HWY 99 History
Highway 99 is tied to the earliest settlements in Washington State. The original trail linked the homestead settlers to the army barracks at Fort Vancouver and the Columbia River crossing into Oregon. During the Indian Wars of the 1850s, this old trail was 
built into a military road known as the Pacific Highway. It extended beyond the local farm settlements, linking the area north beyond Seattle to the Canadian border and south to the Mexican border at Calexico, California.
In 1926, under the new US Highway System, the Pacific Highway was renamed US Highway 99 from Blaine, Washington to Los Angeles. Over the next 40 years, US Highway 99 became the primary route along the West Coast linking the major cities of Washington, Oregon and California. Like its cross-country cousin Route 66, which found fame in popular music, movies and a television series, Highway 99 developed a roadside commercial culture of small motels, restaurants, and full-service gas stations.
The completion of Interstate 5 through Seattle in 1965 was a turning point for Highway 99. Between 1964 and 1972, road segments were either decommissioned as a US Highway or converted into a state highway in all three states.
Locally, US Highway 99 was decommissioned in 1972 and returned to Clark County. Today, Highway 99 stretches approximately 4 miles from Main Street/Interstate 5 interchange north to the junction of Interstates 5 and 205.
Throughout the subarea plan process, the community reinforced that an active, healthy lifestyle and the need to celebrate the rich heritage of the area as important. The popularity of outdoor recreational opportunities continues to grow. To incorporate the history of the area with the creation of safe and continuous walking trails within the urban area, the Heritage Trail concept was born. Well developed parks and trails with historical exhibits encourage everyone to enjoy the area.
Examples of heritage-urban trails
- Ann Arbor Historical Street Program
- Ashville Urban Trail
- Downtown Seattle Historic District
-
Vancouver Discovery Loop
Team 99 is developing a work program.
- Heritage trail map (PDF - 3MB)
