Now leaving Tulare County, California 99 enters Fresno County and the city of Kingsburg. Welcome to Raisin Country! Photo taken 08/15/03.
California 201 next right sign for Exit 112 along northbound. (The previous advance sign for Exit 112 is located in Tulare County.) This state route connects Kingsburg with Dinuba, Orosi, and Yettem before ending at California 245 north of Woodlake. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 112, Junction Eastbound California 201. Conejo Avenue leads east into Kingsburg and west as a locally maintained route toward Conejo and Junction California 43. If there were a business route for Kingsburg, it would return to the freeway at this exit. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 114, Bethel Avenue and Kamm Avenue. Bethel Avenue leads north to the Sun-Maid Growers Visitor Center. This part of the Central Valley is famous for its raisins, which are dried grapes. Kamm Avenue is an east-west highway that meets Bethel Avenue at this interchange. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 115, Mountain View Avenue/Caruthers. Photo taken 08/15/03.
The central exit into Selma is Exit 117, Second Street. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 118, Floral Avenue and Junction California 43 South/Highland Avenue. Floral Avenue leads east to Selma and west to Monmouth. California 43/Highland Avenue leads south to Hanford and Corcoran. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 approaching Exit 121, Manning Avenue, one mile. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 121, Manning Avenue. Manning Avenue leads east to Parlier, Reedley, and Orange Cove (via California 63), and it leads west to Bowles, Raisin City, Junction California 145, and San Joaquin. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 123, Merced Street. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 approaching Exit 124, Clovis Avenue, one mile. Clovis Avenue is a north-south highway that provides an alternate route to eastbound California 180/Kings Canyon, the Fresno Airport and Clovis. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 124, Clovis Avenue. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 127, Chestnut Avenue. Photo taken 08/15/03.
The next 11 exits along northbound serve the city of Fresno, which is considered to be the largest city in the United States that is not served by an Interstate Highway. While California 99, California 41, California 168, and most of California 180 are freeways within the city, not one of them is an Interstate highway. A connection to the Interstate grid may be on the horizon: some state politicians would like to add California 99 into the Interstate Highway System, and the proposed California 180 freeway between Interstate 5 and Fresno may become a future link to the Interstate grid. Photo taken 08/15/03.
The first Fresno exit along northbound is Exit 128, Cedar Avenue/North Avenue. Cedar Avenue connects with Business California 99/Golden State Highway. Fresno is a huge city, with an estimated 441,900 people in the city and 826,600 people in the county according to its official webpage (look under the Economic Development section). Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 approaches Exit 130, Jensen Avenue, one mile. Jensen Avenue connects with the southbound California 41 freeway. California 99 widens into a six-lane freeway as it enters the metropolitan area of Fresno, population 427,652 in 2000. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 reaches Exit 130, Jensen Avenue (to California 41 south) and Exit 131, Junction Northbound California 41 freeway in Fresno. As Fresno has expanded its population, it has also expanded its freeway system. As recently at the early 1990s, the only freeways in town were California 99 and parts of California 41 north of California 99. With an infusion of local sales tax dollars, the freeway system now includes extensions to the California 41 freeway and new freeways for California 168 and California 180. Photo taken 05/20/03.
The major downtown interchange is between California 41 and California 99 (Exit 131). While California 41 and California 99 have been freeways for years, the newer freeways (California 168 and California 180) were added in the 1990s and 2000s. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Now at one of its widest points in the vicinity of Fresno, the three left lanes carry through traffic for northbound California 99 while the two right lanes prepare to exit onto northbound California 41. Photo taken 08/15/03.
California 41 splits north at this point toward the northern and eastern sections of Fresno. Upon leaving Fresno, northbound California 41 passes through Coarsegold and Oakhurst before entering Yosemite National Park. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Passing under the California 41 freeway, the next exit along northbound is Exit 132A, Ventura Street/Kings Canyon Road. For access to California 180, use caution: Exit 133 is now the primary interchange for both directions of California 180. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 132A, Ventura Street/Kings Canyon Road. Ventura Street forms part of the downtown street grid pattern, with connections to Fulton Mall via Van Ness Avenue, Courthouse Park via M Street, and the Convention Center complex. Ventura Avenue is the old alignment of California 180 through downtown. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Mileage sign along northbound for Exit 132B/(former West California 180)/Fresno Street, Exit 133/Junction California 180 Freeway east and west, and Exit 134/Belmont Avenue. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 132B, (former Junction Westbound California 180)/Fresno Street. With the opening of the new freeway connection, use Exit 133 for both directions of California 180. Photo taken 05/20/03 by Pete Sison.
Northbound California 99 reaches Exit 133, Junction California 180 freeway east to Kings Canyon National Park and west to Mendota. The signs were changed in early 2004 when the freeway connection was opened to westbound California 180 to Mendota; prior to that, this exit only accessed California 180 east. Note the signs that were placed on the exit ramp in the second photo. Photos taken 05/20/03 by Pete Sison and 04/30/04 by Trevor Carrier.
Northbound California 99 at the Exit 134, Belmont Avenue. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Mileage sign along northbound California 99 approaching Olive Avenue, 0.50 mile; McKinley Avenue, one mile; and Clinton Avenue, 1.25 miles. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 135A, McKinley Avenue. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 approaching Exit 135B, Olive Avenue, one-half mile. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 135B, Olive Avenue. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 136, Clinton Avenue. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 approaching Exit 138A, North Golden State Boulevard. North Golden State Boulevard is old U.S. 99; it parallels the freeway to the east between Exit 138A and Exit 143 (Herndon Avenue). Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 138A, North Golden State Boulevard. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 138B, Ashlan Avenue. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 approaching Exit 140, Shaw Avenue, next right. Shaw Avenue is old California 168 before that state route was transferred to the Fresno freeway system. When the California 168 freeway was completed, the western terminus of California 168 was transferred from California 99 to California 180. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 140, Shaw Avenue. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at the Exit 143, Herndon Avenue. Photo taken 08/15/03.
