Driving to the University of Oregon

This page contains directions for driving to the University of Oregon (Eugene Oregon 97403) from various directions. This page is intended for the use of participants in conferences at the Department of Mathematics at the University of Oregon.

Summary

Eugene is easily accessible by car from either the north or south on Interstate 5. From the east, one can take Interstate 84 to Portland and drive south, but from southern Idaho it is shorter and quicker to get off Interstate 84 at the Oregon-Idaho border and take US 20 to Bend and then state highways across the Cascades to Eugene. From the northeast, there is a reasonable route from Spokane WA (on Interstate 90) using US 395 to Pasco and then Interstate 84 to Portland. From the southeast, the best route from Reno (on Interstate 80) goes north on US 395, cuts over to Klamath Falls on US 97, and follows state highway 58 over the Willamette pass to Eugene. The more detailed directions below also mention several scenic alternatives.

Here is a map of Eugene and Springfield (163 KB GIF). (Smaller version, 114 KB GIF.) It shows only the major streets, but all streets referred to in the detailed directions below are labelled, and the University of Oregon is conspicuous somewhat to the left of the center of the map. (I don't know if this map is part of the official information provided by the university, so it might disappear without warning.)

The instructions below direct you to the kiosk on the main road entrance to the University. Those driving directly to one of the motels next to the campus (see the WWW page on Motels near the University of Oregon) should stay on Franklin Blvd. instead of turning onto the campus. Here is a campus map which shows the section of Franklin Blvd. just to the west of the motels. It is the diagonal street at the top of the map. The kiosk is labelled with a star and the words "Information Kiosk"; it is approximately one third of the way from the center to the top right corner of the map. (The mathematics department itself is in Deady and Fenton Halls, approximately half way from the center to the top left corner of the map.)

Here is a copy of the campus map as an Adobe Acrobat Reader PDF file for printing. More campus maps, including one showing parking lots, can be found here. Note that permits are required for parking in most lots, although many do not require permits at night or on weekends.

In the instructions below, "I" refers to Interstate highways, "US" to US Federal highways, and "SR" to Oregon (or California) state highways.

Winter brings the possibility of snow anywhere in Oregon. It is rare in Eugene, on I 5 north of Eugene (all the way to Vancouver BC), on the part of I 84 along the Columbia River (but ice is apparently sometimes a problem), and on US 101 (both north and south). It is a real possibility on all other routes described here (including I 5 south of Eugene), so be prepared.

Detailed driving instructions from the south and southeast

From the south, take I 5 to Exit 192, which puts you on Franklin Blvd. going west. (There is no choice here.) The university is about 5 blocks along Franklin Blvd., on the south (left) side, past the car dealership. To get to the main road entrance, turn south (left) on Agate St. (at the third stoplight, just past the two Best Western motels on the right), go one block, and turn right on 13th Ave.

An alternative to I 5 is the scenic coast route US 101. (Note that you can get from San Francisco to Eugene in one day via I 5, but you can't reasonably do this via US 101.) If you take US 101, turn inland at Florence, and take SR 126 east to Eugene. You will come into Eugene on 11th Ave. going east. You will be forced to jog north (left) 4 blocks to 7th Ave. where 11th becomes a one way street going west. Just past downtown, keep right, and follow the main road as it jogs south (right). This puts you on Franklin Blvd. going east, at the same point where you get on it following the directions below for coming from the north.

If you come from the southeast, you will probably go through Reno on I 80 in western Nevada. From there, take US 395 north. It soon crosses into California. From there go to Klamath Falls, on US 97 in southern Oregon. There are two choices: either go to Susanville (just off US 395) and then take SR 139 to the Oregon line, where it turns into SR 39; or else follow US 395 as far as Alturas (using the cutoff near Susanville), and cut over to SR 139 by going west from Alturas on SR 299. Whichever choice you make, you will approach Klamath Falls from the southeast on SR 39. To avoid a long drive through the town, turn west on SR 140 (toward Medford) just outside it, and then turn north on US 97 when you reach it. You will be getting on a freeway as you make this last turn, but the freeway doesn't extend very far. Continue north on US 97 to the intersection with SR 58 (a few miles north of Chemult). Then take SR 58 over the Willamette Pass. (The pass is about 5000 feet. Snow tires or chains are sometimes required in winter.) You join I 5 about 5 miles south of Eugene. Get on I 5 going north, and take Exit 192 as in the directions for coming from the south.

Detailed driving instructions from the north, northeast, and east

From the north, take I 5 south to Exit 194. (When coming from the north, it is not possible to leave the freeway at the exit in the instructions for coming from the south.) There, get on I 105 going west to Eugene. Take Exit 2 to downtown Eugene and the University of Oregon. This puts you on Coburg Road going south. (The ramp labelled Coburg Road sends you north instead.) Cross a bridge (over the Willamette River), and keep left, ignoring two ramps that go off to the right. You will curve left, and be on Franklin Blvd. going east. The university is a few blocks further on your right. If you see a car dealership, you have gone too far. To get to the entrance kiosk, turn south (right) on Agate St. (at the fifth stoplight after crossing the bridge), go one block, and turn right on 13th Ave.

Under normal circumstances, I recommend taking I 5 straight through both Seattle and Portland. As of now (1995), I 405 around Seattle is much smaller than I 5, but runs through a heavily populated and fast growing suburban area, resulting in traffic that is often worse than on I 5. I 205 around Portland is at about 10 miles longer than I 5 through downtown, and outside of rush hours the traffic on I 5 is rarely so bad as to justify such a long detour. (I don't know what either of them is like in rush hour.)

As from the south, the scenic coast route US 101 is an alternative. If you take US 101, turn inland at Florence, and (just as if you came from the south) take SR 126 east to Eugene. You will come into Eugene on 11th Ave. going east. You will be forced to jog north (left) 4 blocks to 7th Ave. where 11th becomes a one way street going west. Just past downtown, keep right, and follow the main road as it jogs south (right). This puts you on Franklin Blvd. going east, at the same point where you get on it following the directions above for coming from the north on I 5.

From the northeast, you will probably go through Spokane on I 90 in Washington, just west of the Washington/Idaho line. From Spokane take I 90 west to Ritzville, then take US 395 through Pasco and Kennewick to Umatilla (using a short stretch of I 82 eastbound), and get on I 84 westbound. From there, follow the directions for I 84 in the next paragraph. A scenic alternative (several hours longer) is to turn south on US 97, then west on SR 126 at Redmond. This takes you to Sisters, and you can then take either the Santiam Pass or the McKenzie Pass, as described below.

From the east, one alternative is to take I 84 to Portland, turn south on I 205 shortly after entering the Portland urban area, join I 5 south of Portland, and proceed as in the directions for coming from the north. A shorter and faster alternative is to get off I 84 at Ontario (just on the Oregon side of the Idaho/Oregon line), and take US 20 west through Burns and Bend to Sisters. At Sisters take SR 126 west across the Cascades (using the Santiam Pass) and along the McKenzie River to Springfield. (US 20 and SR 126 join at Sisters, and separate again on the other side of the Santiam Pass. The pass is over 5000 feet, and snow tires or chains are sometimes required in winter.) Just after you get into Springfield, follow SR 126 along a turn to the right, where it becomes a freeway. The number changes to I 105 as you cross I 5; take Exit 2 etc. as in the directions for coming from the north.

This route allows a scenic cutoff over the McKenzie Pass, from which one can see the Three Sisters (volcanoes just over 10,000 feet) and large lava flows. Just west of the town of Sisters, turn left onto SR 242. This route saves about 10 miles, but is very narrow and winding (trailers not recommended), and takes longer than SR 126. You rejoin SR 126 at the bottom of the pass. (This road is closed in winter, usually from sometime in November through sometime in June. Opening and closing dates vary depending on weather and snow amounts, so enquire before planning to use this road any time from October through July.)

An alternative to US 20 is US 26. It is slower and longer than US 20 but higher elevation and cooler. (Eastern Oregon is quite hot in the summer, and US 20 is mostly in the desert.) US 26 is still faster than going to Portland on the freeway. This route splits from US 20 a few miles east of Ontario. Follow it through John Day to Prineville, from Prineville take SR 126 through Redmond to Sisters, and proceed as for US 20.