California Interstate 15 Zzyzx Road exit sign

Description

Way out in the middle of the Mojave Desert, about halfway between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, is an exit from I-15 to Zzyzx Road. It often catches the eye of travelers between the two cities due to its unusual name. So who names a road Zzyzx, anyway? The answer is a man named Curtis Howe Springer. Springer filed mining claims on federal land around a hot spring, then known as Soda Springs. He constructed a spa at the site, and to promote it, concocted wild claims of the spring’s supposed health benefits. He renamed it Zzyzx Springs, the name being designed to be the last word, alphabetically, in the English language; Springer said Zzyzx was “the last word in health”.

Springer eventually went a bit too far with his schemes, however. When he started trying to sell homes in the area, the federal government—which still owned the land—evicted him on the grounds that he had never actually done any mining, or even proven there was anything there to mine. Springer went to jail, and the spa site became the Desert Studies Center, a facility shared by several California universities to perform research on the Mojave and the creatures that live there.

Our Zzyzx Road freeway exit sign is an exact replica of the sign that was installed with the freeway’s opening in 1962. (That sign remained in service well into the 2000s!) It’s made to the exact Caltrans standards of 1959, which were in effect at that time. Our replica is a lovely throwback to the early days of the California freeway system!

Our Zzyzx Road exit sign is flat printed on heavy 14-gauge steel. It has a glossy, non-reflective finish that will look great indoors, while also withstanding the elements outdoors, even in the harsh sun of the Mojave. Mounting holes are included to make installation easier. Take your pick from the following sizes:

• 16 in. × 8 in.
• 24 in. × 12 in.
• 36 in. × 18 in.
• 48 in. × 24 in.
• 72 in. × 36 in. (printed on two 36 in. × 36 in. panels)

We would be happy to make an exit sign like this for any freeway exit in the world! We can also make any route marker, directional or mileage sign, city limit sign, welcome sign, or practically any other kind of road sign! Just contact Jake to get started on your custom order!