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California State Route 262

In Fremont this is short 1 mile State Highway connecting I-880 east to I-680 known as California State Route 262.


CA 262 is something of an oddity given it is sparsely signed and now exists essentially as a connector route between I-880 and I-680 on Mission Boulevard.  CA 262 partially is a freeway east of it's junction with I-880 near to Warm Springs Boulevard.  This small segment of freeway on CA 262 was once the temporary northern end of the Nimitz Freeway when CA 17 (pre-1964 Legislative Route Number) was routed over it circa 1954-1955 to Warm Springs Boulevard.

1954 State Highway Map 

1955 State Highway Map

East of Warm Springs Boulevard CA 262 to I-680 exists on a former segment of LRN 5 on Mission Boulevard.  This particular segment of CA 262/Mission Boulevard was once part of US Route 48 between 1926 through 1929.  CA 262/Mission Boulevard east of Warm Springs Boulevard became part of US 101E from 1929 likely to 1935.  At least by 1940 CA 21 had a terminus at Warm Springs Boulevard/Mission Boulevard on current CA 262.

At least by 1948 CA 9 was extended to Hayward over the entirety of what is now CA 262 on Mission Boulevard.  By the 1964 State Highway renumbering the current route of CA 262 became part of LRN 680.  By 1965 CA 262 was created but it was signed as part of CA 238 east of Warm Springs Boulevard until some point between 1970 and 1975 when I-680 was completed.  I researched much of the current route of CA 262 on my previous I-238/CA 238 blog which can be found here:

Interstate 238; the Interstate numbering abomination carved out of an otherwise bland State Highway

According to CAhighways.org the route of CA 262 was at one point supposed to be deleted from the State Highway system when CA 237 was upgraded to a freeway between I-880 and I-680.  This is now unlikely ever to happen and much more focus has been brought to completing CA 262 to freeway standards.

CAhighways.org on CA 262

CAhighways.org on CA 237

My approach to CA 262 east was from I-880 north via Exit 12A.  CA 262 begins from I-880 as an unsigned connector to I-680 routed over Mission Boulevard.  CA 262 isn't completely unsigned but I'll get to that at the end of the blog.


CA 262 east is a short freeway which crosses below a rail-underpass.  CA 262 becomes a surface route of just short of Warm Springs Boulevard.




CA 262 east of Warm Springs Boulevard to I-680 was once part of; US 48, US 101E, CA 9, CA 21 and CA 238.  The amount of highway history that has crossed through such a small segment of State Highway is kind of amusing considering that traffic now uses it to connect directly to I-680.



CA 262 has only one known sign which is located on I-680 south Exit 12 on a BGS.  The BGS in question displays "CA 262 to I-880 Mission Boulevard."  The image below is from the December 2017 Google Street Car image.

CA 262 BGS Google Image

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