Interstate 40 Business (Needles, California)

Interstate 40
Needles Freeway
I-40 highlighted in red
Route information
Defined by
Maintained by Caltrans
Length	154.640 mi (248.869 km)
Existed	August 7, 1947 by FHWA July 1, 1964 by Caltrans – present
Major junctions
West end	I-15 in Barstow
	US 95 in Needles
East end	I-40 at the Arizona state line
Location
Counties	San Bernardino
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future State highways in California Interstate U.S. State Pre-1964 History Unconstructed Deleted Freeway Scenic ← SR 39 SR 41 →

In the State of California, Interstate 40 (I-40) begins on the west at its interchange with Interstate 15 in Barstow. Sometimes called the Needles Freeway, it is a major east—west highway of the Interstate Highway System that goes all the way to Wilmington, North Carolina. I-40 goes east from Barstow across the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County past the Clipper Mountains to Needles, before it crosses over the Colorado River into Arizona east of Needles. All 155 miles of I-40 in California are in San Bernardino County.

Interstate 40 goes through the Mojave Desert on its entire journey through California. I-40 starts out at a junction with Interstate 15 in Barstow. The freeway passes through Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow before leaving the city limits. I-40 provides access to the town of Daggett but passes south of the town. After passing south of the Barstow-Daggett Airport, I-40 goes through Newberry Springs and Ludlow before traveling along the south end of Mojave National Preserve. Several miles east of the preserve, I-40 intersects US 95 and the two highways run concurrently into the city of Needles. In Needles, US 95 continues south while I-40 continues east through Mojave National Preserve and across the Colorado River into Arizona. The maximum speed limit for the entire California segment of Interstate 40 is 70 mph (110 km/h).