U.S. Route 20 in Nebraska
Route information | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Maintained by NDOT | ||||
Length | 431.60 mi[1] (694.59 km) | |||
Existed | 1926–present | |||
Tourist routes | Bridges to Buttes Byway | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | US 20 west of Harrison | |||
East end | I-129 / US 20 / US 75 at South Sioux City | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Nebraska | |||
Counties | Sioux, Dawes, Sheridan, Cherry, Brown, Rock, Holt, Antelope, Pierce, Cedar, Dixon, Dakota | |||
Highway system | ||||
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U.S. Highway 20 (US-20) is a part of the
Route description
Bridges to Buttes Scenic Byway
The Nebraska Department of Transportation has designated nine stretches of state highway as scenic byways throughout the state. These are typically two-lane highways traveling through diverse terrain and passing by historical markers and attractions that put the rich history of Nebraska's past on display.[4] Along US-20, the route between the Wyoming state line and Valentine, a 197-mile (317 km) stretch, is designated the Bridges to Buttes Scenic Byway. Along this route, the highway passes through diverse landscapes such as escarpments and the Sandhills as well as historical points of interest including Fort Robinson.
Wyoming state line to Rushville
US-20 enters Nebraska along the Wyoming state line east of Van Tassell just north of the Niobrara River, passing through gently rolling plains with intermittent rock outcroppings on the way to Harrison. Harrison, the state's northwesternmost town, is home to the Sioux County Historical Museum. Just a few miles northeast of town lies Sowbelly Canyon, a part of the Pine Ridge escarpment.[5] The highway then continues into the eastern reaches of Sioux County, which are marked by high plains, bluffs, and escarpments, including the Red Cloud Buttes as the road passes through Fort Robinson State Park. The park is home to Fort Robinson, a former U.S. Army fort instrumental during the Sioux Wars between 1876 and 1890 and where Crazy Horse surrendered in 1877.[6] From there, the highway continues to the northeast, where it enters Crawford. Here, the highway runs to the north concurrently with Nebraska Highway 2 (N-2) and N-71 along the east side of town for a mile (1.6 km) before turning to the northeast, traveling through rolling plains passing south of Whitney Lake before meeting up with US-385 west of Chadron. US-20 runs concurrently with US-385 to the west side of town, where US-385 departs to the south while US-20 continues east through Chadron.[3]
Chadron is home to Chadron State Park, Nebraska's oldest state park containing nearly 1,000 acres (400 ha) of Pine Ridge wilderness. It is also home to the Pine Ridge Ranger District of the Nebraska National Forest. The Museum of Fur Trade is also located in Chadron at the site of a former fur trading post run by the American Fur Company between 1837 and 1876.[7] The highway leaves Chadron and runs southeast alongside the Little Bordeaux Creek. As the road continues toward Hay Springs, it makes a 400-foot (120 m) climb as it passes through a portion of the Pine Ridge Escarpment. To the north, the Beaver Wall escarpment provides views of the surroundings including the buttes at Crawford all the way to the Black Hills.[8] In Hay Springs, US-20 meets up with N-87, which joins from the south. Together, the two highways run concurrently for nearly nine miles (14 km), through Hay Springs and into Rushville. On the west side of Rushville, N-87 leaves to the north toward Pine Ridge, South Dakota, while US-20 continues through town.
Rushville to Valentine
After departing Rushville, US-20 bends to the northeast, passing agricultural fields and grasslands. The highway passes through the small village of Clinton and continues on to the northeast before reaching the city of Gordon. Gordon was home to outlaw Doc Middleton who operated a saloon in town between 1900 and 1913.[9] US-20 leaves the city traveling east and, just as the road turns to the northeast 12 miles (19 km) east of Gordon, enters the western reaches of the Sandhills. The road winds its way to the northeast before arriving at the village of Merriman in Cherry County. Cherry County is the largest county, by land area, in Nebraska; with over 6,000 square miles (16,000 km2), it is larger than the states of Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island combined. Here, US-20 intersects N-61, which is one of the most desolate highways in the state. Traveling south, it is almost 70 miles (110 km) to the next town, Hyannis.[10] From Merriman, US-20 continues east through the northern reaches of the Sandhills. Between Merriman and Crookston, the highway is within five miles (8.0 km) of the South Dakota border.
Continuing through the Sandhills, the highway winds its way east until it enters the small village of
Valentine to O'Neill
From Valentine, US-20 takes a southeast line crossing the Niobrara River back into the sandhills. It continues toward the southeast through the small villages of
O'Neill to Iowa
US-20 leaves O'Neill headed southeast concurrently with
History
Prior to the assignment of US-20, this route across northern Nebraska carried several different route numbers. In 1922, the highway followed the routes of
There have been a few realignments of US-20 since its designation in 1926. An older alignment of US-20 ran about three miles (4.8 km) south of the current section east of Laurel. This alignment went due east from Laurel, along present-day 869th Road, passing Dixon and Allen to an intersection with present-day N-9, where it turned north to meet up with the current alignment.[15] West of Fort Robinson, an old alignment of US-20 traveled along modern-day Smiley Canyon Scenic Drive. This is a winding road that runs through Smiley Canyon north of the current alignment. During the winters, this area of US-20 would become treacherous, leading to many accidents.[17]
In November 2010, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman approved designating US-20 from Hay Springs to Fort Robinson in honor of Crazy Horse, capping a year-long effort by citizens of Chadron. The designation may extend east another 100 miles (160 km) through Cherry County to Valentine.[18] The following year, on June 5, the highway was officially dedicated during a ceremony at Fort Robinson State Park.[19]
Major intersections
County | Location | mi[1] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sioux | Bowen Precinct | 0.00 | 0.00 | US 20 west – Lusk, Casper | Continuation into Wyoming | |
Western terminus of Bridges to Buttes Scenic Byway | ||||||
Harrison | 8.99 | 14.47 | N-29 south (Main Street) – Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Mitchell | |||
Dawes | Crawford | 35.34 | 56.87 | N-2 / N-71 south – Alliance, Scottsbluff | Western end of N-2/N-71 overlap | |
36.20 | 58.26 | N-2 / N-71 north – Toadstool Geologic Park | Eastern end of N-2/N-71 overlap | |||
S-23A north – Whitney | ||||||
L-23D north | ||||||
56.40 | 90.77 | US 385 north – Hot Springs, SD, Rapid City, SD | Western end of US 385 overlap | |||
Chadron | 58.58 | 94.28 | US 385 south (Ash Street) – Alliance | Eastern end of US 385 overlap | ||
Sheridan | Hay Springs | 78.88 | 126.95 | N-87 south – Alliance | Western end of N-87 overlap | |
Rushville | 90.27 | 145.28 | N-87 north – Pine Ridge, SD | Eastern end of N-87 overlap | ||
91.29 | 146.92 | N-250 south (Chamberlain Street) | ||||
Gordon | 105.91 | 170.45 | N-27 (Main Street) | |||
Cherry | Merriman | 135.81 | 218.57 | N-61 south (Mills Street) – Hyannis | Western end of N-61 overlap | |
135.84 | 218.61 | N-61 north – Martin, SD | Eastern end of N-61 overlap | |||
S-16F south (Main Street) – Nenzel | ||||||
Valentine | 196.72 | 316.59 | N-97 south (Airport Road) – Mullen | |||
Eastern terminus of Bridges to Buttes Scenic Byway | ||||||
196.92 | 316.91 | US 83 north (Main Street) – Mission, SD | Western end of US 83 overlap | |||
US 83 south – Thedford, North Platte | Eastern end of US 83 overlap | |||||
Brown | Ainsworth | 242.10 | 389.62 | N-7 south (Main Street) – Brewster | Western end of N-7 overlap | |
US 183 north – Springview | Western end of US 183 overlap | |||||
250.41 | 403.00 | S-9A south – Long Pine | ||||
Eastern end of US 183/N-7 overlap | ||||||
Newport | 270.27 | 434.96 | N-137 north (4th Street) | |||
Holt | Atkinson | 289.27 | 465.53 | N-11 north – Butte | Western end of N-11 overlap | |
289.78 | 466.36 | N-11 south (Hyde Street) – Burwell | Eastern end of N-11 overlap | |||
US 281 north (Harrison Street) | Western end of US 281 overlap | |||||
307.61 | 495.05 | US 275 begins | Eastern end of US 281 overlap, western end of US 275 overlap | |||
US 275 east | Eastern end of US 275 overlap | |||||
322.82 | 519.53 | S-45A north – Page | ||||
326.71 | 525.79 | L-45B south – Ewing | ||||
Antelope | Ellsworth Township | 342.75 | 551.60 | N-14 | ||
345.79 | 556.50 | S-2B south (527th Avenue) – Brunswick | ||||
Bazile Township | 349.77 | 562.90 | N-13 north | Western end of N-13 overlap | ||
Pierce | Plainview | 354.45 | 570.43 | N-13 south | Eastern end of N-13 overlap | |
Osmond | 364.57 | 586.72 | N-121 south (546th Avenue) | Western end of N-121 overlap | ||
367.86 | 592.01 | N-121 north (549th Avenue) | Eastern end of N-121 overlap | |||
S-70A north (553rd Avenue) – McLean | ||||||
373.85 | 601.65 | US 81 (555th Avenue) – Norfolk, Yankton, SD | ||||
Cedar | Belden | 385.39 | 620.23 | N-57 north (566th Avenue) | Western end of N-57 overlap | |
386.41 | 621.87 | N-57 south (567th Avenue) | Eastern end of N-57 overlap | |||
Laurel | 391.44 | 629.96 | N-15 south | Western end of N-15 overlap | ||
Precinct 15 | 393.95 | 634.00 | N-15 north (572nd Avenue) to N-59 – Coleridge, Hartington, Weigh Station | Eastern end of N-15 overlap | ||
394.65 | 635.13 | N-59 west (872nd Road) to N-15 – Coleridge, Hartington | Former L-14D | |||
Dixon | Clark Township | 399.23 | 642.50 | N-116 south (577nd Avenue) | ||
Galena Township | 406.96 | 654.94 | N-9 south | Western end of N-9 overlap | ||
407.77 | 656.24 | N-9 north | Eastern end of N-9 overlap | |||
S-26A south – Waterbury | ||||||
Lewis and Clark Trail | ||||||
Covington Precinct | 426.36 | 686.16 | N-110 south (G Avenue) | |||
428.40 | 689.44 | I-129 begins | Western end of I-129 overlap | |||
428.79 | 690.07 | 1 | Lewis and Clark Trail – Fair Grounds, Sioux City | Western end of US-75 overlap; signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north) | ||
US 20 Bus. east – South Sioux City, Dakota City | ||||||
Missouri River | 431.60 | 694.59 | Sergeant Floyd Memorial Bridge; Nebraska–Iowa line | |||
I-129 east / US 20 east / US 75 north – Sioux City | Continuation into Sioux City, Iowa | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ a b c "Nebraska Highway Reference Log Book" (PDF). Nebraska Department of Roads. 2015. pp. 66–73. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ a b Topographic Regions Map (Map). University of Nebraska–Lincoln. 1973.
- ^ a b c d Google (January 15, 2017). "Overview Map of US-20 in Nebraska" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
- ^ a b "Scenic Byways". Nebraska Department of Roads. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
- ^ "Harrison". Journey to Western Nebraska. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
- ^ "Crawford". Journey to Western Nebraska. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
- ^ "Chadron". Journey to Western Nebraska. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-8032-5968-3.
- ^ Boye (1989), pp. 419–420
- ^ Boye (1989), p. 419
- ISBN 0803250606.
- ^ Boye (1989), p. 418
- ^ "Valentine". Journey to Western Nebraska. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
- ^ Boye (1989), p. 412
- ^ a b Geelhart, Chris. "Highways 1 to 30". Nebraska Highways. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
- ^ The North Western Line (Map). The North Western Line. 1909. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
- ^ Boye (1989), p. 434
- ^ Rempp, Kerri (November 17, 2010). "Nebraska highway to be named for Lakota leader". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
- ^ Brewer, Bamm (June 15, 2011). "2011 Crazy Horse Ride and Highway Dedication". Lakota Country Times. Fort Robinson State Park. p. B2. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
External links