# Canonical recap data for Interstate 5 in Washington (2013)
# Source: https://recap.at/2013/interstate-5-in-washington
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: interstate-5-in-washington
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2013/interstate-5-in-washington"
title: Interstate 5 in Washington
aliases:
- I-5
- Pacific Coast Highway
- West Coast Interstate
- Washington Interstate 5
subtitle: "On this day (05/23), 13 years ago: A freeway bridge carrying Interstate 5 over the Skagit River collapses in Mount Vernon, Washington."
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2013-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 2013
decade: 2010
summaryShort: Interstate 5 (I-5) is an Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States that serves as the region's primary north–south route. It spans 277 miles (446 km) across the state of Washington, from the Oregon state border at Vancouver, through the Puget Sound region, to the Canadian border at Blaine. Within the Se
summaryLong: Interstate 5 (I-5) is an Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States that serves as the region's primary north–south route. It spans 277 miles (446 km) across the state of Washington, from the Oregon state border at Vancouver, through the Puget Sound region, to the Canadian border at Blaine. Within the Seattle metropolitan area, the freeway connects the cities of Tacoma, Seattle, and Everett.
lede: Interstate 5 (I-5) stretches 1,381 miles along the West Coast, but within Washington state it covers just 277 miles—a critical artery connecting Vancouver on the Oregon border through Seattle and the Puget Sound region to Blaine at the Canadian boundary. In 2013, this highway remained the Pacific Northwest's primary north-south corridor, handling hundreds of thousands of vehicles daily and serving as essential infrastructure for regional commerce and cross-border traffic.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/I-5.svg/1280px-I-5.svg.png"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Interstate 5 in Washington"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Total length in Washington
  value: 277 miles (446 km)
- label: Northern terminus
  value: Blaine, Washington (Canadian border)
- label: Southern terminus
  value: Vancouver, Washington (Oregon state line)
- label: Major metropolitan areas served
  value: Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Portland metro area
- label: Part of larger system
  value: Interstate 5 (1,381 miles total from San Diego to Seattle)
- label: Regional classification
  value: Primary north-south route for Pacific Northwest
timeline:
- date: 1956-01-01
  title: Interstate Highway System authorized
  description: President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act, establishing the framework for Interstate 5 and the broader 48,000-mile system.
- date: 1960-01-01
  title: I-5 construction begins in Washington
  description: Early construction phases commenced on segments of Interstate 5 through Washington state.
- date: 1980-01-01
  title: I-5 substantially complete through Washington
  description: The corridor reached functional completion, though ongoing improvements and maintenance continued.
- date: 2013-01-01
  title: I-5 established as primary corridor
  description: In 2013, I-5 remained Washington's critical north-south transportation artery, handling significant daily traffic volumes across the 277-mile span.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_5_in_Washington"
  title: Interstate 5 in Washington
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/I-5.svg/1280px-I-5.svg.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/I-5.svg/800px-I-5.svg.png"
  caption: Interstate 5 in Washington
  credit: Wikipedia · "Interstate 5 in Washington"
  width: 330
  height: 330
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Interstate_5_-_Washington_-_9974931636.jpg/1280px-Interstate_5_-_Washington_-_9974931636.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Interstate_5_-_Washington_-_9974931636.jpg/800px-Interstate_5_-_Washington_-_9974931636.jpg"
  caption: Interstate 5 - Washington - 9974931636
  credit: Dougtone
  width: 3072
  height: 2304
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Interstate_5_071206_600.jpg/1280px-Interstate_5_071206_600.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Interstate_5_071206_600.jpg/800px-Interstate_5_071206_600.jpg"
  caption: Interstate 5 071206 600
  credit: Dougtone
  width: 1024
  height: 768
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Interstate_5_-_Washington_-_9975292266.jpg/1280px-Interstate_5_-_Washington_-_9975292266.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Interstate_5_-_Washington_-_9975292266.jpg/800px-Interstate_5_-_Washington_-_9975292266.jpg"
  caption: Interstate 5 - Washington - 9975292266
  credit: Dougtone
  width: 3072
  height: 2304
impactStatement: I-5's 277-mile span through Washington established the state's backbone for transportation, commerce, and cross-border mobility. The highway's routing through major population centers—Vancouver, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia—made it foundational infrastructure for the entire Pacific Northwest economy and regional integration with British Columbia.
categories: []
taxonomy:
domain: technological
eventTypes:
- infrastructure_rollout
canonicalClasses:
- creation
- transformation
impactRadius: regional
velocity: gradual
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: growth
metaDescription: "I-5 Washington: 277-mile Interstate corridor connecting Oregon to Canada through Puget Sound region."
wikidataQid: Q830648
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20130614033958/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_5_in_Washington"
  capturedAt: 2013-06-14
  label: Interstate 5 in Washington
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_5_in_Washington"
