U.S. Route 50 in California

U.S. Route 50 In California

In the U.S. state of California, U.S. Route 50 (US 50) runs east from I-80 in West Sacramento to the Nevada state line in South Lake Tahoe. Portions within Sacramento are known as the Capital City Freeway and El Dorado Freeway. The western half of the highway, from I-80 through Sacramento and Placerville to the canyon of the South Fork American River at Riverton, is a four-or-more-lane divided highway, mostly built to freeway standards. The remainder, passing through the canyon, over the Sierra Nevada at Echo Summit, and into the Lake Tahoe Basin, is a mainly two-lane road.

The US 50 corridor is a historic one, used by many 49ers who came to California during the Gold Rush as well as the Pony Express. In 1895, part of the present-day route was designated as California's first state highway, and it was later considered as a scenic alternate of the Lincoln Highway. Much of US 50 was constructed during the initial construction of the California state highway system. During the second half of the twentieth century, US 50 was gradually designated and converted into a modern highway.