View source for California State Route 163

{{short description|State highway in California}}
{{Redirect-distinguish|Cabrillo Freeway|Cabrillo Highway}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox road
|state = CA
|type = SR
|route = 163
|section = 463
|maint = [[California Department of Transportation|Caltrans]]
|map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=240|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/California State Route 163}}}}
|map_custom = yes
|alternate_name = Cabrillo Freeway
|map_notes = SR 163 highlighted in red
|length_mi = 11.088
|length_ref = <ref name=trucklist>{{Caltrans trucklist}}</ref>
|history = 1948 as US 395, 1969 as SR 163
|tourist=[[File:California Scenic State.svg|20px|alt=|link=]] Cabrillo Parkway through [[Balboa Park (San Diego)|Balboa Park]]
|direction_a = South
|terminus_a = {{Jct|state=CA|I|5}} in [[San Diego]]
|junction = {{plainlist|
*{{Jct|state=CA|I|8}} in San Diego
*{{Jct|state=CA|I|805}} in San Diego
*{{Jct|state=CA|SR|52}} in San Diego}}
|direction_b = North
|terminus_b = {{jct|state=CA|I|15}} in San Diego
|counties = [[San Diego County, California|San Diego]]
|previous_type = SR
|previous_route = 162
|next_type = SR
|next_route = 164
}}
'''State Route 163''' ('''SR&nbsp;163'''), or the '''Cabrillo Freeway''', is a state highway in [[San Diego]], California. The {{convert|11.088|mi|km|adj=on}} stretch of the former [[U.S. Route 395 in California|US 395]] [[freeway]] runs from [[downtown San Diego]] just south of an interchange with [[Interstate 5 in California|Interstate 5]] (I-5), extending north through historic [[Balboa Park (San Diego)|Balboa Park]] and various neighborhoods of San Diego to an interchange with [[Interstate 15 in California|I-15]] in the neighborhood of [[Miramar, San Diego|Miramar]]. The freeway is named after [[Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo]], the first European to navigate the coast of present-day [[California]].

The historic section of freeway through Balboa Park south of [[Interstate 8|I-8]] was the first freeway in [[San Diego County, California|San Diego County]] and one of the first in California.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last = Marshall |first = David |title = San Diego's Balboa Park |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tG3asbfLcUsC&pg=PA110 |year = 2007 |publisher = Arcadia Publishing |isbn = 978-0-7385-4754-1 |page = 110 }}</ref> Prior to 1964, this was the southernmost section of [[U.S. Route 395 in California|U.S. Route 395]] (US&nbsp;395), which was truncated to [[Hesperia, California|Hesperia]] when it was replaced by I-15. This section is also designated as a [[State Scenic Highway (California)|State Scenic Highway]].

==Route description==
[[File:Cabrillo Freeway from Cabrillo Bridge.jpg|thumb|left|The Cabrillo Freeway leading into downtown San Diego]]
SR&nbsp;163 begins in [[downtown San Diego]] at an at-grade intersection with A Street and 11th Avenue. Shortly after, the freeway has an interchange with [[Interstate 5 in California|I-5]] before entering [[Balboa Park (San Diego)|Balboa Park]]. This {{convert|2.5|mi|km|adj=on}} section of SR&nbsp;163 is built to [[parkway]] standards, featuring a wide, grassy [[median (road)|median]] with trees, four through traffic lanes, and several very sharp curves, also passing under the [[Cabrillo Bridge]]. Shortly after leaving Balboa Park, SR&nbsp;163 has an interchange with [[Interstate 8|I-8]] in [[Mission Valley, San Diego|Mission Valley]]. North of this interchange, SR&nbsp;163 becomes a modern, [[Interstate Highway standards|Interstate-standard]], eight-lane freeway. Continuing north, the freeway climbs uphill from Mission Valley to [[Linda Vista, California|Linda Vista]], where it has a partial interchange with [[Interstate 805|I-805]]; traffic northbound on one freeway can only transfer only onto northbound of the other and southbound traffic can only transfer onto southbound direction of the other freeway. In [[Kearny Mesa, San Diego, California|Kearny Mesa]], the freeway has a partial interchange with [[California State Route 52|SR&nbsp;52]], one of the biggest bottlenecks in [[San Diego County, California|San Diego County]]. The freeway then heads north to and merges with [[Interstate 15 in California|I-15]] near [[Miramar, California|Miramar]], where the southern terminus of the [[High-occupancy toll lane|high-occupancy toll (HOT)]] lanes of I-15 are located. Ramps were built to allow traffic on SR&nbsp;163 to enter and exit the express lanes of I-15.<ref name = "caltrans">{{Cite web |url = http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist11/departments/planning/pdfs/tcs/08_SR_163TCS.pdf |title = State Route&nbsp;163 Transportation Concept Summary |publisher = California Department of Transportation |access-date = August 18, 2016 }}</ref>

SR&nbsp;163 is part of the [[California Freeway and Expressway System]]<ref name="cafes">{{CAFESystem}}</ref> and is part of the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]],<ref name=fhwa-nhs>{{FHWA NHS map|region=sandiego|accessdate=September 22, 2017}}</ref> a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the [[Federal Highway Administration]].<ref name=NHS-FHWA>{{FHWA NHS}}</ref> SR&nbsp;163 is eligible to be included in the [[State Scenic Highway System (California)|State Scenic Highway System]],<ref name="scenic">{{CA scenic}}</ref> and is designated as a scenic highway in Balboa Park by the [[California Department of Transportation]] (Caltrans),<ref name="caltransscenic">{{Caltrans scenic|accessdate=September 22, 2017}}</ref> meaning that it is a substantial section of highway passing through a "memorable landscape" with no "visual intrusions", where the potential designation has gained popular favor with the community.<ref>{{Caltrans scenic info}}</ref>

==History==
The southernmost portion of the highway, running through Balboa Park, began construction in 1942 and opened in 1948 as part of [[U.S. Route 395 in California|US&nbsp;395]]; it was the first freeway in [[San Diego County, California|San Diego County]] and one of the first in California.<ref>{{cite book |last = Marshall |first = David |title = San Diego's Balboa Park |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tG3asbfLcUsC&pg=PA11 |year = 2007 |publisher = Arcadia Publishing |isbn = 978-0-7385-4754-1 |page = 110 }}</ref> The Cabrillo Freeway was also part of [[U.S. Route 80 in California|US&nbsp;80]] from the late 1940s until 1964.<ref name="Jensen">{{cite book |title = Drive the Broadway of America! |publisher = Bygone Byways |last = Jensen |first = Jeff |year = 2013 |location = Tucson, AZ |pages = 216–217 |isbn = 9780978625900 }}</ref> This stretch of road has been called one of America's most beautiful parkways,<ref>{{cite book |last = Marshall |first = David |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tG3asbfLcUsC&q=163&pg=PA110 |title = San Diego's Balboa Park |series = Postcard History Series |location = Charleston, SC |publisher = Arcadia |year = 2007 |page = 110 |isbn = 9780738547541 |oclc = 154662185 |via = Google Books }}</ref> and was designated a California Historic Parkway in 2002.<ref>{{cite news |last = Kehoe |first = Christine |author-link = Christine Kehoe |date = November 11, 2002 |title = State Route 163 Gets Historic Designation |page = 53 |work = [[San Diego Business Journal]] }}<!--AB 3025--></ref>

On May 17, 1995, former US soldier and plumber Shawn Nelson [[1995 San Diego tank rampage|stole a tank from the National Guard armory and went on a destructive rampage]] throughout [[San Diego]].  Driving onto SR 163, the tank was eventually disabled when it became stuck on a [[traffic barrier]], where Nelson was shot and killed by [[San Diego Police Department|San Diego police]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rotella |first1=Sebastian |author-link1=Sebastian Rotella |last2=Kraul |first2=Chris |date=1995-05-19 |title=Tank's Driver Beset by Drug, Money Problems |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-19-mn-3459-story.html |url-status=live |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en |location=[[San Diego]] |issn=2165-1736 |oclc=3638237 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525174000/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-19-mn-3459-story.html |archive-date=2020-05-25 |access-date=2022-11-11 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==Exit list==
{{CAinttop|exit
|length_ref=<ref name=calnexus/>
|exit_ref=<ref name=calnexus>{{cite web |date = March 7, 2008 |first = KS |last = Warring |publisher = California Department of Transportation |work = [[California Numbered Exit Uniform System]] |url = http://www.dot.ca.gov/trafficops/exit/docs/163.pdf |title = State Route 163 Freeway Interchanges |access-date = September 1, 2014 }}</ref>
|location=San Diego
|county=San Diego
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=0.00
|exit=–
|road=10th Avenue
|notes=Continuation beyond Ash Street; south end of SR 163; northbound entrance only accessible from 11th Avenue and A Street
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=0.06
|exit=1A
|espan=2
|road=Ash Street
|notes=No exit number northbound
}}
{{CAint
|mile=0.06
|road={{Jct|state=CA|I|5|dir1=north|city1=Los Angeles|road|4th Avenue}}
|notes=Southbound exit is part of exit 1B; I-5 south exit 16 
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=0.36
|exit=1B
|road={{Jct|state=CA|I|5|dir1=south|road|Park Boulevard}}
|notes=Southbound exit and northbound entrance; I-5 north exit 16A
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=0.36
|exit=1B
|road=Quince Street&nbsp;– [[Balboa Park (San Diego)|Balboa Park]]
|notes=Northbound exit only
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=1.27
|exit=1C
|road=Richmond Street&nbsp;– [[San Diego Zoo]], Museums
|notes=Northbound exit only
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=2.22
|exit=2A
|road=Robinson Avenue
|notes=Northbound exit and southbound entrance
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=2.22
|exit=2A
|road=Washington Street east ([[Interstate 8 Business (San Diego, California)|I-8 Bus.]])
|notes=Signed as exit 2B northbound; former [[U.S. Route 80 in California|US 80]]
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=2.22
|exit=2B
|road=Washington Street west ([[Interstate 8 Business (San Diego, California)|I-8 Bus.]])
|notes=No northbound exit
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=2.45
|exit=2C
|road=6th Avenue, University Avenue
|notes=No northbound exit
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=3.21
|exit=3
|road={{Jct|state=CA|I|8|road|Hotel Circle|city1=El Centro|location2=[[List of beaches in San Diego County|Beaches]]}}
|notes=Signed as exits 3A (east) and 3B (west); I-8 east exits 4B-C, west exits 4A-B
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=3.84
|exit=4
|road=Friars Road
|notes=Northbound exit is part of exit 3B
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=5.26
|exit=5
|road=Genesee Avenue
|notes=Signed as exits 5A (east) and 5B (west) northbound
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=6.01
|exit=6
|road=Mesa College Drive / Kearny Villa Road
|notes=Northbound exit and southbound entrance
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=6.51
|exit=7A
|road={{Jct|state=CA|I|805|dir1=north|city1=Los Angeles}}
|notes=Northbound exit and southbound entrance; I-805 south exit 20
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=6.51
|exit=7A
|road={{Jct|state=CA|I|805|dir1=south|city1=Chula Vista|name1=[[Jacob Dekema Freeway]]}}
|notes=Southbound exit and northbound entrance; I-805 north exit 20B
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=7.48
|exit=7B
|road=Balboa Avenue
|notes=Former [[California State Route 274|SR 274]]
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=8.28
|exit=8
|road=Clairemont Mesa Boulevard
|notes=
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=9.02
|exit=9A
|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|52|dir1=east}}
|notes=Northbound exit and southbound entrance; SR 52 exit 6
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=9.02
|exit=9B
|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|52|dir1=west}}
|notes=Signed as exit 9 southbound; no northbound entrance; SR 52 exit 6
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=10.31
|exit=10
|road=Kearny Villa Road
|notes=Former US 395
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=etc
|mile=
|exit=–
|road={{Jct|state=CA|I-Express|15|dir1=north}}
|notes=Northbound exit and southbound entrance
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=11.23
|exit=
|road={{Jct|state=CA|I|15|dir1=north|city1=Escondido}}
|notes=No access to I-15 south; I-15 south exit 12
}}
{{Jctbtm|keys=incomplete,etc}}

==See also==
*{{portal-inline|California Roads}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
{{commonscat}}
{{CASR external links|SR|163}}
*[http://www.aaroads.com/california/ca-163.html State Route 163] from California @ AARoads.com
*[http://www.cahighways.org/161-168.html#163 SR 163] from California Highways

{{Balboa Park}}

[[Category:State highways in California|163]]
[[Category:Southern California freeways|163]]
[[Category:Roads in San Diego County, California|State Route 163]]
[[Category:State Scenic Highway System (California)|163]]
[[Category:Balboa Park (San Diego)]]
[[Category:Transportation in San Diego]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 80]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 395]]