I-80 Traffic Cameras: Complete Interstate 80 Guide - San Francisco to New Jersey

Interstate 80 stretches 2,899 miles from the San Francisco Bay Bridge to Teaneck, New Jersey near the George Washington Bridge. As America's second-longest interstate highway, I-80 follows the historic route of both the First Transcontinental Railroad and the Lincoln Highway. According to USDOT data, the busiest segments of I-80, such as the I-580 interchange in the San Francisco Bay Area, handle over 293,000 vehicles daily. This comprehensive guide provides real-time traffic camera access across 11 states and some of the most challenging terrain on any U.S. highway. Every camera is plotted on an interactive map — zoom, search, and click to view any location instantly.

Historical Significance

I-80's route mirrors two transformative chapters in American transportation history. The First Transcontinental Railroad, completed in 1869, blazed the trail across the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains that I-80 largely follows today. The Lincoln Highway, America's first coast-to-coast automobile road (1913), established many of the same urban connections.

According to the FHWA, real-time traffic monitoring helps drivers make safer, more informed decisions. Research indicates that real-time traveler information systems, including live traffic camera feeds, can reduce secondary incident rates by up to 30% by providing drivers with immediate visual intelligence on road conditions.

Complete State-by-State Guide

California (204 miles)

I-80 begins at the Bay Bridge toll plaza in San Francisco and immediately encounters some of the route's heaviest traffic. Key segments include:

• Bay Bridge Toll Plaza: The western terminus sees 260,000+ vehicles daily. Traffic cameras here are essential for monitoring backup conditions that can extend miles into San Francisco
• Oakland/Berkeley: The I-80/I-580/I-880 interchange (MacArthur Maze) is one of America's most complex highway junctions
• Sacramento: Capital Corridor section with I-5 and US-50 interchanges
• Donner Pass (7,239 ft): The most notorious section of I-80. This Sierra Nevada crossing near Truckee is a critical freight corridor, with approximately 3,500 commercial trucks traversing the summit daily, carrying $5 million worth of goods. Modern cameras monitor chain control zones where winter storms regularly close the highway; during the record-setting 2022-2023 winter, the pass saw 730 inches of snowfall and required 78 days of chain control.

Nevada (410 miles)

The longest state segment crosses Nevada's high desert:

• Reno: Casino district traffic and I-580 interchange. Gateway to Lake Tahoe creates weekend congestion surges
• Winnemucca: Key fuel and rest stop on the 400-mile desert crossing
• Elko: Major truck stop and ranching center
• Bonneville Salt Flats Approach: Near the Utah border, one of the most desolate stretches of any U.S. interstate

Nevada's I-80 section features vast distances between services. Traffic cameras at rest areas and key interchanges help travelers verify road conditions before committing to long desert stretches.

Utah (196 miles)

• Salt Lake City: Major I-15 interchange and downtown bypass options. Heavy commuter traffic on the Wasatch Front
• Great Salt Lake Causeway: Scenic crossing with unique salt flat views
• Wendover: Nevada border crossing and casino destination

Wyoming (403 miles)

Wyoming's I-80 segment has the highest average elevation of any interstate in America, frequently exceeding 7,000 feet:

• Cheyenne: State capital and I-25 interchange connecting to Denver
• Laramie: University of Wyoming and 7,165-foot elevation
• Rawlins: Historic frontier town and US-287 junction
• Rock Springs/Green River: Energy sector hub
• Evanston: Utah border crossing

Nebraska (455 miles)

The longest straight stretch of any interstate runs through Nebraska:

• Omaha: Missouri River crossing to Council Bluffs, IA. Major freight hub
• Lincoln: State capital and I-180 junction
• North Platte: Home of Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, the world's largest railroad classification yard
• Sidney/Kimball: Western Nebraska agricultural zone

Nebraska's I-80 is the primary trucking corridor between Chicago and the West Coast. Commercial vehicle percentages often exceed 40% of traffic.

Iowa (306 miles)

• Council Bluffs: Missouri River crossing from Omaha with I-29 interchange
• Des Moines: State capital and major I-35 interchange. Critical north-south connection
• Iowa City: University of Iowa campus creates game-day traffic surges
• Quad Cities (Davenport): Mississippi River crossing to Illinois

Illinois/Indiana (238 miles combined)

The Chicago bypass is one of I-80's most complex navigation challenges:

• Quad Cities to Joliet: Relatively rural Illinois stretch
• Chicago Bypass: I-80 merges with I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) and I-94 near the city. Signage can confuse drivers unfamiliar with the routing
• Gary, Indiana: Steel mill district and I-65/I-90 interchange complexity
• Indiana Toll Road: I-80/I-90 concurrent section through northern Indiana

Ohio (237 miles)

• Toledo: I-75 interchange and Lake Erie approach
• Cleveland: Major I-71/I-77 interchanges and Cuyahoga River crossing
• Youngstown: Steel Belt city and Pennsylvania border approach

Ohio's I-80 section runs as a toll road (Ohio Turnpike) for most of its length.

Pennsylvania (311 miles)

• Sharon/Mercer: Ohio border entry
• I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike Merge: I-80 shares pavement with I-76 through eastern Pennsylvania
• Pocono Mountains: Scenic but challenging terrain with grade and curve warnings
• Delaware Water Gap: New Jersey border crossing

New Jersey (68 miles)

The final stretch to I-80's eastern terminus:

• Delaware Water Gap: Pennsylvania border entry with scenic Appalachian crossing
• Hackensack River Crossing: Increasing congestion approaching New York. The 2024 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard ranked New York City as the most congested city in the U.S., with drivers losing an average of 102 hours to traffic.
• Teaneck: Eastern terminus at I-95 interchange, providing access to the George Washington Bridge

Critical Traffic Challenges

Weather Hazards by Region

Peak Traffic Times

Using TrafficVision for I-80

TrafficVision.Live aggregates traffic cameras from all 11 state DOTs along I-80, providing unified access to real-time conditions from coast to coast. Search "I-80" to filter cameras along this corridor.

TrafficVision.Live aggregates feeds from 135,000+ cameras across 600+ official sources into one seamless interface. Use our interactive map to find cameras by location, switch to grid view for side-by-side monitoring, build custom routes for your commute, or save favorites for instant access. Available 24/7 on any device.

FAQ

State Guides Along I-80

• California Traffic Cameras
• Nevada Traffic Cameras
• Utah Traffic Cameras
• Wyoming Traffic Cameras
• Nebraska Traffic Cameras
• Iowa Traffic Cameras
• Illinois Traffic Cameras
• Indiana Traffic Cameras
• Ohio Traffic Cameras
• Pennsylvania Traffic Cameras
• New Jersey Traffic Cameras

Other Interstate Guides

• I-95 Traffic Cameras (East Coast)
• I-10 Traffic Cameras (Southern)
• I-75 Traffic Cameras
• I-5 Traffic Cameras

Traffic Camera Resources

• How Traffic Cameras Work
• Best Times to Check Cameras