I-5 Oregon Road Conditions

I-5 crosses 308 miles of Oregon, between the California line and the Washington line. That is 22% of I-5's 1,381 miles.

Inside Oregon it meets I-84 West at Portland.

By mile marker, I-5 passes Medford 29 · Eugene 193 · Salem 255 · Portland 301.

It carries Siskiyou Summit at 4,310 ft, where the weather at the summit is not the weather on the approach.

No full closures are reported on I-5 in Oregon as of Oct 9, 2026 1:48 AM UTC, and no lane closures or roadworks either. Always check with the responsible state DOT before setting off.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, from 3 weather stations in Oregon. A dash is a figure that station does not report, not a zero.

Every figure above is a town or a city. The summits are a different climate: Siskiyou Summit has its own page with the readings at the top and a six-day summit forecast.

Towns Along I-5 in Oregon

From Ashland to Portland, with the position of each town measured along this stretch itself — counted from the Ashland end, not from a state milepost, so it will not match the numbers on the signs.

1. 15 mi Ashland 1.0 mi off the road
2. 29 mi Medford 1.0 mi off the road
3. 41 mi Gold Hill
4. 117 mi Winston 3.1 mi off the road
5. 184 mi Creswell
6. 193 mi Eugene 3.4 mi off the road
7. 232 mi Tangent 2.4 mi off the road
8. 254 mi Salem 1.6 mi off the road
9. 260 mi Keizer 1.2 mi off the road
10. 278 mi Aurora 2.4 mi off the road
11. 290 mi King City 2.9 mi off the road
12. 302 mi Portland

Places from the US Census Gazetteer and population estimates, both public domain; distances measured along this page's own route geometry.

Oregon Chain Law & Traction Tires

Oregon posts a snow zone sign and the words on it are the requirement. Most of them ask a car to carry chains or traction tires rather than to fit them, which is why a driver can be legal on bare tires and still be fined for having nothing in the trunk.

What the snow zone signs require

A traction tire in Oregon is a studded tire, a retractable studded tire, or a tire carrying the three-peak mountain-snowflake emblem for severe snow service. A mud and snow (M+S) marking is not enough on its own — which is the trap if you have driven Colorado or Washington on the same set. Where chains are required on a car, they go on one tire on each side of the primary drive axle: the front tires on a front-wheel drive, the rear on a rear-wheel drive.

Carry chains or traction tires

They have to be in or on the vehicle. Nothing has to be fitted yet, and an empty trunk is the violation.

Chains required. Traction tires allowed on vehicles under 10,000 GVW

A car may run traction tires instead of chains — but only if it is not towing or being towed. Tow anything and it is chains.

Chains required on vehicles towing or over 10,000 GVW

A car that is not towing is unaffected. This level is aimed at trucks and trailers.

Conditional road closure

Posted when the standard restrictions are not enough for the conditions, and the wording on the day says who is exempt — ODOT's own example is chains on all vehicles except four-wheel drives that are not towing.

Fines

Non-compliance is a Class C traffic infraction.

Studded tires

Studded tires are legal in Oregon only from November 1 through March 31, and driving on them outside those dates carries a fine of nearly $200. Inside the season they do count as a traction tire. Oregon is the strict state on the other half of that list: Colorado and Washington both accept a plain mud and snow marking, and Oregon does not.

Commercial vehicles

Commercial vehicles are held to the higher standard: failing to carry and use chains is a Class A traffic violation, not a Class C, and the towing exception that lets a car use traction tires does not apply.

How you will know it is active

• Snow zone signs on the highway itself
• TripCheck.com, ODOT's own travel map, including its chain restriction layer
• ODOT road condition reports, per highway

Chain and traction tire requirements are ODOT's to post and they change with the storm. This page does not carry them — TripCheck ↗ is the authority before you set off.

Source: ODOT, checked August 26, 2026.

Related Roads

I-5 in Oregon Road Weather FAQ

Is Interstate 5 in Oregon closed right now?

No full closures are reported on I-5 in Oregon. No lane closures or roadworks are reported either.

What are I-5 in Oregon road conditions today?

The map on this page colors the route along I-5 in Oregon by what is on the pavement right now — dry, wet, slush, snow or ice — from radar and surface data, last updated Oct 9, 2026 1:48 AM UTC. Right now temperatures run from 77°F to 92°F and the strongest wind is 12 mph.

What is the Oregon chain law?

A traction tire in Oregon is a studded tire, a retractable studded tire, or a tire carrying the three-peak mountain-snowflake emblem for severe snow service. A mud and snow (M+S) marking is not enough on its own — which is the trap if you have driven Colorado or Washington on the same set. Where chains are required on a car, they go on one tire on each side of the primary drive axle: the front tires on a front-wheel drive, the rear on a rear-wheel drive.

What is the penalty for ignoring an Oregon snow zone sign?

Non-compliance is a Class C traffic infraction.

Do I need chains to drive I-5 in Oregon in winter?

Not always. It depends which of 4 requirements is posted: "Carry chains or traction tires" — they have to be in or on the vehicle. Nothing has to be fitted yet, and an empty trunk is the violation. "Chains required. Traction tires allowed on vehicles under 10,000 GVW" — a car may run traction tires instead of chains — but only if it is not towing or being towed. Tow anything and it is chains. "Chains required on vehicles towing or over 10,000 GVW" — a car that is not towing is unaffected. This level is aimed at trucks and trailers. "Conditional road closure" — posted when the standard restrictions are not enough for the conditions, and the wording on the day says who is exempt — ODOT's own example is chains on all vehicles except four-wheel drives that are not towing.

When are studded tires legal in Oregon?

Studded tires are legal in Oregon only from November 1 through March 31, and driving on them outside those dates carries a fine of nearly $200. Inside the season they do count as a traction tire. Oregon is the strict state on the other half of that list: Colorado and Washington both accept a plain mud and snow marking, and Oregon does not.

Are there mountain passes on I-5 in Oregon?

Yes — one on this site, Siskiyou Summit at 4,310 ft. It has its own summit page.

Where are Oregon road closures reported officially?

Oregon's official traveler information service is TripCheck, at tripcheck.com, and it is where closures and restrictions are reported.

Are there live traffic cameras on I-5 in Oregon?

Yes. This page shows 6 live views on I-5 in Oregon from the state transportation departments' own camera feeds, further down the page, refreshed each time you load it.

How often are I-5 in Oregon road conditions updated?

The road surface and weather layers are rebuilt whenever this page is opened with data more than ten minutes old, and refreshed on a schedule in between, so nothing here is more than about two hours old even on a road nobody has looked at. Closures and road blocks are re-imported from the state 511 feeds every fifteen minutes, and the written state-by-state summaries are refreshed daily. Every section on this page carries the time its data was fetched.