Northbound California 99 approaching Exit 211, Junction California 165 South/Lander Avenue. Lander Avenue leads north to meet Business California 99 in downtown Turlock, while California 165 heads south toward Los Banos and a junction with Interstate 5 at the Los Banos exit some nine miles south of the city. While California 99 passes through town after town, Interstate 5 avoids nearly all of them between Wheeler Ridge and Tracy. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 211, Junction California 165 South/Lander Avenue North. Turlock, a most significant city between Merced and Modesto, is the second largest city in Stanislaus County and has over 61,000 per the city's official webpage. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 approaching Exit 213, Junction Stanislaus County Route J-17/West Main Street. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 213, Junction Stanislaus County Route J-17/West Main Street. Stanislaus County Route J-17 leads west to meet California 33 in Patterson and Interstate 5 west of Patterson. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 214, Fulkreth Road. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 215, Monte Vista Avenue. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 217, Taylor Road. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 220, Mitchell Road. Mitchell Road bisects California 99 between Keyes and Ceres, and it runs north-south through Stanislaus County. North of the Tuolumne River, Mitchell Road connects with Oakdale Road east of Modesto. Photo taken 08/15/03.
The next exit along northbound is Exit 221, Central Avenue. Central Avenue runs north-south parallel to Mitchell Road, but it does not extend across the Tuolumne River to the north. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Exit 221, which connects to Central Avenue, is the major exit from northbound into Ceres. Ceres is a suburb of Modesto, which lies just a few miles north of here along California 99. Photo taken 08/15/03.
A major east-west arterial, Whitmore Avenue connects with Carpenter Road in the west and Stanislaus County Route J-9/Hickman Road in the east. Paralleling the Tuolumne River, it serves the community of Hughson. Exit 222 connects northbound with Whitmore Avenue. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Now leaving Ceres and approaching Modesto, the next exit along northbound is Exit 223A, Hatch Road (east). Parallel to Whitmore Avenue, it is the last major east-west arterial before reaching the Tuolumne River. Only a few north-south roads cross the river in the vicinity of Modesto, including California 99, Business California 99/9th Street, Mitchell Road, and Stanislaus County Route J-7/Santa Fe Avenue. Photo taken 08/15/03.
The next exit, Exit 223B, provides access from California 99 to westbound Hatch Road. Hatch Road only extends a few miles west of here, before culminating at Crows Landing Road. The freeway now enters Modesto, and the next exit connects to the business loop. For more on Modesto (a city of 203,300 as of January 1, 2003) visit the city's official webpage. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Still within Mile 223, California 99 meets another business route, which follows old U.S. 99 through the city center of Modesto via South 9th Avenue (Exit 223C). The business route is unsigned from northbound, but it is signed sporadically along the city streets it follows through town. Indeed, Modesto used to be a quiet farming town at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains within the giant, agricultural Central Valley. But as population has exploded in the Valley, Modesto has grown into a regional commercial, agricultural, and industrial center. In addition, some people live here and commute to the San Francisco Bay Area via California 120 and Interstate 205 or via California 132 and Interstate 580. This makes from some early morning and late evening congestion along these routes. Photo taken 08/15/03.
After Exit 223C, California 99 approaches Exit 225A, Crows Landing Road. Crows Landing Road is notable because it roughly parallels the proposed southwesterly extension of California 108. It travels south and then west across the San Joaquin River, meeting Interstate 5 near Crows Landing. Photo taken 08/15/03.
There are two signs consecutive that indicate the exit ramp for Crows Landing Road as in this and the previous photo. Crows Landing Road also leads northeast into Modesto, connecting with the business route (South 9th Avenue). Photo taken 08/15/03.
Two exits are approaching along northbound: Exit 225B (Tuolumne Boulevard and B Street) and Exit 226 (Junction California 108 East and California 132). Since the latter (Exit 226) is a more significant exit, more signage is provided in advance of it than Exit 225B. Had this sign been installed later than 1999-2000, it would have contained an exit number. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Now reaching the urban core of Modesto, northbound California 99 reaches Exit 225B, Tuolumne Boulevard and B Street. Modesto has seen its own notoriety grow along with its population and acreage. Indeed, national headlines during the summer of 2001 mentioned U.S. Representative Gary Condit, a Modesto Democrat who allegedly had an affair with the then-missing intern Chandra Levy. This case brought Condit national notoriety, even though he was never charged in the case. Sadly, on May 22, 2002, the remains of the missing intern were found in Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., and the murderer of Levy remains at large. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Meeting two major east-west state routes at Exit 226, California 99 meets California 108 and California 132. California 108 departs Modesto in a northeasterly direction, connecting with California 120 in Oakdale and meeting California 49/Gold Country Highway in Sonora. During the summer months, when the Sonora Pass is open, California 108 passes over the Sierra Nevada at an elevation of 9,643 feet before meeting U.S. 395 northwest of Bridgeport and south of Walker, Coleville, and Topaz. California 132, meanwhile, remains within the Central Valley, extending west to meet Interstate 5 and Interstate 580 and east to reach California 49 in Coulterville, with an extension via Merced County Route J-20 to join California 120 en route to Yosemite National Park. Photo taken 08/15/03.
The next exit along northbound is Kansas Avenue, which serves the northern part of downtown Modesto parallel to California 132. Another sign that Modesto is becoming a city of national significance is the tragic disappearance of pregnant Laci Peterson from Modesto in December 2002. Her body was found in San Francisco Bay just off the Eastshore Freeway (Interstate 80). Her husband, Scott Peterson, has been arrested in the case that has reverberated across the country. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Exit 229, the next exit along northbound, provides access to Carpenter Road and Briggsmore Avenue. In this vicinity, 9th Street/Business California 99 returns to the California 99 freeway. We have left the core of Modesto and are now in the suburban periphery. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 approaching Exit 230, Beckwith Road/Standiford Avenue, 0.75 mile. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 230, Beckwith Road/Standiford Avenue. This exit features a large shopping mall and plenty of services. Photo taken 08/15/03.
The next exit along northbound California 99 is Exit 233, Junction East California 219/Kiernan Road to California 108 and westbound Broadway. Broadway leads into the community of Salida. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 233, Junction East California 219/Kiernan Road to McHenry and West Broadway to Salida. Photo taken 08/15/03.
The next exit along northbound is Hammett Road, Exit 234. Hammett Road leads south to Beckwith Road northwest of Modesto. Photo taken 08/15/03.
Northbound California 99 at Exit 234, Hammett Road. This is the last exit in Stanislaus County. Photo taken 08/15/03.
