U.S. Route 50
The Interstate Highway System with US 50 in red
Route information
Length:	3,008 mi[2] (4,841 km)
Existed:	1926[1] – present
Major junctions
West end:	I-80 in West Sacramento, CA
	US 395 in Carson City, NV I-15 near Fillmore, UT I-25 in Pueblo, CO I-35 in Overland Park, KS US 71 in Kansas City, MO I-55 near St. Louis, MO I-65 in Seymour, IN I-71 / I-75 in Cincinnati, OH I-81 in Winchester, VA I-95 / I-495 near Washington, DC
East end:	MD 528 in Ocean City, MD
Highway system
United States Numbered Highways List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced

U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area,^[3] it extended to San Francisco, near the Pacific Ocean. The route mostly remains separate from Interstates. It generally serves a corridor south of Interstates 70 and 80 and north of Interstates 64 and 40. The route runs through mostly rural desert and mountains in the Western United States, with the section through Nevada known as "The Loneliest Road in America". In the Midwest, US 50 continues through mostly rural areas of farms as well as a few large cities including Kansas City, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; and Cincinnati, Ohio. The route continues into the Eastern United States, where it passes through the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia before heading through Washington, D.C. From there, US 50 continues through Maryland as a high-speed road to Ocean City. Signs at each end give the length as 3,073 miles (4,946 km), but the actual distance is slightly less,^[2] due to realignments since the former figure was measured. US 50 passes through a total of 12 states (California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland) as well as the District of Columbia.

US 50 was created in 1926 as part of the original U.S. Highway system. The original route planned in 1925 ran from Wadsworth, Nevada east to Annapolis, Maryland along several auto trails including the Lincoln Highway, Midland Trail, and the National Old Trails Road. The final 1926 plan had US 50 running from Sacramento, California east to Annapolis with a gap in west Utah that was bridged by running the route north via Salt Lake City before rerouting it to U.S. Route 6 in the 1950s. US 50 was extended west from Sacramento to San Francisco in the 1930s, replacing U.S. Route 48; this was reversed in 1964 when Interstate 580 replaced much of the route between the two cities. In addition, US 50 was extended east from Annapolis to Ocean City prior to 1952, replacing a portion of U.S. Route 213. US 50 had two split configurations into U.S. Route 50N and U.S. Route 50S, one in Kansas and another in Ohio and West Virginia; both of these instances have been removed.

Route description[link]

Mileage sign at the western terminus of U.S. 50

Western U.S.[link]

US 50 in the Nevada desert

US 50 begins as a major freeway at its junction with Interstate 80 in West Sacramento and continues into Sacramento. The portion of US 50 west of and including its interchange with California's State Highway 99 in Sacramento is also designated, but not signed as, Interstate 305. The signage along this portion of the highway indicates Business Loop I-80 and a portion of the way (2 miles/3.33 km) as California State Highway 99. From Sacramento, the highway heads eastward as the William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. Memorial Highway, continuing as a freeway to the Gold Country foothills, then following the American River up the Sierra Nevada as a conventional highway, until cresting the Sierras at Echo Summit and descending to Lake Tahoe, where the highway enters Nevada. In Nevada, the highway crosses a series of north–south running mountain ranges that break up the Nevada desert which are called Basin and Range. East of Carson City, the road enters the heart of the Great Basin, passing by few communities and minimal services, giving it the name "Loneliest Road in America" until reaching Utah.^[2]

In Utah, US 50 also passes through desolate, remote areas with few inhabitants. After crossing the Confusion Range via Kings Canyon and the House Range, the road traverses the north shore of the endorheic Sevier Lake. In Holden, US 50 shortly overlaps Interstate 15 to cross the Pavant Range. The road begins a much longer overlap with Interstate 70 in Salina crossing the Wasatch Plateau and San Rafael Swell into Colorado. US 50 leaves I-70 upon entering the state and heads southeast through Grand Junction and into the southern part of Colorado. Once there, the road climbs to its highest elevation of 11,312 feet (3,448 m)^[4] over the Rocky Mountains and in Monarch Pass where it crosses the Continental Divide. After descending from the Rockies, US 50 passes by Royal Gorge near Cañon City then joins U.S. Route 400 in Granada and follows the Arkansas River through Pueblo and into Kansas.^[2]

Midwestern U.S.[link]

The Jefferson Barracks Bridge over the Mississippi River

Upon entering Kansas, US 50, concurrent with US 400, run along the Arkansas River to Dodge City where US 50 splits from US 400 and takes a more northerly course. US 50 continues to traverse the farmlands and small towns of the Great Plains mostly as a straight two-lane road until Emporia where it joins Interstate 35 and splits onto Interstate 435 to bypass the center of the Kansas City Area. In Missouri, US 50 leaves I-435 for Interstate 470 splitting at Lee's Summit. US 50 runs as a four-lane divided highway across the Western Plain to Sedalia where it continues as a two-lane road until reaching the shores of the Missouri River in Jefferson City. The road then traverses the northern sections of the Ozark Highlands east to Union where it begins an overlap with Interstate 44 which goes through Pacific. The routes separate in Sunset Hills where US 50 migrates southeast bypassing St Louis by joining Interstate 255 to cross Mississippi River into Illinois.^[2]

In that state, US 50 switches to Interstate 64 before splitting onto its own alignment in eastern O'Fallon. It heads east through Salem, Flora and Lawrenceville to the Wabash River along a corridor between Interstates 64 and 70. US 50 enters Indiana at the Wabash River, bypassing Vincennes and Washington and passing through Bedford, Seymour, and Versailles. It meets the Ohio River at Aurora, and soon crosses into Ohio, running through downtown Cincinnati via Fort Washington Way (Interstate 71). The route crosses southern Ohio via Hillsboro, Chillicothe, and Athens, joining the four-lane divided Corridor D (State Route 32) west of Athens. It meets the Ohio River, from which it split at Cincinnati, at Belpre, and crosses the Blennerhassett Island Bridge (previously crossing the Parkersburg-Belpre Bridge) into Parkersburg, West Virginia.^[2]

Mid-Atlantic states[link]

Westbound view on US 50, Ocean Gateway, leaving Ocean City, MD. Sign over Eastbound lane displays distance to Sacramento, CA, 3073 Miles.

US 50 shield on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C.

The portion of US 50 from Parkersburg, West Virginia to Winchester, Virginia follows the historic Northwestern Turnpike, which crosses the southern tip of Garrett County, Maryland. From Parkersburg to Interstate 79 east of Clarksburg, US 50 has been upgraded as part of the four-lane divided Corridor D. US 50 is a curving two-lane mountain road, east of Clarksburg through Grafton, a bit of Maryland, and Romney to Winchester. This portion of the road is so curvy that locals claim "you can meet yourself coming". The land flattens out after it crosses the Shenandoah Mountains east of Winchester, and it follows the old Little River Turnpike from Aldie to Fairfax and the newer Arlington Boulevard to Rosslyn, where it crosses the District of Columbia line on the west shore of the Potomac River and joins Interstate 66 on the Roosevelt Bridge.^[2]

Within the District, US 50 immediately exits the freeway onto Constitution Avenue along the north side of the National Mall. After turning north on 6th Street Northwest, it exits the city to the northeast on New York Avenue. Upon crossing into Maryland, it passes the south end of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and becomes the John Hanson Highway, a freeway to Annapolis. The portion of this highway east of the Capital Beltway (I-95/I-495) is also designated, but not signed as, Interstate 595, and U.S. Route 301 joins from the south at Bowie. The freeway continues beyond Annapolis as the Blue Star Memorial Highway which crosses Chesapeake Bay on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and continues to Queenstown. There the Blue Star Highway continues northeast as US 301, while US 50 turns south, passing through Easton to Cambridge, and then east through Salisbury to Ocean City on the four-lane divided Ocean Gateway. US 50 ends near the Atlantic Ocean shore at Baltimore Avenue (Maryland Route 528 northbound); its westbound beginning is one block to the west, at Philadelphia Avenue (MD 528 southbound).^[2]

History[link]

A "Loneliest Road in America" sign outside Austin, NV

Before the creation of the Interstate Highway System, US 50 was a major east–west route. Numbered highways in the United States follow a pattern of odd numbers for north–south routes and even numbers for east–west routes, hence the designation of "50" for this route. In the preliminary report, approved by the Joint Board on Interstate Highways in late 1925, US 50 ran from Wadsworth, Nevada to Annapolis, Maryland, passing through Pueblo, Colorado, Kansas City, Missouri, Tipton, Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Washington, D.C.^[5] The route did not directly replace any auto trail, instead combining portions of many into one continuous route. Major auto trails followed, included the Lincoln Highway in Nevada, the Midland Trail in parts of Utah and Colorado and again in Missouri, Illinois, and part of Indiana, and the National Old Trails Road (Old Santa Fe Trail) in eastern Colorado and Kansas. It also followed the historic Northwestern Turnpike across West Virginia.^[6] In most states that had numbered their state highways, US 50 followed only one or two numbers across the state.^[7]

One major controversy erupted in relation to the preliminary route of US 50. The through route had been assigned to the Old Sante Fe Trail, while the spur U.S. Route 250 followed the competing New Santa Fe Trail to the south. As a compromise, the Joint Board on Interstate Highways approved a split configuration — U.S. Route 50N and U.S. Route 50S — in January.^[8] Another problem was in western Utah, where no improved road existed for US 50 to use. The final numbering plan, approved in November 1926, left a gap in US 50 between Ely, Nevada and Thistle, Utah. Finally, rather than ending US 50 at Wadsworth, where the Lincoln and Victory Highways merged, it was sent over the Lincoln Highway's Pioneer Branch, past the south side of Lake Tahoe, to Sacramento, California.^[1][9]

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge

The gap in Utah was soon bypassed by taking US 50 to the north, crossing the Great Salt Lake Desert with U.S. Route 40 to Salt Lake City, and using long portions of U.S. Route 93 in Nevada and U.S. Route 89 in Utah.^[10] U.S. Route 6 was marked along the direct, but still partially unimproved, route in 1937; it was finally paved in 1952,^[11] and US 50 was moved to it within a few years.^[12] Another straightening was made in 1976, when US 50 in central Utah was moved south onto the new extension of Interstate 70 at the request of the National Highway 50 Federation,^[13][14] a group dedicated to promoting US 50.^[15] Among other things, the group has unsuccessfully pushed for an extension of Interstate 70 west along US 50 to California.^[16]

The north–south split in Kansas was eliminated in the late 1950s, with the south route — which was to be US 250 — becoming part of US 50, and most of US 50N becoming part of a new U.S. Route 56.^[17] Another split was located between Athens, Ohio and Ellenboro, West Virginia from the late 1920s to the mid-1930s, when US 50 went back to its original south route; that U.S. Route 50N is now Ohio State Route 550 and part of West Virginia Route 16.^[18]

At its west end, US 50 was extended south from Sacramento along U.S. Route 99 to Stockton and west to the San Francisco Bay Area, replacing U.S. Route 48, by the early 1930s.^[19] US 50 was officially cut back to Sacramento in the 1964 renumbering, replaced by Interstate 580,^[20] but remained on maps and signs for several more years.^[21][22] US 50 was extended east from Annapolis to Ocean City, Maryland several years prior to the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in 1952;^[23] this extension replaced much of U.S. Route 213.

See also[link]

Related U.S. Routes[link]

• U.S. Route 150
• U.S. Route 250
• U.S. Route 350
• U.S. Route 450
• U.S. Route 550
• U.S. Route 650

Bannered routes[link]

• U.S. Route 50 Alternate in Nevada
• U.S. Route 50 Business in Pueblo, Colorado
• U.S. Route 50 Business in Garden City, Kansas
• U.S. Route 50 Business in Lawrenceville, Illinois
• U.S. Route 50 Business in Belpre, Ohio
• U.S. Route 50 Business in Salisbury, Maryland

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: U.S. Route 50

v t e United States Numbered Highways 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 87 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 101 163 400 412 425 All Bannered Divided Bypasses Routes in italics are no longer a part of the system. Highlighted routes are considered main routes of the system.

Route 5, or Highway 5, may refer to routes in the following countries:

Austria[link]

• Nord Autobahn

Burma[link]

• National Highway 5 (Burma)

Cambodia[link]

• National Highway 5 (Cambodia)

Chile[link]

• Chile Highway 5 - Panamericana

Canada[link]

• Alberta Highway 5
• British Columbia Highway 5
• Manitoba Highway 5
• Ontario Highway 5
• Prince Edward Island Route 5
• Quebec Autoroute 5
• Saskatchewan Highway 5

Djibouti[link]

• National Highway 5 (Djibouti)

Germany[link]

• Bundesautobahn 5 (A5)
• Bundesstraße 5 (B5)

Hong Kong[link]

• Route 5 (Hong Kong)

India[link]

5

National Highway 5 (India)

Indonesia[link]

• Indonesian National Route 5

Iraq[link]

• Highway 5 (Iraq)

Israel[link]

• 30px Highway 5 (Israel)

Japan[link]

• Japan National Route 5
• Route 5 (Nagoya Expressway)

Malaysia[link]

• Malaysia Federal Route 5
• Shah Alam Expressway (E5)

New Zealand[link]

• State Highway 5 (New Zealand)

Paraguay[link]

• National Route 5

Republic of the Congo[link]

• National Highway 5 (Republic of the Congo)

United States[link]

• Interstate 5
• U.S. Route 5
• New England Route 5 (former)
• Alabama State Route 5
• Alaska Route 5
• Arkansas Highway 5
• California State Route 5 (former)
• Colorado State Highway 5
• Delaware Route 5
• Florida State Road 5
• Georgia State Route 5
• Idaho State Highway 5
• Illinois Route 5
• Indiana State Road 5
• Iowa Highway 5
• K-5 (Kansas highway)
• Kentucky Route 5
• Louisiana Highway 5
• Maine State Route 5
• Maryland Route 5
• M-5 (Michigan highway)
• Minnesota State Highway 5
• Mississippi Highway 5
• Missouri Route 5
• Montana Highway 5
• Nebraska Highway 5
• Nevada State Route 5 (former)
  • Nevada State Route 5A (former)
  • Nevada State Route 5B (former)
  • Nevada State Route 5C (former)
• New Jersey Route 5
  • New Jersey Route 5N (former)
• New York State Route 5
• North Carolina Highway 5
• North Dakota Highway 5
• Ohio State Route 5
• Oklahoma State Highway 5
  • Oklahoma State Highway 5A
  • Oklahoma State Highway 5B
  • Oklahoma State Highway 5C
• Pennsylvania Route 5
• Rhode Island Route 5
• South Carolina Highway 5
• Tennessee State Route 5
• Texas State Highway 5
  • Texas State Highway Loop 5
  • Texas State Highway Spur 5
  • Texas Farm to Market Road
  • Texas Park Road 5
  • Texas Recreational Road 5
• Utah State Route 5 (former)
• Vermont Route F-5
• Virginia State Route 5
• West Virginia Route 5

Territories

• American Samoa Highway 005
• Guam Highway 5
• Puerto Rico Highway 5

Uruguay[link]

• Route 5 Gral. Fructuoso Rivera

See also[link]

• List of A5 roads
• List of N5 roads

This article includes a list of roads, streets, highways, or other routes that are associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

U.S. Route 40
National Road Victory Highway
Route information
Length:	2,285.74 mi[2] (3,678.54 km)
Existed:	1926[1] – present
Major junctions
West end:	I-80 near Park City, UT
	I-25 in Denver, CO I-35 in Kansas City, MO I-55 / I-64 / I-70 in St. Louis, MO I-57 in Effingham, IL I-65 in Indianapolis, IN I-75 near Dayton, OH I-71 in Columbus, OH I-77 near Cambridge, OH I-79 in Washington, PA I-81 in Hagerstown, MD I-95 in Baltimore, MD
East end:	US 322 / Ventnor Avenue in Atlantic City, NJ
Highway system
United States Numbered Highways List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced

U.S. Route 40 (US 40) is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, US 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey. The western end has been truncated several times, and the route now ends at Interstate 80 just outside of Park City, Utah, near Salt Lake City.

Starting at its western terminus in Utah, US 40 crosses a total of 12 states, including Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. Three former and four current state capitals lie along the route.^a[›] For much of its route, US 40 runs parallel to or concurrently with several major Interstate Highways: Interstate 70 from Colorado, to Washington, Pennsylvania; and again from Hancock, Maryland to Baltimore, Maryland; Interstate 64 in parts of Missouri and Illinois; Interstate 68 along the Maryland Panhandle; and Interstate 95 from Baltimore to New Castle, Delaware.

The route was built on top of several older highways, most notably the National Road and Victory Highway. The National Road was created in 1806 by an act of Congress to serve as the first Federally funded highway construction project. When completed it connected Cumberland, Maryland, with Vandalia, Illinois. The Victory Highway was designated as a memorial to World War I veterans and went from Kansas City, Missouri to San Francisco, California. Other important roads that have become part of US 40 include Zane's Trace in Ohio, Braddock Road in Maryland and Pennsylvania, part of the Oregon Trail in Kansas, and the Lincoln Highway (the first road across America) in California.

Route description[link]

Utah[link]

The western terminus of U.S. Route 40 at Interstate 80 in Silver Creek Junction

The western terminus of US 40 is in Utah at Interstate 80, several miles north of Park City, at Silver Creek Junction. The road is a limited access highway from the I-80 junction to its intersection with Utah State Route 32 south of Park City, about 13 miles (21 km). From there, the road takes a generally southerly course to Heber City before turning southeast and passing by the northern shores of Strawberry Reservoir. US 40 goes through the towns of Duchesne, Roosevelt and Vernal before entering Colorado.^[6][7]

Colorado[link]

Colfax Avenue carries US 40 through Denver

Entering Colorado 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Dinosaur, US 40 mainly continues east through the Routt National Forest through Craig and Steamboat Springs. The highway continues southeast toward Denver, where it intersects with I-70, where it concurrent with for more than 140 miles (230 km) to Kit Carson. US 40 continues east from Kit Carson to Arapahoe where it travels east in to Kansas.

Kansas[link]

US-40 crossing the Great Plains in Kansas

US-40 enters Kansas near the unincorporated community of Weskan. The first sizable town it enters is Sharon Springs, where it intersects K-27. From there it goes northeast to Oakley and follows Eagle Eye Road before a merge with I-70 east of town. The two routes remain merged until Topeka, though the prior alignment of US-40, named Old Highway 40, parallels I-70 for most of the way.^[7][8] From Ellsworth to Salina, the old alignment of US-40 is signed as K-140.

In Topeka, US-40 leaves I-70 at exit 366, follows the Oakland Expressway concurrent with K-4 north to 6th Avenue, then heads east along 6th out of town. Through Topeka, US-40 closely follows the route of the Oregon Trail.^[9] At the Shawnee-Douglas county line near Big Springs, US-40 crosses to the south of I-70 and enters Lawrence from the west along West 6th Street. In Lawrence, the route is joined by US-59 and jogs north to cross the Kansas River. It follows North 2nd and North 3rd Streets, crosses back under I-70, leaves US-59, and merges with US-24^[7][8] before leaving town.

US-40 remains merged with US-24 as the two routes travel northeast to the town of Tonganoxie. From there, the merged routes turn due east toward Kansas City, Kansas. In Kansas City, US-40 and US-24 intersect US-73 and K-7, and turning south toward Interstate 70. US-40, along with US-24, then merge onto I-70 and recross the Kansas River over the Lewis and Clark Viaduct just before entering Kansas City, Missouri.^[7][8][10]

On December 1, 2008, US-40, along with US-24 and US-73, was rerouted south along K-7 west of Kansas City to the intersection with I-70. Before this date, US-40 and US-24 continued along State Avenue to College Parkway before turning right to follow Turner Diagonal for 1/2 where US-40 joined Interstate 70 for the duration of its journey eastward toward Missouri.

In 1951, the State of Kansas designated Route 40 as a Blue Star Memorial Highway from border to border.

Missouri[link]

The Daniel Boone Bridge carries US-40 across the Missouri River.

US 40 enters Missouri in Kansas City and leaves it in St. Louis on the Poplar Street Bridge across the Mississippi River. US-40 travels east–west across the center of the state, parallel to I-70.

US-40 enters Missouri in Kansas City along a concurrency with I-70. It leaves I-70 at exit 6 and follows Van Brunt Boulevard for a short distance before turning east and crossing I-70 again at exit 7A. US-40 parallels I-70 to the north through Kansas City until exit 11, where it crosses and parallels it to the south through the suburbs of Lee's Summit, Independence, Blue Springs and Grain Valley before rejoining I-70 at exit 24. An older alignment caries the designation "Old US-40".

US-40 stays with I-70 until Boonville, where US-40 leaves at exit 101, along with Business Loop I-70. Both designations follow Ashley Road, before US-40 leaves and heads north along Main Street. After crossing the Missouri River in Boonville, US-40 turns east before rejoining I-70 at exit 121, at the outskirts of Columbia. The two routes remain concurrent until exit 210B in Wentzville.

From Wentzville, US-40 joins I-64 and US-61 and heads southeast crossing the Missouri River over the Daniel Boone Bridge in St. Charles. US-40 stays joined with I-64 and leaves the state in St. Louis on the Poplar Street Bridge across the Mississippi River along with I-70, I-55.

Until 1926, US-40 in Missouri was Route 2.^[11]

On January 2, 2008, five miles (8 km) of US-40/I-64 in St. Louis was closed eastbound and westbound from I-170 to I-270. It re-opened December 15, 2008 two weeks ahead of the original scheduled date of December 31, 2008. On December 13, 2008, another five-mile (8 km) section of the freeway closed both ways from I-170 to the Kingshighway exit in the city. It was re-opened on December 7, 2009. The entire freeway is now open for travel, with the speed limit raised to 60 mph on most of the stretch. It is also now a full freeway all the way from Downtown St. Louis to Wentzville.^[12][13]

Illinois[link]

The Old State House in Vandalia marks the western terminus of the National Road, a precursor to US 40.

The next 159.99 miles (257.48 km) of US 40 lies within the state of Illinois.^[3] Except where the route has been re-aligned with Interstate 70, it is an entirely undivided surface route. Formerly a major highway, it has lost most of its non-local traffic to Interstate 70. Some early bypasses of towns were built with the apparent intention of twinning them as a divided highway with access limited to intersections. I-70 uses none of those old bypasses that remain as sections of US 40. The westernmost portion of the historic National Road lies on most of the US 40 alignment in Illinois.

US 40 crosses into Illinois at East St. Louis on the Poplar Street Bridge concurrent with Interstates 55, 64 and Interstate 70. The route will continue to have a close relationship with I-70 for the remainder of the time it spends in the state; either directly concurrent with or paralleling it throughout Illinois.

Between Pocahontas and Mulberry Grove, US 40 passes through several small towns. In Vandalia, Illinois, the former state capitol, it follows Veterans Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard (with US 51) through town. The Old State House in Vandalia marks the western terminus of the National Road, one of the earliest roads upon which US 40 was designated. From Vandalia, the road continues to the northeast passing through the early German settlement town of Teutopolis and several city streets in Effingham. Beyond Effingham, US 40 passes through many small unincorporated towns before leaving the state near Marshall.^[7][14]

Indiana[link]

Throughout the state of Indiana, the colloquialism "South of 40" is a reference to the strong historical, physically geographic, and cultural differences between southern and northern Indiana.

US 40 enters Indiana from the west at unincorporated Liggett along with I-70. US 40 leaves the interstate at exit 11 and heads north with SR 46. The road leaves the city to the northeast once reaching Wabash Ave. ^[7][15]

Once leaving Terre Haute, US 40 passes through the small towns of Seelyville, Brazil, Knightsville and Harmony. Between Seelyville and Brazil, the road bypasses several small unincorporated communities which are served by State Road 340, a former alignment of US 40. The road continues to the northeast beyond Harmony, passing many unincorporated places such as Mount Meridian along the way to Plainfield, a suburb of Indianapolis.^[7][15]

The Indiana Statehouse lies along the former US 40 alignment (Washington Street) in downtown Indianapolis

In Plainfield, US 40 is Main Street and passes the Metropolis Outdoor Shopping Mall and a nostalgic stainless steel diner. Once leaving Plainfield, US 40 becomes Washington Street, where it passes by the northern edge of Indianapolis International Airport. After passing the airport, US 40 is now routed onto Interstate 465 Southbound on the west side of Indianapolis. A sign along the entrance ramp advises motorists "For US 40 East, Follow I-465 South to Exit 46." This route bypasses downtown Indianapolis and instead goes through the southern part of Indianapolis; its nearest point is about 5 miles (8.0 km) south of the city center. (Previously, the highway did not join with I-465 but continued along Washington Street, where it entered Indianapolis proper near Eagle Creek, a tributary of the White River. In downtown Indianapolis, the old highway split into a pair of one-way streets: Washington Street carries westbound traffic and Maryland Street carries eastbound traffic. In Indianapolis, the old highway passes several key landmarks, including White River State Park, the Indianapolis Zoo, the Eiteljorg Museum, Victory Field, the Lucas Oil Stadium, and the Indiana Statehouse). Along the eastern edge of Indianapolis, US 40 leaves I-465 at Exit 46 and is once again routed onto Washington Street.^[7][15]

East of Indianapolis, US 40 enters Cumberland where it takes the name National Road. Paralleling I-70 at a distance of about 3.5 miles (5.6 km), US 40 continues eastward across Indiana, passing through such communities as Greenfield, Knightstown, Lewisville, Straughn, Dublin, Mount Auburn, and Cambridge City, where it is known by various local names including Washington Street, Main Street, or National Road.^[7][15]

US 40's last stop in Indiana is the city of Richmond. In Richmond, it passes a statue known as "Madonna of the Trail", one of a series of twelve statues across the U.S. to memorialize women pioneers who made the trek to settle the western U.S.^[16] In 1968, a section of US 40 (Main Street) in Richmond was destroyed by a massive gas explosion. This caused a section of Main Street to be closed to automobile traffic, and US 40 was rerouted along North A Street (westbound) and South A Street (eastbound).^[17] At the Indiana/Ohio border, US 40 crosses I-70 at exit 156B before entering Ohio.^[7]

Ohio[link]

US 40 enters Ohio just to the south of New Paris. The road is always close to the newer I-70 eastward toward Dayton. In Vandalia, the road passes to the south of Dayton International Airport and crosses I-75 and the Great Miami River. The road never actually enters Dayton, instead skirting the northern suburbs on the way toward Springfield.^[7][18]

In Springfield, US 40 is split between two one-way streets. North Street carries US 40 West and Columbia Street carries US 40 East. The route then shifts on to East Main Street before leaving town to the east, once again as National Road. I-70 crosses again at unincorporated Harmony. US 40 passes just north of London where it intersects Ohio State Route 56 and US 42 before heading into West Jefferson. In West Jefferson, US 40 is designated along Main Street.^[7][18]

The landmark Palace Theatre on US 40 in Columbus

In the Columbus metropolitan area, US 40 enters from the west as Broad Street. Among the sites along US 40 in Columbus are the Ohio Statehouse, the Columbus Museum of Art, and LeVeque Tower, the oldest skyscraper in Columbus. In Bexley, the route follows Main Street, using Drexel Avenue to get between Broad and Main. US 40 continues as Main Street through Reynoldsburg before leaving the Columbus area as National Road yet again.^[7][18]

East of the Columbus metro area, US 40 parallels I-70 at a distance of about 1-mile (2 km), passing through several small towns such as Kirkersville and Hebron. In Zanesville, the road becomes Main Street, and at the center of town US 40 begins a concurrency with US 22 that carries it to Cambridge. US 40 crosses the Muskingum River in Zanesville on the famous Y-Bridge. Routes 22 and 40 enter Cambridge from the southwest along John Glenn Highway, and split in town; US 40 follows Wheeling Avenue. In Old Washington, US 40 joins I-70 at Exit 186. It leaves I-70 at exit 201 near Morristown. The two roads cross paths several times before they both leave Ohio on a pair of bridges across the Ohio River at Bridgeport.^[7][18]

The now-decommissioned Ohio State Route 440 ran along old US 40 in places where US 40 had been shifted onto I-70.

West Virginia[link]

US 40 is only 10 miles (16 km) long as it passes through West Virginia. Much of the highway has been moved from the old National Road path to I-70.

Pennsylvania[link]

US 40 passes Washington & Jefferson College in the city of Washington, Pennsylvania

US 40 enters Pennsylvania at West Alexander. It closely parallels I-70 from West Virginia until it reaches Washington where it follows Jefferson Avenue and Maiden Street. In Washington, US 40 passes to the south of Washington & Jefferson College. Following Maiden Street out of town, the road turns southeast toward the town of California. A short limited access highway in California and West Brownsville provides an approach to the Lane Bane Bridge across the Monongahela River. From here, the road continues southeast to Uniontown.^[7][19]

US 40 bypasses Uniontown along a limited access highway that also carries US 119. An old alignment through Uniontown is signed as "Business US 40." Southeast of Uniontown, travellers pass the Fort Necessity National Battlefield. It follows Braddock Road southeast of Uniontown, crossing the Youghiogheny River Lake on a bridge completed in 2006. US 40 leaves Pennsylvania at Addison^[7][19]

Maryland[link]

A cut 340 ft (104 m) deep eases the crossing of Sideling Hill on I-68/US 40 west of Hancock

US 40 enters Maryland from Pennsylvania near Grantsville in the western part of the state. Here, and through most of the state, it is known as National Pike. US 40 leaves National Pike shortly after entering Maryland from the northwest and merges with I-68 and US 219 at exit 14B. The old alignment of US 40, still known as National Pike, is signed through much of the western part of the state as either "Scenic US 40" or "Alternate US 40". US 219 leaves the three-way concurrency at exit 22, but US 40 and I-68 remain on the same pavement through Frostburg and Cumberland.^[7]

East of Cumberland, the old National Pike (formerly US 40) carries the MD 144 designation. The I-68/US 40 roadway passes through a 340-foot (100 m) deep cut in Sideling Hill. Just to the east of the cut is the Sideling Hill Exhibit Center, a museum that highlights Western Maryland geology.^[20] At Hancock, where the state of Maryland narrows to less than two miles (3 km) wide, I-68 ends, and US 40 merges onto I-70 at exit 1. The two routes closely follow the course of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Potomac River for several miles before US 40 leaves the Interstate at exit 9. US 40 passes directly through the center of Hagerstown using Washington Avenue (eastbound) and Franklin Street (westbound). Heading southeast out of Hagerstown, US 40 diverges into two separate routes, US 40 and US 40 Alt. US 40 parallels I-70, its longtime travel partner, crossing it at exit 32 near Greenbrier State Park on the Baltimore National Pike alignment. US 40 Alt heads southeast on the Old National Pike alignment through Boonsboro, crossing South Mountain at Turner's Gap. The two routes converge just west of Frederick.^[7]

In Frederick, US 40 uses Patrick Street before merging onto the US 15 expressway for a short distance. It leaves US 15 and rejoins I-70 on the outskirts of Frederick. MD 144 once again takes over along the old alignment of US 40.^[7]

US 40 leaves I-70 for the final time upon entering the western suburbs of Baltimore, once again as Baltimore National Pike. The route passes through Patapsco Valley State Park north of Ellicott City and enters the Baltimore city limits along Edmondson Avenue. East of Gwynns Falls Leakin Park, US 40 becomes Franklin Street, and becomes an expressway (formerly I-170) for a short distance between Pulaski Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Through this area, an alignment called "Truck US 40" diverts larger vehicles onto an alternate route. US 40 passes through the Mount Vernon neighborhood and a few blocks from Baltimore's Washington Monument.^[21] After crossing the Jones Falls Expressway (I-83), US 40 follows Orleans Street, and finally becomes the Pulaski Highway as it leaves Baltimore to the northeast.^[7][22]

US 40, for the entire length of Pulaski Highway, closely parallels I-95. Pulaski Highway passes through Gunpowder Falls State Park near Joppa and the Aberdeen Proving Ground. Between Havre de Grace and Perryville it crosses the Susquehanna River on the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge. US 40 leaves Maryland in Elkton, crossing the border into Delaware.^[7][22]

The Delaware Memorial Bridge carries US 40/I-295 across the Delaware River

Delaware[link]

US 40 crosses Delaware for about 15 miles (24 km). Entering the state from Maryland in Glasgow, it continues along the Pulaski Highway. Much roadside commercial development slows traffic, as there are many traffic lights along the route. US 40 crosses Delaware Route 1 in the community of Bear before merging with US 13 and the Dupont Highway in Midvale. The concurrent routes turn north, pass the New Castle Airport and US 40 splits to join I-295 near Wilmington Manor. US 40, along with I-295, uses the Delaware Memorial Bridge to cross the Delaware River into New Jersey.^[7][23]

New Jersey[link]

US 40 terminates in Atlantic City, two blocks from its famous Boardwalk.

US 40 enters New Jersey in Deepwater, New Jersey along with I-295. US 40 briefly joins the New Jersey Turnpike, and exits to the south of the toll booths. The route follows Wiley Road, parallel to the Turnpike, before joining Harding Highway in Carneys Point. US 40 will be Harding Highway through most of South Jersey. Northeast of where US 40 joins it, Harding Highway carries the NJ 48 designation; though this was once part of US 40 as well.^[7][24]

It enters the borough of Woodstown as a concurrency with NJ 45 along West Avenue; it leaves town heading southeast. In Upper Pittsgrove Township, the road changes names to the Pole Tavern-Elmer Road. Passing through Elmer it becomes Chestnut St. and then Elmer-Malaga Road. In Malaga it uses Delsea Drive. The route bypasses the city of Vineland to the northeast, and becomes Cape May Avenue in Hamilton Township, where it crosses NJ 50 in Mays Landing.

US 40 merges with US 322 and the Black Horse Pike in McKee City. The two routes enter Atlantic City along Albany Avenue and pass the Atlantic City Airport. US 40 and US 322 both reach their eastern terminus at the intersection of Albany Avenue and Ventnor Avenue.^[7][25]

History[link]

Early roads[link]

US 40's history can be traced back several centuries. Several well established Native American footpaths, including Nemacolin's Path and Mingo Path in the Maryland-Pennsylvania area, followed similar alignments to US 40.^[26] Early American colonists established roads, some following the established Native American paths, that would later serve as US 40. These included a segment of post road between Wilmington, Delaware, and Baltimore, Maryland.^[27] In 1755, during the French and Indian Wars, General Edward Braddock blazed a trail en route to capture Fort Duquesne (modern Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). US 40 closely follows this route between Cumberland, Maryland and Uniontown, Pennsylvania.^[28]

Early in the history of the U.S., the State of Maryland established a network of turnpikes for long-distance travel. Three of these would later serve as part of US 40: the Baltimore and Havre de Grace Turnpike, the Baltimore and Frederick Turnpike, and Bank Road.^[29] Colonel Ebenezer Zane (for whom Zanesville, Ohio was named) blazed some of the first trails across the Ohio wilderness in the last years of the 18th century. Zane's Trace, as his road was called, stretched from Wheeling, West Virginia, to Maysville, Ohio. With some minor alignment differences, US 40 closely matches the segment from Wheeling to Zanesville.^[30]

Between the cities of Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas, US 40 follows the path of the Oregon Trail. During the 19th century, the Oregon Trail served as a major thoroughfare for people emigrating to the Pacific Northwest. Between 1850 and 1852, some 65,000-70,000 people traveled the trail.^[9]

Most of the western section of US 40 follows the former route of Victory Highway, a road that once linked Kansas City to San Francisco. The road was named as a memorial to fallen World War I veterans. Other than two sections (one in California and one in Kansas/Colorado) most of the original route of US 40 west of Kansas City used Victory Highway.^[31][32] According to a 1926 guide published about the Victory Highway, it was the fastest route between San Francisco and Salt Lake City, allowing travellers to complete the 784-mile (1,262 km) trip "comfortably and in high gear in from 3 to 4 days."^[33] Controversy over the routing of US 40 over the Victory Highway led to a "divided route", with US 40S following the Victory Highway and US 40N taking a more northerly route.^[32]

National Road[link]

A National Road mile marker in central Ohio

In 1806, Thomas Jefferson signed into law an act of Congress establishing a National Road to connect the waters of the Atlantic Ocean with the Ohio River. The law mentions Baltimore as its eastern terminus; but the route used established Maryland turnpikes east of Cumberland. A new road was constructed from Cumberland to Wheeling, West Virginia, and later extended across the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Segments of the National Road used Braddock's Road and Zane's Trace. Plans to extend the road to Missouri were never completed. The farthest western terminus for the National Road was the Old State House in Vandalia, Illinois.^[34]

The National Road was absorbed into the National Old Trails Ocean-to-Ocean highway, a route from New York, New York, to Los Angeles, California in the early 20th century. During the planning phases of what would become the U.S. Federal Highway System, the National Road was originally to be US 1.^{[citation needed]} This would have disrupted the organized numbering system, however, and the National Road became US 40 in the original 1925 plan for U.S. Routes. To this day, many places still name US 40 "National Road", even where the alignment was moved from the original road. Besides US 40, much of the National Road is paralleled by segments of Interstates 68 and 70.^[34]

California[link]

The former route of US 40 in California generally runs parallel to modern Interstate 80. In Contra Costa County it is San Pablo Avenue, now signed as California State Route 123. Portions of Historic Route 40 exist in Vallejo, along Broadway. In Cordelia and Suisun City, the original route is along Cordelia Road. It is also signed at as a historic route. The original route is preserved as Texas Street in Fairfield. In Vacaville the highway is preserved as Monte Vista Avenue. In Davis, the highway is now Russell Boulevard, the main street through downtown Davis. In Sacramento the highway followed the routes of modern Capitol Avenue, SR 160 and Auburn Boulevard. Through the Sierra Nevada many portions are still drivable, crossing I-80. Portions still drivable include Applegate Road in Applegate, Hampshire Rocks Road in a rural area near Cisco, and Donner Pass Road over Donner Pass and into Truckee. Between Truckee and the Nevada state line, the former route of US 40 is mostly visible from the freeway, but not drivable as a contiguous route. Portions accessible include Glenshire Drive, Hirshdale Road and Floriston Way.^[35]

Alternate U.S. Route 40[link]

From 1954 to 1964, an alternate route US 40 was available especially during winter to avoid Donner Pass. Donner Pass, elevation 7,085 ft (2,160 m), was closed through many weeks in the winter months. This alternate route used Beckwourth Pass, elevation of 5,221 ft (1,591 m). Since Beckwourth Pass was nearly 2,000 ft, (610 m), lower than Donner Pass, it could be kept open for a much longer time during the year. ALT US 40 parted the main track of US 40 near Davis and ran north along what was then signed as U.S. Route 99W into Woodland. From Woodland, ALT US 40 ran north along California State Route 24 through Knights Landing and Robbins into Yuba City. Most of the section from Woodland to Yuba City is now signed as California State Route 113. From Yuba City, ALT US 40 ran east through Marysville, then north through Oroville. Continuing north and northeast, ALT US 40 reached Paxton, then turned south and southeast to Quincy and Beckwourth before crossing. East of Beckwourth Pass, ALT US 40 descended to meet U.S. Route 395 at what is now Hallelujah Junction. The section from Marysville to U.S. Route 395 was then still an extension of Route 24, but is now signed as California State Route 70, although much of the old highway was moved further west before Lake Oroville was dammed and flooded in 1968.

Nevada[link]

In Nevada US 40 was also directly replaced by I-80. All of the I-80 business loops use the historical route of US 40. In the Truckee Meadows the route is still drivable as 3rd street in Verdi and 4th street in Reno and Victorian Ave in Sparks. In rural Nevada the highway forms the business loops for Wadsworth, Fernley, Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Carlin, Elko, and West Wendover.

Utah[link]

In Wendover the former route of US 40 is signed as SR-58 and runs along a now unmentioned road just south of the freeway across the Bonneville Salt Flats.^[35] The route re-emerges from the shadow of I-80 as SR-138 through Grantsville and Tooele.^[35] In Salt Lake City US 40 was routed on North Temple Street on the west side of town. Past Temple Square US-40 had two alignments, originally along 2100 South and Parley's Way, at the time part of SR-201, but was later moved to Foothill Boulevard, along modern SR-186. East of Park City US 40 is still intact.

Evolution of US 40[link]

Variations of this sign are posted along old alignments in California.

US 40 was one of the original 1925 U.S. Highways.^[36] The route was a cross-country, east–west route, as most routes with a "0" number were defined. In 1926, the road had a total mileage of 3,228 miles (5,195 km). Though the eastern terminus was planned for State Road, Delaware, by 1927 it was moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey. The western terminus was San Francisco via an auto ferry across San Francisco Bay from Berkeley, California (see Berkeley Pier). Upon completion of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge, US 40 was re-routed over the bridge, bypassing the ferry pier. Early alignments of the road featured ferries at both ends. To cross the Delaware River, ferries were used, originally from Wilmington, Delaware (1927–1929) and later from New Castle, Delaware (1929–1951). In 1951, the opening of the Delaware Memorial Bridge replaced the ferry service and carried US 40 across the Delaware River.^[37][38]

From 1926-1935 the route split in Manhattan, Kansas, into "40N" and "40S" routes; the two routes met again in Limon, Colorado. The "40S" route continued on to Grand Junction, Colorado. In 1935, the split routes were eliminated. US 40N between Manhattan and Limon and then US 40S from Limon to Grand Junction was replaced by U.S. Route 24, the remainder was renumbered as simply US 40.^[39][40]

New alignments for the road were designated in Maryland in 1948 and in Utah in 1950. California's segment of the highway was decommissioned in 1964. By 1966, the western terminus moved to Reno, Nevada. The road shortened again in 1975, to its current western end at Silver Creek Junction, Utah. In 1998, the California segment was given a sort of rebirth with the designation of Historic Route 40 through that state. Further realignments occurred in Utah where the highway was re-routed for the Jordanelle Reservoir in the mid 1990s, and Kansas City, Kansas, in 1999 to make way for the Kansas Speedway. On December 1, 2008, a further realignment in Kansas City rerouted US 40 away from State Avenue and the Turner Diagonal and onto K-7 and Interstate 70.

Major intersections[link]

• Interstate 80 near Park City, UT
• Interstate 25 in Denver, CO
• Interstate 35 in Kansas City, MO
• Interstate 55 / Interstate 64 / Interstate 70 in St. Louis, MO
• Interstate 57 in Effingham, IL
• Interstate 65 in Indianapolis, IN
• Interstate 75 near Dayton, OH
• Interstate 71 in Columbus, OH
• Interstate 77 near Cambridge, OH
• Interstate 79 in Washington, PA
• Interstate 81 in Hagerstown, MD
• Interstate 95 in Baltimore, MD

See also[link]

• List of U.S. Routes
• National Road
• All-American Road

Related U.S. Routes[link]

• U.S. Route 140 (decommissioned 1980)
• U.S. Route 240 (decommissioned 1971)
• U.S. Route 340

Notes[link]

• ^ a: The current capitals are Denver, Topeka, Indianapolis, and Columbus. Vandalia was a former capital of Illinois, Zanesville was a former capital of Ohio, and Wheeling was a former capital of West Virginia.
  

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Droz, Robert V. (2006). "U.S. Highways from U.S. 1 to (U.S. 830)". http://www.us-highways.com. Retrieved 2007-05-20. 
• Vale, Thomas R., and Vale, Geraldine (1983). U.S. 40 Today: Thirty Years of Landscape Change in America. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. ISBN 0-299-09480-4.  An updating of George R. Stewart's classic 1953 book.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: U.S. Route 40

• Route40.net

v t e United States Numbered Highways 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 87 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 101 163 400 412 425 All Bannered Divided Bypasses Routes in italics are no longer a part of the system. Highlighted routes are considered main routes of the system.