page_title: Interstate 90 in Washington
section_title: Columbia Plateau and Spokane area
hierarchical_section_title: Interstate 90 in Washington / Route description / Columbia Plateau and Spokane area
caption_attribution_description: English: Overlooking Spokane from Sunset hill
context_page_description: Interstate 90, designated as the American Veterans Memorial Highway, is a transcontinental Interstate Highway that runs from Seattle, Washington, to Boston, Massachusetts. It crosses Washington state from west to east, traveling 298 miles from Seattle across the Cascade Mountains and into Eastern Washington, reaching the Idaho state line east of Spokane. I-90 intersects several of the state's other major highways, including I-5 in Seattle, I-82 and U.S. Route 97 near Ellensburg, and US 395 and US 2 in Spokane.
  I-90 is the only Interstate to cross the state from west to east, and the only one to connect the state's two largest cities, Seattle and Spokane. It incorporates two of the longest floating bridges in the world, the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge and the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge, which cross Lake Washington from Seattle to Mercer Island. I-90 crosses the Cascades at Snoqualmie Pass, one of the busiest mountain pass highways in the United States, and uses a series of viaducts and structures to navigate the terrain.
context_section_description: I-90 crosses into the Columbia Plateau at the east end of the Kittitas Valley, traveling due east past Olmstead Place State Park and the town of Kittitas. The freeway travels across a series of hills while following the Ryegrass Coulee, including a rest area at Ryegrass Hill near the Wild Horse Wind Farm. I-90 then reaches Vantage, where it travels past the Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park, one of the largest collections of petrified trees in the world, before crossing the Columbia River on the Vantage Bridge. The bridge ascends up to the cliffs on the western shore of Grant County, where I-90 intersects SR 26 and turns north along the Babcock Bench. The freeway then passes several scenic viewpoints for Lake Wanapum and the Wild Horse Monument, a piece of public art placed atop a hill to the east.
  Near Frenchman Coulee and the Gorge Amphitheater, I-90 turns northeast towards George, where it intersects SR 281 and SR 283, providing access to Quincy and Ephrata, respectively. The freeway continues due east across rural Grant County, paralleled by a pair of frontage roads, past several sand dunes, state recreational areas, and the Potholes Reservoir. I-90 reaches Moses Lake by crossing the eponymous lake's western arm and intersecting SR 171, which serves as the city's main street. The freeway then crosses the Pelican Horn and intersects SR 17 before leaving the city, regaining its frontage roads as it continues east across rural Adams County by following several coulees. I-90 intersects the SR 21 east of the Schrag rest area and continues towards Ritzville, where a long concurrency with US 395 begins. The two highways intersect SR 261 and travel northeast along the BNSF railroad, which carries Amtrak's Empire Builder trains, to Sprague Lake in Lincoln County. In Sprague, I-90 intersects SR 23 just south of its junction with SR 231. From Sprague, the freeway passes the Fishtrap Recreation Area and crosses into Spokane County, where it alternates between interchanges with SR 904 and SR 902, which form loops serving Medical Lake and Cheney, respectively.
  I-90 and US 395 continue along the south side of Spokane International Airport and enter the city of Spokane, adding US 2 to the concurrency at an interchange near Sunset Hill. The three highways continue along Garden Springs Creek and the John A. Finch Arboretum to an interchange with US 195, located under several railroad overpasses. The freeway continues across Latah Creek into Downtown Spokane, where it travels on an elevated viaduct along 4th Avenue on the south side of downtown. The freeway passes the city's two hospitals (Deaconess and Sacred Heart) before intersecting Browne and Division streets, which carry US 2 and US 395 north through Spokane. I-90 then intersects SR 290 at the eastern edge of downtown, providing a connection across the Spokane River to the Gonzaga University campus.
  The freeway continues east through Spokane's suburban neighborhoods, flanked by a pair of frontage roads that funnel traffic towards local streets at interchanges, and passes the future terminus of the North Spokane Corridor, a major freeway that will carry US 395 when completed. I-90 then enters Spokane Valley near Avista Stadium and the Interstate Fairgrounds. The freeway travels on the north side of the suburban city and intersects SR 27 near the Spokane Valley Mall. I-90 follows the Spokane River and Centennial Trail through Liberty Lake and to the Idaho state line. The freeway then continues across the Spokane River towards Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene.
caption: Eastbound I-90 as it descends Sunset Hill into downtown Spokane
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