Interstate 5 - Washington Travel Information
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Interstate 5 Northbound in Thurston County

Interstate 5 Northbound
Interstate 5 northbound crosses into Thurston County just north of Centralia. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
The South Sound Speedway can be reached by taking exit 88. Follow Pacific Highway northeast from the exit about two miles; the speedway sits at the intersection with 183rd Avenue SW. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Exits 88A and 88B are next up. Advance signs on the approach to the interchange show destination points: the cities of Aberdeen, Tenino, Rochester and Oakville. A single interchange handles traffic for both exits 88A and 88B; separate ramps, one before the overpass, and one after, ferry traffic for each. Photos taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Exit 88A is primarily for eastbound traffic headed for Tenino on the old Pacific Highway. Tenino is situated at the junction of Pacific Highway SE and SR 507 (which departed Interstate 5 back at exit 81). Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
U.S. 12 departs from northbound I-5 at exit 88B; head west on U.S. 12 for the Washington Coast and the towns of Rochester, Montesano, Aberdeen, and Hoquiam. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Northbound I-5 is still two lanes at this point, but it will soon widen to three. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).

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The 183rd Ave. overpass holds a mileage sign for Tumwater, Olympia, and Seattle, as well as a 2-mile advance sign for the next rest area. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
The Scatter Creek rest area lies about 14 miles south of Olympia and is a good place to stop to catch your breath before venturing into the heavy traffic of the Puget Sound population belt. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
A one-mile advance sign announces the next exit: exit 95, Washington 121, Littlerock and Maytown. Millerslyvania State Park (sign, second image) resides along SR 121. Photos taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
State Route 121 is a short highway that heads east through Maytown and then turns north past Millersylvania State Park, returning to the freeway at exit 99. West of exit 95, Maytown Road intersects with Littlerock Road SW. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Past exit 95, northbound Interstate 5 widens to three lanes. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
A one-mile advance sign heralds upcoming exit 99: SR-121 southbound, 93rd Ave. and Scott Lake. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).

Washington State Route 121 returns to I-5 at exit 99. Follow SR 121 east (93rd Ave. SW) and turn right on Case Road SW for Scott Lake. West of the freeway, 93rd Ave. SW intersects with Littlerock Road. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
At milepost 100, this sign announces the three Tumwater exits: Tumwater Boulevard, Trosper Road, and Deschutes Way. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Northbound Interstate 5 encounters a one-half mile advance sign for the first Tumwater exit, exit 101/ Tumwater Boulevard. A typical plain-Jane city limits sign (second image) announces I-5's entrance to Tumwater, pop.12,698 (2000). Incorporated in 1869, Tumwater, whose name comes from Chinook jargon for "waterfall," is the oldest permanent Euro-American settlement on Puget Sound1. Photos taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
This smallish sign announces the upcoming junction with U.S. 101 (Olympic Loop Highway) at exit 104. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05)
Interstate 5 northbound reaches exit 101, Tumwater Boulevard. The Olympia Municipal Airport is located just south of the intersection of Tumwater Boulevard and old Highway 99. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
The Israel Road overpass houses this one-mile advance for exit 102, Trosper Road and Black Lake. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
As Interstate 5 approaches exit 102, the speed limit lowers to 60 m.p.h. A sign advises that people headed for the Capital Mall should take exit 104. The mall, owned by the Westfield Shoppingtown chain, resides along Black Lake Boulevard, just north of the Black Lake Blvd./ U.S. 101 interchange. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Northbound Interstate 5 meets exit 102, Trosper Road /Black Lake, at what might be best categorized as a "five ramp" partial cloverleaf interchange. West of the freeway, Trosper Road (54th Ave. SW) leads, eventually, to Black Lake-Belmore Road and Black Lake, a popular water-skiing spot. Immediately east of the interchange, Trosper Road ends at Capitol Boulevard. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
A 3/4 mile advance sign for exit 103, Deschutes Way, is mounted to the Trosper Road overpass. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Advance signs prior to exit 103 prepare motorists for the Olympia exits. First sign advises motorists to use exit 104 (Jct. U.S. 101) for west Olympia and the city of Shelton. The second sign announces the Olympia exits: State Capitol and Port of Olympia (exit 105) and Pacific Avenue (exit 107). Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
The exit 103 off ramp defaults to Deschutes Way. The street is named for the Deschutes River which flows into the Budd Inlet at the south end of Olympia. The "historic district" announced on the brown tab may refer to Tumwater Historical Park, a park next to Capitol Lake and accessible via Deschutes Way. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Northbound Interstate 5 closes in on the city of Olympia and the Washington State Capitol. The dome of the capitol building can be clearly seen in the middle background. A 1/2-mile advance sign informs of the impending junction with U.S. 101 northbound, Aberdeen and Port Angeles. After passing the exit 104 interchange, northbound I-5 will bend to follow a generally eastward path en route to Tacoma. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Exit 104 leads to northbound U.S. 101 (Olympic Loop Highway) via a long ramp that passes under the freeway and merges with a ramp from southbound I-5 before finally joining U.S. 101. The Olympic Loop Highway travels north up the Olympic Peninsula, eventually leading to the towns of Shelton, Port Townsend (via Washington 20), and Port Angeles. For all practical purposes, this is the "northern" terminus of U.S. 101, though it travels north up the peninsula before bearing west and then finally south along the Washington Coast. Travelers interested in visiting Olympic National Park should take this exit. Aberdeen may be reached by taking Washington 8 which departs U.S. 101 northwest of Olympia. Photos taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05 and 09/10/05).
Exit 105 furnishes access to the State Capitol, City Center, and Port of Olympia. Here is the one-mile advance sign. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (09/10/05).
I-5 passes under this arch bridge (Capitol Boulevard) on the approach to exit 105. Though cut off by a car in the second image, a sign proudly proclaims, "Welcome to Olympia- An All-American City." Once named by Time magazine as the "hippest town in the West," Washington's capital (pop. 42,514 in 2000) sits at the southern-most end of Puget Sound- the perfect jumping-off point to the Olympic Mountains, beaches, forests, as well as the heavily-urbanized area of the east sound. Photos taken by Matt Strieby (09/10/05 and 10/29/05).
The first Olympia exit is exit 105: State Capitol, City Center, and the Port of Olympia. The off ramp for exit 105 diverges; the ramp for the Port of Olympia splits from the main flow of traffic and loops south to meet Henderson Boulevard and East Bay Drive. Follow East Bay Drive to pass under the freeway and reach Plum Street. The main ramp swings back over the freeway to head to downtown and the State Capitol via 14th Avenue. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Though it was announced earlier as the second Olympia exit, this sign shows Pacific Avenue (exit 107) to also be the first Lacey exit. The other Lacey exits are Sleater-Kinney Road (exit 108) and Martin Way (exit 109). Photos taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Tacoma is now about a half-hour away and Seattle about an hour distant (depending on traffic, of course), as this mileage sign shows. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Northbound Interstate 5 encounters exit 107, Pacific Avenue, in east Olympia. Southeast of the freeway, Pacific Avenue crosses Sleater-Kinney Road and into the city of Lacey where it soon splits into the Pacific Avenue/ Lacey Boulevard one-way couplet. The city of Lacey has constructed eight traffic roundabouts, including ones at each end of the couplet. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Keep in the far right lane for exit 108, Sleater-Kinney Road and College Street. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Though the sign only reads "exit 108," the off ramp quickly diverges into separate "A" and "B" designations. Take exit 108A for Sleater-Kinney Road southbound. Continue straight along a distributor lane for exit 108B, Sleater-Kinney Road northbound and College Street. Exit 108 is the second Lacey exit. The city of Lacey (pop. 31,226 in 2000) is a relatively new city, incorporated in 1966. Photos taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Curiously, exit 108B also splits from the main distributor lane, leaving the continuation of the lane toward College Street with no official alpha-numeric designation. Exit 108B executes a 270-degree loop to merge with Sleater-Kinney Road northbound. Or continue along the non-designated lane for College Street in Lacey. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Interstate 5 meets Martin Way at the exit 109 diamond interchange. Martin Way is an arterial surface road that more or less parallels the freeway; head west on Martin Way to go back into Olympia or go east to travel through the northern half of Lacey. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
A 3/4 mile advance sign announces exit 111, Marvin Road and SR 510 east to Yelm. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Exit 111 features a double-lane off ramp; the far-right lane is an exit only. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Exit 111 is pretty much an ordinary diamond interchange except for the extra ramp for Marvin Road South/SR 510 that splits from the main ramp. Keep right for Marvin Road South/ SR 510 or proceed straight for Marvin Road North. State Route 510 ranges south from the freeway then turns east toward Yelm at a roundabout intersection with the Pacific Highway east of Lacey. Photos taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
These cautionary signs, common along I-5 in the Puget Sound area, warn motorists not to cut directly in front of trucks after passing. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
Interstate 5 enters the Nisqually Basin. Both the basin and the Nisqually River, which flows west through the basin to the sound, are named after the Native American Nisqually Tribe. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
This 3/4-mile advance sign announces the last Thurston County exit, exit 114: Nisqually and Old Nisqually. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).
A sweeping vista of the Nisqually Basin greets motorists as they approach exit 114 and prepare to cross the Nisqually River. After exiting, turning right on the Nisqually Cutoff Road leads to Nisqually and Old Nisqually. Martin Way, which defaults to the exit 114 on ramp for northbound I-5, intersects Nisqually Cutoff Road, and can take motorists back into Lacey if they so desire. Photo taken by Matt Strieby (10/29/05).

Sources:

  1. Information from city of Tumwater, http://www.ci.tumwater.wa.us/
Continue north on Interstate 5 Go to the Washington Gateway

Page Updated August 21, 2006.