U.S. Route 40 in Colorado

U.S. Route 40
Route information
Maintained by Colorado Department of Transportation
Length: 496.442 mi[1] (798.946 km)
Existed: 1926 – present
Major junctions
West end: US-40 at Utah state line
  US 34 near Granby
I-70 / US 6 at Empire
SH 470 in Golden
US 287 from Denver to Kit Carson
I-25 / US 85 / US 87 in Denver
I-225 in Aurora
US 36 near Aurora
E-470 near Aurora
I-70 from Watkins to Limon
US 385 at Cheyenne Wells
East end: US-40 east of Arapahoe at Kansas state line
Highway system

United States Numbered Highways
List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced

Colorado State Highways

← SH 39 SH 41 →

In the U.S. state of Colorado, U.S. Route 40 is a major east–west route. It crosses the Rocky Mountains, passing over the Continental Divide three times before reaching the front range. It then traverses through the Denver Metro Area, then exits by following I-70 and US 287. It is concurrent with US 287 for about 145 miles to Kit Carson. US 40 exits into Kansas east of Arapahoe in Cheyenne.

Contents

Route description

Entering Colorado to the south of Dinosaur National Monument, U.S. 40 runs east through the small town of Dinosaur along Brontosaurus Boulevard. The route continues a generally easterly course though Moffat and Routt counties, passing through several small communities along the way. It generally follows the course of the Yampa River. U.S. 40 becomes Lincoln Avenue as it runs through historic downtown Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

U.S. 40 crosses the Continental Divide three times on its trip through Colorado, mostly in the vicinity of Winter Park. Taking a circuitous route through Rabbit Ears Pass, Muddy Pass and Berthoud Pass it descends the escarpment along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. Just to the east of Empire, it merges with Interstate 70 for the first time. US 40 and I-70 will frequently share pavement across the U.S. The route leaves I-70 at exit 244, to the west of Idaho Springs and rejoins it again at between exits 252 and 254 in El Rancho. It parallels I-70, mostly as a frontage road, until the intersection with Colorado State Highway 26 to the south of Golden[2][3]

Beginning in Golden, US 40 becomes Colfax Avenue, the main east–west thoroughfare through the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Along with US 40, the entire route along Colfax Avenue is cosigned as Business Loop 70. The route travels northeast through Golden, then turns due east to travel through Lakewood, Denver, and Aurora. Among the sights to be seen along US 40 is Lake Steam Bath, once the location of a thriving health industry centered on tuberculosis sanatoriums. Also along Colfax Avenue in Denver is the Denver branch of the United States Mint, which produces 50 million coins per day. US 40 rejoins I-70 at exit 288, just to the east of Aurora.[3][4][5]

At exit 359 in Limon, US 40 leaves I-70 along Main Street, which it shares with Business Loop 70, US 24, US 287, and SH 71. US 40/US 287 continues to the southeast to the town of Kit Carson. From there, it leaves US 287 and continues east through the towns of Cheyenne Wells and Arapahoe before entering the state of Kansas.[3][4]

Major intersections

County Location Mile[1] Destinations Notes
Moffat 0.000 US-40- Utah Western terminus of US 40 in Colorado
Dinosaur 3 SH 64 south – Rangely
Maybell 59 SH 318
Craig 88.5 SH 13
89.5 SH 394 – Craig-Moffat County Airport
Routt Steamboat Springs 134 Mount Werner Road Interchange
136 SH 131
Grand 156 SH 14 east – Fort Collins
Kremmling 184 SH 9
207.5 SH 125
Granby 211 US 34 west – Estes Park, Greeley
Clear Creek Empire 247 I-70 west – Grand Junction Western end of I-70 overlap
I-70 east – Denver
Jefferson 266 SH 74 – Evergreen
Golden 275 SH 470 south – Colorado Springs I-70 exit #260
Denver Denver 276 US 6 (6th Avenue) I-70 exit #261; Eastern end of I-70 overlap
279 Kipling Street
282 SH 121 (Wadsworth Boulevard)
283.5 Sheridan Boulevard
285 US 287 (Federal Blvd) Western end of US 287 overlap
286.5 I-25 / US 85 / US 87 – Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
Adams Aurora 296 I-225 – Aurora
300 I-70 / US 36 Western end of US 36 overlap
302 E-470- Denver International Airport, Boulder, Colorado Springs I-70 exit #284
314 SH 79 north – Bennett I-70 exit #304
Arapahoe 328 US 36 east – Byers I-70 exit #316; eastern end of US 36 overlap
Lincoln Limon 382 SH 71 / US 24 west
386 US 24 east I-70 exit #359; eastern end of I-70 overlap
Hugo 398 County Highway 109 / County Road 31 – Genoa
399 County Highway 109 / County Road 32 (3rd Ave) – Karval
Cheyenne Aroya 425.5 SH 94 west – Colorado Springs
Kit Carson 445 SH 59 north – Seibert
446 US 287 south – Eads Eastern end of US 287 overlap
Cheyenne Wells 471 US 385
487 US-40 east – Kansas Eastern terminus of US 40 in Colorado

See also

Related U.S. Routes

References

  1. ^ a b Colorado Department of Transportation, Highway Data, accessed July 2007
  2. ^ Brusca, Frank X. (2002). "US 40 Scrapbook: Colorado". U.S. Route 40: America's Golden Highway. route40.net. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. http://web.archive.org/web/20070927203821/http://www.route40.net/scrapbook/co/index.shtml. Retrieved 2007-05-21. 
  3. ^ a b c Salek, Matthew E. (2006). "US 40". Colorado Highways. http://www.mesalek.com/colo/us40.html. Retrieved 2007-05-22. 
  4. ^ a b Mapsource. Garmin Ltd.. 2003. 
  5. ^ Royston, Reggie (2001). "Denver's Road of Riches: Colfax Avenue". National Geographic News. National Geographic Society. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/05/0501_ColfaxAveDenver.html. Retrieved 2007-05-22. 
U.S. Route 40
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