I-880

About I-880

Also known as Nimitz Freeway.

Interstate 880 is a three-digit auxiliary route of Interstate 80, with an even prefix digit marking it as a loop or bypass. The number is used in two places. The best known is in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California, where Interstate 880 runs north and south along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay between Interstate 280 and State Route 17 in San Jose and Interstate 80 and Interstate 580 in Oakland. For most of its length it is officially the Nimitz Freeway, named for World War II fleet admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who retired to the Bay Area.

The Nimitz Freeway connects the East Bay cities of Milpitas, Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, and San Leandro before reaching Oakland, serving as a major commuter and freight corridor down the East Bay. It is one of the busiest routes in the region.

The other Interstate 880 is in Iowa, a short route created in 2019 from part of the former Interstate 680 near Council Bluffs. It was set up to help route Interstate 29 traffic around Council Bluffs in the event of flooding along the Missouri River, and it meets Interstate 80 to the east of that area.

History

The double deck Cypress Street Viaduct section of the Nimitz Freeway in Oakland collapsed during the Loma Prieta earthquake of October 17, 1989, killing dozens of people when the upper deck fell onto the lower. The damaged structure was demolished and the route was later rebuilt on a realigned ground level alignment around West Oakland.

Major cities and places

Notable features

• Former Cypress Street Viaduct in Oakland, which collapsed in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake

Did you know

• The California route is the Nimitz Freeway down the East Bay.
• It is named for fleet admiral Chester W. Nimitz.
• Its Cypress Street Viaduct collapsed in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
• The Iowa route was created in 2019 as a flood detour near Council Bluffs.