U.S. Route 50

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U.S. Route 50
Length: 3073 mi[1] (4946 km)
Formed: 1926[1]
West end: I-80 in West Sacramento, CA
Major
junctions:		 US 395 at Carson City, NV
I-15 at Holden, UT
I-25 at Pueblo, CO
I-35 near Emporia, KS
US 54 at Jefferson City, MO
I-55 at St. Louis, MO
I-71/I-75 at Cincinnati, OH
I-81 at Winchester, VA
I-66 at Arlington, VA
US 13 at Salisbury, MD
East end: MD 528 in Ocean City, MD
United States Numbered Highways

U.S. Route 50 is an east-west U.S. highway. As indicated by the trailing "0" in its route number, US 50 is a main coast-to-coast route, or at least nearly so. Signs at both termini (Ocean City, Maryland and West Sacramento, California) give the total distance as 3,073 miles (4,946 km) [2], though that mileage is based on an older measurement and has likely changed due to bypasses, Interstate highway co-signings, and other realignments.

Contents

[edit] Termini

US 50 West Sacramento Terminus Sign
Enlarge
US 50 West Sacramento Terminus Sign
US 50 Ocean City Maryland Terminus Sign
Enlarge
US 50 Ocean City Maryland Terminus Sign

US 50's western terminus is in West Sacramento, California at an interchange with Interstate 80. Its eastern terminus is in Ocean City, Maryland at the southern end of a barrier island, at the intersection of North Division Street (eastbound US 50) and Baltimore Avenue (Maryland Route 378, signed as northbound Maryland Route 528). Westbound US 50 begins one block west, at Philadelphia Avenue (southbound MD 528).[3]

The West Sacramento terminus once had a sign saying "US 50 East / Ocean City, MD / 3073 Miles". It was stolen by a fraternity sometime during 2002, and was replaced with a more ordinary mileage sign. When installed, the replacement erroneously listed the distance as 3,037 miles (4,888 km), but it was subsequently patched over with the correct mileage. [4] There is a similar sign at the eastern terminus that indicates the distance to Sacramento, CA (again, 3,073 miles).

US 50 once extended all the way to San Francisco, by going south through Stockton and then west to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. This part was decommissioned in favor of Interstate 580 and Interstate 80 in 1972. [5]

[edit] States traversed

Major cities

[edit] California

Main article: U.S. Route 50 in California

In California, US 50 begins at junction Interstate 80 in West Sacramento. It is then routed along Business Loop Interstate 80 to near the junction of California State Route 99 in Sacramento, where it leaves Business Loop I-80 for its own alignment. US 50 passes through Placerville on its way to South Lake Tahoe where it exits California into Nevada.

[edit] Nevada

Main article: U.S. Route 50 in Nevada

In Nevada, US 50 is known as the "Loneliest Road in America" a name it earned due to its long stretches with little or no services. It is routed along the old Lincoln Highway and the path of the Pony Express. It passes through the towns of Stateline, Carson City, Moundhouse Dayton, Stagecoach, Silver Springs, Fallon, Austin, Eureka, and Ely. It becomes multiplexed with U.S Route 6 at Ely, and enters Utah 150 miles east of Ely. The only services directly on U.S. 50 between Ely and Delta, UT is the Desert Inn at the state border, about equidistant between Ely and Delta.

[edit] Utah

Main article: U.S. Route 50 in Utah

Much of US 50 in Utah is multiplexed with Interstate 70, ironically though, the 2 largest cities served by US 50 in Utah (Salina and Delta) are on the portion that is not freeway. Similar to the Nevada portion, Utah's section of US 50 features long distances with no services available including Thompson Springs to Fruita, Colorado for about 60 miles, Green River to Salina for about 110 miles, and Delta to a single gas station on the Utah/Nevada State Line, for about 150 miles.

[edit] Colorado

Main article: U.S. Route 50 in Colorado

In Colorado, US 50 is carried through the Rocky Mountains, passing over the Continental divide at Monarch Pass. Monarch Pass is the point where the US 50 reaches its highest elevation, at 11,312 feet. It then follows a path cut by the Arkansas River to the Kansas border. From Granada eastward into Kansas, US 50 is multiplexed with U.S. Route 400.

[edit] Kansas

Main article: U.S. Route 50 in Kansas

US 50 runs through southwestern, central, and northeastern Kansas. US 50 enters the state multiplexed with U.S. Route 400. This multiplex continues until Dodge City. It then passes through Hutchinson and Newton. This route then heads to Interstate 35 to meet up at Emporia, then it follows Interstate 35 to Lenexa. While at Kansas City, it is close to Interstate 435, then heads out of the state, entering Missouri.

[edit] Missouri

Main article: U.S. Route 50 in Missouri

US 50 enters Missouri from Kansas along Interstate 435 around Kansas City and then it is multiplexed with Interstate 470 up to Lee's Summit. It then heads to Jefferson City, where it is merged with U.S. Route 63 between downtown and the eastern end of the city. At Union, US 50 is routed along Interstate 44 up to Sunset Hills, then it heads east and merges with U.S. Route 61 and U.S. Route 67. These three concurrent U.S. routes stay this way until after the interchange with Interstate 55, then 61 and 67 split off, leaving 50 to merge with Interstate 255 to cross the Mississippi River via the Jefferson Barracks Bridge in St. Louis.

[edit] Illinois

Main article: U.S. Route 50 in Illinois

U.S. 50 has at least two multiplexes in Illinois. It overlaps with Interstate 64 from O'Fallon to East St. Louis and with Interstate 255 from East St. Louis into Missouri.

[edit] Indiana

Main article: U.S. Route 50 in Indiana

US 50 intersects with I-65 in Seymour, Indiana. It goes through the towns of Vincennes, Washington, Montgomery, Bedford, Brownstown, Seymour, North Vernon, Versailles, Aurora, and Lawrenceburg in Indiana.

[edit] Ohio

Main article: U.S. Route 50 in Ohio

Corridor D continues through Ohio to Cincinnati. In Chillicothe, US 50 becomes Western Ave, and then Main St., before merging with multiplexed US 23/ US 35 east of the City. Ohio SR 104 also follows along US 50 through downtown Chillicothe. In Milford, US 50 becomes known as Wooster Pike and crosses the Little Miami River via the Wooster Pike Bridge. It then becomes Columbia Parkway in Fairfax up to Cincinnati, and in Cincinnati it is routed along Historic Columbia Parkway (trucks banned), and Sixth Street Expressway. West of Cincinnati, it becomes known as River Road.

[edit] West Virginia

Main article: U.S. Route 50 in West Virginia

In West Virginia, US 50 is routed along the Northwestern Turnpike and Corridor D of the Appalachian Development Highway System. Its journey through the state is interrupted by its passing briefly through Garrett County, Maryland. The part of the highway east of Clarksburg is a mountainous rural highway, but the section between I-79 at Clarksburg and I-77 at Parkersburg is a four-lane superhighway known as Corridor D. The remining link in Corridor D, from I-77 to the Ohio River, is currently under construction.

[edit] Virginia

Main article: U.S. Route 50 in Virginia

U.S. 50 enters Virginia in Arlington County as Arlington Boulevard, passing near the Arlington National Cemetery. It goes through Fairfax along Fairfax Boulevard and west of the city it is known as Lee Jackson Memorial Highway. Beyond Fairfax County, US 50 becomes known as John Mosby Highway. Between Paris and Winchester, it is multiplexed with U.S. Route 17 and beginning in Winchester, it becomes the Northwestern Turnpike before entering West Virginia.

[edit] District of Columbia

Main article: U.S. Route 50 in the District of Columbia

In the District of Columbia, US 50 mostly follows New York Avenue and Constitution Avenue sharing part of its routing with U.S. Route 1. The route leaves the district via the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge over the Potomac River, entering Arlington County, Virginia multiplexed with Interstate 66. Aside from the Roosevelt Bridge, U.S. 50 has another water crossing in the district, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway Bridge over the Anacostia River.

[edit] Maryland

Main article: U.S. Route 50 in Maryland

There are two sections of US 50 in Maryland. The first, from east to west, follows Ocean Gateway, then part of a blue star memorial highway, then the John Hanson Highway as unsigned Interstate 595 from the Capital Beltway. It serves as a major highway connecting Ocean City, Salisbury, Cambridge, Easton, Annapolis, Bowie and Washington, D.C.. The second section cuts through the corner of Garrett County for less than 10 miles.

[edit] Notes

  • In Nevada, US 50 is known as "The Loneliest Road in America" (see Nevada section).

[edit] See also

[edit] Alternate routes

U.S. Route 50 Alternate in Nevada has an eastern terminus west of Fallon. It heads to the northwest to an intersection with Interstate 80 in Fernley, then turns due south with Alternate US 95. It rejoins US 50 in Silver Springs, with Alt US 95 continuing south. The two legs of Alt US 50 and the main line route form a 30 mile (48 km) triangle in the Nevada desert.

[edit] Related U.S. routes

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b US Highways from US 1 to US 830 Robert V. Droz
  2. ^ Photos: Signs in West Sacramento and Ocean City giving the distance to the other end, from [1].
  3. ^
  4. ^ End of US highway 50, The Sign Battle Saga
  5. ^ Photo: Unintended exposure of the US 50 shield in East Bay Area, from [2]

[edit] External links


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Main U.S. Routes
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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
Lists  U.S. Routes - Bannered - Divided - Replaced
Browse numbered routes
< SR 49 CA SR 51 >
← 28 Nevada 80 →
< ILL 50 IL US 51 >
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