California State Route 29

State Route 29 (SR 29) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that travels in a north–south direction from State Route 20 in Upper Lake to Interstate 80 in Vallejo.

Route description

This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System^[2] and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System.^[3] However, it is not a scenic highway as defined by Caltrans.^[4]

SR 29 starts as a two-lane highway until Lakeport and becomes a freeway as it bypasses the city. South of the city, it reverts back to a two-lane highway, going around Clear Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake completely within California, passing through Kelseyville, Lower Lake, and Middletown. It then climbs Mount Saint Helena, an extinct volcano, at the border between Lake County and Napa County. Through Napa Valley, the highway passes through Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Yountville and Napa while passing many of the region's notable vineyards and wineries. This portion of the highway is often heavily congested with rental cars and tour buses in spring and summer, when tourists flock to Napa Valley from San Francisco.

The route briefly becomes a freeway again as it passes through the city of Napa, then returns to a four-lane expressway (on some segments, five) for the rest of its length. It terminates at I-80 near the Al Zampa Bridge in Vallejo.

Historically, the route between Middletown and the Napa Valley was served by the Old Bull Trail Road, built by volunteers in the 1850s that had grades up to 35 percent. That was replaced by the St. Helena Toll Road in 1868, which had more manageable inclines of up to 12 percent. The State of California purchased the toll road in 1925.

The points of interest along Route 29 include the Lower Lake Stone Jail, the Stone House, The St. Helena Toll Road and Bull Trail, The Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, The Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park and the Bothe-Napa Valley State Park.

California State Route 29 may be most famous for its path through the heart of Napa Valley, considered by many to be America's most prestigious wine region. Many famed wineries, including Robert Mondavi, Beringer and Sutter Home are located along Route 29.

Major intersections

Note: Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured in 1964, based on the alignment as it existed at that time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage. The numbers reset at county lines; the start and end postmiles in each county are given in the county column.'

References

External links

• California @ WestCoastRoads - State Route 29
• Caltrans: Route 29 highway conditions
• California Highways: SR 29
• Cal-NExUS: Route 29 North
• Cal-NExUS: Route 29 South