Idaho Transportation Department

The Golden Era of Idaho Highways

Like its many siblings throughout the country, Idaho’s interstate highway system was born out of a vision by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to create a family of highways that connect peoples in every region – from the crashing surf of California to the towering Rockies. From the fertile plains to the cliffs of New England.

That highway network united the United States.

It delivered commodities, grew economies, connected families and fostered a new freedom of movement never before possible.

Basking in the luxuries of the 21st century, more than half of the nation’s population cannot remember a period without the interstate highway system. They cannot comprehend cross-state journeys that took days. They cannot conceive of Pacific and Atlantic coasts separated by weeks.

Idaho's interstate highway system is an integral part of the national system, serving as a conduit for manufactured goods and agricultural products, serving tourism and recreation and providing access to jobs and commerce. Nearly every major Idaho city is located on an interstate route or has quick access to an interstate. The modern, multi-lane highways carry traffic through Idaho's arid southern region, across the scenic northern panhandle, and through agricultural areas of eastern Idaho.

The interstates connect people and places. They shorten travel times, and they provide safer travel conditions.

Idaho joins the rest of the nation in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Interstate Highway System. Plan a trip and experience Idaho while enjoying Idaho's 612 miles of interstate.