U.S. Route 85

Route map:
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U.S. Route 85 marker U.S. Route 85 marker

U.S. Route 85

CanAm Highway
Map
US 85 highlighted in red
Route information
Length1,479 mi[citation needed] (2,380 km)
Existed1926[citation needed]–present
Major junctions
South endStanton Street Bridge at the Mexican border in El Paso, TX
Major intersections
North end Hwy 35 at Canada–US border near Fortuna, ND
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesTexas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota
Highway system
← US 84→ US 87

U.S. Route 85 (US 85) is a 1,479-mile-long (2,380 km) north–south

United States Highway that travels in the Mountain and Northern Plains states of the United States. The southern terminus of the highway is at the Mexican border in El Paso, Texas, connecting with Mexican Federal Highway 45. The northern terminus is at the Canadian border in Fortuna, North Dakota, where the route continues north as Saskatchewan Highway 35. The highway route is part of the CanAm Highway. Sections of US 85 are designated as the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway
.

Route description

Lengths
  mi[1]
km
TX 21 34
NM 483 777
CO 310 499
WY 256 412
SD 154 248
ND 255 410
Total 1479 2380

The highway passes through

I-25
and is not signed.

Texas

Main article: U.S. Route 85 in Texas

US 85 in Texas begins at the Mexico–US border with

Interstate 10
, about 14 miles (23 km) before both reach the New Mexico border. The route is concurrent with I-10 for the remainder of its route within Texas.

The original route of US 85 in Texas had the highway concurrent with Doniphan Drive (after Paisano Drive), and parallelling the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway through the Mesilla Valley communities of Canutillo, Vinton and Anthony before crossing the Texas/New Mexico state line in Anthony, New Mexico, then following the road which is now New Mexico State Road 478 (NM 478) up the Mesilla Valley to Las Cruces. This route is marked as Texas State Highway 20 north of the intersection with Mesa Street/Country Club Drive.

New Mexico

Main articles: Interstate 10 in New Mexico and Interstate 25 in New Mexico
Remnant US-85 sign at Third Street and Roma Street in downtown Albuquerque in January 2009, New Mexico. US 85 was rerouted off this alignment c. 1990. (NOTE: As of May 2015, this sign has been removed from this location.)

The unsigned route of US 85 through New Mexico exists only on paper to maintain continuity with signed sections in Colorado and Texas. Except for a 4-mile segment through

El Camino Real
.

The original route from Anthony to Las Cruces is now signed as NM 478. The original route from Las Cruces to Hatch is now signed as NM 185; NM 187 south of Truth or Consequences (T or C); NM 181 north of T or C; NM 1 (the route's pre-US-85 designation) from Redrock to Socorro; NM 314 from Belen to Albuquerque; NM 313 from Albuquerque to Bernalillo; NM 14 and NM 466 through Santa Fe; and NM 445 from Maxwell to US 64[3] Remnant US-85 signs can still be seen on Fourth Street in downtown Albuquerque, the original route through the city before I-25 was built.

For concurrencies of interstate, US routes, and routes of different levels of significance, the New Mexico Department of Transportation's policy is to sign only the route of greater significance, while leaving the route of lesser significance unsigned. Consistent with this policy, NMDOT has removed US 85 from its route logs, but the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) retains US 85 on a concurrent alignment with I-10 and I-25 to maintain continuity with signed segments in Texas and Colorado. Many mapmakers, such as the American Automobile Association, Rand McNally and Google Maps follow AASHTO's practice and still sign US 85 along its concurrent stretches with the respective interstates.

Colorado

Main article: U.S. Route 85 in Colorado

US 85 enters

I-76 at mile marker 9. They travel concurrently for 3 miles (4.8 km) until exit 12 when US 85 becomes an expressway and continues north out of the Denver area through Brighton. From there it parallels I-25 for about 75 miles (121 km) passing through Fort Lupton, Platteville, LaSalle, Evans, Greeley, Eaton, Ault, Pierce, and Nunn before crossing into Wyoming
.

Wyoming

See also: Interstate 180 (Wyoming)

US 85 enters Wyoming from Colorado 8 miles (13 km) south of

US 16 near Newcastle. From here it is 29 miles (47 km) until it enters South Dakota in the Black Hills
.

South Dakota

The

US 14 Alternate and a concurrency with I-90, is defined at South Dakota Codified Laws § 31-4-181.[5]

US 85 enters the

Belle Fourche it crosses state highway 34 and US 212. From there it continues to North Dakota passing only through the small towns of Redig, Buffalo (where it meets state highway 20), and Ludlow, as well as coming to the Geographic Center of the United States
.

North Dakota

Main article: U.S. Route 85 in North Dakota

US 85 enters North Dakota in the southwest part of the state. The first city on its route is Bowman at the junction of US 12. Continuing north, it passes between North Dakota's two highest points, White Butte and Black Butte. Near Amidon US 85 heads east for 9 miles (14 km) before going back north along the Little Missouri National Grassland for about 125 miles (201 km). Near Belfield it junctions with I-94. After forming a concurrency with North Dakota Highway 200, it eventually passes through part of the scenic Badlands, crosses the Little Missouri River and passes near the Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Unit).

Then, at

Watford City it travels west for 16 miles (26 km) where it turns back north before Alexander. U.S. 85 continues north as North Dakota 200 turns west toward Montana. South of Williston it crosses the Missouri River. The stretch from Watford City to Williston is in the process of being converted into an undivided four-lane highway, and should be substantially completed in 2014. A few miles later it meets with US 2 where the two overlap for 19 miles (31 km) as an expressway, which now bypasses Williston to the northwest. After US 2 heads east, US 85 continues north to a concurrency with North Dakota Highway 5. From there it is 7 miles (11 km) to Fortuna
where US 85 heads back north for its remaining 6 miles (9.7 km) to the Canada–US border.

History

What is now US 85 from

U.S. Highway System. This north–south route was never signed in the field; instead, the route was designated as U.S. Route 570 and then as part of US 85.[6] The number "466" was later used along another routing
.

Major intersections

Texas
Benito Juárez Street and US 62 at the Mexico–US border in El Paso. US 62/US 85 travels concurrently through the city.
I-10 / US 180 in El Paso. The highways travel concurrently to the Las Cruces–University Park, New Mexico line.
New Mexico
I-10 / I-25 / US 180 on the Las Cruces–University Park line. I-25/US 85 shares a hidden concurrency to Fountain, Colorado.
US 70 in Las Cruces
US 380 west of San Antonio
US 60 in Socorro. The highways travel concurrently to south-southwest of Abeytas.
I-40 in Albuquerque
US 550 in Bernalillo
US 84 / US 285 south of Santa Fe. US 84/US 85 travels concurrently to Romeroville. US 85/US 285 travels concurrently to Eldorado at Santa Fe.
US 64 south of Raton. The highways travel concurrently to Raton.
US 64 / US 87 in Raton. US 85/US 87 travels concurrently to Fountain, Colorado.
Colorado
US 160 in Trinidad. The highways travel concurrently to Walsenburg.
US 50 in Pueblo. The highways travel concurrently through Pueblo.
I-25 / US 24 / US 87 in Colorado Springs
I-25 / US 87 in Colorado Springs. The highways travel concurrently to Castle Rock.
I-25 / US 87 in Denver. The highways travel concurrently through Denver.
US 6 in Denver. The highways travel concurrently to near Commerce City.
US 40 / US 287 in Denver
I-25 / I-70 / US 87 in Denver. I-70/US 85 travels concurrently through Denver.
I-270 / US 36 in Commerce City
I-76 / US 6
in Henderson
US 34 in Evans. The highways travel concurrently to Greeley.
Wyoming
I-80 / I-180 on the Fox Farm-College–Cheyenne line. I-180/US 85 travels concurrently into Cheyenne proper.
I-180 / US 30 in Cheyenne
I-25 / US 87 in Cheyenne. The highways travel concurrently to Ranchettes.
US 26 in Torrington. The highways travel concurrently to Lingle.
US 18 / US 20 in Lusk. US 18/US 85 travels concurrently to the northeastern part of Niobrara County. US 20/US 85 travels concurrently through Lusk.
US 16 in Newcastle
South Dakota
US 385 in Deadwood
I-90 / US 14 in Spearfish. The highways travel concurrently to North Spearfish.
US 212 in Belle Fourche
North Dakota
US 12 in Bowman. The highways travel concurrently through Bowman.
I-94 in Belfield
US 2 / ND 1804 west of Williston.
US 85B / CR 6 on Williston
city line. Southern end of US 2 concurrency. Northern terminus of US 85B.
US 2 About 7 miles (11 km) North of Williston. Northern end of US 2 concurrency.
Hwy 35 at the Canada–US border north-northwest of Fortuna

[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "U.S. Route Number Database" (December 2009 ed.). American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
  2. ^ "End of US Highway 85". US Ends.com. Retrieved October 9, 2014.[self-published source]
  3. ^ "US Highways in New Mexico". Retrieved May 22, 2009.[self-published source]
  4. ^ "Interstate 180 Wyoming". Interstate-Guide. Retrieved January 26, 2013.[self-published source]
  5. ^ "South Dakota Legislature". state.sd.us.
  6. ^ "U.S. 666: 'Beast of a Highway'?". Federal Highway Administration. June 18, 2003. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  7. ISBN 978-0-528-00771-2
    .

External links

KML file (edit • help)
Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 85
KML is from Wikidata
Browse numbered routes
←
US 87
←
US 84
CO→ SH 86
←
US 87
←
SD
→ SD 87
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