I-82

About I-82

From Ellensburg, WA (I-90) to Hermiston, OR area (I-84)

Interstate 82 is an east-west route, oriented more northwest to southeast, running about 144 miles from Ellensburg, Washington, to Hermiston, Oregon. It begins at Interstate 90 in central Washington and runs south and east through the Yakima Valley, passing Yakima and the Tri-Cities area before crossing the Columbia River into Oregon. It ends at Interstate 84 southwest of Hermiston in Umatilla County.

The route passes through the dry, irrigated agricultural country of south-central Washington, a region known for orchards, vineyards, and hop farming. It runs concurrently with U.S. Route 97 between Ellensburg and the Yakima area and with U.S. Route 12 between Yakima and the Tri-Cities, sharing pavement with these older highways across the valley.

Interstate 82 forms part of the inland link between the Seattle region and points southeast toward Salt Lake City, feeding traffic from Interstate 90 down to Interstate 84. Its single auxiliary route connects the main line to the Tri-Cities communities of Richland and Pasco.

State-by-state mileage

State	Miles
Washington	132.6
Oregon	11.0
Total	143.6

History

Interstate 82 was numbered in 1965 and built over the following years to connect central Washington with the Columbia River crossing into Oregon. Construction carried the freeway across the Yakima Valley and over the Columbia on a new bridge near Umatilla.

The completed route provided a continuous freeway link from Interstate 90 at Ellensburg to Interstate 84 in Oregon, tying the Yakima Valley and the Tri-Cities into the regional Interstate network.

Major cities and places

Notable features

• Umatilla Bridge over the Columbia River

Did you know

• The northwestern terminus is at I-90 in Ellensburg and the southeastern terminus is at I-84 near Hermiston.
• It runs concurrently with U.S. 97 and later U.S. 12 across the Yakima Valley.
• The route crosses the Columbia River on the Umatilla Bridge into Oregon.
• Its only auxiliary, I-182, serves Richland and Pasco in the Tri-Cities.