Traffic Volumes

For ALL Vehicles on CA State Highways

Year: 2017
For previous year Traffic Counts, visit the main Traffic Census Program homepage to access available PDF or Excel file by year.

Files

The files containing Traffic Volumes (also known as Traffic Counts) on California state highways are available for downloading. These files can be imported into spreadsheets or data bases for viewing and analysis. Route Number: All California state highways are listed in this booklet in order of Legislative Route number.

Annual Average Daily Traffic (Annual ADT)

Annual average daily traffic is the total volume for the year divided by 365 days. The traffic count year is from October 1st through September 30th. Very few locations in California are actually counted continuously. Traffic Counting is generally performed by electronic counting instruments moved from location throughout the State in a program of continuous traffic count sampling. The resulting counts are adjusted to an estimate of annual average daily traffic by compensating for seasonal influence, weekly variation and other variables which may be present. Annual ADT is necessary for presenting a statewide picture of traffic flow, evaluating traffic trends, computing accident rates. planning and designing highways and other purposes.

Peak Hour

Included is an estimate of the "peak hour" traffic at all points on the state highway system. This value is useful to traffic engineers in estimating the amount of congestion experienced, and shows how near to capacity the highway is operating. Unless otherwise indicated, peak hour values indicate the volume in both directions.

A few hours each year are higher than the "peak hour", but not many. In urban and suburban areas, the peak hour normally occurs every weekday, and 200 or more hours will all be about the same. On roads with large seasonal fluctuations in traffic, the peak hour is the four near the maximum for the year but excluding a few (30 to 50 hours) that are exceedingly high and are not typical of the frequency of the high hours occurring during the season.

Traffic Profile

These files list annual traffic volumes for all count locations on the California state highway system. Peak hours, peak month ADTs and annual ADTs are shown at each count location. Significant volume changes (breakpoints)in the traffic profile along each route are counted and identified by name and milepost value. In addition to the profile breakpoints, these files list county lines and well-known landmarks to aid in orientation. All traffic volume figures listed include traffic in both directions unless otherwise indicated.

Milepost

Each profile breakpoint is identified by the milepost value corresponding to that point on the highway. The milepost values increase from the beginning of a route within a count to the next county line. The milepost values start over again at each county line. Milepost values usually increase from south to north or west to east depending upon the general direction (.PDF) the route follows within the state.

The milepost at a given location will remain the same year after year. When a section of road is relocated, new milepost (usually noted by an alphabetical prefix such as "R" or "M") are established for it. If relocation results in a change in length, "milepost equations" are introduced at the end of each relocated portion so that mileposts on the reminder of the route within the county will remain unchanged.

Peak Month ADT

The peak month ADT is the average daily traffic for the month of heaviest traffic flow. This data is obtained because on many routes, high traffic volumes which occur during a certain season of the year are more representative of traffic conditions than the annual ADT.

Back and Ahead

Back AADT, Peak Month, and Peak Hour usually represents traffic South or West of the count location. Ahead AADT, Peak Month, and Peak Hour usually represents traffic North or East of the count location. Listing of routes with their designated direction of travel (.PDF).