California State Route 76

State Route 76 marker
State Route 76
Map
SR 76 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Caltrans
Length52.319 mi[2] (84.199 km)
Existed1964[1]–present
Major junctions
West end I-5 in Oceanside
Major intersections I-15 near Pala
East end SR 79 near Lake Henshaw
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountiesSan Diego
Highway system
SR 75 SR 77

State Route 76 (SR 76) is a state highway 52.63 miles (84.70 km) long in the U.S. state of California. It is a much used east–west route in the North County region of San Diego County that begins in Oceanside near Interstate 5 (I-5) and continues east. The highway is a major route through the region, passing through the community of Bonsall and providing access to Fallbrook. East of the junction with I-15, SR 76 goes through Pala and Pauma Valley before terminating at SR 79.

A route along the corridor has existed since the early 20th century, as has the bridge over the San Luis Rey River near Bonsall. The route was added to the state highway system in 1933, and was officially designated by the California State Legislature as SR 76 in the 1964 state highway renumbering. The section of the highway through Oceanside and Bonsall is mostly a four-lane expressway; east of I-15, the roadway is mostly a two-lane highway. Originally, the entire highway was two lanes wide; west of Bonsall, the route was widened in stages, after decades of funding shortages, planning, and litigation. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) maintained plans to expand the entire length of the highway west of I-15 to an expressway, and as of May 2017, construction between Bonsall and I-15 was complete.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference 1963stat was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ California Department of Transportation (March 15, 2015). "State Truck Route List". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (XLS file) on October 13, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.