U.S. Route 99 Trivia Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. South of Davis, California, US 99 was called the Golden State Highway. What is the name commonly attributed to the highway north of Davis?

Answer: Pacific Highway

US 99 was known as the Pacific Highway north of Davis, California. Interestingly enough, US 99 never came into view of the Pacific Ocean. The name of the highway derives from the earlier Pacific Highway Auto Trail, which was US 99's predecessor. The name Pacific Highway is still used by Interstate 5 in Oregon.

2. For most of its existence, US 99 was concurrent with another highway along its entire route in Washington State. Which of the following highways was it?

Answer: Primary State Highway 1

US 99 ran concurrent with Primary State Highway 1 from border to border in Washington State for most of its existence. Both highways were about the same age. After the decommissioning of US 99 in Washington, Highway 1 became concurrent with I-5 until 1970.

US 99 did run concurrent with both US 830 and US 410, but the concurrency with both highways was not state-wide. Both US 830 and US 410 are also decommissioned. North Trunk Road was the name of present day Aurora Avenue in Seattle prior to 1930.

3. At the US/Canada border, a monument built in 1920 by Sam Hill celebrates a lasting peaceful and open border between both nations. What is the name of this monument?

Answer: Peace Arch

The Peace Arch is an open and easily accessible park to this day despite events such as 9/11. When I visited the park with my Dad in Winter 2013, we weren't required to show a passport to get in.

Peace Portal Drive is the name of US 99 in Blaine, Washington, due to the fact that it heads towards or away from the Peace Arch.

4. From 1926 to 1934, what famous highway shared its routing with US 99 from Los Angeles to San Bernardino?

Answer: Route 66

Route 66 and US 99 used to run together. In fact, US 99 gained its fame in California after being the highway the "Okies" used to access the San Joaquin Valley migrant farms after arriving in California on Route 66. This is well acknowledged in John Steinbeck's classic novel, "The Grapes of Wrath". Both Route 66 and US 99 later shared the famous Arroyo Seco Parkway in Los Angeles.

5. US 99 passed by which major body of water close to the Mexican Border?

Answer: Salton Sea

The Salton Sea is the biggest lake in California. Along its shores lie ghost towns that once rivalled nearby Palm Springs. The towns were abandoned after the Salton Sea became a nightmare, filled with decaying fish and obnoxious gasses. To this day, dead fish continue to litter the lake and make up the majority of its beaches. Mud geysers can be found on the southern end of the Salton Sea.

The New River and the Alamo River are both rivers that run off from the Salton Sea. While no body of water feeds the massive lake, agricultural runoff is the reason why the Salton Sea has not run dry. Even though the Colorado River is nowhere near the Salton Sea, it did play a huge part in the lake's creation. The Salton Sea is also where the pre-historic delta of the Colorado River was located.

6. In Oregon, US 99 turned east for several miles after reaching which city?

Answer: Grants Pass

Grants Pass adopted the Caveman as a tourist gimmick after a railroad bypassed it long before US 99 existed. The reason for choosing the caveman was due to the then-recently established Oregon Caves State Park. Grants Pass is also where US 99 met up with its child route US 199. Unlike US 99, US 199 still exists and is an actively used part of the Redwood Highway.

7. What was the last piece of the Aurora Avenue section of US 99 to be constructed in Seattle in 1933?

Answer: The section through Woodland Park

The construction of US 99 through Woodland Park generated a lot of anger and frustration from many citizens in Seattle due to the fact that it would be a major highway heading through a pristine park. Despite protests, the highway was constructed through the park and is still used to this day.

While the George Washington Bridge was a hard section to complete, it was finished a year earlier in 1932.

8. Which state was the last to decommission US 99?

Answer: Oregon

Oregon finally decommissioned the last remaining sections of US 99 in 1972. Washington and California had already done so in 1964. Despite being de-commissioned at the federal level, US 99 continued to exist as Oregon Routes 99W, 99E and 99.

US 99 never ran through Nevada. It only ran through Washington, Oregon and California.

9. What was the name of the state that was nearly created from southern Oregon and part of northern California during a major secessionist movement along US 99 during the Great Depression?

Answer: Jefferson

The State of Jefferson Movement was strongest in Siskiyou County, California. Its proposed capitol was Yreka, California. During the movement, US 99 traffic was blocked by men brandishing hunting rifles who passed out declarations of secession to passing motorists. These men also threatened to "secede every Thursday" until Jefferson was created.

10. In what year was Route US 99 commissioned?

Answer: 1926

Every original U.S. Highway was commissioned into law on November 11, 1926. Route 66 and US 99 were two of these highways. Even so, signage did not start appearing on either highway until 1928.

Source: Author MatthewA707

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

U.S. Route 99 was for many years the main highway on the west coast. Uncover or master the history of the west coast's recent past in this fun filled activity.

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