US 101 in Oregon: An Oceanside Wonderland

US 101 is perhaps most famous for its stretch in California, where it connects with (or forms a part of, depending on your definitions) the Pacific Coast Highway with SR 1. However, the road doesn’t end at California’s northern border.

If anything, it might get even better from there on out.

US 101 in Oregon covers 340 miles of rugged coastline. It stretches from the Californian border south of Brookings, OR, to the middle of the Columbia River on the Astoria-Megler Bridge.

Sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Oregon Coast Range, the road is incredibly fun and scenic. It’s a curvy asphalt trail with plenty of ups and downs as it traverses the foothills.

The scenery is a feast for all senses. You’ll pass wide-open ocean views, jagged coastal cliffs, rushing rivers, majestic forests, and charming small towns as you navigate mile after mile of twisty tarmac.

US 101 in Oregon is very much a historically significant road, as it provided a vital traffic artery for the previously extremely isolated coast where people and goods moved mostly by boat. Construction was started in 1926 and progressed well.

For a while, US 101 had six ferry crossings in Oregon. None of those remain, however, as they were all replaced by bridges by the time the road was declared complete in 1936.

Today, this road is still the main route of traffic on the Oregon Coast. In 2015, the state legislature designated it as the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Veterans Memorial Highway.

For the most part, US 101 in Oregon is a paved two-lane road, with some wider sections in the bigger towns along the way. The pavement condition is generally good—unless the entire road is covered.

Parts of US 101, especially in the southern sections, are under serious landslide risk. It’s not unusual for the road to get cut off momentarily, or even require complete realignment and reconstruction, as was done after a 2019 landslide.

If the road is shut, you’ll have to do a lengthy detour inland to the Willamette Valley over the Coastal Range. I recommend always checking travel conditions before hitting the road.

You may also encounter some congestion during your ride. US 101 serves as the main street for many of the small coastal towns, so there will likely be traffic. Lincoln City’s surroundings are particularly notorious for getting bogged down.

Don’t let that stop you from venturing up here, though, as the views and riding are absolutely worth it. US 101 in Oregon shows that roads don’t end where their most famous sections do—you’ve simply finished your appetizer.

Points of Interest

Oregon Sand Dunes

You may not expect them here, but Oregon’s coastline has multiple regions of sand dunes. Located around the mid-section of US 101, they make for a great excuse to stretch your legs.

The dunes are the result of tectonic upheaval, which formed the Coast Range mountains 12 million years ago. The rising mountains sent rocks and stones tumbling toward the ocean, and the passage of time ground them to fine sand that the area’s rivers deposited on the coast.

More adventurous riders can try their hand at sandboarding on the large dunes (it’s like snowboarding, but on sand). If you prefer more traditional outdoor activities, the dunes have plenty of opportunities for hiking, camping, and just looking at this beautiful natural formation.