Adopt-A-Highway Program

The Adopt-A-Highway program, which began in 1989, has been one of the truly successful government volunteer partnerships of our time.  Since 1989 more than 120,000 Californians from over 6,000 groups have cleaned 6,000 miles of California roadsides.

In the process, the Adopt-A-Highway volunteers have collected a staggering 540,000 cubic yards of trash, enough litter to fill a line of dump trucks, bumper to bumper, from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo. The program's value can be measured not only in financial savings, but in the dedicated hours that thousands of Californians have donated to keep the Golden State beautiful for visitors and residents alike.

• Removing litter on a two-mile stretch of roadside (frequency varies with location).
• Planting and establishing five acres of seedling trees and/or shrubs according to an approved plan.
• Planting and establishing three acres of wildflowers according to an approved plan.
• Planting and establishing a small area of wildflowers, called a "spot" wildflower adoption, according to an approved plan.  (Note: Spot wildflower adopters do not qualify for Adopt-A-Highway signs.)
• Removing graffiti as needed from one or more highway structures.
• Controlling weeds on five acres of right-of-way according to an approved plan.

Volunteer adopters collect over 54,000 cubic yards of litter from over 3,600 locations on State highways each year.  Graffiti is cleaned from more than 270 sound walls and structures, and trees and wildflowers have been planted on more than 350 sites.  Over 60,000 individuals and groups have participated in the Caltrans Adopt-A-Highway program since its inception. Caltrans provides Adopt-A-Highway volunteers with appropriate permits, litter bags, safety gear and safety training, at no cost.  Adopters are recognized for their contribution by the placement of a roadside sign.  The Adopt-A-Highway Program is not a forum for advertising or public discourse.