Nimitz Freeway - Definition and Overview

Interstate 880 is a regional bypass interstate highway in the Bay Area metropolitan area of Northern California. For most of that distance, it runs parallel to the southeastern shore of San Francisco Bay, where it is called the Nimitz Freeway, after World War II admiral Chester Nimitz, who retired to the Bay Area.

The northern terminus is in Oakland at the junction with Interstate 80, near the eastern approach of the Bay Bridge. The southern terminus is at Interstate 280 in San Jose.

Length

Major cities along the route

• Oakland
• San Leandro
• San Lorenzo
• Hayward
• Union City
• Newark
• Fremont
• Milpitas.
• San Jose

Intersections with other Interstates

• Interstate 80
• Interstate 980
• Interstate 238
• Interstate 280

Notes

Portion of the collapsed Cypress structure in Oakland.

A large double-decker section in Oakland, known as the Cypress Structure, collapsed during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, causing 42 deaths, the greatest loss of life of that earthquake. Rebuilding that section of the freeway took nearly a decade, due to environmental impact concerns, the feeling that the freeway divided the neighborhood, and design considerations. The highway was rebuilt on a new route around the outskirts of West Oakland, and the path of the former Cypress Structure was turned into a wide boulevard.

South of Interstate 280 in San Jose, Interstate 880 loses its interstate designation and becomes California Highway 17. Until it was given interstate status in January 1986, however, the present-day Interstate 880 was designated as California Highway 17 along its entire route, from Santa Cruz to Oakland.

Interstate 880 was at one time designated as a bypass of Sacramento. Its route is now used by Interstate 80.