The highway also serves Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge, Massacre Rocks State Park, the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, and Pocatello Regional Airport.

From the city, the highway runs along the south side of the American Falls Reservoir and follows a railroad into the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.

[3][4] I-86 passes through the northern section of the Fort Hall Reservation, serving exits to Arbon Valley and Pocatello Regional Airport.

US-30 leaves the freeway at an interchange located between the eastern boundary of the reservation and the Bannock County line on the Portneuf River.

The highway intersects US-91 in a diverging diamond interchange, the first to be built in Idaho, on the northeast side of Pine Ridge Mall.

[22] The Chubbuck section of the freeway was opened to traffic in July 1968 and was followed three months later by an extension to Pocatello Air Terminal 4.6 miles (7.4 km) west of the city.

[26] In 1973, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) adopted a new preference for duplicate numbers in lieu of suffixed designations.

[33] The highway's construction was delayed by careful rock blasting next to utility lines, historic sites, and native wildlife habitats.

[7][34] ITD plans to rebuild the interchanges at the western and eastern termini of I-86 to meet modern standards and improve safety.

The route turns west onto Idaho Street for two blocks and crosses over a railroad before beginning its concurrency with SH-39 around the northwestern side of the city.

The highways turn northeast onto Pocatello Avenue, which leads to an interchange with I-86 on the south side of American Falls Airport.