Skip to main content

California State Route 221

By
Back in early 2017 I drove the entirety of California State Route 221 which is located mostly in Napa.


CA 221 is a 2.674 mile State Highway signed on Napa-Vallejo Highway originating from a south terminus at CA 12/CA 29 in unincorporated Napa County.  The north terminus of CA 221 is located in the City of Napa at CA 121.



Part 1; history of California State Route 221

CA 221 was the original alignment of CA 12/29 southward out of the City of Napa.  CA 221 was added to the State Highway System as part of Legislative Route Number 8 during the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act according to CAhighways.org.  As originally defined LRN 8 ran eastward from Ignacio (modern Novato) to Cordelia via Napa.  LRN 8 in it's original configuration can be seen on the 1918 State Highway Map. 


In an August 1934 Department of Public Works Guide the Signed State Highways were announced.  The eventual path of CA 221 was added to the route of CA 29 but was co-signed with CA 12. 


CA 12/29 can be seen first appearing the future path of CA 221 on the 1935 Goshua Highway Map of California.


On the 1963 State Highway Map a new planned realignment of LRN 6 appears north of Napa.  


During the 1964 State Highway Renumbering the planned realignment of LRN 6 was assigned a new designation of CA 221.  This change can clear be seen on the 1964 State Highway Map. 


The 1982 State Highway Map shows CA 12/29 moved to a new bypass route of Napa via the Napa River.  The planned route of CA 221 appears to have been abandoned at this point as it is shown shifted to the old alignment of CA 12/29. 


According to CAhighways.org the planned route of CA 221 was likely planned as an freeway or expressway bypass of northern Napa.  CA 221 was officially moved to the former alignment of CA 12/29 legislatively in 1984.  Apparently Caltrans and the legislature wanted to relinquish the old alignment of CA 12/29 but local interests spurred it be kept as a new CA 221. 


Part 2; a drive on California State Route 221

As for my road photos from CA 221, there really wasn't much to see.  Until recently my only photo was from CA 121 east in Napa approaching southbound start of CA 221. 


This November I returned to Napa which allowed me to take a fresh drive on CA 221.  My approach to CA 221 south was from CA 121 east.


CA 221 is signed from all junctions which is somewhat surprising given it is a minor highway.  


CA 221 from CA 121 isn't signed with a control city.


CA 221 southbound doesn't have any reassurance shields and is aligned on Napa-Vallejo Highway.  There aren't really many notable features or locales along CA 221 aside from the CA 12/CA 29 junction at the southern terminus. CA 221 shows 2.675 miles in the Caltrans Post Mile Tool.













Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Yes, the color of your nearby fire hydrant matters...

By
...and here's why. You will find White, Red, Yellow and Violet colored fire hydrants pretty much everywhere.  But there's a reason for this - and it's because of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).  This association has issued guidelines for color coding standards for fire hydrants.  These color codes from the body of the hydrant, top of the hydrant, and in some municipalities the outlet caps are designed to allow fire fighters to know what type of system, water flow rate (Gallons Per Minute or GPM), and level of water pressure.  This guideline is known as NFPA 291 and is intended to be used universally throughout the United States. The NFPA guidelines are specific to the body and the top cap of the hydrant.  If a hydrant is WHITE or YELLOW - it means that it is connected to a public/municipal water system.  If a hydrant is RED - the hydrant is connected to a private system, typically a well.  These are most common in rural or unincorporated areas
1 comment
Read more

Legend of the Ridge Route; a history of crossing the mountains between the Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin Valley from wagon trails to Interstates

By
Over the past two decades I've crossed the Interstate 5 corridor from Los Angeles north over the Sierra Pelona Mountains and Tehachapi Range to San Joaquin Valley what seems to be an immeasurable number of times.  While Interstate 5 from Castaic Junction to Grapevine via Tejon Pass today is known to most as "The Grapevine" it occupies a corridor which has been traversed by numerous historic highways.  The most notable of these highways is known as the "Ridge Route."  This article is dedicated to the Ridge Route and the various highways that preceded it.  This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Ridge Route corridor introdution The Ridge Route as originally envisioned was a segment of highway which was completed in 1915 between the northern Los Angeles city limit
1 comment
Read more

Establishing the numbering conventions of California's chargeable Interstates

By
The Federal Highway Aid Act of 1956 brought the Interstate Highway System into existence which would largely be constructed by Federal Highway Administration fund matching.  The Interstate Highway System was deliberately numbered to run opposite the established conventions of the US Route System.  While the Interstate Highway numbering conventions are now well established there was a period during the late 1950s where they were still being finalized.  This blog examines the history of the establishing of the chargeable Interstate Highway route numbers in California.  The above blog cover depicts the Interstate Highway route numbers requested by the Division of Highways in the Los Angeles area during November 1957.  The establishment of the numbering conventions of California's chargeable Interstates The Interstate Highway System was not created in a vacuum by way of the passage of the 1956 Federal Highway Aid Act.  The beginning of the Interstate Highway System can be found in the
1 comment
Read more