Foothill Freeway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids [[File:|x70px|alt= marker]]
Foothill Freeway
I-210 highlighted in red; SR 210 in purple
Route information
Defined by S&HC § 510
Maintained by Caltrans
Length	85 mi (137 km) Length includes the unconstructed portion of I-210.
History	Route proposed 1933 Designated 210 in 1964
Component highways	I-210 from Los Angeles to Glendora SR 210 from Glendora to Redlands
Major junctions
West end	I-5 in Los Angeles
	SR 118 in Los Angeles SR 2 in La Cañada Flintridge SR 134 in Pasadena I-605 in Irwindale SR 57 in Glendora I-15 on the Rancho Cucamonga-Fontana border I-215 in San Bernardino SR 330 near Highland
East end	I-10 in Redlands
Location
Counties:	Los Angeles, San Bernardino
Highway system
State highways in California(list • pre-1964) History • Unconstructed • Deleted • Freeway • Scenic ← SR 209 SR 211 →

The Foothill Freeway is a major highway in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in California. It stretches from the Sylmar area of Los Angeles all the way east to Redlands.

Part of this freeway is called Interstate 210 (I-210). This section runs from its start at I-5 to SR 57 in Glendora. The other part is known as State Route 210 (SR 210). It continues east from Glendora to its end at I-10. Legally, the whole road is known as Route 210.

The name "Foothill Freeway" comes from Foothill Boulevard and the San Gabriel Mountains. The freeway runs alongside these mountains for most of its journey. It connects the suburbs northeast of Los Angeles with the Inland Empire region. Over time, the Foothill Freeway has had different numbers. The I-210 route also changed, once including a part of what is now the Orange Freeway (SR 57). East of Pasadena, the Foothill Freeway follows, and sometimes replaced, the path of the old U.S. Route 66.

By 2007, the section between I-5 and SR 259 in San Bernardino met the high standards for Interstate Highways. However, the eastern part is still called a state route. This is because the section between SR 259 and I-10 does not fully meet those standards. In February 2020, work began to add two new lanes, one in each direction. This project will last three years. It covers the area from Sterling Avenue in San Bernardino to San Bernardino Avenue in Redlands.

Exploring the Foothill Freeway Route

I-210 starts where it meets the Golden State Freeway (I-5). This is near the Sylmar area of Los Angeles. From there, the freeway goes southeast through the San Fernando Valley and the Crescenta Valley.

After leaving Los Angeles, it enters northern Glendale. Then it goes into La Cañada Flintridge. Here, it meets the Glendale Freeway and Angeles Crest Highway (SR 2). The freeway then turns south towards the Ventura Freeway (SR 134) in Pasadena.

At this meeting point, the Foothill Freeway changes direction. It becomes an east-west highway. The main lanes of I-210 from the north become an unfinished part of I-710. Meanwhile, the lanes from the Ventura Freeway become I-210. After crossing the northern end of I-605, I-210 continues east. It reaches the Orange Freeway (SR 57) in Glendora. East of this interchange, until its end at I-10 in Redlands, Route 210 is signed as a state route.

Foothill Freeway as seen from the Metro Gold Line, Sierra Madre Villa Station

Parts of the Metro A Line train run in the middle of the Foothill Freeway. This section goes from Pasadena to Arcadia. It serves three train stations: Lake Avenue, Allen Avenue, and Sierra Madre Villa.

Elevated portion of freeway in Monrovia

SR 210 has two different parts. The western part is a newer freeway. It begins at the east end of I-210 near San Dimas. SR 210 goes eastward, running next to Highland Avenue. It passes through Fontana. It crosses I-15, a key road between Southern California and Nevada. This is about 10 miles (16 km) before it meets I-215 in San Bernardino.

The section east of I-215 used to be SR 30. This part goes east to meet I-215, SR 259, SR 18, and SR 330 in Highland. SR 210 then turns south. It ends where it joins I-10 in Redlands.

Route 210 is part of California's Freeway and Expressway System. It is also part of the National Highway System. This system includes highways important for the country's economy, defense, and travel. The Federal Highway Administration decides which roads are part of this system. Route 210 could be a State Scenic Highway. However, the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) has not officially named it one. In 1991, Senate Concurrent Resolution 29 named Route 210, from Route 5 to Route 10 in Redlands, the Foothill Freeway.

The Glendora Curve Explained

The Glendora Curve was a common name for the interchange between SR 57 and the Foothill Freeway, I-210. The "curve" was where the I-210 freeway made a sharp, almost 90-degree turn south in Glendora.

Before 2002, this curve was entirely part of I-210. The freeway continued south to its old eastern end at the Kellogg Interchange. There, it met the Chino Valley Freeway (SR 71), the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10), and SR 57.

When I-210 was extended eastward from the Glendora Curve, the part of I-210 south of the curve became SR 57. After this change, the name Glendora Curve was not used as much anymore.

History of the Foothill Freeway

Construction on the Foothill Freeway began in 1958. The first part opened in 1966. It went from the east end of Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge to Canada Avenue in Pasadena. This section was first called SR 118. Later construction bypassed this section.

Building the First Sections

The section going northwest from Pasadena to I-5 in Sylmar was built in stages. This happened between 1971 and 1977. The first part to open was in July 1972. It was between Ocean View Boulevard and Lowell Avenue in La Crescenta. In November, the section between Berkshire Avenue and Ocean View in La Cañada Flintridge opened.

The freeway section in Sylmar, California, was supposed to open first. This was between I-5 and Maclay Avenue. But it was damaged by the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake. Its opening was delayed until repairs finished in 1973. In Pasadena, California, a bridge over the Arroyo Seco collapsed during construction. This happened on October 17, 1972, and six workers died. Because of this, the northbound section through Pasadena did not fully open until 1974.

The last part in the San Fernando Valley to be finished was between Highway 118 and Lowell Avenue. This section was mostly done by 1976. However, the part crossing the Tujunga Wash was not fully completed until 1981. From 1976 to 1980, the unfinished part of I-210 was rented by MGM Television. It was used for filming the TV show CHiPs.

In 1968, a historic train depot was moved. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway depot at Santa Anita was built in 1890. It was moved to the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. This made way for a part of the freeway through Arcadia. Building the freeway through Pasadena and Arcadia also changed the railroad's main line. It was moved to the middle of the freeway. The old tracks in Pasadena became an industrial spur.

The "Pasadena" section, from SR 134 to Rosemead Boulevard, was finished in 1976. The section from Arcadia, California to the Kellogg Interchange with I-10 at Pomona was finished earlier, in 1971. The part between the Kellogg Interchange and Glendora is no longer I-210. In 2003, this piece was renumbered as part of SR 57, known as the Orange Freeway.

Freeway Extensions and Changes

In the 1990s, Caltrans started building extensions to the freeway. These extensions went from Glendora east to the old I-215/SR 30 interchange in San Bernardino. In 2003, a 20-mile (32 km) section from Glendora to Fontana was finished. The part going south from Glendora was renumbered SR 57. The remaining section east of I-15, between Fontana and I-215, opened on July 24, 2007.

Caltrans has asked the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to rename the entire Foothill Freeway as I-210. AASHTO is the group that oversees the numbering of the Interstate Highway System. When the new freeway section west of I-215 was completed, SR 30 from I-215 to I-10 in Redlands was renamed SR 210. In 2003, the old part of I-210 that is now SR 57 was changed. This cut off I-210 from its parent route, I-10. If the entire Route 210 becomes an Interstate in the future, I-210 will connect to I-10 again, but much farther east in Redlands.

The western freeway section was planned since the 1970s and finished in 2002. It replaced an older road section. This old road started with Base Line Road in La Verne. It went east into Upland. In Upland, it became 16th Street, then Mountain Avenue, then 19th Street. It continued into Rancho Cucamonga. After Haven Avenue, 19th Street curved north and became Highland Avenue. Highland Avenue still exists in some places, but the freeway now covers parts of it.

Highland Avenue leaves the original SR 30 path at Etiwanda Avenue. It curves south and ends at East Avenue, the border of Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana. Highland Avenue starts again at Cherry Avenue, east of I-15. It continues east, becoming W. Easton Avenue at Alder Avenue. Soon after, it makes a sharp left turn at Riverside Avenue, crossing over the freeway. It becomes Highland Avenue again. From here, it leaves Rialto and goes into San Bernardino. It crosses under SR 210, I-215, and SR 259 before entering Highland. In Highland, the original SR 30 crosses under the 210 one last time. It ends as it crosses over SR 330. Some maps still show part of this route as SR 30.

The Story of State Route 30

State Route 30 (SR 30) was the old name for parts of SR 210 and SR 330. SR 30 ran from its interchange with I-210 in Glendora east to SR 18 at Big Bear Lake. The easternmost part of SR 30 became SR 330 in 1972. After that, SR 30 was routed south to I-10 in Redlands. In 1999, all of SR 30 from the Glendora Curve to Redlands became part of Route 210.

SR 30 became a state route in 1933. It was part of Legislative Route 190. This was an unmarked highway. It ran from LRN 9 (old US 66) near San Dimas to LRN 26 (SR 38) near Redlands. It also ran from LRN 26 near Redlands to LRN 43 near Big Bear Lake, which later became part of SR 38.

When California routes were renumbered, LRN 190 was split. The western part, between I-210 in San Dimas and Highland, became SR 30. The eastern part, between SR 38 in Redlands and Highland, was combined with LRN 207 (now SR 330) to form SR 106. In 1972, the northern part of SR 106, between SR 30 and SR 18, was renumbered SR 330. The southern part, between SR 30 and I-10, was combined with SR 30.

Freeway construction for SR 30 started in 1968. It built the freeway between SR 259 and Cedar Street in San Bernardino. Construction continued east in 1971. This brought the freeway just west of SR 330. Construction did not start again until 1989. This extended the freeway west to I-215. The last part of construction began in 1992. It connected the route south to I-10.

In 1968, the state asked for SR 30 to become part of the Interstate system, but this was not approved. The next effort began in 1998. The state decided to close the 25-mile (40 km) gap between I-210 and SR 30. It also decided to number the new freeway as SR 210. This was in preparation for the route becoming an Interstate. Also, when the new freeway was close to the existing route, the entire route would be renumbered SR 210. In addition, the short section of the Orange Freeway, which was I-210, would be renumbered SR 57. This would match the number used for the rest of that freeway. Construction started on the eastern end from Foothill Boulevard (exit 47). It slowly moved east. In 2007, the main freeway section was completed. This ended the existence of SR 30.

State Route 30 Business Route

State Route 30 Business (SR 30 Bus.) was a special route of SR 30. It existed from 1964 to 2007. It followed Highland Avenue from Rialto to Highland. Its main job was to guide traffic from the Foothill Freeway. It also connected downtown Rialto to Downtown San Bernardino by street. Some old, faded signs for this business route can still be seen at Waterman Avenue and Highland Avenue.

Completing the I-215 Interchange

The final step of the Foothill Freeway project was finishing the interchange with I-215 (exit 74). When the main Foothill Freeway was completed in 2007, exit 74 only had four of its six ramps built. It was missing ramps for traffic going from SR 210 eastbound to I-215 southbound. It also lacked ramps from I-215 northbound to SR 210 westbound.

Plans for these missing ramps had to be changed. This was to make sure they could withstand potential ground movement during an earthquake. This part of the project was separated from the main 210 project. This was done to avoid delaying the rest of the freeway. Finishing exit 74 was also linked to making I-215 wider in that area.

The ramp from northbound I-215 to westbound SR 210 opened on December 22, 2011. The ramp from eastbound SR 210 to southbound I-215 opened on July 23, 2012. These openings finally completed the interchange.

Exit list

County	Location	mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Los Angeles	Los Angeles	0.00	0.00	1A	I-5 north (Golden State Freeway) – Sacramento	Western terminus of I-210; I-5 exit 161A
				—	Invalid type: I-Truck to SR 14	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
				1B	I-5 south (Golden State Freeway) – Los Angeles	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; I-5 exit 161B
		0.84	1.35	1C	Yarnell Street	Signed as exit 1 eastbound
		1.92	3.09	2	Roxford Street – Sylmar
		3.28	5.28	3	Polk Street
		4.11	6.61	4	Hubbard Street
		4.94	7.95	5	Maclay Street – San Fernando
		5.91	9.51	6A	SR 118 west (Ronald Reagan Freeway) – Ventura	Signed as exit 6B westbound; SR 118 exits 46A-B
		6.00	9.66	6B	Paxton Street	Signed as exit 6A westbound
		7.82	12.59	8	Osborne Street / Foothill Boulevard
		9.43	15.18	9	Wheatland Avenue – Lake View Terrace
		11.08	Sunland Boulevard – Sunland, Tujunga
		14.17	22.80	14	La Tuna Canyon Road
	Glendale	15.62	25.14	16	Lowell Avenue – Tujunga
		16.77	26.99	17A	Pennsylvania Avenue – La Crescenta	Signed as exit 17 eastbound
	La Crescenta-Montrose	17.38	27.97	17B	La Crescenta Avenue – La Crescenta	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		18.22	29.32	18	Ocean View Boulevard – Montrose
	La Cañada Flintridge	18.88	30.38	19	SR 2 south (Glendale Freeway) – Los Angeles	Western end of SR 2 concurrency; SR 2 north exits 21A-B
		19.88	31.99	20	SR 2 east (Angeles Crest Highway) – La Cañada Flintridge	Eastern end of SR 2 concurrency
		20.60	33.15	21	Gould Avenue	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
					Foothill Boulevard	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		21.53	34.65	22A	Berkshire Avenue / Oak Grove Drive
	Pasadena	22.49	36.19	22B	Arroyo Boulevard / Windsor Avenue
		23.19	37.32	23	Lincoln Avenue / Washington Boulevard
		24.06	38.72	24	Seco Street / Mountain Street
		24.96	40.17	25A	Colorado Boulevard / Del Mar Boulevard / California Boulevard (SR 710) – Pasadena	Eastbound left exit and westbound left entrance
				25B	SR 134 west (Ventura Freeway) – Ventura	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; SR 134 exit 13B
				25A	Fair Oaks Avenue south	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
				25B	Fair Oaks Avenue north / Marengo Avenue	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
				26A	SR 134 west (Ventura Freeway) to SR 110 / Del Mar Boulevard / California Boulevard (SR 710) – Ventura	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; eastern terminus of SR 134/Ventura Freeway
		26.33	42.37	26	Lake Avenue	Signed as exit 26B westbound
		26.94	43.36	27A	Hill Avenue	Signed as exit 27 eastbound
		27.41	44.11	27B	Allen Avenue	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		28.25	45.46	28	Altadena Drive / Sierra Madre Boulevard	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		28.68	46.16	29A	San Gabriel Boulevard
		29.29	47.14	29B	Madre Street
	Pasadena–Arcadia line	29.80	47.96	30	SR 19 south (Rosemead Boulevard) / Michillinda Avenue	Signed as exits 30A (south) and 30B (north) eastbound
	Arcadia	30.82	49.60	31	Baldwin Avenue – Sierra Madre
		31.88	51.31	32	Santa Anita Avenue
	Monrovia	32.89	52.93	33	Huntington Drive
		33.91	54.57	34	Myrtle Avenue
	Monrovia–Duarte line	34.74	55.91	35A	Mountain Avenue
	Duarte	35.24	56.71	35B	Buena Vista Street
	Irwindale	36.41– 36.43	58.60– 58.63	36A-B	I-605 south (San Gabriel River Freeway) / Mount Olive Drive	Signed as exit 36A (I-605) and 36B (Mount Olive Drive)
		37.86	60.93	38	Irwindale Avenue
	Azusa	38.96	62.70	39	Vernon Avenue
		39.60	63.73	40	SR 39 (Azusa Avenue)
		40.60	65.34	41	Citrus Avenue – Covina
	Glendora	41.59	66.93	42	Grand Avenue
		43.16	69.46	43	Sunflower Avenue
		44.20	71.13	44	Lone Hill Avenue
		44.90	72.26	45	SR 57 south (Orange Freeway) – Santa Ana	Glendora Curve; eastern end of I-210 and western end of SR 210; SR 57 is former I-210 east; SR 57 exits 25B-C
	San Dimas	45.48	73.19	46	San Dimas Avenue
	La Verne	46.66	75.09	47	SR 66 east (Foothill Boulevard) – La Verne	Former US 66
		48.06	77.35	48	Fruit Street
	Claremont	49.57	79.78	50	Towne Avenue
		51.91	83.54	52	Base Line Road	Former SR 30
San Bernardino	Upland	53.65	86.34	54	Mountain Avenue – Mount Baldy
		55.64	89.54	56	Campus Avenue
	Rancho Cucamonga	56.75	91.33	57	Carnelian Street
		58.05	93.42	58	Archibald Avenue
		59.06	95.05	59	Haven Avenue
		60.06	96.66	60	Milliken Avenue
		61.31	98.67	61	Day Creek Boulevard
	Rancho Cucamonga–Fontana line	63.80	102.68	64A	I-15 (Ontario Freeway) – Barstow, San Diego	I-15 exits 115A-B
	Fontana	64.08	103.13	64B	Cherry Avenue
				♦	Beech Avenue	HOV access only
		66.08	106.35	66	Citrus Avenue
		67.08	107.95	67	Sierra Avenue
	Rialto	68.18	109.73	68	Alder Avenue
		69.54	111.91	70	Ayala Drive
		71.15	114.50	71	Riverside Avenue
		71.82	115.58	72	Pepper Avenue
	San Bernardino	72.84	117.22	73	State Street / University Parkway
		74.02	119.12	74	I-215 – Barstow, Riverside	Westbound access to I-215 south is via exit 75B; former I-15E; I-215 exit 46C
		75.09	120.85	75A	H Street	Signed as exit 75 eastbound
		75.25	121.10	75B	SR 259 south to I-215 south – Riverside	Eastbound access is via exit 75; I-215 north exit 45A
		76.37	122.91	76	SR 18 north (Waterman Avenue)
		77.87	125.32	78	Del Rosa Avenue
		78.88	126.95	79	Highland Avenue
		80.81	130.05	81	SR 330 north – Running Springs, Big Bear Lake
	Highland	81.47	131.11	82	Base Line Street
		82.38	132.58	83	5th Street / Greenspot Road
	Redlands	84.49	135.97	84	San Bernardino Avenue
		85.31	137.29	85	I-10 – Los Angeles, Indio	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; signed as exits 85A (west) and 85B (east); east end of SR 210; I-10 east exit 77B, west exit 77C
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

In Spanish: Interestatal 210 y Ruta Estatal 210 para niños