Interstate 605 California
Overview
A well-traveled route through the communities east of the city of Los Angeles, Interstate 605 is the San Gabriel River Freeway. The freeway originates at the exchange joining SR 22 east from Long Beach with I-405 (San Diego Freeway) at Seal Beach. Overhead signs along the route omit control cities and instead read “Thru Traffic.” With eight to ten overall lanes, I-605 runs north from Los Alamitos and Lakewood to Cerritos, Bellflower, Norwalk and Interstate 5 (Santa Ana Freeway) at Downey. Continuing northeast, the San Gabriel River Freeway extends between Pico Rivera and Whittier to Baldwin Park and I-210 (Foothill Freeway) at Duarte.
Route Information
North End – Irwindale, CA
South End – Seal Beach, CA
Mileage – 27.40
Cities – Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Lakewood, Cerritos, Bellflower, Norwalk, Downey, Santa Fe Springs, Pico Rivera, Whittier, El Monte, Baldwin Park, Irwindale, Duarte
Junctions –
Source: December 31, 2018 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
I-605 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)
Source: 2017 Traffic Volumes – Caltrans Traffic Census Program
History
Interstate 605 opened in stages between May 1964 and January 1971. The north end of I-605 angles northeast to I-210 at Irwindale. State Route 164 was proposed as a freeway connection linking I-605 to the northwest with I-210 via Rosemead Boulevard in 1965. Named the Rio Hondo Freeway, it was never built.1
Controversial plans called for a three mile extension of Interstate 605 south from I-405 and SR 22 to SR 1 in Seal Beach. Proposals for the route considered both freeway and toll road options. However, it was removed from consideration due to local opposition.
Highway Guides
North End / Huntington Dr – Irwindale, California
North at
I-605 north at Live Oak Avenue. Interstate 605 skirts the San Gabriel River channel and flood control basins northward along side a series of transmission lines to I-210 (Foothill Freeway). Photo taken 07/15/09.
Mileage sign posted 1.25 miles south of the San Gabriel River Freeway end at Huntington Drive (Historic U.S. 66) in Duarte. A berm separates the freeway from the flood control basin formed by the Santa Fe Dam. Photo taken 05/13/05.
An I-605 end shield precedes the cloverstack interchange with I-210 (Foothill Freeway) west to Passadena and east to San Bernardino. Photo taken 05/13/05.
The eastbound ramp to I-210 departs from I-605 north ahead of the split for I-210 west and Mt. Olive Drive north to Duarte. The Foothill Freeway generally follows the original alignment of U.S. 66 through eastern Los Angeles and western San Bernardino Counties. Photo taken 05/13/05.
The left exit for I-210 west to San Fernando leaves I-605 northbound. The spur to Huntington Drive connects with Mount Olive Drive north from Duarte into Bradbury. Photo taken 07/15/09.
East at
1.25 miles ahead of Exit 36A for Interstate 605 (San Gabriel River Freeway) on I-210 eastbound. Photo taken 11/14/04.
Replaced interchange sequence sign one mile west of I-605 near the Duarte city center. Photo taken 05/15/11.
I-210 maintains four eastbound lanes through the exchange with I-605 into the city of Irwindale. Photo taken 11/14/04.
Guide signs at the systems interchange (Exit 36) with I-605 (San Gabriel River Freeway) were replaced by 2016. Photo taken 05/15/11.
The succeeding ramp is the collector distributor roadway (Exit 36B) for the I-605 northbound spur to Mount Olive and Huntington Drives in Duarte. Photos taken 11/14/04.
West at
I-210 advances 1.25 miles west from Irwindale Avenue (Exit 38) to Interstate 605 (San Gabriel River Freeway) at Duarte. Photo taken 07/08/18.
The Foothill Freeway runs across the north side of Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area ahead of Interstate 605. Photo taken 07/08/18.
Entering the cloverstack interchange (Exit 36) with I-605 south to Baldwin Park and El Monte on I-210 westbound. Photo taken 07/08/18.
Exit 36B connects I-210 (Foothill Freeway) with the I-605 northern spur to Mount Olive Drive and Huntington Drive in Duarte. Photo taken 07/08/18.
Huntington Drive at
Huntington Drive east at the southbound beginning of I-605 from Mount Olive Drive in Duarte. This button copy sign remained in service until 2018. Photo taken 07/21/01.
Interstate 605 commences south from the signalized intersection at Mount Olive Drive and Huntington Drive. Photo taken 07/21/01.
North End Throwback
Original guide signs for I-605 south on Interstate 210 (Foothill Freeway) westbound. Photos taken 11/19/05.
South End 
– Seal Beach, California
South at
Interstate 605 leading south to I-405 and SR 22 prior to 2011-12 expansion. The southbound roadway was widened to five general travel lanes plus an HOV lane. Photos taken 05/02/10.
East at
California 22 (7th Street) transitions into a freeway east from the RIRO ramps with Stubebaker Road. The state route crosses the San Gabriel River a quarter mile ahead of the flyover for I-405 and I-605 north. Photo taken 05/02/10.
SR 22 combines with I-405 (San Diego Freeway) southbound 2.1 miles to the Garden Grove Freeway at Westminster. I-605 (San Gabriel Freeway) branches northward from I-405 to Rossmoor and Los Alamitos. Photo taken 05/02/10.
North at
These scenes look at the northbound beginning of I-605 from SR 22 prior to the 2012-15 construction of the HOV flyover linking I-405 with the San Gabriel Freeway. Photos taken 05/02/10.
North West at
I-405 north & California 22 proceed west from the exchange with Seal Beach Boulevard to split at a wye interchange (Exit 23) just ahead of the HOV for I-605 (San Gabriel River Freeway) north. Photos taken 06/20/15.
Turning north, I-405 (San Diego Freeway) splits with mainline ramp (Exit 24) for Interstate 605 northbound to Lakewood and Cerritos. Photos taken 06/20/15.
South at
Interstate 405 (San Diego Freeway) angles southeast from Willow Street in Long Beach to meet I-605 just across the San Gabriel River. Photos taken 07/08/18.
Exit 23 follows from I-405 (San Diego Freeway) to the southernmost extent of I-605 which leads to SR 22 (7th Street) west in Long Beach. Photos taken 07/08/18.
Previous guide signs on I-405 south at the ramp for I-605 north omitted “Freeway” for San Diego and Garden Grove. Photo taken by 08/02/03.
South End Throwback
Former button copy signs at the westbound separation of SR 22 and I-405, prior to the addition of HOV lanes. Photos taken 11/14/04.
Sources:
- Unsigned State Route 164. California Highways (www.cahighways.org).
Page updated March 14, 2019.
