Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 10-07-2015, 02:45 AM
 
Location: Mountain Home, ID
1,956 posts, read 3,645,615 times
Reputation: 2435

Advertisements

I will be taking a road trip from southern Idaho to Fresno at the end of the month. The timing is tight, so I have to make the trip down in one day. I'm driving my own vehicle and bringing back a load a few days later. The trip will be on a Saturday.

Would it be better to follow 80 all the way down through Sacramento, or take 88 and go by Yosemite? Since it's a weekend I'm assuming the traffic will not be bad. Never made this drive or been to the area before, so I'm not sure what to expect.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 10-07-2015, 03:05 AM
 
Location: Oroville, California
3,477 posts, read 6,532,953 times
Reputation: 6799
I-80 to Hwy 99 will be the fastest. The road's just better and you can travel faster than on 88.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-07-2015, 06:46 AM
 
Location: Michigan
224 posts, read 299,995 times
Reputation: 447
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hesster View Post
I will be taking a road trip from southern Idaho to Fresno at the end of the month. The timing is tight, so I have to make the trip down in one day. I'm driving my own vehicle and bringing back a load a few days later. The trip will be on a Saturday.

Would it be better to follow 80 all the way down through Sacramento, or take 88 and go by Yosemite? Since it's a weekend I'm assuming the traffic will not be bad. Never made this drive or been to the area before, so I'm not sure what to expect.
I agree with BeauCharles. 80 and 99 would be faster. When you get down into California and especially on 99 from Sacramento to Fresno expect a lot of traffic. It might be a little better on Saturday but the freeways are always busy. Have a good trip.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-07-2015, 07:32 AM
 
25,619 posts, read 36,797,592 times
Reputation: 23299
I drive 88 from the Central Valley to Nevada almost monthly. 80 to 99 south is your best route. Good time to come before any significant weather hits the Sierra requiring chains.

You'll be fine on Sat. Going back during the week try to time missing the traditional rush hours of 6-9 and 4-7 thru Sacramento on 99 if you can. If not then I would take I5 north from HWY 4 in Stockton to 80east in north Sac.

99 takes you right thru one of the busiests commutes in Northern California outside of the Bay Area.

If your trailering remember DO NOT GO OVER 55-60 on the freeway if not you'll have a good chance at a several hundred dollar ticket. Just a word of advice. Lots of CHP thru the mountain pass on 80.

Last edited by Bulldogdad; 10-07-2015 at 07:41 AM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-07-2015, 08:35 AM
 
Location: Mountain Home, ID
1,956 posts, read 3,645,615 times
Reputation: 2435
Thanks everyone. Sounds like 99 is the way to go.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-07-2015, 08:38 PM
 
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
1,722 posts, read 1,752,397 times
Reputation: 1342
I've driven from Idaho (Blaine County) to CA many, many times. 80 mph on 80 won't get you ticketed until you get close to Sparks (which is just before Reno). Although do slow it down through Winnemucca just to be on the safe side.
From Reno onward hold the speed limit and like Bulldogdad said, CHP is quite present once you leave Truckee. And if possible, do take his advice and avoid the commuter times so you don't have to come to a slow crawl around Sacramento after having a free and easy drive through Idaho and Nevada.
During commuter times Reno and points just east and west can get a bit congested but it's not too bad.
And if you need gas don't wait until you get to Truckee. It's very, very expensive. I always fill up in Verdi (just west of Reno). There's a huge complex ... i think it's a Chevron? ... with food, slot machines etc. and gas. Wahoo.

Happy Trails. Hi to Idaho.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-07-2015, 10:49 PM
 
25,619 posts, read 36,797,592 times
Reputation: 23299
Yup Verdi is good. Boomtown as well. Though these places won't be the cheapest in Reno. But the most convenient. There are also a few gas stations as you come Down the hill into Sparks.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-09-2015, 08:50 PM
 
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
1,722 posts, read 1,752,397 times
Reputation: 1342
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bulldogdad View Post
Yup Verdi is good. Boomtown as well. Though these places won't be the cheapest in Reno. But the most convenient. There are also a few gas stations as you come Down the hill into Sparks.
True. But on a 12 - 14 hour road trip convenient is worth a lot.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-10-2015, 12:21 AM
 
7,400 posts, read 12,725,789 times
Reputation: 10080
Are you going 95 from Boise/Nampa, or 93 from Twin Falls? 95 from Nampa to Winnemucca is the most horribly boring stretch in the entire West, IMO. Hour after hour, in a completely unchanging landscape (and I love desert driving, but I like some variety...). Bring good music or some audio books!

Just saw that you're coming from Mountain Home. In that case I'd go 93 to 80 if I were you...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-10-2015, 03:36 AM
 
Location: Mountain Home, ID
1,956 posts, read 3,645,615 times
Reputation: 2435
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast View Post
Are you going 95 from Boise/Nampa, or 93 from Twin Falls? 95 from Nampa to Winnemucca is the most horribly boring stretch in the entire West, IMO. Hour after hour, in a completely unchanging landscape (and I love desert driving, but I like some variety...). Bring good music or some audio books!

Just saw that you're coming from Mountain Home. In that case I'd go 93 to 80 if I were you...
Thanks. Yes, I was planning on going down 93 through Elko. Didn't make much sense to me to drive all the way northwest to Nampa then start heading south.

I have to pick up someone at the Fresno airport at around 9:00 PM. So I think it would be best to be out the door by 7:00 AM so I have time to stop for lunch and just in case there are any delays.

Next day we load up the rental truck he's driving home to MS, take my vehicle to San Jose to meet another friend and drive back to Fresno in the evening to load up my vehicle.

Then I get to drive back to Idaho on Monday.

Going to be a looong, busy three-day weekend.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2022 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top