Editing Interstate 5 (section)

===California===
{{main|Interstate 5 in California}}

The southern terminus of I-5 is at the [[Mexico–United States border|Mexican border]] at the [[San Ysidro Port of Entry]], the busiest land border crossing in the [[Western Hemisphere]]; the crossing handles a daily average of 70,000 vehicles and 20,000 pedestrians crossing northbound and connects with [[Mexican Federal Highway 1]] in [[Tijuana]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Sweeney |first=Don |date=November 25, 2018 |title=5 things to know about massive San Ysidro border checkpoint closed by caravan protest |url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article222172450.html |work=[[The Sacramento Bee]] |accessdate=December 13, 2021 |archive-date=May 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523034746/https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article222172450.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The freeway splits in [[San Diego]]'s [[San Ysidro, San Diego|San Ysidro]] neighborhood, with I-5 traveling northwest through [[Chula Vista, California|Chula Vista]] and [[National City, California|National City]] on the John J. Montgomery Freeway and [[Interstate 805|I-805]] serving the eastern neighborhoods.<ref name="CA-Names">{{cite web |author=Caltrans Office of Highway System Information and Performance |date=January 2021 |title=2020 Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California |pages=8–15 |url=https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/research-innovation-system-information/documents/place-names/web-2020-named-freeways-final-a11y.pdf |publisher=[[California Department of Transportation]] |accessdate=December 16, 2021 |archive-date=December 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217064734/https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/research-innovation-system-information/documents/place-names/web-2020-named-freeways-final-a11y.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> I-5 follows the shore of [[San Diego Bay]] and intersects [[California State Route 15|State Route&nbsp;15]] (a continuation of [[Interstate 15|I-15]]) near [[Naval Station San Diego]]. The freeway then travels around [[downtown San Diego]] and [[San Diego International Airport]] before reaching a junction with [[Interstate 8|I-8]].<ref name="google">{{google maps |title=Overview of Interstate 5 |url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/32.5427538,-117.0292493/49.0020791,-122.7560176/@40.4396594,-129.1964226,3484765m/am=t/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1 |accessdate=December 15, 2021}}</ref>

I-5 bisects the [[University of California, San Diego]] campus, merging with I-805 nearby, and follows the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific coastline]] through the [[North County (San Diego area)|northern suburbs]] of San Diego. Between [[Oceanside, California|Oceanside]] and [[San Clemente, California|San Clemente]], an {{convert|18|mi|km|adj=mid}} stretch of the San Diego Freeway passes through [[Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton]] before entering [[Orange County, California|Orange County]]. At [[Dana Point, California|Dana Point]], I-5 turns inland and heads north through [[Mission Viejo, California|Mission Viejo]] to the [[El Toro Y]] interchange in [[Irvine, California|Irvine]], where [[Interstate 405 (California)|I-405]] splits and carries the San Diego Freeway designation.<ref name="CA-Names"/> I-5 continues northwest as the [[Santa Ana Freeway]] through several Orange County and [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles County]] suburbs and passes near [[Disneyland]] in [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Masters |first=Nathan |date=April 21, 2016 |title=How the 5 Freeway Made Orange County Suburban |url=https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/how-the-5-freeway-made-orange-county-suburban |publisher=[[KCET]] |accessdate=December 15, 2021 |archive-date=December 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216065924/https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/how-the-5-freeway-made-orange-county-suburban |url-status=live }}</ref> The freeway intersects [[Interstate 605|I-605]] in [[Downey, California|Downey]] and [[Interstate 710|I-710]] in [[Commerce, California|Commerce]] before reaching the city of [[Los Angeles]].<ref name="google"/> Southern Californians often refer to I-5 as "the 5" or as the Santa Ana Freeway in the Los Angeles area.<ref>{{cite news |last=Edgar |first=Deirdre |date=September 19, 2012 |title=Southern California freeways are a number, not a name |url=https://www.latimes.com/la-xpm-2012-sep-19-la-me-rr-southland-freeways-are-a-number-not-a-name-20120919-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |accessdate=December 15, 2021 |archive-date=December 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216065843/https://www.latimes.com/la-xpm-2012-sep-19-la-me-rr-southland-freeways-are-a-number-not-a-name-20120919-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Masters |first=Nathan |date=November 10, 2015 |title=The 5, the 101, the 405: Why Southern Californians Love Saying 'the' Before Freeway Numbers |url=https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/the-5-the-101-the-405-why-southern-californians-love-saying-the-before-freeway-numbers |publisher=KCET |accessdate=December 15, 2021 |archive-date=August 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820000300/https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/the-5-the-101-the-405-why-southern-californians-love-saying-the-before-freeway-numbers |url-status=live }}</ref>

At the [[East Los Angeles Interchange]] near [[downtown Los Angeles]], I-5 intersects [[U.S. Route 101|US&nbsp;101]] and begins a short [[concurrency (road)|concurrency]] with [[Interstate 10|I-10]] on a section of the [[Golden State Freeway]].<ref name="CA-Names"/> The freeway splits from {{nowrap|I-10}} and turns northwest to follow the [[Los Angeles River]] through [[Glendale, California|Glendale]] and into [[Burbank, California|Burbank]]. I-5 then leaves the river and travels across the [[San Fernando Valley]], later crossing the [[Newhall Pass]] through the [[Santa Susana Mountains]] to reach the [[Santa Clarita Valley]]; the [[Newhall Pass interchange]] with [[California State Route 14|State Route&nbsp;14]] is notable for having separate lanes for truck traffic. The freeway passes the city of [[Santa Clarita, California|Santa Clarita]] and ascends into the [[Sierra Pelona Mountains]], where the northbound and southbound lanes separate and cross sides for approximately {{convert|5|mi|km}}. The northbound ascent includes a continuous 5&nbsp;percent [[Grade (slope)|grade]] for {{convert|5|mi|km}}.<ref name="LAT-Grapevine">{{cite news |last=Condon |first=Lee |date=July 22, 2000 |title=Motorists Face Wrath of the Grapevine |page=A3 |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90653386/motorists-face-wrath-of-the-grapevine/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=December 15, 2021 |archive-date=December 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216072731/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90653386/motorists-face-wrath-of-the-grapevine/ |url-status=live }}</ref> After passing [[Pyramid Lake (Los Angeles County, California)|Pyramid Lake]], I-5 makes several turns as it follows a series of narrow valleys to reach the second-highest point of its entire length, [[Tejon Pass]] (elevation {{convert|4144|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=or}}) in the [[Tehachapi Mountains]].<ref name="google"/><ref name="LAT-Grapevine"/>

The freeway then traverses the narrow [[Grapevine, California|Grapevine Canyon]] and descends for {{convert|12|mi|km}} into the [[San Joaquin Valley]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Rasmussen |first=Cecilia |date=March 8, 1993 |title=L.A. Scene: The City Then and Now |page=B3 |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90653293/la-scene-the-city-then-and-now/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 15, 2021 |archive-date=December 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216072723/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90653293/la-scene-the-city-then-and-now/ |url-status=live }}</ref> At [[Wheeler Ridge, California|Wheeler Ridge]] near the south end of the valley, [[California State Route 99|State Route&nbsp;99]] splits from the freeway to serve [[Bakersfield, California|Bakersfield]] and other major cities in the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]], while I-5 stays to the west. Now named the West Side Freeway,<ref name="CA-Names"/> I-5 travels northwest along the edge of the Central Valley through farmland and avoids populated areas. The freeway is connected to several of the valley's main cities, including [[Fresno, California|Fresno]], [[Merced, California|Merced]], and [[Modesto, California|Modesto]], by other highways.<ref name="google"/>

Near [[Tracy, California|Tracy]], [[Interstate 580 (California)|I-580]] splits from I-5 to provide the first of several connections to the [[San Francisco Bay Area]]; [[Interstate 205 (California)|I-205]] northeast of Tracy also provides a connection through I-580. The freeway continues north through [[Stockton, California|Stockton]] to [[Sacramento]], where it follows the [[Sacramento River]] through the southern suburbs and along the edge of [[Downtown Sacramento|downtown]]. I-5 intersects two transcontinental highways in the Sacramento area: [[U.S. Route 50|US&nbsp;50]] (and unsigned [[Interstate 305 (California)|I-305]]) south of downtown and [[Interstate 80|I-80]] in the northern suburbs. After an unsigned concurrency with State Route&nbsp;99 in northern Sacramento, the freeway turns west to pass the [[Sacramento International Airport|city's airport]] and resumes its northwestern path at [[Woodland, California|Woodland]]. It then intersects [[Interstate 505|I-505]], another Bay Area connector, near [[Dunnigan, California|Dunnigan]].<ref name="google"/>

The freeway continues north along the western edge of the [[Sacramento Valley]], passing through farmland and several small towns before reaching the end of the valley at [[Red Bluff, California|Red Bluff]]. I-5 then traverses the rugged [[Shasta Cascade]] region, passing through [[Redding, California|Redding]] and crossing [[Shasta Lake]] before beginning its ascent towards [[Mount Shasta]]. The freeway follows the Sacramento River upstream to the southwestern slopes of the mountain and turns northwest to reach [[Weed, California|Weed]], where it intersects [[U.S. Route 97|US&nbsp;97]], a major highway serving the [[Inland Northwest]] region. I-5 continues through [[Yreka, California|Yreka]] in the [[Shasta Valley]] and follows the [[Klamath River]] into the [[Siskiyou Mountains]], where it crosses into Oregon.<ref name="google"/>