it headed north towards Apex and Glendale
. The highway then followed present-day SR 170 through Bunkerville
into Mesquite. US 91 was routed through the city on Mesquite Boulevard, Sandhill Boulevard and Fairview Avenue before crossing the Arizona state line. By 1929, the alignment of US 91/SR 6 was graded throughout much of the state, a distance of 129.5 miles (208.4 km).
The route eventually gained two other highway overlaps. U.S. Route 466 was christened in 1934, and was routed concurrently along US 91 from California to downtown Las Vegas before heading southeast to Hoover Dam
(the route was deleted in 1971). Also, in 1939, U.S. Route 93 was extended from its previous southern terminus at Glendale, over US 91 to downtown Las Vegas on its way to Hoover Dam.
A new alignment of US 91 was completed in 1955. This bypassed both Bunkerville and Mesquite to the northwest, along what would become the future path of Interstate 15. The original alignment through Bunkerville is now SR 170.
The passage of the Interstate Highway Act in 1956 quickly brought upgrades to the US 91 corridor. The first section of the newly-designated Interstate 15 opened by 1960. This stretch extended from the California state line to just north of Sloan
. In 1963, the new freeway reached the south end of the Las Vegas Valley at Blue Diamond Road, and more than 20 miles (32.2 km) south of Glendale was also finished. By 1967, I-15 had been constructed along the entire length of US 91 except through parts of Las Vegas and near Mesquite.
The final sections of I-15 to be completed were in North Las Vegas and near the Arizona state line. Both of these sections were both completed in 1974. The US 91 designation, which had remained on its original alignment during the construction of the interstate, was made redundant by the new freeway and was removed by 1975.
Between Las Vegas and the Nevada state line, the Nevada Department of Transportation
added callbox
es at one-mile (1.6 km) intervals in the mid-2000s, used for motorists who end up with vehicle problems and don't have access to a cell phone.
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 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...
, Interstate 15 begins in Primm
Primm, Nevada
Primm is a tiny community in Clark County, Nevada, United States, primarily notable for its position straddling Interstate 15 where it crosses the border between California and Nevada...
, continues through Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
and it crosses the border with Arizona in Mesquite
Mesquite, Nevada
Mesquite is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the Arizona state line and northeast of Las Vegas. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 15,277. The city is located in the Virgin River Valley...
. The freeway runs entirely in Clark County
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
. Many motorists use Interstate 15 to visit Las Vegas, as it is the only primary Interstate Highway in the city. The highway was built along the corridor of the older U.S. Route 91
U.S. Route 91
U.S. Route 91 is a north–south United States highway. The highway currently serves as a connection between the Cache Valley area of Utah and Idaho to the Salt Lake and Idaho Falls population centers. Prior the mid-1970s, U.S. 91 was an international commerce route from Long Beach, California...
and Arrowhead Trail, eventually replacing both of these designations.
Route description
Motorists in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
leave the mountainous Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
and begin a long descent through Ivanpah Valley
Ivanpah Valley
The Ivanpah Valley is in southeastern California and southern Nevada in the United States. The valley is between the New York Mountains and the Ivanpah Mountains in San Bernardino County on the California side, and in Clark County on the Nevada side. The communities of Cima, California, Nipton,...
and Ivanpah Dry Lake
Ivanpah Dry Lake
Ivanpah Lake is a dry lake bed in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California on the border of California and Nevada. Nestled in the Ivanpah Valley near Primm on Interstate 15, the lake is almost entirely within California. At the north edge of the lake lie the Nevada Welcome Center ...
. Interstate 15 crosses the 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...
state line at the first exit, Primm
Primm, Nevada
Primm is a tiny community in Clark County, Nevada, United States, primarily notable for its position straddling Interstate 15 where it crosses the border between California and Nevada...
.
Once Interstate 15 leaves Primm, the route travels north through the desert with few services. The highway then enters the Las Vegas urban area upon passing the State Route 146
Nevada State Route 146
State Route 146 is a major east–west route in Southern Nevada. It begins at the Exit 27 interchange on Interstate 15 south of the Las Vegas Strip and ends at the Pecos Road interchange on Interstate 215 in Henderson...
(Saint Rose Parkway) interchange. Quickly thereafter, the interstate meets Interstate 215
Interstate 215 (Nevada)
The Las Vegas Beltway is the name of the beltway route circling three-quarters of the Las Vegas Valley in southern Nevada. The Las Vegas Beltway carries two numerical designations. Approximately of the beltway, from its southern terminus at Interstate 515/U.S. Route 93/U.S...
, or the Southern Beltway Interchange, which provides access to Henderson
Henderson, Nevada
-Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile...
and McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
. Originally, this interchange was termed Son of Spaghetti Bowl by the Las Vegas Review-Journal when the interchange was built.
Interstate 15 travels along the west side of the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
corridor and just west of downtown Las Vegas just before its junction with Interstate 515 and U.S. Route 95
U.S. Route 95 in Nevada
In the U.S. state of Nevada, U.S. Route 95 is a major U.S. highway traversing the state from north to south directly through Las Vegas and providing connections to both Carson City and Reno...
(the "Spaghetti Bowl
Spaghetti Bowl (Las Vegas)
The Spaghetti Bowl is the colloquial name for a freeway interchange near downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. It is the intersection of Interstate 15, U.S...
" interchange). Then the interstate enters North Las Vegas
North Las Vegas, Nevada
North Las Vegas is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, located in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The city was incorporated on May 16, 1946.-Geography:...
and continues to run roughly parallel to Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas Boulevard
State Route 604 is the route number designation for parts of Las Vegas Boulevard, a major north–south road in the Las Vegas metropolitan area of Nevada in the United States best known for the Las Vegas Strip and its casinos. Formerly carrying U.S...
(old US 91) as it leaves the Las Vegas urban limits near the northern junction with the Clark County 215
Interstate 215 (Nevada)
The Las Vegas Beltway is the name of the beltway route circling three-quarters of the Las Vegas Valley in southern Nevada. The Las Vegas Beltway carries two numerical designations. Approximately of the beltway, from its southern terminus at Interstate 515/U.S. Route 93/U.S...
beltway.
Once Interstate 15 leaves North Las Vegas, the freeway travels northeast and crosses the Muddy River
Muddy River
The Muddy River, formerly known as the Moapa River, is a short river located in the southern part of the state in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is in the Mojave Desert, approximately 60 miles north of Las Vegas.-Geography:...
at Glendale
Glendale, Nevada
Glendale is an unincorporated community in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The community is an elevation of ....
and then climbs up onto the Mormon Mesa. At Mesquite
Mesquite, Nevada
Mesquite is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the Arizona state line and northeast of Las Vegas. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 15,277. The city is located in the Virgin River Valley...
, the freeway then crosses the Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
state line and cuts through the extreme northwestern corner of Arizona through the Virgin River Gorge
Virgin River Gorge
The Virgin River Gorge, located between St. George, Utah, and Littlefield, Arizona, is a long canyon that has been carved out by the Virgin River in northwest Arizona. The Virgin River rises on the Colorado Plateau and created the topography of both Zion National Park and the Virgin River Gorge...
before entering Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
History
Early routes
The general location of Interstate 15 through Nevada can be traced as far back as the early 1900s. Regular automobileAutomobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
travel through southern Nevada was established by 1914 along the Arrowhead Trail, a road connecting Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Salt Lake City. In 1919, the Nevada Legislature amended its newly-adopted highway law to add State Route 6, which was described as "Commencing at the Arizona line near Mesquite and running southwesterly over what is now known as the Arrow Head [sic] trail through Las Vegas to Jean, Nevada." Two years later, the route was revised to pass through Las Vegas and head "via Jean or Goodsprings to a junction with the California state highway system."
U.S. Route 91
U.S. Route 91
U.S. Route 91 is a north–south United States highway. The highway currently serves as a connection between the Cache Valley area of Utah and Idaho to the Salt Lake and Idaho Falls population centers. Prior the mid-1970s, U.S. 91 was an international commerce route from Long Beach, California...
was later proposed as part of the original 1925 U.S. Highway System plan. As originally proposed, US 91 would have followed SR 6 southwest from Mesquite to downtown Las Vegas, where it would then turn southeast along State Route 5 to California via Searchlight
Searchlight, Nevada
Searchlight is an unincorporated town in Clark County, Nevada, at the topographic saddle between two mountain ranges.-History:According to Nevada Senator Harry Reid, who has written extensively about his hometown, the most likely story as to how the town received its name was when George Frederick...
. The revised 1926 plan had proposed US 91 follow SR 6 through Las Vegas and Jean to the California state line. Nevada's 1927 official highway map reflects the routing of the final 1926 plan; however, a few maps from the era indicate the original proposal.
US 91/SR 6 began at Primm and followed the Los Angeles Highway towards Las Vegas. Within the city limits, it ran along Fifth Street (now Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas Boulevard
State Route 604 is the route number designation for parts of Las Vegas Boulevard, a major north–south road in the Las Vegas metropolitan area of Nevada in the United States best known for the Las Vegas Strip and its casinos. Formerly carrying U.S...
) through downtown and into North Las Vegas. Exiting the Las Vegas area to the north, US 91 became the Salt Lake Highway as it headed north towards Apex and Glendale
Glendale, Nevada
Glendale is an unincorporated community in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The community is an elevation of ....
. The highway then followed present-day SR 170 through Bunkerville
Bunkerville, Nevada
Bunkerville is an unincorporated town in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,014 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the census-designated place of Bunkerville has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is...
into Mesquite. US 91 was routed through the city on Mesquite Boulevard, Sandhill Boulevard and Fairview Avenue before crossing the Arizona state line. By 1929, the alignment of US 91/SR 6 was graded throughout much of the state, a distance of 129.5 miles (208.4 km).
The route eventually gained two other highway overlaps. U.S. Route 466 was christened in 1934, and was routed concurrently along US 91 from California to downtown Las Vegas before heading southeast to Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
(the route was deleted in 1971). Also, in 1939, U.S. Route 93 was extended from its previous southern terminus at Glendale, over US 91 to downtown Las Vegas on its way to Hoover Dam.
Interstate development
The passage of the Interstate Highway Act in 1956 quickly brought upgrades to the US 91 corridor. The first section of the newly-designated Interstate 15 opened by 1960. This stretch extended from the California state line to just north of Sloan
Sloan, Nevada
Sloan is an unincorporated community in Clark County, Nevada.It contains well-preserved petroglyphs and several hiking trails that allow visitors to photograph the petroglyphs...
. In 1963, the new freeway reached the south end of the Las Vegas Valley at Blue Diamond Road, and more than 20 miles (32.2 km) south of Glendale was also finished. By 1967, I-15 had been constructed along the entire length of US 91 except through parts of Las Vegas and near Mesquite.
The final sections of I-15 to be completed were in North Las Vegas and near the Arizona state line. Both of these sections were both completed in 1974. The US 91 designation, which had remained on its original alignment during the construction of the interstate, was made redundant by the new freeway and was removed by 1975.
Between Las Vegas and the Nevada state line, the Nevada Department of Transportation
Nevada Department of Transportation
The Nevada Department of Transportation is a government agency in the U.S. state of Nevada. NDOT is responsible for maintaining and improving Nevada's highway system, which includes U.S. highways and Interstate highways within the state's boundaries. The department is notable for its...
added callbox
Callbox
A call box or callbox is a box containing a special-purpose direct line telephone or other telecommunications device, which has been used by various industries and institutions as a way for employees or clients at a remote location to contact a central dispatch office.- Police and taxicab...
es at one-mile (1.6 km) intervals in the mid-2000s, used for motorists who end up with vehicle problems and don't have access to a cell phone.