U.S. Route 14 in Wyoming

U.S. Route 14
Route information
Maintained by Wyoming Department of Transportation
Length: 449.21 mi[1] (722.93 km)
Existed: 1936 – present
Major junctions
West end: US 16 / US 20 at Yellowstone National Park
  US 14A in Cody
US 310 in Greybull
US 16 / US 20 in Greybull
US 14A near Dayton
US 87 / I-90 in Ranchester
US 87 / I-90 in Sheridan
US 16 near Clearmont
I-90 in Gillette
US 16 in Moorcroft
East end: US 14 at the South Dakota state line
Highway system

United States Numbered Highways
List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced

State highways in Wyoming

← WYO 14 US 14A →

In the U.S. state of Wyoming U.S. Route 14 (normally called U.S. Highway 14, Highway 14 or US 14) runs east west across the northern part of the state. The road connects South Dakota on the east with Yellowstone National Park on the west. It is mostly a two lane surface road except for several sections that it shares with Interstate 90.

Contents

Route description

While the official western terminus of the road is at the Eastern gate of Yellowstone National Park there is an unsigned section within the park itself starting at a junction with U.S. Route 89 and U.S. Route 287 at West Thumb and following the northern shore of Yellowstone Lake. From the park US 14 is co-signed with U.S. Route 16 and U.S. Route 20. The roads lead east out of the Absaroka Range and down the Shoshone River valley to Cody. Here, U.S. Route 14 Alternate (US 14A) splits north toward Powell, while US 14/16/20 continues east across the Bighorn Basin to Greybull. At Greybull, US 14 and US 20 go south, while US 14 travels east to Shell, and the western slope of the Big Horn Mountains. The road ascends a windy path through steep Shell Canyon and rejoins US 14A at the top of the range at Burgess Junction. The road is designated as Bighorn Scenic Byway between Shell and Dayton on the eastern side of the mountain rage. On the east side of the Bighorns, the road merges with Interstate 90 and travels southeast to Sheridan, Wyoming. From Sheridan, the road continues east, rejoining with US Route 16 near Clearmont. The roads travel across the Powder River Country to Gillette, Wyoming where it joins again with Interstate 90 to Moorcroft. From here, it diverges north from Interstate 90 briefly to junction with Wyoming Highway 24 with access to Devils Tower National Monument. US 14 turns south and rejoins Interstate 90 which it follows to the eastern border of Wyoming and South Dakota.

History

US 14 was originally planned to stop in Wall, South Dakota. In 1936, the road was extended to the Wyoming border and US 16 was rerouted through Newcastle and the old US 16 was re designated as US 14. Prior to 1940, US 14 followed the route currently serviced by US 14A through Lovell and Powell. In 1940, the highway took over Wyoming Highway 520 between Burgess Junction and Greybull, and the old road was renamed Wyoming Highway 14. Due to confusion, it was recommissioned as US 14A in 1965. In the 1960s portions of the highway in the eastern part of the state became Interstate 90[2].

Major intersections

Yellowstone to Sheridan

County Location Mile Destinations Notes
Park
 Cody   WYO 120
  US 14A US 14 and US 14A split
Big Horn
 Emblem   WYO 30
  WYO 32
Greybull   US 310 north / WYO 789 north
  US 16 south / US 20 south / WYO 789 south
Sheridan
 Burgess Junction   US 14A west US 14 and US 14A rejoin
Dayton   WYO 343
Ranchester   WYO 345
  I-90 east / US 87 south US 14 junction with I-90/US 87
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Sheridan to South Dakota State Line

County Location Mile Destinations Notes
Sheridan
 Clearmont   US 16 US 16 East Follows US 14 East
Campbell
 Gillette   WYO 59 north WY59 South Follows US 14 East
  I-90 US 14 East joins I-90 East
  WYO 59 south
Crook
 Moorcroft   US 16 south
Devils Tower Junction   WYO 24 north WY 24 North to Devils Tower National Monument
Sundance   WYO 116 south
  WYO 585 south
Beulah   WYO 111 north
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Related route

U.S. Route 14A
Location: Cody – Burgess Junction
Length: 103.01 mi[3] (165.78 km)

U.S. Highway 14 Alternate is an alternate route for U.S. Highway 14 between Cody and Burgess Junction. At its west end in Cody, US 14 is concurrent with U.S. Highway 16 and U.S. Highway 20. West of Burgess Junction, US 14A passes through the Big Horn Mountains, reaching a maximum elevation of 9,430 ft (2,870 m). This portion of the road is closed during the winter months. The total length of US 14A is approximately 106 miles (171 km). Intermediate towns on the highway include Powell and Lovell. At Lovell, US 14A is concurrent with U.S. Highway 310 for approximately 3 miles (4.8 km).

In the initial 1925 plan, roughly the west half of present US 14 Alternate, from Cody to U.S. Highway 310 in Deaver, was assigned the number U.S. Highway 220.[4] However, two spurs of US 20 were added in Pennsylvania, and so US 220 became U.S. Highway 420 in the final 1926 plan.[5]

Around 1933, U.S. Highway 116 was extended west from Sheridan to Deaver, then absorbing US 420 to end at Cody. Soon after, it became part of an extended US 14.[6] US 14 was shifted south to its present alignment in 1940, and the old alignment became Wyoming 14 for a while, and was recommissioned as US 14 Alternate around 1965 [7].

References

  1. ^ "Wyoming @ RockyMountainRoads.com - US 14 Junction List". http://www.rockymountainroads.com/us-014x_wy.html. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 
  2. ^ "Wyoming @ RockyMountainRoads.com - US Highway 14". http://www.rockymountainroads.com/us-014_wy.html. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 
  3. ^ "Wyoming @ RockyMountainRoads.com — US 14 Junction List". http://www.rockymountainroads.com/us-014x_wy.html. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 
  4. ^ Report of Joint Board on Interstate Highways, October 30, 1925
  5. ^ United States System of Highways, November 11, 1926
  6. ^ U.S. Highways: east–west Routes
  7. ^ "Wyoming @ RockyMountainRoads.com — US Highway 14". http://www.rockymountainroads.com/us-014_wy.html. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 
U.S. Route 14
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